LEST WE BECOME COMPLACENT

Ah, my friend, complacency is the quiet thief of sobriety. The Big Book reminds us that our condition is cunning, baffling, and powerful — and that we are never fully cured. As it says on page 85: 'We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.' [Page 85] That daily reprieve means we never graduate from the program. The moment we think we've got it licked, we're in danger. I've seen many a sober alcoholic slip back into the drink because they stopped doing the very things that kept them sober — the meetings, the steps, the service. The book warns on page 33: 'There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation.' [Page 33] But that self-searching is the lifeblood of recovery. Lest we become complacent, we must keep coming back, keep working the steps, and keep carrying the message to the still-suffering alcoholic. That's not a burden — it's our greatest protection.