Resistance is Futile: An Interview with Al

Sometimes the way we find ourselves doing the best possible work with the twelve steps and in our recovery is when our lives are disrupted.

In sharing his experience, strength, and hope during challenging times, perhaps Al is right that it is because circumstances open us up and as a result, we become willing and teachable. At the same time, he admits there’s no way to know, only to wonder what may be.

Like many of us, Al did not learn these perspectives through knowledge, but through experience that gave him both awareness and knowledge. And he certainly did not learn it out of cooperativeness. By his own admission, he is very resistant to change and has to be pushed forward.

One of the more amazing things about Al’s path is how his experience convinced him that the deep work of the steps in recovery becomes essential. He goes so far as to conclude that “resistance is futile.”

Clearly the principles of a progressive and sustained effort transformed him. Strangely enough for a guy well-grounded in Buddhist principles as part of his story, the linchpin comes from the Gnostic Gospels, the Gospel of Thomas.  “If you bring forth what is inside you, what you bring forth will save you.  If you do not bring forth what is inside you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” 

It is there that Al’s wisdom shines through. He now sees that emotional sobriety is the inevitable result of the inner work with the twelve steps.

We don’t get ourselves emotionally sober. We fall into it by dealing with the blockages within ourselves.

Listen now to Al’s story so you can benefit from the wisdom he acquired through his own experiences.