Back to Basics

Step 9

Explanation

Chapter 6 - Into Action

Page 76, paragraph 3, lines 6-11

If we can answer to our satisfaction, we then look at
Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as being in-
dispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove
from us all the things which we have admitted are ob-
jectionable? Can He now take them all—every one?
If we still cling to something we will not let go, we
ask God to help us be willing.

When ready, we say something like this: "My Cre-
ator, I am now willing that you should have all of me,
good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me
every single defect of character which stands in the
way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant
me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding.
Amen." We have then completed Step Seven.

Now we need more action, without which we find
that "Faith without works is dead." Let's look at Steps
Eight and Nine
. We have a list of all persons we have
harmed and to whom we are willing to make amends.
We made it when we took inventory. We subjected
ourselves to a drastic self-appraisal. Now we go out to
our fellows and repair the damage done in the past.
We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accu-
mulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run
the show ourselves. If we haven't the will to do this,
we ask until it comes.
Remember it was agreed at the
beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over
alcohol
.

Probably there are still some misgivings. As we look
over the list of business acquaintances and friends we
have hurt, we may feel diffident about going to some
of them on a spiritual basis. Let us be reassured. To
some people we need not, and probably should not
emphasize the spiritual feature on our first approach.

Specific Amends - People We Dislike

Chapter 6 - Into Action

Page 77, paragraph 1, lines 9-14

We might prejudice them. At the moment we are try­
ing to put our lives in order. But this is not an end in
itself. Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maxi-
mum service to God and the people about us. It is
seldom wise to approach an individual, who still
smarts from our injustice to him, and announce that
we have gone religious. In the prize ring, this would
be called leading with the chin. Why lay ourselves
open to being branded fanatics or religious bores? We
may kill a future opportunity to carry a beneficial mes-
sage. But our man is sure to be impressed with a
sincere desire to set right the wrong. He is going to be
more interested in a demonstration of good will
than in our talk of spiritual discoveries.

We don't use this as an excuse for shying away from
the subject of God. When it will serve any good pur-
pose, we are willing to announce our convictions with
tact and common sense. The question of how to ap-
proach the man we hated will arise. It may be he has
done us more harm than we have done him and,
though we may have acquired a better attitude toward
him, we are still not too keen about admitting our
faults. Nevertheless, with a person we dislike, we take
the bit in our teeth. It is harder to go to an enemy
than to a friend, but we find it much more beneficial
to us. We go to him in a helpful and forgiving spirit,
confessing our former ill feeling and expressing our
regret.

Under no condition do we criticize such a person
or argue. Simply we tell him that we will never get
over drinking until we have done our utmost to
straighten out the past. We are there to sweep off our
side of the street, realizing that nothing worth while

Specific Amends - Creditors

Chapter 6 - Into Action

Page 78, paragraph 2, entire paragraph

can be accomplished until we do so, never trying to
tell him what he should do. His faults are not dis-
cussed. We stick to our own. If our manner is calm,
frank, and open, we will be gratified with the result.

In nine cases out of ten the unexpected happens.
Sometimes the man we are calling upon admits his
own fault, so feuds of years' standing melt away in an
hour. Rarely do we fail to make satisfactory progress.
Our former enemies sometimes praise what we are
doing and wish us well. Occasionally, they will offer
assistance. It should not matter, however, if someone
does throw us out of his office. We have made our
demonstration, done our part. It's water over the dam.

Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our
creditors. Telling them what we are trying to do, we
make no bones about our drinking; they usually know
it anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we
afraid of disclosing our alcoholism on the theory it
may cause financial harm. Approached in this way,
the most ruthless creditor will sometimes surprise us.
Arranging the best deal we can we let these people
know we are sorry. Our drinking has made us slow
to pay. We must lose our fear of creditors no matter
how far we have to go, for we are liable to drink if we
are afraid to face them.

Perhaps we have committed a criminal offense
which might land us in jail if it were known to the au­
thorities. We may be short in our accounts and unable
to make good. We have already admitted this in con­
fidence to another person, but we are sure we would
be imprisoned or lose our job if it were known. Maybe
it's only a petty offense such as padding the expense
account. Most of us have done that sort of thing.

