On awakening, let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonesty, or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions, we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all, God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.
In thinking about our day, we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought, or a decision. We relax and take it easy—we don't struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.
What used to be a hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is unlikely that we are going to be inspired at all times. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it.
We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer—that we be shown throughout the day what our next step is to be and that we be given whatever we need to take care of problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will and are careful to make no requests for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted time doing that, and it doesn't work—you can easily see why.
If circumstances warrant, we ask our spouses or friends to join us in morning meditation. If we belong to a religious denomination that requires a definite morning devotion, we attend to that also. If not members of religious bodies, we sometimes select and memorize a few set prayers that emphasize these principles. Many helpful books exist, and suggestions may be obtained from a priest, minister, or rabbi. Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.
As we go through the day, we pause when agitated or doubtful and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves that we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day: "Thy will be done." We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire as easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly, as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves.
It works—it really does.
We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.
But this is not all. There is action and more action. "Faith without works is dead." The next chapter is entirely devoted to Step Twelve.
Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Page 86-88