The Navigator

I am a newcomer to OA. I’d reached my bottom weighing approximately 350 pounds (159 kg), and I started coming to meetings the following month. I have been abstinent for several months with a weight loss of about 85 pounds (39 kg). Things clicked for me right away. I knew I was in the right place with the right people. Within the first few weeks, I found someone with many years of experience who was willing to be my sponsor.

Slowly, my sponsor began to ask me questions and guide me through the program. We started a food plan. He asked me to attend at least three meetings every week, making one a Step meeting. He suggested I start reading the Big Book and become familiar with the Twelve Steps. Together, we began working the Steps. I have very vivid memories of the day I started working on Step Three.

In my business, I drive my car many miles and make several stops every day. Of course, this requires a keen sense of direction—of which I had none. My sense of direction was so poor, I could get lost in my own backyard! So when in-car navigation tools became affordable, I was first in line to purchase one. My navigation device was the most valuable business tool I owned. I simply gave it the address I needed to find, and it guided me step-by-step to my destination.

The day I started working Step Three, I remember getting into my car, looking at my navigator, and feeling so grateful that I didn’t have to worry about getting lost. It’s hard to describe exactly how much stress that little machine removed from my life. I plugged in the first address, started my car, and prepared to drive. I keep an audio version of the Big Book in my vehicle, so I played Chapter Five, “How It Works” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., pp.58–71). I listened to the parts about Step Three several times. Suddenly, I realized the true meaning of this Step: My Higher Power is my navigation tool for living! All I have to do is turn my will and my life over to my HP navigator, and I will be guided through my life, Step by Step.

If a little navigation computer can remove so much stress, imagine what my Higher Power can do!

—Keith C., Yardley, Pennsylvania USA