I’m going to reuse the same quote from the AA Big Book I used in the last article:
If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it—then you are ready to take certain steps.
Today, I want to take a look at a different part of this quote, specifically the word “willingness”. For those in recovery, willingness means letting go of thoughts and behaviors that once owned us and stepping into a new life in complete faith. The thing is, I don’t think this concept is unique for alcoholics. Willingness is a key ingredient to a life of serenity; however, that doesn’t mean it’s all rainbows and roses.
Most times, willingness means letting go of the things we’re attached to, but these aren’t necessarily “bad”. We’re complicated beings, and we live complicated lives. Many times willingness means letting go of people, places and things we love in order to make room for peace. This doesn’t mean they’re bad, it just means they’re some way inhibiting us to live in true serenity. Trust me when I tell you there’s a difference between living life and living life with serenity.
It’s at this point that faith comes in. Letting go of attachments means trusting that God (or the universe, or anything outside ourselves) will deliver on the back end. And that’s not easy. Taking a leap into the unknown takes courage. Sometimes, the first step must be necessarily simpler - we call it the willingness to be willing.
In my life currently, there are many unanswered questions. There are things that I need to let go of, but I’m not exactly sure what they are. Maybe they’re narratives and thoughts. Maybe they’re people. Maybe they’re dreams. All I know is I’m willing to be willing, and more will surely be revealed.