December 19 — Humility
Bill writes a lot about humility, which makes sense, because it seems to come up in conversations more than I care to admit. My own self-centered ego is the enemy, and I can climb up on a pedestal faster than I’d like to believe. In the rooms, you’ll hear that alcoholics are “above average intelligence.” I’ve never heard that anywhere else in my life, but it sure sounds good when my ego’s looking for fuel.
Some days my imagination gets hijacked. I can walk out of an AA meeting and, within minutes, be mentally reorganizing how the entire country should be run. No information. No facts. Just pure opinion and confidence. It’s impressive, really, how quickly I can promote myself to expert on everything.
Then I remember something I heard in the rooms: the best I’m ever going to be is a guy in AA. Not less than. Not diminished. Just right-sized. There was a time I couldn’t stop drinking and didn’t know how. Learning this way of life didn’t qualify me to run the world — it taught me how to stay sober and be useful when asked.
I’m just a guy who knows where the Solution is. That’s it. If that service someday happens at a NATO conference, fine. But for now, my grand plans can sit quietly while I do the next right, ordinary thing. And honestly, I’m pretty content just being who I am today.
Where does your ego like to take you when it gets the microphone?
