To The Summit: Step Eleven
Scaling Yosemite’s El Capitan, the world’s ultimate destination for big-wall rock climbing, demands an extraordinary level of focus. Every move to the top must be deliberate, every grip secure, and every piece of equipment trusted implicitly. The climber’s life depends on this unwavering concentration – after all, half a mile is a long way down.
Many aspects of life also require our complete attention. Driving through heavy traffic, watching over small children, or operating powerful tools are just a few examples. In each case, a lapse in focus can result in disastrous, even life-threatening, consequences.
Similarly, focus is no less essential in the journey of recovery, where the stakes are just as life-defining. We must always remember that we have recovered only because “a Power greater than ourselves” intervenes, performing what can only be described as miraculous.
The relentless obsession that fuels our addictions doesn’t disappear by itself. Neither the passage of time nor human effort alone can extinguish it. Rather, “God restored us all to our right minds,” the Big Book observes. It further states, “[Our] recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon [our] relationship with God.” Ultimately, our problems are solved “by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe.” The basic conditions include trusting in God, addressing our objectionable character defects, making amends, and helping others.
God’s central role in our recoveries is a daily necessity. For this reason, it must define our way forward if we are to continue living happy, joyous, and free. “Our real purpose,” the book says, “is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.” This brings us to Step 11:
“Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”
Step 11 keeps us connected to the divine source of our recovery. We engage with this step daily to maintain awareness of God’s active presence in our lives. Step 11 challenges us to depend on God for both the willingness and the diligence to seek out and follow His will for us to be loving and service-oriented toward others.
The Big Book offers several practical suggestions for incorporating this step into our daily routines.
First, each morning we thoughtfully consider our plans for the day ahead. Our meditation encompasses not only reflecting on upcoming events and potential challenges but also engaging with spiritual readings and written prayers from trusted sources. In prayer, we begin by asking God to guide our thoughts away from self-pity, dishonesty, and selfish motives. We humbly seek His inspiration and wisdom. To prepare our minds for the day, we pray for clarity, freedom from self-will, and the ability to help others. Importantly, we avoid prayers driven by selfish desires.
Second, as our day unfolds, we pause whenever we feel agitated or uncertain, asking for guidance on the right course of action. By repeating the simple phrase “Thy will be done,” we remind ourselves of the futility of attempting to control everything and reaffirm our trust in God’s authority.
Third, at day’s end, we engage in a constructive review through a final meditation, asking:
a) Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest, or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves that should be shared with another person immediately?
b) Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better?
c) Were we thinking mostly of ourselves? Or were we focused on how we could contribute to others and add to the stream of life?
Following this review, we humbly ask God to forgive our shortcomings and seek His guidance on the corrective measures needed to grow and improve.
For those needing more particularized instruction about prayer and meditation, the Big Book also advises we follow the prescribed devotions of the religious denomination of which we are members. For those without such affiliations, memorizing meaningful prayers or consulting spiritual books can provide guidance. Suggestions may also come from clergy. “Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.”
The Big Book’s suggestions about working this step are necessarily broad to accommodate our diverse spiritual beliefs and practices. Notwithstanding, we don’t know of anybody who would quarrel with its assumptions that God’s will includes our being kind and loving toward all, contributing to others, and adding to the stream of life.
In summary, rather than prescribing rigid rituals, the Big Book’s guidance allows us to integrate Step 11 into our unique understandings of God and spirituality while still encouraging us to take ourselves out of the center of the equation. This flexibility fosters inclusivity, genuine connection, and freedom from forced conformity.