Prior to vigorously attempting to work Steps 10, 11 and 12 on a daily basis, many of us wallowed in the self-absorption of wanting to "get something" out of life. But we now find that the more we practice the last three Steps, the more self seems to slip away.

Step 12 of the AA Big Book recommends, after we have had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, that we try to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Spiritual men and women throughout the ages have seemed to intuitively know that selfless work with others is a key to spiritual growth and serenity. To take just a single example from Christianity, two of the evangelists record that Jesus said, "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." When forgetting ourselves for a moment, miraculously we seem to find what we were selfishly looking for our entire lives.

When is the last time you have selflessly done something for someone less fortunate?