The Thursday Principle: Courage
The Spiritual Principle courage lies behind A.A.’s Step Four: “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” Here we summon the courage to honestly look deep within. We take a look at how our behavior has become warped to justify our continued misbehavior. Step Four is about taking an honest assessment of who we are and how we got to be that way. Yes, looking at causes and conditions of our alcoholic and addictive behavior can be scary, especially for us who’ve never done such a thing. That’s why this demands courage.
A.A.’s generally don’t enroll in a recovery program in order to get sober; they enroll to stop the madness brought about by insobriety. But unless we take a brutally honest assessment of ourselves, there will be no real recovery. We might get clean. But we won’t stay clean.
Taking an honest assessment begins with charting our personal relations, noting where they’d gone wrong, then seeing how we were at fault. We will often find some justification behind a particular falling out. We’ll see all kinds of if’s, but’s and if only’s. Yet if we’re truly resolute, it’ll quickly become clear that we set the stage for the play. So it’s only right that we accept responsibility for it being a flop.
Spiritual Principle Courage
Many A.A.’s claim courage. They’ll say that, during their active addiction, they were continuously fearless in the face of danger. Many may have even skirted death. Yet there’s a difference between being reckless and being daring. There’s still more difference between being daring and being courageous.
Again, looking at causes and conditions of our alcoholic and addictive behavior can be a frightening proposition. In fact, it may well be the most frightening proposition of our lives. If we’re fearless, however, this proposition has the capacity to frighten us to life.
Healing Properties swears by A.A.’s Twelve Step dynamic. We adhere to A.A.’s program from Day One. And we recommend it as a recipe for a fully-realized life. We’re especially struck by the Spiritual Principle courage. Why? Because we’ve seen it change broken men into miracles. Plain and simple.
