Selfism - By Rabbi Twerski

on Thursday, 19 March 2015. Posted in Rabbi Dr. Twerski


Step Three
 
We made a decision to turn our will and our lives to the care of G-d as we understood Him.
 
In Step One we admitted that we had lost control over our lives. Our “self-will run riot” resulted in wholesale destruction—marriage, family, job, friends, social status. We could no longer run our lives, because our compass had gone crazy, and would lead us only to further disaster.
 
At one AA meeting, the speaker was an accomplished psychoanalyst, who said, “All my psychologic knowledge and treatment did not prevent alcohol from ruining my life. In desperation, I called AA. I was sitting in my kitchen, slumped over a cup of coffee, when this huge woman appeared in the doorway. ‘Did you call for help?’ she said. “I said, “Yes. Can you help me?” She said, “I will, if you’ll listen.” At that point, I, a training analyst, turned my life over to a fifth-grade dropout, who became my savior. After a brief talk, she said, “Go to the phone and cancel all your patients. You’re crazy!” I did just that.
 
“I became totally dependent on her. I called her several times a day, asking what I should two. After two weeks, she told me she was going to Memphis to a niece’s wedding, and I panicked. “What can I do if I can’t reach you? How will I know what to do?” She said, “Go out and ask someone on the street. Their judgment is going to be better than yours.”
 
“She was right. Alcohol had totally warped my judgment. Anyone’s judgment would be better than mine.”
 
Coming to the realization how unreliable our thinking is, we realized that only a power greater than us could lead us out of this mess. If you’re religious, that Power could be G-d. If you don’t believe in G-d, then let someone else decide for you until your mind returns to normal.

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