We Have To Live It!

The spiritual life is not a theory.  We have to live it.  Unless one's family expresses a desire to live upon spiritual principles we think we ought not to urge them.  We should not talk incessantly to them about spiritual matters.  They will change in time.  Our behavior will convince them more than our words.  We must remember that ten or twenty years of drunkenness would make a skeptic out of anyone.  Big Book, p83

Self-righteousness is one of my greatest shortcomings.  Whenever something works for me, I think I have the answer for everyone else, so I try to cram it into their consciousness.  I do point people to places in the Big Book, but I try to only do so when I am asked.  Most of my family are still out there "practicing", so I listened to my sponsor and take care of myself.  If I turn out to be an example, then great.  If not, then at least I am sober.  I've also noticed that while general concepts in the book always work for everyone, the timing of parts of my path may not be the same.  Denial can be very powerful and when someone isn't ready, oftentimes, to push them, can send them into a full retreat.

Thank you Higher Power.  Thank you for showing me what I can do for those that still suffer.  Thank you for tempering my tendency to be overbearing and self-righteous.  Thank you for a little bit of the precious gift called humility.  Thank you.