My First Three Steps — Chris H., Altamonte Springs Group

 Sometimes in Alcoholics Anonymous we can take a look back and help others by the experiences that we went through to become better people; the most important part is grasping the first three steps of this program. These three steps are some of the hardest steps you can take, but without them you will not be able to work this program. I am going to talk about the way I took my first three steps in this program. In June of 2010, I drove down to the small town that I was from to go hang out with friends, thinking that, if I went down to where I started drinking, I would feel better about drinking. The next day after a night of all-night partying, I got in my car and decided that I was good enough to drive. I only made it about 15 miles before I was pulled over by the police and, right there, I had come to terms with the fact that something had to change. I was looking at prison time for drunk driving. I was doing foxhole prayers, hoping that I could get out of this. This time I realized that the one thing that had to change was I had to quit drinking. I had unknowingly taken the first part of step one. Over the next few months I attempted to live my life without alcohol and without help, just going on being very stubborn and not drinking. During this time, my life became very difficult to deal with; I would fly off the handle on little things and was not a good person to be around. In early October, I walked into my first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, with the help of a nudge from a judge. The fact that I started going to AA did not mean that I was ready to start taking the rest of Step One. It was not until January, when I lost my job because of my attitude, that I became ready to take the rest of Step One and became willing to admit that my life had become unmanageable. I started working with a sponsor in early February; that’s when I started on Step Two, Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. This was a very hard step for me to take, because I had become an atheist over the years of drinking. My sponsor explained that there is a huge difference between being spiritual and organized religion. I was then ready to take the second step and noticed that my life had become a little better; I was not getting mad all the time and was able to start looking for a new job and start school. After working with my sponsor, going through the Big Book, and talking to him on a daily basis, I had unknowingly taken Step Three, Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. After I took this step, life got better. I was no longer threatened with jail and the people around me had started to notice the change. It was then that my life became a little easier to deal with, because I could just turn it over and let my higher power handle it. It was not until a year down the road that I got to see the great things that this program has to offer; this was at my Drug Court graduation. It is such an amazing feeling to have a judge, your arresting officer, and a team of people speak such great words about you and how they are so proud to see how a person can change from a person that is drinking all the time to become a functioning member of society. This was my proof that the first three steps changed me into a better person. This is how I took my first three steps in Alcoholics Anonymous, and I know for a fact that I would not be where I am today if I had not taken these three steps. After looking back, I know that everyone has a story and they are all different; some will be able not to drink and live the way I did for my first three months of being sober. If had not taken these first three steps, and continued to live that lifestyle, I can tell you that I would have gone back out – I would have believed that next time would be different. It has been a little over five years of continuous sobriety and I can say that my life is not perfect, but that does not matter because I do not have to worry about the next time I go out. I just live my life one day at a time. Living by this program, going to meetings, working with others, and not forgetting about these first three steps, I will stay sober for many more years to come.