The big picture
“All spiritual awakenings have one thing in common. Common elements include an
end to loneliness and a sense of direction in our lives.”
Basic Text, p. 48
Some kinds of spiritual experiences take place when we confront something larger
than we are. We suspect that forces beyond our understanding are operating. We
see a fleeting glimpse of the big picture and find humility in that moment.
Our journey through the Twelve Steps will bring about a spiritual experience of the
same nature, only more profound and lasting. We undergo a continual process of
ego-deflation, while at the same time we become more conscious of the larger
perspective. Our view of the world expands to the point where we no longer possess
an exaggerated sense of our own importance.
Through our new awareness, we no longer feel isolated from the rest of the human
race. We may not understand why the world is the way it is or why sometimes
people treat one another so savagely. But we do understand suffering and, in
recovery, we can do our best to alleviate it. When our individual contribution is
combined with others, we become an essential part of a grand design. We are
connected at last.
Just for today: I am but one person in the entire scheme of things. I humbly accept
my place in the big picture.