The hardest question is "What is the most helpful thing to do?"

"Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly act once in a while isn’t enough" p97 AA Big Book
"Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum helpfulness to others, so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful." p102 AA Big Book
"Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our CONSTANT thought of others and how we may help meet their needs." p20 AA Big Book
“How can I best serve Thee-Thy will (not mine) be done.” These are thoughts which must go with us CONSTANTLY" 'p85 AA Big Book

For a long time I have thought that the question "what is the MOST helpful thing to do?" Is THE most difficult question to answer. For me it is the most challenging question. It demands the highest levels of intelligence. It involves looking at the obvious and the intangible. And I don't think it can ever be fully understood. I just do my lousy best knowing that I will never see the whole picture. If I waited until I KNEW what was the 'right' thing to say to a newcomer, before I tried to help, I would STILL be waiting :) But having said that I paid VERY close attention to the way in which members of my home group (with a high long-term success rate of sponsee recovery) spoke to newcomers and sponsees. So I WAS doing my utmost to learn from the example of others.

MOST helpful as opposed to just 'helpful':
"sometimes the good is the enemy of the best" Tradition Two
"maximum helpfulness" p102 AA Big Book

Part of the reason I think we learn so much, and benefit so much from trying to help others via Step 12 is that we are confronted with this question every day if we are TRYing to 'give it away to keep it', or practice these principles in all our affairs. (Step 12 Big Book )
I agonise over this question. That doesn't mean I over-think the question. That means I am very concerned about how I answer that question.
Anyway I just thought I would mention that.
I believe step 12 offers us the steepest learning curve imaginable because it exposes us to this question constantly.
I also think I have benefited HUGELY from Step 12, and I believe it has healed me in all sorts of ways and provided me with great blessings. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who is suffering.

My favourite old-timer used to quote "the greatest good for the greatest number." And I think he appeared to me to be living his life based on this principle.
The reason I drew the conclusion was because he was able to help a LOT of people because he chose to develop a way of carrying the message that was VERY efficient. The brevity and conciseness off his choice of words meant that he was able to help more people than less. And to this day I regularly meet people who might not be sober were not for his intervention, either directly, or as a result of the help offered by his sponsees or sponsees of his sponsees. So my limited understanding of what he contributed was that he was one of those members who "rendered prodigies of service." (From Step 12 in the 12x12).
Obviously that's just my perception and I could be wrong, but that's how it looked to me. And I find his example very helpful to this day when considering how to try (!) to be of maximum helpfulness to others.

I have a mini retreat to attend which involves a very early start tomorrow, so my brain will be getting both a workout and simultaneously a rest from it's perpetual restlessness which can only be a good thing :) Hope you all have a restful and peaceful Easter Sunday :)

Tradition 2 and Step 12: The good is the enemy of the best ..In ALL your AA affairs

This is a 'principle' of AA mentioned in Tradition 2. Which is:
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

I have shown here how I "boiled it down to the principles in the passage. Its just how I do it. It makes sense to me, if nobody else! Its just the way I have come to study the contents of the AA message. I kind of pick bits out and apply them later or something. Anyway here's the jist of it. In case you find it useful..

First: Here is the section from Tradition 2 that mentions it:
You tell us that Charlie's proposal is ethical. Sure, it's ethical, but what we've got won't run on ethics only; it has to be better. Sure, Charlie's idea is good, but it isn't good enough. This is a matter of life and death, Bill, and nothing but the very best will do!' Challengingly, by friends looked at me as their spokesman continued. `Bill, haven't you often said right here in this meeting that sometimes the good is the enemy of the best? Well, this is a plain case of it.

Second: My emphasis on this version:
You tell us that Charlie's proposal is ethical. SURE IT'S ETHICAL, BUT WHAT WE'VE GOT WON'T RUN ON ETHICS ONLY; it has to be better. Sure, Charlie's idea is good, but IT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH Bill, and NOTHING BUT THE VERY BEST WILL DO!' Challengingly, by friends looked at me as their spokesman continued. `Bill, haven't you often said right here in this meeting that sometimes THE GOOD IS THE ENEMY OF THE BEST? Well, this is a plain case of it.

