My name is Jim and I am a very grateful recovering alcoholic. My AA birthday is the 27th November 1989 and I have been blessed with continuous sobriety one day at a time, thanks to the Grace of God, good sponsorship, attending meetings on a regular basis and trying to live the Principles one day at a time.

So why keep the Principles a secret since they are an excellent way to solve our living problems? Unfortunately GSO does not have much material accumulated on this subject. Well, perhaps the secret can be shared, although my research went to Singapore and then USA/Canada.

First of all, I could find no definitive listing of the Twelve Spiritual Principles. So I started off by attempting to list the principles that have come into my life as a result of working the Steps to the best of my ability. (See below.) My research (ac­ tion) gave me the reward of realising that perhaps I have made a little progress in travelling the road of recovery. Compared with a tape by Rod L. at a Texas State Convention, (brought back to Palm Beach by John S. (Ennis P.’s sponsor) in 1951), there was a fairly good alignment. Of course there is no ‘perfect’ answer. Like the road of recovery, the exercise has been fun and hopefully being able to share the result in print with my fellow travellers adds something extra. The following are the Official AA references I used in making my list:

Willingness, Honesty and Open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery. – From the Appendix on Spiritual Experience.

AA’s Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. – From the Forward to the 12 and 12.

Humility – Indeed the attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of AA’s Twelve Steps, for without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. – From page 76 in the 12 and 12.Courtesy, Kind­ ness, Justice and Love are the keynotes by which we may come into harmony with practically anybody. – From 10th Step page 95 in the 12 and 12.

So my hope is, if this article is published, the readers of our wonderful meet­ ing in print will first of all enjoy, then perhaps reflect. For myself, once again action on my recovery has led to further rewards.