Given at September 9, 2011, 3:33 pm

At our home group we start out newcomers with a 12X12. Twelve examples of powerlessness and 12 examples of unmanageability. Powerless? I never had ONE drink in my life. It was always as much as I could as fast as I could or as much as I could get away with. I'd get up in the morning after a black out and a night of tearing up the people who love me the most and start making my amends, then the promises. "Not today honey, it will be different today." I'd swear on a stack of bibles and my mother's grave. But by 1:00 that resolve was gone and by 5:00 it was all over but the inevitable conclustion. Yep, powerless. Unmanageable? "Sure son, I'll be at your game". Show up drunk, late or not at all. Come to with my truck trying to hump a volkswagon. throw away a four year college scholarship cause I wanted to earn money to party the way I wanted to. Throw away a military career, my first business, two wives. All the while thinking I was doing great! Two houses, motor home, bank account and a wall full of placques. Dying inside,hating myself. Unmanageable. The deal is though that the common denominator was me. I did it, not they, them, her, it. So I surrendered and asked for help. I needed a power greater than me to help me manage my life as my poor decisions got me here. That's where Step 2 comes in.

Given at September 2, 2011, 11:29 am

This is the step I have to get perfect everyday. While I practice the other 11 to the best of my ability in all my affairs I have to be perfect on Step 1.

Given at April 30, 2011, 9:08 am

Step one has become the turning point in my life. It has taken me so long to get to this step and finally admit that I’m powerless over ALCOHOL. Though I knew from the day I took my first drink it has taken me over 20 years to give in and admit and surrender to this disease. It amazes me that I willingly let ALCOHOL take so much from me at such little cost. The sad thing now is that a lot of the things I sold and let go are no longer for sale or affordable. Thanks to my higher power and step one the gates of HELL have opened let me out, now I have only 12 steps to get my life back and find that better place in life. Always remembering - “It’s not what I know in recovery that keeps me sober. It’s what I DO that keeps me sober.” THANKS for letting me share.

Given at March 1, 2011, 12:47 am

Step one took me over 20 years of active alcoholism to take for the first time. My life had become completely unmanageable and I had lost all control over my alcohol consumption. I had finally reached a place in my life at the age of 32 where all my score cards read zero and I was at a place where I was willing to do anything to be relieved of my alcohol obsession and I was in dire need of finding liberation of the astounding financial, personal and relationship complications that had caused me the loss of my family, home, career and reputation. I needed a solution and Step One gave me the first bit of hope I had ever had in providing the start in building a new sober and manageable life.

Given at February 25, 2011, 9:09 am

Step one is the key that let me out of hell and showed me how to get to heaven. I was in denial for many years, even though I went to meetings, but I could not identify with anyone. Finally I heard a woman speaker who managed to get through to me that I was indeed an alcoholic and was powerless over alcohol. I've never seen that woman since, but she was instrumental in giving me a whole new life. I do step one perfectly every day and as a result I have 43 years of sobriety for which I am eternally grateful.

Given at February 19, 2011, 8:08 am

The first step is the only step you can do perfectly. It is one of the foundation steps. I love the first step because it helped me to surrender and realized I have a problem.

Given at January 5, 2011, 5:29 pm

I am a literal person and define this step as absolute, when it is not in human terms. I may still be in denial (at least that what my wife says?) and still wonder if my life was unmanageable. The problem is I was to drunk (blackouts) to know for sure. I do know my higher power was watching out for me and protected me from harm, well kinda. I also know I was powerless over alcohol and could not have maintain any sobriety with out the AA program. Thanks for letting me share I feel better now.