Sterling character and integrity - by Jimmy G.

Jimmy G., a 24 year sober drunk here in Miami is a powerful speaker herein Miami. He got sober at 22, and has never relapsed. He speaks around here and outside our area, which is where I met him when he did a step series in Palm Beach Gardens AA. He is tall, thin, very metro-sexual, blonde spikey hair and a powerful presence. He wears hip fashions, far-out ties and speaks loud and excitedly. You would not take him for a spiritual guide til you hear him speak.

Last year I caught his step 6-7 meeting. He spoke about these steps as developing "sterling character and high integrity". Think about it. Character defects lower our morals and principles. Working these steps serve to restore our morals and dust off the principles that we have long ago discarded.

Instead of focusing on the defects and the wrong doings of the alcoholics sick, corroded nature, he focused on the benefits of developing sterling character and high integrity.

Would you rather be known as the person who returned the change that the cashier gave you too much of by mistake, or would you rather have that inner guilt at taking money that didnt belong to you?

Does it matter to you that people: your family, colleagues, clients see you as a selfish gloat, a thief, a dead beat parent or would you rather have the reputation as the person who is a giver, stepped outside themselves to help another?

I liked the message of building sterling character. For this perspective I obtained motivation to want to better myself, at least, to rebuild my own self esteem. I have found that the more I think of others, and the less of myself, the sterling character gets strong and stronger.

The other night, I was back at that same Palm Beach Gardens meeting. An older woman was sitting a few seats away, holding her Big Book. It was a big book meeting. I didnt have mine, but its ok, I will just listen. When she saw I didnt have one, she graciously offered me hers. An alcoholic, by their nature - selfish, self serving.....offered me something that would have left her without. Now THAT is someone who has recovered with sterling character.