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Step 9

We take action by making amends to the individuals we have harmed in our past during this step.  We do this by overcoming the barriers of embarrassment, pride, fear, and procrastination and becoming ready to accept the reactions of those people we have harmed.  By doing this, we will begin to overcome the guilt we experience and assist the people we have harmed in overcoming any anger or resentment they hold toward us.  This is a tremendous opportunity for continued growth and is extremely necessary for our quest to restored sanity. 

However, it is important to remember that there is a reason that the steps are to be carried out in the order they are listed.  Without the spiritual preparation we experienced in the previous steps, we would not be prepared to make these amends properly.  If we had not developed a relationship with our Higher Power, we would likely lack the trust and faith required to carry this step out.  If we had not done our fourth and fifth steps, we might be confused about our personal responsibility or what it is we are making amends for.  If we didn’t develop the all-important humility that steps six and seven entail, we would probably approach our amends in a self-righteous or angry way and end up doing more damage.  The willingness we gained through the acceptance of personal responsibility provided us with the ability to make our eighth step list.  And that list was our practical preparation for working this step. 

It will also be important to remain mindful of how we approach and carry out our amends.  For instance, we must be cautious that having completed our eighth step list, we don’t approach it like we would a shopping list, crossing off completed items as soon as we can.  Some of our amends may never be completely finished, and we will continue to work on them throughout our journey of recovery.  Although it is best to make direct amends wherever possible, some of our amends may need to be made indirectly.  In these instances, we need to consider what good purpose we will be serving by making our amends.  Will the information we share with the person we harmed cause damage?  Ultimately, we need to accept the consequences of our behaviors, bearing in mind the part of the step that says, “except when to do so would injure them or others.” 

In such cases that we cannot make direct amends, the way in which we make indirect amends will only be limited by our imagination and level of willingness.  In the process of making our direct and indirect amends, we will be working on the spiritual principles of humility, love, and forgiveness.  Today you can practice these spiritual principles.  Today you can begin the process of overcoming the guilt you have carried around with you for so long.  Today you can choose continued growth in the process of recovery! 

(Photo by Felix Koutchinski on Unsplash)

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Step 8

Step eight is a test of our newfound humility.  During this step, we seek to achieve freedom from the guilt that we have carried.  To do this, we have to do the work to repair the wreckage of our past lives.  This is not easy; it demands a new kind of honesty about our relationships with other people.  The eighth step starts the process of forgiveness, where we forgive others, are possibly forgiven by others, and finally, forgive ourselves.  By the time we reach this step, we have become ready to understand rather than to be understood.  We can live and let live easier when we know the areas in which we owe amends.  It will make us feel better to clean up our lives by relieving ourselves of the guilt.  By writing our list, we can no longer deny that we caused harm.  We admit that we hurt others and make a list of that includes all of those we have hurt.  We then face this list honestly and openly examine our faults so we can become willing to make amends. 

During the previous steps, we focused primarily on repairing ourselves and our relationship with our Higher Power.  It is during this step that we begin to involve other people in our healing process.  Specifically, this involves identifying who we have harmed, how we have harmed them, and becoming willing to make amends to them.  The eighth step is the beginning of the process that lets us feel equal to others.  Rather than experiencing feelings of shame and guilt, and a neverending feeling of “less than”, we become able to look people in the eye and finally lose the fear that we will be caught and punished for some neglected responsibility. 

It will be important to take our time during this step.  Like many before us, we may feel the urge to jump ahead and make things right.  If we do this in the wrong way, however, we may end up making things worse.  Thus, during this step, we need to come to a complete understanding of the ways in which we have harmed individuals in our past in order to ensure our list is thorough.  Once we have come to this understanding, we can then begin to make our list.  During this time we will sit down, recall all we have learned about harm, and start putting names down of the individuals we have harmed as well as how we have caused them harm.  After our list is complete we have to take the steps to become willing to make amends to each of these individuals.  During this time we will focus on the spiritual principles of honesty, courage, willingness, and compassion.  Today you can take the steps necessary to become willing to make amends to those you have harmed in the past.  By doing so, today you can become that much closer to being free!

