If you’ve read my blog for a while, you’ve noticed that I’m a huge fan of the 12 steps.  They have saved me from a life of misery and despair.  They have transformed me into the person I’ve always wanted to be.  They saved my marriage.  To say that they are important to me is probably an understatement.  I love them.  I study them almost every day.  I find new knowledge, new strength, and new hope every single time.  I plan to study them the rest of my life and to keep applying the principles I have learned and will continue to learn.

I’m no expert on the twelve steps.  My thoughts probably aren’t all that original.  But they’re my own and I don’t mind sharing them.  If you find them helpful, that will make me happy.  If they spark a curiosity in your heart to learn more — that will make me even happier!  But, whatever your reason for wanting to know more, here are my thoughts on each of the twelve steps.  The original AA Big Book 12 steps are on page 59 and you can also read what the original authors and followers of the twelve steps thought in the book, “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.”  I highly recommend it.

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.
   1. Thoughts on Step 1 from the 12 Steps of AA or ARP
   2. Step 1: Honesty
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
    1. The power of a 10th step – my favorite step!
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
    1. The power of serving others

 

If you have thoughts you’d like to share with others about your experience with the twelve steps (whether as an alcoholic, pornography or sex addict, drug addict, or just someone trying to live a better life), please share them in the comments below.  I’d love to hear from you.  If you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask either, I’d also love to hear those too!

Best wishes,

My name is Mike