Following up last week’s post on The 12 Steps, this week begins a series of posts that examine each of the steps in more detail. Step One of the 12 Steps: We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction–that our lives had become unmanageable. “I can handle it” is one of humanity’s favorite phrases; most of […]
For some, recovery from chronic substance abuse is a straightforward matter of tossing away the bottle, going cold turkey for a few days, and then returning to the old normal life. The former abuser who finds things so simple is the exception, though. Most substance-abuse problems start with a desire to escape the “old normal” […]
Continuing our series on the 12 Steps. with Step Two of the 12 Steps Step Two of the 12 Steps: We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Although Alcoholics Anonymous first popularized the term “Higher Power” in the 1930s, few people then could have foreseen the exponential multiplication […]
You may have seen some version of this slogan: “Please be patient; God isn’t finished with me yet.” Yes, we remain a work in progress throughout our lives. We all have setbacks and relapses, false starts and blind alleys. Those who refuse to accept that truth, and who demand mistake-proof performance from themselves, are doomed […]
Step Three of the 12 Steps: We made a decision to turn our will and lives over to the care of God, as we understood him. Step Three of the 12 Steps is the natural follow-up to Steps One and Two. First, we admit that we’ve lost control (Step 1). Then we acknowledge belief in […]
Step Four of the 12 Steps: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves The use of the qualifier “fearless” acknowledges that Step Four of the 12 Steps is frequently approached with sweaty palms and trembling legs. Not only because of what we dread finding, but because this is the transition point, the place […]
Following up last week’s post on The 12 Steps, this week begins a series of posts that examine each of the steps in more detail. Step One of the 12 Steps: We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction–that our lives had become unmanageable. “I can handle it” is one of humanity’s favorite phrases; most of […]
Step Five of the 12 Steps: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Some religious traditions still practice formal “confession,” where a parishioner unburdens his or her conscience before a spiritual director who then assures the person of God’s forgiveness and recommends action to make up […]
Today and next week, our “12 Steps” series takes a hiatus to acknowledge Christmas and New Year’s. In a nod to the “12” in “12 Steps” (and to the “Twelve Days of Christmas”), the holiday posts will consist of Top 12 lists instead of the standard Top 10. Today, you don’t have to worry about […]
Happy New Year, everyone! Hopefully, you’ve made resolutions to keep every day of 2016 fulfilling and purposeful. Here’s our calendar of life hacks, one for every month of the year. January While your New Year’s resolutions are still new, mark off specific time on your calendar—every day or week—for working on each of your top […]
Step Six of the 12 Steps: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. “All these defects of character” refers to, of course, all the “wrongs” that came out privately in Step Four and were confessed in Step Five of the 12 Steps. In the relief of getting things out in […]
Step Seven of the 12 Steps: We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings. The key word in Step Seven of the 12 Steps is “humbly”–no blame-shifting, no excuses, no attempts to dictate what else has to change before you can. No matter what your parents did or didn’t do, no matter what pressures you faced […]