“We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.” — Alcoholics Anonymous (1939) · Chapter 6 · Into Action
From “Into Action,” the chapter of the original 1939 Big Book that walks through how Steps 5 through 11 are actually lived once the inventory is done. This line comes near the chapter’s close, where the book turns from cleanup to daily practice.
Recovery isn’t a finish line we cross once; it’s something we pick back up every morning. That can sound exhausting — until you realize it also means yesterday’s stumble doesn’t decide today, and today’s effort doesn’t have to carry next year. We only ever have to stay sober for the day we’re standing in. Ask yourself this morning: what’s one small thing that maintains my spiritual condition today — a call, a meeting, five quiet minutes?
Step 10 · One day at a time