K.I.S.S.

Keep It Spiritually Simple

K.I.S.S. is an acronym that I have heard since I began recovery with AA 47+ years ago. For years, I heard it meant Keep It Simple Stupid. Although I know that this is a simple program for complicated folks, I did not like the Stupid reference.

One thing that I am positive about is that alcoholics are not stupid. Look at all of the different times when an alcoholic like me worked their (our) way through a serious dilemma and, not only lived but continued drinking.

Alcoholics come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. From the highest formal education to the basest street education. From judges to felons. From doctors to people who maim and cripple themselves and others.

The sooner I got over being called Stupid with this phrase, the quicker I obtained Serenity. The problem that many have with this is mixing simple with easy.

Google defines simple as “easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty” while defining easy as “presenting few difficulties.”

The difficulties enter this situation of getting and keeping sober when more alcohol is added to the equation. Many of the other alcoholics that I have talked with over the years shared a similar trait with me.

We seemed to have problems dealing with life coming at us. It starts with the big things and ends with problems with even the smallest things.

Talking with almost anyone, I would be trying to figure out what they “really meant by that.” I could not take a compliment well because I would look for the “ulterior motive.”

Or I would try to explain in 13,000 words or more why I did not deserve the compliment. This was done in various ways. “Ya, but, so and so showed me how to do it.” “Such and such is much better than I am with this.”

When all that was needed was a sincere “Thank you.”

I even looked for what was “between the lines” in the 12 Steps and other AA literature. There was nothing so simple that this alcoholic couldn’t mess up trying to discover “the truth.”

The 12 Steps of AA Recovery are straightforward in how they are laid out. There is only one way to interpret any of them. Looking at them in any other way than that is a real stretch.

What you see in the 12 Steps is what you get, nothing more and nothing less. Yet we remained suspicious until it finally sank in or we drank again.

This may lead to the best reason to abide by KISS. Only one difference for me. This is a deeply spiritual program. So I prefer KISS as Keep it Spiritually Simple. This takes much of the BS out of things, BS meaning Before Spirituality, of course.

So, live in the now and strive to continually do the next right thing. Then you will be working your program to the best of your ability and then, if it feels right, it IS right. Now, that’s simple!

If there is any apprehension at all, step back and reconsider. It may be right but, if not, it gives you a chance to work through it with little or no harm. This is also so simple.

That is exactly how to Keep It Spiritually Simple. Trust your feelings and the vibes that you get about anything. Then all that is left is: if it feels right it is right. If there is any apprehension at all, step back and reconsider.

Thank you, God!

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Curated by Aiden (Illumination Gaming)

Aiden also curates and publishes fascinating stories from other authors in ILLUMINATION-Curated. Here is one of his publications.