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Step 7

We have experienced humility in previous steps.  In fact, the humility it takes to admit to powerlessness in the first step is often where we begin to experience humility as a necessity.  However, this is only a beginning.  To gain a vision of humility as the avenue of true freedom of the spirit takes most of us a long time.  After all, a whole life geared toward self-centeredness cannot be overcome all at once.  To be truly humble is to accept and honestly try to be ourselves.  It is as much a part of remaining clean and sober as water is to staying alive.  Ultimately, step seven is our opportunity to willingly try humility in seeking the removal of our other shortcomings, just as we did when we admitted that we were powerless over our addiction. 

Since we humbly admitted to our powerlessness in step one, the following steps have served to sow the seeds of humility in our spirits that will begin to grow in this step.  Specifically, in the first six steps, we began to learn our part in things.  Where we used to believe situations happened to us, we now see how we often created those situations.  We stop blaming others for our lot in life and begin to realize that where we have ended up has been determined mostly by the choices we have made.  But, humility is a sense of our own humanness.  By grasping it properly, we are better able to realize that we and others are truly human and make decisions both good and bad, with the hope that things turn out well. 

In previous steps, we also worked to form a relationship with the God of our understanding.  In step two, we first began to think about a Higher Power that could help us find recovery.  In step three, we made a decision to trust our Higher Power with the care of our will and our lives.  In step four, we leaned on our Higher Power to get us through and then shared with our Higher Power the most intimate details of our lives in step five.  During step six, we realized that our Higher Power can do more for us than simply help us to remain clean and sober. 

That work we did to build our relationship with the God of our understanding in the previous steps will pay off as we proceed with step seven.  During this step, we are encouraged to humbly ask the God of our understanding to remove our shortcomings.  This involves honest communication with our Higher Power in whatever way we deem acceptable (prayer, for example).  During this step, we are also encouraged to take action in the form of inviting our Higher Power to work in our lives.  We cannot keep a distant relationship with our Higher Power and expect to experience change through their presence.  This action will take the spiritual principles of trust, faith, patience, and of course, humility.  Today you can remain patient during the process and incorporate humility into your everyday life.  Today you can trust that your Higher Power will work in your life and have faith that you will experience change. 

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Step 6

During this step, we are encouraged to come to terms with our character defects and take action toward their removal. Specifically, we examine our fourth step inventory and get a good look at the profound effect these defects have on our lives, and through a willingness to change, start to overcome them.  Willingness is the spiritual principle of step six.  How sincerely we work this step will be directly correlated with our desire to change.   

It is important to recognize that becoming entirely ready does not happen instantly.  It is a process that sometimes develops over an entire lifetime.  Being entirely ready involves many things: being aware of our defects, being tired of them, and being confident that the God of our understanding will remove them.  While working this step we will consider our fears related to the step, what removal of our character defects consists of, and what our responsibility is in this process. 

Fears related to this step can come in various forms, but almost everyone will experience some level of fear concerning change.  We have all had our defects that we are about to let go of for a very long time, and stepping into the unknown is terrifying.  What will life be like without these defects?!  By working this step, will we be transformed into dull conformists?  Am I capable of living successfully without these defects?  During this time, we need to remain willing and maintain a sense of hope and trust that the process of recovery works even on our most coveted defects.  

So what is this process, and what is our responsibility throughout it?  Well, the first thing most of us do about our character defects is to decide not to have them.  However, this is quite futile because,  much like our attempts to control our using, we may have some success for a time, but the behavior eventually resurfaces.  So, what we need to do in the sixth step is much like what we need to do in the first two steps.  We need to admit that we have been influenced by an internal force that has brought mostly pain and degradation into our lives.  Then we need to admit that we need help in dealing with that force. 

At this point in the step working process, we are typically aware of our shortcomings.  But, it takes an extraordinary amount of energy to monitor our behavior every second of every day and curb every impulse to act out.  Thus, it can sometimes be a discouraging task.  But, we do not give up.  Instead, we make a commitment to our recovery.  We maintain our newly emerging principles despite our setbacks.  We keep taking steps forward despite the step or two we have taken backward.  Ultimately, we are looking for gradual improvement, not instant perfection.  Today you can make a commitment to your recovery.  Today you can decide to keep moving forward no matter how many setbacks you have experienced.  Today you can commit to a gradual improvement in your life!

