Enlightened Self-Interest Vs. This Is A Selfish Program, To Thine Own Self Be True

I think that this is a self-ish program is in Living Sober. That is the most absurd statement I have ever heard – we actually were talking about it last night in my homegroup. We were reading the Jack Alexander article – and he mentions “Enlightened Self-Interest”. My old sponsor, who passed away in 2005, used to talk about Enlightened Self-Interest – he used to say, “I want mine, but I am going to make sure you get yours first” as a definition of Enlightened Self-Interest. I can relate to that and that’s how I was able to ease into putting other people’s needs ahead of my own.

It seems to me that it comes down to how beaten down you are by the disease as to how much extraneous bullshit you need to become willing to just do AA. Me, I was not as beaten down as I could have been since I am a “They Stopped In Time” Chick so I needed to be eased in to believing that if I put your needs first, I would get what I needed, and that I don’t know what is best for me and God does and to begin to trust Him through unselfish action.

This is the third part of Step 1 – that our lives had become Unmanageable. I surrendered alcohol immediately, but it took 9 years for me to surrender my life to God.

To Thine Own Self Be True

I think possibly that the error in thinking comes from Capital-S Selfish vs. small-s selfish. To Thine Own Self Be True. To Thine Own (Higher)Self Be True. To the God Within Be True – not to my own selfishness be true.

Most of the people who come into AA from Treatment these days, who are in their 20s or early 30s, are going to be more interest in being true to their small-s selves.

I was always told, when I called my sponsor whining about this or that that the solution always is to go to a meeting and HELP SOMEBODY ELSE, TO GET OUT OF SELF.