3-Minute AA Talks: #4: Step One and Letting Go

Hi, I’m Alice, and I’m an alcoholic.

For years, I thought admitting powerlessness was giving up. I thought if I just tried harder, drank smarter, or controlled everything around me, I could manage it. But the truth was, alcohol had all the power. It always did.

When I finally got honest with myself—and with someone else—I felt a strange relief. I wasn’t in control, and I didn’t have to pretend anymore. Step One became the doorway to freedom. It wasn’t defeat—it was surrender. And surrender gave me a chance at life.

The Serenity Prayer helped me see that. I could stop trying to change what I couldn’t control—my drinking—and instead ask for help to change the things I could.

To any newcomer struggling with Step One, I’ll say this: letting go is not weakness. It’s where your strength will begin.

Thanks for letting me share.


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