I’ve come to believe that the Twelve Steps are broken into different groupings. I don’t know why or when I began to believe that, but I believe it has something to do with the fact I don’t like to set myself up for failure AND I don’t like to feel overwhelmed – not sure anyone actually likes to feel overwhelmed. What I mean by that is if I can break something down and take it in pieces I don’t feel like I am always looking up to see where the journey ends, begins, or continues onward.
That being said, let’s break the steps down a bit.
- Steps 1-3 for me were when I was feeling incredibly desperate and alone. My life was in chaos and I wasn’t sure where to turn for help. What I need to do what admit I was powerless in order to find hope through this surrender.
- Steps 4-7 for me were about looking around at all the damage I’d done to myself and to those around me. It didn’t matter if I cared about those people; it was truly just about what path of destruction I’d left in my wake. Taking inventory and telling some about this behavior was and incredible feeling of freedom and it prepared me to ask for forgiveness.
- Steps 8-9 for were all about going back and cleaning up the path I’d paved, and most importantly finding the people I’d hurt and make it better. It was and honest list of wrongs that I sought to make right, even to some who didn’t need it.
- Steps 10-12 for me were all about giving back to others who need help to have similar experiences I’ve had in recovery. Continuing to keep a list of old and new grievances, seeking the restitution within myself and this is how I learned to help others.
Does this 4 part breakdown make sense to you? What would you change, or add to if you could?
Recovery Rob BIO
Recovery Rob is a 47-year-old man who has more than nineteen years of sobriety, whose drugs of choice at one time were alcohol and drugs, and he has worked in and around the field of addiction for more than 20 years. Having just recently launched his own website, www.askrecoveryrob.com, he hopes to reach out and continue to help others who work through their process of addiction and recovery. Recovery Rob is a professional writer who has published two novels and is currently working on his third. He has been writing and working as Pat Moore Foundation’s premiere blogger and content writer, which helps keeps Pat Moore Foundation’s addiction and recovery blog top-rated.