Third: And boiled down even further:
Sure, it's ethical, but what we've got won't run on ethics only; it has to be better.
Sure, 'X''s idea is good, but it isn't good enough.
This is a matter of life and death, and nothing but the very best will do!'
Sometimes the good is the enemy of the best? Well, this is a plain case of it.

Combine this with Step 12 " practice these principles in all our affairs." Doesn't say say, 'except when practicing the principles of recovery outlined in Tradition 2'.
So this applies to choosing a sponsor, choosing a home group, choosing how to work the steps, anything really.

So in other words, when it comes to MAKING CHOICES as to how to go about your programme, deciding which fork in the road to take..:
'Ethical' is NOT GOOD ENOUGH. It HAS to be better than that. Nothing but the VERY best will do. Why? Because this is a matter of LIFE and DEATH. Just because an idea is 'good', does Not mean it is good ENOUGH. Why? Because the good is the enemy of the best.

You could say "Don't be silly, then you'd end up being a PERFECTIONIST."
Nope.
If you are REALLY slavish about doing the AA programme, you would have obediently ! followed the "progress not perfection' suggestion. It is only the LESS diligent AA students that think they can get away with ignoring that instruction. So no, being VERY exacting, does NOT neccesarily lead you to perfectionism. In my opinion anyway. I think the basic instructions are VERY exacting in their outright dismissal of any perfectionistic tendencies. So perfectionism is in BREACH of AA suggestion. "Doing your lousy best", is MUCH more in keeping with AA Doctrine. It allows for effort, but stops short of perfectionism.

Tough? Well yeah! 'Simple but not easy" as they say! Why do you think they keep saying things like..
"Half measures availed us NOTHING"
"Any lengths"
"The result was NIL until we let go ABSOLUTELY"

..and stuff like that?
See, theres the clue! So the 'Lousy best' approach comes in VERY handy if you ask me!
You may already know I am a BIG fan of the phrase 'You snooze you lose' and to me 'the good is the enemy of the best' is pretty much saying the same thing. I find this SO many times in life. Near enough, is just NOT good enough. If I want to get something RIGHT, there are VERY few shortcuts. I've said this before, but for me, life is THE toughest disciplinarian I know of. It just doesn't seem to offer many 'easier softer ways' for ANYTHING. Including AA. But there you go, thats just how I find it. Any lengths seems to be ONLY way for THIS alcoholic to get anywhere. I have to go to any lengths to 'pause when agitated' for gawds sakes.. never mind the rest! Its a permanent habit of going AGAINST the grain. Doing the opposite of old habits. Ah well!
Whatever. Thats just how I understand it. Hope that makes sense! I'm off to the gym! Have a great tuesday!

How to get a LOVING concept of a Higher Power. If you do not already have one.

It HAS to be a LOVING concept of a HP. (see Trad 2.) If it is even a LITTLE bit judgmental, it’s no good. Generally, when talking to your higher power, ask for help with whatever ROADBLOCKS you are experiencing at present.
If the roadblock is that you have a PUNISHING or JUDGEMENTAL higher power, then this is not really in keeping with the 'instructions' in Tradition 2.
You can get very unstuck down the line, if you 'drift' into a punishing concept.
With AA It's ALL in the detail!! (Well that's what I think anyway.) I am AMAZED at how STUCK people can get at a later stage if they do not 'dot the I's and stroke the t's' if you know what I mean..

I ALWAYS say to new people..
Ask your higher power for the MOST loving concept of a POWER greater than you.
Ask your higher power for the MOST powerful concept of a POWER greater than you.
Self will isn't going to get you there! (See Big Book quote below) That's how I got my concept...

Why not try 'the power of AA as a whole' to begin with?
Or the power that makes the earth turn?

"If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered LONG ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did NOT save us, NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE TRIED.
We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with ALL our might, BUT THE NEEDED POWER WASN'T THERE.
Our human resources, as marshaled by the will, WERE NOT SUFFICIENT: they FAILED UTTERLY." p45

Have a nice Sunday! Weather is GLORIOUS here!