Spirituality: Making Contact The purpose of Step 11 is to discover the plan God as you understand Him has for your life. spir·i·tu·al·i·ty (spr-ch–l-t) n. pl. spir·i·tu·al·i·ties 1. The state, quality, manner, or fact of being spiritual. 2. The clergy. 3. Something, such as property or revenue, that belongs to the church or to a […]
Read MoreStep 12: Service For those of us in recovery, this is simply “how it works”. My sister-in-law Laura posted some blog fodder on my Facebook wall yesterday. Young, beautiful Cameron Russell did an interview where she admitted her privilege because of “winning the genetic lottery” and fitting our society’s marketable image of beauty. She realizes […]
Read MoreStep 10: Maintenance Nobody likes to admit to being wrong. But it is absolutely necessary to maintain spiritual progress in recovery. main·te·nance /ˈmānt(ə)nəns/ Noun The process of maintaining or preserving someone or something, or the state of being maintained: “the maintenance of democratic government”. The process of keeping something in good condition: “car maintenance”; “essential […]
Read MoreStep 9: Forgiveness Making amends may seem like a bitter pill to swallow, but for those serious about recovery it can be great medicine for the spirit and soul. for·give (fr-gv, fôr-) v. for·gave (-gv), for·giv·en (-gvn), for·giv·ing, for·gives v.tr. 1. To excuse for a fault or an offense; pardon. 2. To renounce anger or […]
Read MoreStep 8: Willingness Making a list of those harmed before coming into recovery may sound simple. Becoming willing to actually make those amends is the difficult part. will·ing adjective 1. disposed or consenting; inclined: willing to go along. 2. cheerfully consenting or ready: a willing worker. 3. done, given, borne, used, etc., with cheerful readiness. […]
Read MoreStep 7: Humility The spiritual focus of Step 7 is humility, asking a higher power to do something that cannot be done by self-will or mere determination. I worked Step 7 long before I actually realized that I couldn’t fix myself. You see, I’m very motivated. If I see a problem that really bothers me, […]
Read MoreStep 6: Acceptance The key to Step 6 is acceptance — accepting character defects exactly as they are and becoming entirely willing to let them go. ac·cept·ance [ak-sep-tuh ns] noun 1. the act of taking or receiving something offered. 2. favorable reception; approval; favor. 3. the act of assenting or believing: acceptance of a theory. 4. […]
Read MoreStep 5: Integrity Probably the most difficult of all the steps to face, Step 5 is also the one that provides the greatest opportunity for growth. integrity noun 1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. 2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the […]
Read MoreStep 4: Soul Searching There is a saying in the 12-step programs that recovery is a process, not an event. The same can be said for this step — more will surely be revealed. This is the booger bear, the big one, the step that every new recovering addict is scared to death to tackle. […]
Read MoreStep 3: Surrender A lifetime of self-will run riot can come to a screeching halt, and change forever, by making a simple decision to turn it all over to a higher power. The principle of Surrender for me was a tough pill to swallow. I’m a get it done sort of woman. I figure out […]
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