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Step 5

During step four the work of creating a searching and fearless inventory was the goal.  In Step five, we clean house.  We do this by admitting to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.  Specifically, we are dealing with the contents of our inventory.  During the inventory process we examined our wrongs and behavior patterns, which revealed deeper aspects of our disease.  Much of the time, these revelations are not pleasant; however, acknowledging them and bringing them to the surface makes it possible for us to deal with them constructively.  After we share the shameful aspects of our past, we can be free of them.  In so doing, we can live a life of freedom in general. 

During the fifth step, many of us have and will face many fears.  The fear of being judged, the fear of taking up another person’s time, and fears related to trust.  But, it is essential that we know what our fears are and move forward despite them so that we are able to continue with our recovery.  Thus, courage and a sense of trust in the process of recovery are essential.  If we have both of these things, we will be able to work through our specific fears and handle the admissions that need to be made during this step. 

Admitting to each entity involved in this step is important.  True recovery involves a life where the spiritual meets the everyday and the ordinary meet the extraordinary.  When we admit the exact nature of our wrongs to the God of our understanding, our admissions become more meaningful.  However this admission takes place is fine, as long as we are aware that we are making an admission to our Higher Power.  The admission to ourselves is important as well.  This is important because change will not occur until we admit to our innermost selves the exact nature of our wrongs.  Once this admission is made we are more willing and better able to choose a different way of living.  Finally, admitting to another human being, no matter how uncomfortable, is important.  This is important for many reasons.  First, the therapeutic value of one addict helping another has been proven to be unparalleled within twelve-step programs.  Second, in the past, it may have been hard for us to decipher between what we are responsible for and what others in our lives are responsible for.  Hearing another person’s point of view related to such situations often proves to be helpful in this domain.  Third, by sharing our inventories with another person, we are demonstrating the trust it takes to make healthy relationships thrive.  Ultimately, this helps us in terms of developing honest relationships.  We tell the truth about who we are, then we listen to the response. 

By working step five, we will recognize patterns of behavior that have lead to negative consequences. During this step, we focus on the spiritual principles of trust, courage, self-honesty, and commitment.  We begin to learn to trust ourselves and others.  We develop the courage to acknowledge our character defects, admit to them, and remain committed to overcoming them.  By doing these things in step five, we begin to experience spiritual freedom and overcome the shame and guilt of our past!  Today you can begin your quest for spiritual freedom! 

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Step 4

The purpose of a searching and fearless moral inventory is to sort through the confusion and contradiction that we have experienced in our lives.  We have begun a new way of life and need to rid ourselves of the burdens and traps that controlled us and prevented us from growing.  Through step four, we will begin our journey of finding out who we really are.  Up to this point, we have been experts at self-deception and rationalization.  By writing an inventory, we can overcome these obstacles.  Honest self-assessment is one of the keys to our new lives.

The fourth step is the beginning of a new era in our recovery.  Working steps 4-9 can be thought of as a process within a process, where we use the information we learned from the previous step to help us get through the next.  This method of learning about ourselves is as much about learning our character assets as it is about learning the nature of our wrongs.  It will help us to highlight the unresolved pain and conflicts of our past so that we are no longer at their mercy.  It provides us with a choice and a measure of freedom. 

So you might wonder what it means to take “searching and fearless” “moral” inventory.  Within this step, the word “moral” has nothing to do with specific codes of behavior, societal norms, or the judgment of an authority figure.  A moral inventory is something we can use to discover ourselves morally, our own morals, principles, and values.  They don’t have to relate in any way to the principles, morals, or values of others.  A searching and fearless inventory involves continuing with the inventory despite our fears.  It means having the courage to be honest, no matter how we feel about it, even if it makes us cringe inside.  It requires determination to be thorough, even when it seems as though we have written enough.  Finally, it means having enough faith to trust the process and trust our Higher Power to give us the ability to make it through.   

