Step One: The Foundation of Recovery

A speaker at the AA Rally said, “40% of the Big Book is about Step One. We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable.”

When I checked my Big Book, I realized the speaker might have underestimated the percentage. It might be higher than 40%, especially when we look at the stories and consider the portion of each story dedicated to drinking and finding a bottom.

Why Step One Dominates the Big Book

Step One is the foundation of the rest of our program. So it is appropriate that more than 40% of our textbook is devoted to Step One. Step One and finding a bottom are, as William James proposed, critical elements in spiritual transitions and changes. And that is what we needed to find the power to deal with our alcoholism.

But Step One applies to more than drinking and alcohol. Step One is useful for drunks and everyone else.

Key takeaways

• Step One is foundational. It opens the door to the rest of the Steps.
• Finding a bottom matters. The stories in the Big Book underline how hitting bottom creates the willingness to change.
• Step One is universal. It’s a principle that applies beyond alcohol to other life areas.

Finding Your Bottom: More Than a Dramatic Fall

As many old-timers have learned, practising the Program’s principles in any of our affairs starts with admitting that we are powerless. We have learned, as we did with drinking, that before we can apply the Program’s principles to any area of our lives, we have to hit bottom.

It might be something like:

• divorce, which forces us to see how self-centred we have behaved;
• a job loss stemming from procrastination;
• the loss of a friendship after a temper tantrum.

These big events drive us to apply the Program’s principles and change our character, and that change process starts with a bottoming experience.

Learning to Find Bottoms Without Bone-Jarring Pain

With time, experience, and self-examination, we learn to find our bottoms and begin to apply the principle of character change without the bone-jarring bottoming experiences that life can bring. It starts with regular, comprehensive self-examination with written inventories, moving to identification of the “exact nature” of the problem and working to remove character defects.

As many have said, this program can work for anyone and anything. And it starts with Step One.

Books to Support Your Twelve Step Journey

If you’re looking to explore Step work, spiritual awakening, and personal transformation more deeply, check out The GEMS Series: 12-Step Shares, Notes and Thoughts. These books offer insights, reflections, and real-life recovery experience that complement the journey through the Twelve Steps.

The books in The GEMS Series: 12-Step Shares, Notes and Thoughts can be purchased through my estore or the major online book retailers. Look for GEMS, More GEMS, Still More GEMS, and More GEMS Revealed.

FAQs

Q1: What exactly is Step One?
A1: Step One is the AA admission: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.” It’s the initial acceptance that opens the possibility for change.

Q2: Why does the Big Book spend so much time on Step One?
A2: The Big Book’s stories and chapters emphasize Step One because admitting powerlessness and recognizing unmanageability create the willingness necessary for transformation.

Q3: Does “hitting bottom” always mean a catastrophe?
A3: No. While many stories feature dramatic bottoms, the point is the willingness that follows. Over time you can learn to conduct honest self-examination and identify smaller “bottoms” before catastrophe.

Q4: Can Step One apply to issues other than alcohol?
A4: Yes. Step One’s principle—admitting powerlessness in a specific area—can be applied to relationships, work, anger, procrastination, and more.

Q6: Are there recommended books or next steps after Step One?
A6: The Big Book itself is the primary text; check out the other books on this site for more.

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