“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.” -Serenity Prayer
As addicts, we may have heard the Serenity Prayer at meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-Step programs. It is said aloud at the beginning of every meeting. What isn’t explained, though, is what ARE the things that we cannot change, what CAN we change, and how is that related to curing our addiction? The Marble Program provides that wisdom.
One thing the Marble Program will NOT do, is persuade you to a Higher Power, or God, the way 12-step programs do. It is not a substitute for AA, but it is an adjunct to it. Many people don’t like the religious vibes of 12-step programs. Several of the steps refer to a Higher Power. Here, we teach a completely different methodology to fight your addiction- a secular one. We promote spirituality, but it doesn’t have to be related to a higher power. There is something spiritual about appreciating the world around you that can be harnessed to separate yourself from your addiction. Whether it’s appreciating nature, or philosophy, or Islam or Christianity, there are many ways to be spiritual on your journey to sobriety.
This program does not require a sequence of steps to reach sobriety. It uses five topics we refer to as Marbles. These Marbles are independent of each other but work together to help you end addiction and become a good human being. Many of us have reached rock bottom and crawling out of addiction demands working on our character, our way of thinking, and our ability to make the right choices. The five Marbles pertain to such concepts, and we often lose track of some of them while working on others. We can return to the Marble Program to grasp its principles whenever we “lose our marbles.”
The Marble Program is based on Stoic philosophy from thousands of years ago. It applies just as much to our time today as it did when it was first discovered by great philosophers discovering how to improve themselves under marble roofs held up by marble columns. Today, instead of working together under such beautiful marble architecture, we will work together under the architecture of microchips and satellites. Sessions will be held digitally using Zoom or other video technology so all an addict needs to get sober is their phone and their will power.
Dr. Matt Roman, MD is a physician who suffered with addiction and has used stoic philosophy to get sober and gain his life back. He has started the Marble Program for addicts that are looking for something different or in addition to traditional 12-step programs that dominate the recovery industry.
