Dear Reader,
Each day I try to collect my thoughts in quiet reflection.
Most days, this serves me well.
Today… not so much.
I find myself sitting with two readings, and they seem to be asking something of me.
The first comes from As Bill Sees It, a message from Bill Wilson:
“All A.A. progress can be reckoned in terms of just two words: humility and responsibility.
Our whole spiritual development can be accurately measured by our degree of adherence to these magnificent standards.”
The second was sent to me this morning:
“It's this simple: If I never try anything, I never learn anything.
If I never take a risk, I stay where I am.” — Hugh Prather
At first, I struggled to find the common ground between the two.
But as I sat with them, something began to come together.
For the sake of humility and responsibility, I must first acknowledge the views, accomplishments, and prerogatives of others.
In doing so, I begin to accept that each of us carries a piece of what is good and useful in this world.
That simple shift moves me—from a closed mind and a guarded heart—into a place of community and fellowship.
And in that place, differences are not threats.
They become opportunities for understanding.
So where does risk enter into this?
What I have learned—through Alcoholics Anonymous and through a life of faith—is that risk is not recklessness.
It is willingness.
A willingness to stretch beyond what I already know.
A willingness to try a new way of thinking.
A willingness to grow.
The ancient philosopher Socrates suggested that wisdom begins when we recognize what we do not know.
In recovery, that recognition becomes a kind of freedom.
Because once I admit I don’t know everything…
I become teachable.
Scripture speaks to this same truth:
“When ye are humble and full of love… then are ye taught from on high.”
— Book of Mormon, Alma 5:28
Humility opens the door.
It allows for correction.
It allows for growth.
It draws me closer to God.
So perhaps this is the understanding that is forming for me today:
When I take responsible risks with a humble heart…
something begins to change.
Not just in me—
but in the way I live with others.
Risk allows me to move beyond the status quo.
Humility helps me set aside pride.
Responsibility connects me back to the world around me.
I don’t know that I have fully resolved these thoughts.
But I do know this—
If I am willing to try…
willing to learn…
and willing to remain teachable…
then I am no longer standing still.
And for today,
that feels like enough.
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