Specific Amends - Where Other People are Involved

Chapter 6 - Into Action

Page 79, paragraph 2, lines 1-3

Maybe we are divorced, and have remarried but
haven't kept up the alimony to number one. She is
indignant about it, and has a warrant out for our ar-
rest. That's a common form of trouble too.

Although these reparations take innumerable forms,
there are some general principles which we find guid-
ing. Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go
to any lengths to find a spiritual experience, we ask
that we be given strength and direction to do the right
thing, no matter what the personal consequences may
be. We may lose our position or reputation or face
jail, but we are willing. We have to be. We must not
shrink at anything.

Usually, however, other people are involved. There­
fore, we are not to be the hasty and foolish martyr who
would needlessly sacrifice others to save himself
from
the alcoholic pit. A man we know had remarried. Be­
cause of resentment and drinking, he had not paid ali-
mony to his first wife. She was furious. She went to
court and got an order for his arrest. He had com-
menced our way of life, had secured a position, and
was getting his head above water. It would have been
impressive heroics if he had walked up to the Judge
and said, "Here I am."

We thought he ought to be willing to do that if
necessary, but if he were in jail he could provide noth-
ing for either family. We suggested he write his first
wife admitting his faults and asking forgiveness. He
did, and also sent a small amount of money. He told
her what he would try to do in the future. He said he
was perfectly willing to go to jail if she insisted. Of
course she did not, and the whole situation has long
since been adjusted.

Chapter 6 - Into Action

Page 80, paragraph 1, entire paragraph

Before taking drastic action which might implicate
other people we secure their consent. If we have ob-
tained permission, have consulted with others, asked
God to help and the drastic step is indicated we must
not shrink.

This brings to mind a story about one of our friends.
While drinking, he accepted a sum of money from a
bitterly-hated business rival, giving him no receipt for
it. He subsequently denied having received the money
and used the incident as a basis for discrediting the
man. He thus used his own wrong-doing as a means
of destroying the reputation of another. In fact, his
rival was ruined.

He felt that he had done a wrong he could not pos-
sibly make right. If he opened that old affair, he was
afraid it would destroy the reputation of his partner,
disgrace his family and take away his means of liveli-
hood. What right had he to involve those dependent
upon him? How could he possibly make a public
statement exonerating his rival?

After consulting with his wife and partner he came
to the conclusion that it was better to take those risks
than to stand before his Creator guilty of such ruinous
slander. He saw that he had to place the outcome in
God's hands or he would soon start drinking again, and
all would be lost anyhow. He attended church for the
first time in many years. After the sermon, he quietly
got up and made an explanation. His action met wide-
spread approval, and today he is one of the most
trusted citizens of his town. This all happened years
ago.

The chances are that we have domestic troubles.
Perhaps we are mixed up with women in a fashion we

Specific Amends - People Who Cannot be Seen

Chapter 6 - Into Action

Page 83, paragraph 3, lines 1-5

Yes, there is a long period of reconstruction ahead.
We must take the lead. A remorseful mumbling that
we are sorry won't fill the bill at all. We ought to sit
down with the family and frankly analyze the past as
we now see it, being very careful not to criticize them.
Their defects may be glaring, but the chances are that
our own actions are partly responsible. So we clean
house with the family, asking each morning in medita-
tion that our Creator show us the way of patience,
tolerance, kindliness and love.

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 be-
havior will convince them more than our words. We
must remember that ten or twenty years of drunken-
ness would make a skeptic out of anyone.

There may be some wrongs we can never fully right.
We don't worry about them if we can honestly say to
ourselves that we would right them if we could.
Some people cannot be seen—we send them an honest
letter.
And there may be a valid reason for postpone-
ment in some cases. But we don't delay if it can be
avoided. We should be sensible, tactful, considerate
and humble without being servile or scraping. As
God's people we stand on our feet; we don't crawl
before anyone.

If we are painstaking about this phase of our
development, we will be amazed before we are half
way through. We are going to know a new freedom
and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor
wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the