Corey picks up at the opening of Into Action, having finished the inventory in last week’s study. He says he invites God into every Fifth Step before he sits down with a man, and he works the pages with his circled words (requires, must, vital, necessary). Page 72 says that admitting our defects to God, to ourselves, and to another human being requires action on our part. He explains why a solitary self-appraisal falls short: he can lie to himself and to others, but telling his whole life story to someone else leaves no room to edit it around his ego. He ties the text to Step Two, to willingness, honesty, and humility on page 13, and to the cornerstone on page 47.
Page 73 supplies the warning. Newcomers who kept certain facts to themselves took inventory but hung on to the worst items in stock, and the alcoholic who leads a double life plays the actor with a stage character. He reads that against the actor and the director from page 60 and the psychologist who never heard the whole truth. Page 74 on choosing the right person leads to his own Fifth Steps and the closed-mouth, understanding friend. We have no right to save our own skin at another person’s expense, and the rule is to be hard on ourselves and considerate of others. The close is page 75’s promise: withhold nothing, and fears fall away, the nearness of the Creator arrives, and we walk the Broad Highway hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.
A study offered in the spirit of one alcoholic sharing experience, strength, and hope with another.
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Disclaimer: This Wave Book Study is an independent recovery study offered free of charge as a teaching aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (A.A.W.S.). Passages read and discussed are drawn from the book Alcoholics Anonymous (“The Big Book”), © A.A.W.S., Inc., and are used here for educational and discussion purposes with attribution. This study is not a substitute for the Big Book itself. We’d encourage you to get your own copy and read it. A.A.W.S. has not reviewed or approved this content, and the views expressed are those of the host alone.