Drop The Rock & Other Compelling Recovery Resources
Key Points
- Drop The Rock is a book in the AA world that focuses on the 6th and 7th steps.
- The book is based on a short, comedic talk given at the 1976 AA convention by Sandy B. where he uses the metaphor of carrying a rock while swimming.
- The metaphor aligns negative character traits with the rock and swimming with recovery, revealing the hindrance they are to progress.
What Is Drop The Rock?
Drop The Rock is a book written by AA legend Bill P. It frames resentment, selfishness, self-pity, and fear as rocks we stubbornly carry around, adding unnecessary weight and toil to the already difficult recovery journey. They sink your progress and keep you from becoming the best, most healthy version of yourself possible.
The full title of the best-seller book is Drop the Rock: Removing Character Defects – Steps Six and Seven, and is available on Amazon in multiple formats. The book is based on the core tenets of step 6 and step 7 of Alcoholics Anonymous’s 12 steps. Bill P.’s Drop The Rock is a combination of advice and insight as well as personal stories and additional resources.
Key Concepts of Drop The Rock
The basis for the book and what it teaches is a metaphor about carrying a rock while swimming. You’re striving toward a clear goal but making the journey so much harder for yourself. It’s a symbol of the emotional burdens and character defects we take with us into recovery that hold us back.
Diving Into Step 6: We’re entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
One doesn’t have to believe in God to participate in AA teachings, but Drop The Rock does carry strong spiritual themes. (This is in line with Step 2, “We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity,” which can reference a Higher Power, something outside of your own being.)
The point of the 6th step is to surrender these personal weaknesses to God and trust Him to help you eliminate them from your life. Negative traits and harmful behavior patterns are rooted in character defects that hinder the treatment and recovery process. AA materials boil the list of character defects into the following 14 traits:[1]
- Pride
- Self-pity
- Self-centredness
- Dishonesty
- Envy
- Jealousy
- Lust
- Sloth
- Impatience
- Intolerance
- Greed
- Gluttony
- Selfishness
- Arrogance
Letting go of the character defects and destructive behaviors empowers you to see recovery more as a mission of spiritual growth and less about simply “getting sober.” Personal transformation is the real goal of the twelve-step program and the Drop The Rock teachings. This transformation starts with letting go of these harmful patterns and gaining a new perspective on life.
Diving Into Step 7: We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings
If the 6th step is recognition of your character defects, the 7th step is a recognition that sheer willpower isn’t enough to overcome them. You must lean on God or a Higher Power to give you the strength and awareness needed to fight back, let go, and heal from within.
This is a practice of humility that spurs you to seek help and ask for guidance. To rely on a wisdom greater than your own and facilitate spiritual growth. This is not an immediate, overnight transformation. Drop The Rock shifts this humble surrender into a continuous process that allows you to “drop the rock” slowly over time as a consistent practice.
Prayer and Awareness
Another layer of what Drop The Rock teaches is prayer and meditation to promote personal reflection and increase awareness. These habits help you focus on the positive changes you’re making and the true goal of recovery. Drop The Rock features the following prayers:
- Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”[2]
- Sanskrit Proverb: This proverb or poem speaks of making today a happy recollection for tomorrow and creating a life well-lived. One stanza states, “For yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision; and today, well-lived, makes yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”[3]
- Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: This famous prayer speaks to the inner change that takes place in recovery and spiritual transformation, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy…”[4]
- Set Aside Prayer: This is a custom prayer framework that varies from person to person and group to group. The idea is to set aside everything you think you know about yourself (past, present, future) and to cultivate an open mind about your journey.
The Drop The Rock Talk by Sandy B.
The Drop The Rock talk was presented by Sandy B. at the 1976 AA convention, and it has had a ripple effect nearly 40 years later. It’s a short, comedic tale of the weight and struggle of stubbornly holding onto harmful habits and ideas. The speaker shares how letting go is a life-saving decision that makes recovery simpler and easier with three “easy” steps:
- Don’t Drink
- Give Your Life Over To God or A Higher Power
- Get Rid of All of Your Old Ideas
This is mainly said with a tongue-in-cheek tone, recognizing the magnitude of these “simple” pursuits. However, the speaker goes on to share that while it’s challenging, we make it harder on ourselves by trying to bring our old selves into a new, healthy future. The power of letting go of character defects and addictive behavior is truly transformative.
What does “Drop the Rock” mean in addiction recovery and personal growth?
The concept of “drop the rock” is to let go of your old habits and defects a little more every day. In recovery, we’re not just trying to stop drinking or substance use or other character defects. We’re taking an in-depth look at our lives. We’re increasing self-awareness and eliminating old habits. We’re becoming a better human being. Drop The Rock uses the 12-step recovery ideas to dig deeper and activate personal growth.
Why is letting go of burdens and regrets important for individuals in recovery?
Dwelling on our burdens and regrets often leads to emotional turmoil and mental health challenges, like anxiety and depression. Emotional regulation is a significant factor in recovery, and without it, you can activate old triggers and increase the risk of relapse.[5] Letting go of those burdens and regrets can circumvent difficult mental and emotional hurdles, helping your recovery progress.
How can the concept of “Drop the Rock” be applied to one’s life and journey toward sobriety?
The premise of Drop The Rock is to leave behind the old self and awaken the new self every day. It’s a conscious choice one has to make to eliminate self-defeating patterns and intentionally pursue potential-fulfilling ones instead. It applies to life and sobriety as you continually choose healthier patterns every day.
Other Compelling Recovery Resources
Recovery Books
- Drop the Rock–The Ripple Effect: Using Step 10 to Work Steps 6 and 7 by Fred H.
- Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps by Father Richard Rohr OFM
- Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book by Bill W.
Recovery Podcasts
- Soberful: Support and insights for living alcohol-free at any stage of recovery
- The Addicted Mind: Hope, understanding, and guidance for addiction fueled by real inspiring stories and evidence-based research.
- SMART Recovery Podcasts: From the creators of the SMART Recovery framework comes another practical recovery resource.
Recovery Events
Search all of Connecticut for sober events, meetings, and more.
Get The Help You Need To Stay Focused On Recovery
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Frequently Asked Questions About Drop The Rock
