Buried in Bill's story in the first chapter of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is a little gem: the earliest and perhaps best description of the practice of Step 11:

I was to test my thinking by the new God-consciousness within. Common sense would thus become uncommon sense. I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as [God] would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others. Then only might I expect to receive. But that would be in great measure.

Here in a nutshell is what Step 11 is all about.

It's about subjecting our wonderful and all-powerful "thinking" to the test of God-consciousness. If our thinking tells us to do something when in doubt, we're recommended instead to sit quietly. If our thinking tells us to pray for a solution, we're recommended instead to ask for direction and strength. If our thinking tells us to pray for ourselves, we're recommended not to do so, except where others will benefit.

Let's phrase that "negatively" for a moment. Step 11 consists of: doing nothing when in doubt except sitting quietly; not seeking a solution, but strength and direction; not asking for ourselves, but for others. We may care to contrast this approach to life to the recommendations of thousands upon thousands of self-help books and movements that instead suggest setting goals, acquiring mentors, winning friends and influencing people, becoming expert negotiators, and so on and so on.

It doesn't make much sense, does it? But that's the whole point -- there's no common sense about it. This is uncommon sense. This is the way we live when we practice sincerely the last three Steps of Program.