The 9th Step Promises: Bridging the Language Gap
The “9th Step Promises” are often read at the conclusion of AA meetings to inspire newcomers with some of the blessings that come from working the 12-Step recovery program. We also read them aloud in our recovery meetings at CORE. They are as follows:
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through.
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude and outlook on life will change.
Fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
These promises, drawn from the AA Big Book, highlight remarkable transformations that occur by working the recovery program through Step 9, which concerns making amends to others. We who have recovered understand them as great blessings because we live them every day. They are read to motivate newcomers to take action, the sole encouragement being to actively work the 12-Step program of recovery.
A newcomer does not yet experience any of these promises. They are still grappling with the challenges of being powerless over drugs and alcohol. They struggle with personal relationships, emotional instability, misery, depression, financial difficulties, and feelings of uselessness, fear, and unhappiness, among other things.
The Reader may point out that these promises seem so far removed from the life experience and motivations of the newcomer that they must appear foreign and unintelligible. Using just one example, how can anybody appreciate promises of “serenity” and “peace” when they lack any common frame of reference in the first place? This is an insightful observation, not only for the Promises but also for the 12-Step recovery program as a whole. There is a learning curve to the program.
Now, to the extent that someone wonders if these assurances seem too good to be true, the Big Book provides a ready answer: “Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us.” This observation also reflects our uniform experience at CORE. The 9th Step Promises invariably happen for everyone who works the Steps, “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.”
That said, there is still an additional language gap to contend with. Consider experiences like holding your child for the first time, skydiving, or witnessing a pristine night sky. It’s hard to fully appreciate them without firsthand knowledge. They are truly amazing, but without any experience, they remain abstract concepts that only careful instruction and guidance can begin to illuminate.
We find something similar with the 9th Step Promises. They are filled with meaning for those of us who’ve recovered, but to a newcomer, they may seem abstract or unattainable.
This language gap presents real challenges for traditional 12-Step groups, where members attend a few hour-long meetings each week, go home, and have little contact in between, except perhaps with a sponsor. The difficulties arising from this situation go beyond merely explaining the benefits of the program to newcomers; they involve explaining the nuts and bolts of the program, too. This practical challenge has been noted by commentators on AA and NA for decades and doesn’t easily resolve itself.
Happily, at CORE, we provide a solution. Our newcomers are surrounded by people who, through action and instruction, bring the 12 Steps and all of the Big Book’s promises to life. Our program comprises a community of hundreds of members in various stages of recovery, supervised by a group of dedicated staff who collectively share hundreds of years of recovery experience. We work, live, sleep, and play as a community, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We believe this is one of the reasons CORE is so successful.
Any one of our staff can give a detailed account of how a specific 9th Step Promise has been fulfilled in their life, providing concrete examples when needed. We can also teach in-depth classes on one or more of the Steps for the benefit of one newcomer or an entire group. Our 12-Step recovery instructors teach weekly classes that detail the Steps and their outcomes. Senior members of our community go out of their way to sit down with newcomers and explain the entire program in detail. Beyond this, we model recovery for CORE’s entire community and share our experience, strength, and hope whenever the opportunity arises. Our year-long residential recovery program is both comprehensive and effective.
For newcomers, the 9th Step Promises provide but a glimpse into the transformation possible through the 12-Step program. These promises may seem distant and unattainable at first, but at CORE, we bridge the language gap and provide a fully supportive and engaging community where these promises come to life. For those who come to us for help, the path to recovery is not just a possibility; it’s a reality waiting to be realized. The rewards are beyond measure, offering a new freedom, happiness, and peace that truly transform lives.