HUMILITY MONTH: DAY 1: “Self-emptiness prepares us for spiritual fullness.”― Richard Sibbes
The process of 12 step recovery demands that we rid ourselves of ourselves. This continual “smashing” of the Ego is essential to get any kind of spiritual life.
We have to continually lay down our identity as we know it coming into this process. I believe that is all we are here to do anyway, in this life and this manifestation. What is wonderful about addiction is the necessity of doing that in order to remain in recovery. We are blessed by that.
You cannot fill something that is already full. You cannot be teachable when you “know” everything. That is the toughest lesson in early recovery. I have worked with new members for a long time. Their response is always “I know…” and that is the problem.
All of this information is pretty basic, not a lot of new material here. It is the APPLICATION of it that changes us. Knowing is not doing. So we must un-know all of it to be able to practice it. That is the key. Ego knows, Spirit practices it. If we had this stuff down, we wouldn’t be here.
And yet, here we are. Lost in life and lost in spirit.
Undoing whatever we have done so far is where Ego gets smashed, which the BB says it must. Well, ain’t that just a bowl of cherries? Not really. We fight and we fight for survival, as Ego sees it. Ego screams and throws a fit and we have to go to extreme lengths to come to the place where we get some form of willingness. Ugh! What a battle that is.
And the funny part? We will do this until we die. Ego is that big and that powerful and that much in control of us. The only thing bigger is that Universal Power that gave us this gift of Spirit to begin with. It is a real battle, nonetheless. And sadly, one that very few folks win. Today I am willing to continue to bash and smash Ego because my life is beautiful and rich and full and Spirit feels so much better for me.
Dolphin Hug 