Born to Win!

So the 1970's brought us some ground-breaking self-help books. "Born to Win" and "The Road Less Travelled" were super-best-sellers in their day. I've been reading "The Road Less Travelled" and though I believe there to be some re-freshingly universal, timely truths, there are some gaping holes. We will probably look back on "The Power of Now" the same way. Just because Oprah endorses it, doesn't mean it is timeless or will endure forever . . . Obama? (I voted for Obama in 2008.)

What I am getting at is that the 12-step recovery movement is what seems to fill in the holes of our best self-help books and even our best religions. To not be informed by or conversant in the language of recovery is to be missing out on so much today. Overeaters Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous (the mother ship), Narcotics Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous, Al-Anon and Co-Dependents Anonymous. All of these programs offer a practical spirituality and solution to very practical problems. Why do you think that after all these years of "perfection" the Mormon Church has adopted the 12-steps to try to meet the needs of members that were certainly not being met in the 1970's when my parents were in crisis! And why do you think Episcopal Churches (I'm Episcopalian today), lend their churches to AA meetings all over the world? It's not just Episcopalians in all their equality that have a problem with alcohol.

So here we are in 2012. If you haven't gotten up to speed and experienced the peace, the growth, the success, the honesty, or the fun . . . I suggest you take a look at what the 12-step world has to offer. I'm not trying to force this on anyone . . . but I am suggesting that maybe the 12-step world can work for you . . . when all else Fales. I think the world could use a little emotional, sexual, chemical, financial sobriety, don't you?

Oh, and if you haven't read a self-help book since "Born to Win", maybe you should update and shake things up a bit. Because the next generation has built upon those concepts and will leave you in the dust. And if you only think AA has the answers . . . well there have been hundreds of 12 Step Programs since 1935. It might be time to check one out, no matter how wise the supreme leader Bill W. and Dr. Bob are! Cheers! Oh! And if your psychiatrist hasn't suggested a 12-step program to you, ask yourself what he or she might be selling. 12-step work is basically free. Right, M. Scott Peck, MD and Deepak? (I don't think these empire-builder wants you to know that.)