Balancing on a single point is an act that can be performed only by trained acrobats. Great athletes might have enough balance to rest on two points, like a bicycle that is standing still. But anyone can sit on a three-legged stool.
The three-legged stool of sobriety is my self, my faith, and my community. Why put self before faith in this equation? Because sobriety begins with a decision that I make myself, and that cannot be made by anyone else.
Some people think they have to do it all themselves... this is known as "white-knuckling your way to sobriety," and it almost never works for very long. Others try doing it all on faith, but that seldom works for very long, either, because faith's strength depends on how closely we hold it to us. And depending solely on your community of fellow-travelers also doesn't work so well in the long run because you're not around them all the time.
I tried really hard for much of last year to do it on two legs: my self and my faith. But I failed repeatedly (and often spectacularly). It was only when I added the third leg of the community of people in the same struggle that things really changed for me. In my case, I attend AA. The meetings are nearby, and they're free (unless you choose to contribute a dollar or two). Maybe another community works for you... but in any case, please join something. If you're like most of us, you'll need all three legs of the stool.
