Dear Friends,
In AA’s Daily Reflections for July 2nd, I came across three questions that stirred something within me. They offer insight not into “cash-register honesty,” but into something more intimate—being honest in how we live, show up, and open ourselves to others and to God:
"Am I honest enough to accept myself as I am and let this be the 'me' that I let others see?
Do I have the willingness to go to any length, to do whatever is necessary to stay sober?
Do I have the open-mindedness to hear what I have to hear, to think what I have to think, and to feel what I have to feel?"
— Daily Reflections, July 2, “The Heart of True Sobriety”
These questions challenge us not to appear honest, but to be honest—heart-deep, soul-stretching honesty.
1. Am I honest enough to accept myself as I am?
This first question calls for authenticity. Am I brave enough to stop performing and simply be who I am—flaws, gifts, and all? It’s not about puffing up my strengths or hiding my weaknesses. For me, it means allowing family and friends the privilege of truly knowing me—not a version, but the real me.
"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are." — Carl Jung
"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." — Thomas Jefferson
2. Do I have the willingness to do whatever it takes to stay sober?
This kind of willingness doesn’t show up only on good days. It shows up daily. It means trusting that a power greater than myself is lifting me—like a car jack under pressure—raising me slowly above the weight of life’s challenges. I’m reminded that willingness is less about having all the answers, and more about taking the next step in faith.
“When I am willing to do the next right thing, I find that God meets me there.” — Anonymous (12-Step wisdom)
"Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as the pathway to peace..." — Reinhold Niebuhr, Serenity Prayer
3. Do I have the open-mindedness to hear, think, and feel what I must?
This may be the hardest. To be truly open-minded means cracking the shell we’ve grown inside. It’s like a chick pecking its way into the light or a butterfly wiggling free from a cocoon. These transformations don’t come easy—but they are signs of life in motion, of real growth.
"Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." — Romans 12:2
"We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." — Joseph Campbell
To be of honest heart is to live without pretension, without an agenda. It’s about being open, humble, and willing to grow. It’s about looking in the mirror and seeing someone you respect—someone you want to walk beside each day in recovery. This is not a destination. It’s a journey. But as long as we walk it with honesty and heart, we do not walk it alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment