Thanks for the post! I wish just being sober was enough. If it was I'd have stayed sober back in 2006 when my first relapsed occurred. It would saved me another 14 years of pain and despair. Plus, I've experienced the feeling of hopelessness lift from my body only to com back full force months later because I chose not to work a program an relied solely on not picking up. Feeling just as, if not worse hopelessness in sobriety. I faiked to enlarge my spiritual growth, I avoided meetings and I was consumed in self. So, like the reading says and the book says our constant thoughts must be focused on helping others. But how to get tonthat point? Well, it was told to me that I need to practice the steps. In doing so my whole perspective time will change, the hopelessness will go away and I'll eventually find myself wanting to help others. Making my amends is something hat has kept me picking up continuously. I won't let that be a part of my story. There are amends I just don't want to make but I have to force myself to do them because I know from experience and from watching others if I don't keep moving forwards and get complacent I'm doomed to drink but I the opposite of that is a new freedom, a new happiness etc etc. I get to the point where my main purpose is to practice God's will and to help others . And 9 out of 10 times I will want to do that. So today I don't rely on just not picking up but on the directions and principles of the fellowship as well as I higher power to keep my head in the game.