Step 2

[xzyra]

"Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity"

This one is tough for a lot of people. I'll share first how my sponsor took me through this step. If you are agnostic or atheist, see the bottom of the post first.

It was suggested to me that I read Chapter 4, "We Agnostics" as a part of this step.

Then, I was to list all the characteristics that I wanted to give my higher power (which I sometimes choose to call "HP"). This was important for me. What sort of HP could I trust to restore me to sanity? It was *not* going to be the Catholic, punishing, unable-to-please grandfather-figure God of my youth. My list included these characteristics:

all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-forgiving, not as concerned about justice as about love. Kind, gentle, intimately concerned with my well-being and the well-being of the planet.

I was surprise to find that when I defined my HP in detail, I was more able to then make my head line up with my HP's will for me.


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For the agnostic/atheist struggling with this step
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I've heard it said at meetings that your Higher Power (HP) could be anything at first, your sponsor, a tree, a chair, a light bulb.

Let me say clearly: that is *total bullshit*. Your "higher power," by definition, cannot be something that you have power over.

It does not make any sense that your HP is something like a light bulb, tree, or chair -- because you obviously are more powerful than these. The tree can be cut down, the light bulb and chair smashed. You could fire or even kill your sponsor, so that one is out too.

Then there is the next level, your HP could be the AA group or nature.

These are at least metaphysically possible, so might work at first. I agree that the group or nature is more powerful than any other individual. Be aware, it is dangerous to make the group your HP, because the group could dis-band. Nature, as name for some concept of a higher power like The Creative Spirit, will work. But be sure to recognize that nature as a creative force is one thing -- a forest or the ocean is another. These might be bigger than you, might even be able to kill you, but they are merely physcial entities that really can't help you out personally.

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Thoughts? How did you all do step 2?

[northamericancitizen]

1. All the positive energies in the universe and behound.

When this HP seems to big to embrace, I go for a tree, They are solid, well grounded with their head reaching out to the sun.

[ismnotwasm]

2. This will sound funny...

But I remain agnostic. And while I've stayed sober for some time now, coming to terms with my personal belief system took a while. To do this, I needed to combine, so to speak, steps 2 and 3.

I've always undersood the arrogance of thinking there is nothing more powerful than myself, however. (alcohol comes to mind--it kicked my ass)When I was new, I just mouthed words of faith without meaning them, until I understood that it was a form of lying. I couldn't "pretend" to believe in a God, any more than I could successfully pretend to be sober. One of the reasons I love AA is because there is plenty of room for people like me. One of my old timers would announce he was an atheist quite often (He died of old age, with many years of sobriety) He just may be a big part of the reason I stayed sober those early years. (Other than not taking the first drink)

I also came to understand the need for prayer and meditation. Self reflection, without the selfishness of alcoholism. A reaching out-- outside of myself, to put that alcholic selfishness in check. To remind myself that I'm not always the center of my universe.

So I picked a Hindu diety, a name that I'm comfortable with, and a philosophy I agree with. A focal point, if you will. I made a relationship with a concept, rather than a being, and it works very well for me. I was to meditate this way, and find peace.

I also learned through this experience to respect the beliefs or non-beliefs of others.

[NMDemDist2]

3. Harvey

a beloved old timer in my home group used to say in my first few days "If you don't have a God, pray to mine. Ask Him every morning to keep you sober and thank him every night for another sober day." and I did as suggested. Every morning with my coffee I'd say "Neil B.'s God please keep me sober" and every night I'd say "Neil B's God, thank you for another day of sobriety" and before I knew it I had a 30 day chip and then a 60 day chip.

then I got an HP of my own.....

my HP was like the 6 foot white pooka in the movie "Harvey"

I set him in the car next to me, talked to him, screamed at him, cried at him, blamed him, begged him, and thanked him. then little things started happening like parking places or the perfectly timed phone call

It was explained to me the difference between belief and faith. Belief is something some one tells you causing you to take an action, faith is what comes as a result of the action you took.

for example: you move to a new town and your car needs work. you ask your neighbor if they know a good mechanic. "Sure," says the neighbor "Take it over to Joe's. He's fast and reasonable."

So based on the BELIEF your neighbor knows the neighborhood better than you, you take your car to Joe's. sure enough, Joe gets the car done right on time and for a reasonable cost. so the next time you need a mechanic, based on your experience and the actions you have taken in the past, you have FAITH that Joe will fix your car right.

so in the 2nd step, I just have to believe and start taking the actions suggested in the Big Book. The results of my willingness to act will bring me to faith.

simple huh?

[yardwork]

4. I had trouble with this step, and realizing that helped me a lot

When I realized that I didn't really believe that a Higher Power would take care of problems, I realized how sick I was. I really believed that I had to do everything in the universe to keep it going! That was a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. While I was so busy trying to run everybody else's business I was letting my own life go to hell.

I gradually found faith in a higher power, but I didn't go back to the Christian God of my childhood. I found another path, one that feels right for me. It's helped me through a lot of change in recent years.

[NMDemDist2]

5. just gonna give this a kick for the newcomers

:hi:

[idgiehkt]

6. I just want to chime in on this step

I have been very fluid about my higher power since I got sober (the first time) at 23. I was basically atheist and never prayed. Allowing myself to pray again once I got into the program was like a damn breaking.

Thanks for this post because I know that I am in step two (again to the nth power)...I know it. I have been through some painful things with trusting the very, very wrong people of late, and I know what they mean now when they say 'the steps work us'. I have had one person after another sucked right out of my life since late January...unfortunately several have seen fit to engage in 'revenge' or other kind of vindictive behavior. But I have been really feeling that bible verse (sorry if it's offensive to anyone, it's relevant to me) where it says "trust in the lord with all thine heart, lean not unto thine own understanding". Because I see clearly now that every person H.P. has removed from my life really, really needed to go, and should have gone a long time ago had I acknowledged the red flags. I am experiencing, for the first time in a very long time, God or higher power doing for me what I could not do for myself and 'restoring me to sanity' through the pain of not having used discretion about who I let into my life. I made myself vulnerable to these folks and there is repercussion there but if I just let go of my pride and stay in the gratitude of feeling protected by hp for his/her yanking these folks right out of my life, I do very well considering. But I know that the growth part is taking responsibility for what I've allowed into my life, admitting my powerlessness (in this case over my codependency because all these folks fit a profile of characteristics) and going on up the scale with the steps. If there are amends there to make I will make them. I think that is what the process of both recovery and step two is, accepting what higher power reveals to me, including my daily powerlessness over alcohol but also over certain condidtioned behaviors that can put me in so much pain that alcohol or other drugs look appealing because the pain of repeating these ways of relating becomes so great I want to numb out. Sorry for the long post, just meditating on the 2nd step tonight.

[Why Syzygy]

7. Thanks to AZDem for kicking.

Very interesting OP. I like the idea of making a list of attributes.
I do believe in the All. The I Am. Certainly a Power greater than I.
And at the same time, I am part of the All. When I meditate on that, I feel unified.
The One obviously has the Power to do Anything.
So I guess I'm on the road to sanity!

... This thread touched me. Thank you.

[NMDemDist2]

8. COULD

could restore

not that it will, or would but could

but we have to take the actions to move toward sanity. there is no magic wand (and don't we all wish there was?)