Ultimately, an inventory becomes a sort of relief, because, as you will learn, the pain of doing it is less than the pain of not doing it.  Through step four, we learn that pain can be a motivating force in recovery.  It can motivate us to remain sober so that we no longer feel the need to isolate or let the things that are bothering us build up.  When issues surface, we acknowledge them.  We begin to really enjoy our recovery because we have discovered a way to resolve shame, guilt, and resentment.  By acknowledging them, we have released the stress that was once trapped inside of us.  We have developed an ability to survive our emotions!  Today you can have relief from the stress you have been carrying around.  Today you can become or remain motivated to overcome your past.  Today you can remain sober!

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Giving

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ―Winston S. Churchill

2 Corinthians 9:6-8- Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Psalm 112:5- Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.

Hebrews 13:16- And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Acts 20:35- In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Proverbs 11: 24-25- One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Personally, I have found that service work is as rewarding for me as it is for the people I am serving. After having read these passages related to giving and serving, I am not surprised at the refreshing feeling I get upon giving and serving. It can be hard to give and serve in a cheerful manner all of the time, but it truly is the thought that counts. God appreciates the giver who gives without reluctance, no matter what or how much they are able to give. Many people may assume “giving” consists solely of money or other material goods. That is certainly not the case. Throughout the New Testament Jesus gave through love, service, and wisdom. He believes that it is more blessed to give than to receive, no matter what is being offered. Ultimately, it is the person who refreshes others that will be refreshed. Today you can find refreshment in the act of giving.

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Step 2

The first step strips us of our illusions related to addiction.  It leaves us with a need to believe in something that can help us with our powerlessness and the unmanageability we have recognized in our lives. Step two gives us hope for our recovery and is necessary if we expect to achieve ongoing recovery.  Many people may have avoided this step due to the religious connotation associated with “a Power greater than ourselves”.  However, to complete this step the founders of AA remind us that all we really need to do is “keep an open mind” (Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc., 2001).  You will come to find that this “Power” can be almost anything, and doesn’t necessarily have to be related to a religion at all.  Like the first step, there are several concepts within the second step that we will address.

For example, “hope” is one of the great concepts to be found within the second step.  Specifically, the hope that replaces the desperation we came in with when we admitted our lives were unmanageable.  Many of us will have tried a variety of options to overcome this unmanageability in the past (medicine, religion, psychiatry etc.).  However, by working the steps of AA we begin to feel a sense of hope in realizing that there are others, just like us, that have managed to stay sober by working these very same steps.  In the second step we now believe, or at least start to believe, that our lives can be restored to sanity, even in the most hopeless of times.  If our lives need to be restored to sanity in this step, that must mean that, at least aspects of them, are insane right?.  Albert Einstein is often credited with the definition of insanity as “doing something over and over again and expecting different results”.  For purposes of addiction, we will describe insanity as “indulging in something externally (alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, food, money, power, etc.) with the belief that it will cure the issues we are facing internally”.   Sound familiar? 

In the second step we also “come to believe”. Perhaps the biggest issue to face here is that this is typically a process that takes time for most people.  As humans, we are prone to want, and even expect, for things to happen instantly.  That is typically not the case with the 12 steps.  Most of us don’t just wake up one day believing that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.  It is a process that often takes time and patience. So, what is this Power?   Not everyone will consider their Power to be the same.  I call my Higher Power “God”.  Other people consider their 12-step group to be their Higher Power.  Others believe that nature is their Higher Power.  Whatever you choose to be your Higher Power is fine, as long as it is more powerful than your addiction.  Afterall, it is our addiction that has led us to this insanity in the first place!

In the second step we realize that a restoration to sanity is possible.  We are no longer controlled by our addiction or the choices that we made in active addiction.  We begin to slow down and consider the consequences of our decisions before making them.  It is during this step that we truly begin to mature and grow as healthy sober individuals.  “How?” you might ask.  By focusing on the spiritual principles of open-mindedness, willingness, faith, trust, and humility.  Each of these spiritual principles are highlighted during this step and will help you in your quest for a return to sanity.  You can find hope in the second step.  Today you can dare to believe.  Today you can live a life that has been restored to sanity!

