The Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions, Power Posts

[MajestyJo]

This is the third time I have tried to post. I would suggest that you use the format from AA's Big Book or a 4th Step Guide. The one that I found worked the best for me was Al-Anon's Blueprint to Progress. It was endorsed by a lady in AA with 28 years sober.

I wrote and filled 6 journals my first year, it helped to get order to the chaos of my feelings and helped me to identify them.

A sponsor is good to enlighten your path and guide you to the truth and delete the false sense of guilt, shame, and fear. If you have a lot of fear, go back to Step 3.

A man who got sober (60+ years of sobriety now), became a priest. He said, "Remember this is a one day at a time program. You don't have to write down all the times you stole, lied, and cheated, just acknowledge that you are a lier, cheat, and a thief.

We are not our disease. Our disease takes over, and for me, I lost all my principles, values, and faith and became a fearful being, instead of a spiritual being, trying to live an earthly walk.

For me, once I put the pen to paper, the words came. My sponsor told me after I wrote my first inventory, to go back and find the positive, this is all negative.

Fearless means having faith. Take your God with you. Remember you don't have to do a Step Five right away. That helps take away some of the fear. The priest shared that there should be no time between a Step 3 and a Step 4, but you are allowed time, until you feel safe with sharing with someone. It doesn't have to be your sponsor or a person in the program, it can be a counsellor or a minister or priest. I found it good to share my inventory with more than one person. Talked to the people who could identify with me and understood the disease of alcohol and addiction.

God Bless.