JANUARY 17 – Debate Club Is Over
“We had to stop fighting everybody and everything.” — Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 103
For a long time, I thought I was open-minded — I just quietly argued with everything I heard. I nodded in meetings while running a full debate in my head. I wasn’t listening; I was defending. That kind of “willingness” looks cooperative on the outside but never leads anywhere new.
What finally shifted wasn’t understanding — it was action. I didn’t suddenly agree with the suggestions. I just got tired enough to try one and see what happened. That’s where growth showed up. Not in winning arguments, but in laying them down. The old tools I trusted — self-reliance, control, fixing things my way — had worked just enough in life to fool me. They just didn’t work on alcoholism.
Real willingness still makes me uncomfortable. It means doing something before I’m convinced it’ll work. It means staying alert for complacency — that sneaky voice that says, You’ve got this now. I don’t. I never did. What I have is a daily choice: keep debating, or experiment with trust.
Willingness didn’t make me stronger overnight. It just made me teachable again. And that’s been enough to keep me moving.
Meeting starter:
Was there a suggestion you argued with for a long time — then finally tried — and realized the argument was the only thing holding you back?