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Focus

“Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Focus on your character, not your reputation. Focus on your blessings, not your misfortunes.” ― Roy T. Bennett

Proverbs 4:25- Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

In Matthews 6:24 it says no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 

Colossians 2:6-8- Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Philippians 4:8- Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

2 Timothy 1:7- For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Even with the best of intentions, it is often easy to get distracted from our principles, values, and goals. Whether it’s issues we are concerned with regarding our past, daily hindrances, or subtle thoughts of our future, it is can be quite difficult to remain focused. It is important, however, for us to remain focused, to keep our gazes straight. Additionally, focusing on the right things is crucial, for “no one can have two masters”. According to scripture we have the power to choose what we focus on. Today you can make that choice. Today you can focus on faith rather than philosophy; thanksgiving rather than empty deceit; strengths rather than weaknesses; character rather than reputation; blessings rather than misfortune. Today you can focus on love rather than fear.

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Step 1

To begin the summary of the first step we will consider seven concepts which are built into the step. The first is the concept of denial.  Individuals with addictive personalities are notoriously prone to denial, which explains why alcohol and drug use persists even in the face of negative consequences.  From a psychological perspective, denial is viewed as a defense mechanism, which individuals use to protect themselves from pain.  With that being said, admitting that we have a problem is paramount in this first step.

The next concept to consider is known as “hitting rock bottom”.  This is a term used quite often in twelve-step programs and refers to a time in life that causes an individual to feel that they have reached the lowest point in their life.  They feel that life could not get any worse and that there is nothing good left in their life left to destroy. Although “rock bottom” differs for everyone, hitting it is often necessary for most individuals in addiction to realize they have an issue with alcohol or drugs.  Hitting “rock bottom” is not a pleasant experience for anyone, but by taking the first step in AA we are beginning the process of regaining happiness in our lives.

The third concept to consider is powerlessness.  This is a very hard concept for many to grasp, after all, who wants to admit they are powerless?  The truth is however, that at least in this instance, powerlessness does not equal weakness.  In fact, the ability to admit to powerlessness over alcohol or drugs is a great strength and crucial to completing the first step.  Admitting that we are powerless over alcohol or drugs simply means that when we drink or use a drug, we often have little or no control over the amount we consume or whether/when we are going to consume again.  By admitting we are powerless over alcohol or drugs, we are actually taking the first step in regaining power over our lives !

The fourth concept we will consider is unmanageability.  Because denial is so prominent in addiction, we are often unaware of how unmanageable our lives have actually become.  We see our dysfunctional habits as normal and miss the fact that they are what will eventually lead to our “rock bottom”.  It is difficult for many to think that they do not have a handle on all of their affairs, but in order to proceed and find happiness, we need to consider the concept of unmanageability in our lives.

The next concept to consider is reservations.  A reservation in recovery is something you are holding on to that may lead to a future relapse.  Reservations hold you back by giving you reasons to turn back to alcohol or drug use if recovery does not work out.  A few common examples of reservations include: “I deserve to drink if someone in my family dies”, “After X amount of time I can start drinking again”, and “Once I get X, Y, and Z back I can start drinking again”.  Reservations are normal, but they need to be addressed and resolved in early recovery in order to avoid future set backs .

Spiritual principles are the next concept we will consider.  There are twelve principles of recovery that correspond to the twelve steps.  They are guides to a way of spiritual growth and personal happiness. The spiritual principles are important to consider during early recovery and beyond.  Each principle will be beneficial to consider throughout our recovery and life.  The principles are: acceptance, hope, faith, courage, honesty, patience, humility, willingness, brotherly-love, integrity, self-discipline, and service. 

Surrender is the final concept we will consider.  Surrender is considered to be the foundation of recovery by many.  It is another difficult concept for many to grasp as well, but is essential because without it, there is little to no possibility for change.  Society has taught us to view surrender as a weakness, but in this case, it is actually a sign of great strength.  It is an act of stepping into the unknown and takes an enormous amount of courage, hope, and trust.  By surrendering you are in a sense admitting your powerlessness to addiction, and your unmanageability in life.  You are truly taking the first step to a successful recovery.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and as far as the twelve-step programs , this is the addict and alcoholics beginning.  Today you can increase your potential of remaining sober by incorporating the concepts mentioned in the first step into your every day life.  Today you can overcome denial, your reservations, and your “rock bottom”.  Today you can admit your powerlessness and unmanageability.  Today you can incorporate the spiritual principles into your life.  Today you can surrender and remain sober!

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