LETTING GO OF OUR OLD SELVES

Letting go of our old selves isn't about forgetting who we were—it's about releasing the grip of selfishness and fear that drove our drinking. The Big Book tells us that the 'bondage of self' is the root of our trouble, and that freedom begins when we humbly ask our Higher Power to remove it [Page 63]. This isn't a one-time event; it's a daily practice. The Promises describe a new life where we 'will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it' [Page 83], because we've turned our old selves over to a Power greater than ourselves. In Chapter 6, we learn that 'we do not stop drinking because we are not allowed to drink; we stop drinking because we have had a spiritual experience' that changes us from the inside out [Page 85]. Letting go means accepting that our old way of thinking—full of resentment, pride, and self-will—is no longer useful. Instead, we lean into the program's guidance to inventory our defects and ask God to remove them [Page 76]. Each day, we choose to let go again.