perseverance/pəːsɪˈvɪər(ə)ns/noun
- persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. “his perseverance with the technique illustrates his single-mindedness”
Getting sober is difficult to really achieve, the mindset that no matter what happens to me, drinking alcohol will never be part of the solution. The idea that I will turn over anything outside of my control to the care of my God, or any higher power. It is having the quiet confidence to face difficulties and persevere despite any challenges or obstacles that arise.
There are virtues that enable us to face difficulties well and remain constant in the pursuit of the good in spite of internal or external obstacles, and these are grouped under the cardinal virtue fortitude. From it derive such virtues as perseverance, patience, acceptance, serenity, and courage.
“Practicing These Principles” pg. 25
We climb a mountain when we do the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. There are unforeseen experiences that will occur. When we perform a thorough examination of ourselves in Step 4, past thoughts, feelings, and remembering the state of mind we were living in when we were in our addiction will emerge, and sometimes it isn’t comfortable. Many times we don’t see the end. What’s the point of doing this?
The point is, we can’t give up, and when we succeed there are fortunes that to be had that are unimaginable when we are going through the process. Part of the prize is the process itself, the magic of self-discovery, and then gaining the confidence in knowing that I am not alone. We see that we are “fortunate” to be alive despite everything that has happened to us. We are the “lucky ones”.
We must keep climbing the mountain, “trudging the road to happy destiny”. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, as long as we don’t give up. As the definition demonstrates, we must have a “single-mindedness” and focus to get and stay sober.
If I am having trouble with a Step, the likelihood is that I am having trouble practicing one or more principles behind that Step. Upon closer examination, I may discover that I am having trouble practicing a particular discipline because I am not practicing the virtues that make that discipline work. If I am having trouble making a fearless and thorough moral inventory, I just may not be willing to take the necessary action. Or I may have a problem being honest with myself. Or I may lack in perseverance, acquiescing in sloth or indifference instead. Or that spiritual awakening I thought I had never got beyond Step 1, and I am lacking in the faith that grows through Steps 2 and 3, so that fear still blocks my way.
Or I may not be willing to humble myself and accept that I am a deeply flawed human being and that only by surrendering to that truth will God turn my weakness into strength. If I keep putting off those amends I need to make, my reluctance to forgive may be holding me back. Or I may be allowing self-centered fear to get in the way of doing the right thing, and I may need to grow in courage by trusting God and turning any negative expectations over to his care. I may also have a self-servingly myopic view of justice, still seeing the concept in legal or social but not in spiritual terms, the province of the courts and the concern of political movements. I may fail to see that justice is very much at the core of the very spiritual and very personal discipline of restitution, and that it always begins with me.
“Pracitcing These Principles” pg. 30