Willingness. What does it mean to you?
We can look at willingness when embarking on a spiritual path... a willingness to turn loose of an objectionable defect of character... willingness to give up trying to control the situation or outcome... etc.
What does willingness mean to you now or with regards to the steps?
To me it means I’ve decided I might do something that I had not previously wanted to do at all. It's somewhere between no-never and yes I did it. It's maybe-ness.
ReplyDeleteColter
Willingness=action. I know a guy that says willingness without action is fantasy. I mean I can say I'm willing to get up out of this chair and go out the door but until I get up out of the chair and move towards the door, nothing happens.
ReplyDeleteWillingness is one of the most important things for me today in sobriety. If my desire is continuing to perfect and enlarge my spiritual life, i need to be willing to do whatever is necessary to keep my ego in check. I need to be willing to do my 12 prayers and 12 meditations everyday and not just tossing God a bone every once in awhile. I need to be willing to trust God. I need to be willing to admit when I am wrong. I need to be willing to make ammends. I need to be willing to get outside of my selfish nature and help others....and on and on. My experience is that this works, not only in keeping me sober but also in providing me with that internal peace and happiness which eluded me for so many years. For the life of me, I can't understand why my ego continues to make this so damn challenging :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jim says. I can say I'm willing to do something, but it's a meaningless statement unless I actually do it.
DeleteAll action is born in thought.
DeleteSaying that willingness without action is fantasy is fucking tits and all, but it belongs on a fortune cookie.
I agree with Dave.
In regards to the steps it means I'm actually willing to DO them. (as has been noted)
ReplyDeleteIt means I'm willing to talk to people I don't want to talk to, give them rides, go out of my way to make coffe and take commitments when I'd rather be doing something else.
It means according the the BB that I'm willing to 'go to any length' to get and stay sober.
Now I may not be willing right away but so far I've been willing. And, so far so good.
AA seems to alot of me when I look ahead, but it gives me back alot in return. And looking back (as opposed to ahead) it never seems like I did that much.
So, in a way, I need to be willing to trust AA. Trust the process. Not always easy. In fact I drank for about a year before I became willing to trust it enough to give it an honest try.
Now I look back and have no idea why I fought it so much. Hindsight is 20/20.