Stepwork

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Post Info TOPIC: Step Six - Al-Anon


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Step Six - Al-Anon


Step Six - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.


From: How Al-Anon Works - pg. 55-56 (copyright 1997, by Al-Anon

Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Limited use by express written permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.)


In Step Six we learn to "Let Go and Let God". This means that we must once again learn to trust the God of our understanding to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. It isn't always easy, because we know too much to reman comfortable with our defects. As we catch ourselves acting tham out, we don't like what we see. We want to be proud of ourselves and feel at peace with our behavuior, yet we are increasingly embarrressed at what we find ourselves saying and doing. These actions, attitudes, and habits do not reflect the person we are striving to become.

Please share your thoughts on Step Six and thank you, John, for posting for me.



My sponsor told me that Step Six was another point in my program were I needed to become willing. Was I really willing to be ready to have these defects removed? Some of them were for survival with an abusive alcoholic so I needed to go even further with my trust in the God of my understanding - to trust that He would take care of me as these changes were made. That wasn't easy when living with abuse. But it did come with the support of my sponsor and my group and a lot of prayer.

Love you all - Dot



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Step Six Al-Anon

Were entirely ready to have God remove "ALL" these defects of Charecter.

To have my defects of Charecter removed after I quit drinking is like detaching one of my limbs without anesthetic. To grow up with most of them and get used to them because they are a part of me.

I was comfortable with them, they are my tools to use for manipulating others to get my way, anger was used to get what I wanted or pouting was used to get the attention I desperatly wanted.

Gossiping about someone else put that person on my side to be against the person I gossiped about or made me feel superior, ignoring someone was to make the person feel hurt or ashamed for no reason let them think they did something wrong. How many times did I intentionally go out of my way to isolate myself from others because I don't know how to mingle well with others. All this is SICK, real SOUl-SICKNESS. STEP #6 and #7 working together to heal me with GODs help.

When we take a good look at ourselves Honestly. Not looking at anyone else, keeping my eyes always focused only on me and my Shortcomings/charecter defects. God reveals them One by One. Praying for God to release me from the BONDAGE of MYSELF. Praising him for letting me go of me. I am no longer living for myself but I am living for GOD, his people, his will in my life each and everyday.

SO here it goes my list looks something like this:

God please Forgive, release, and heal me from Gossip
Anger
Jealousy
idolatry
and the list goes on.
In Jesus name. That is my Higher Power so I pray in Jesus Name. No one is forcing you to pray in anyones name. You may pray anyway you want to.

As of this minute I am FORGIVEN and I am HEALED of ALL those DEFECTS OF charecter. I am now a work in progress. May you too find the path of Recovery as pleasant as I am.

In His Love,
Blessed


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Blessed



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Thank you Blessed, great share smile.gif

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"We do not want to lose any of what we have gained; we want to continue in the program."



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thanks everyone this step forum is an expression of the higher power in my life. i am very gratefull for the generous sharing, it gives me the courage to begin to trust that if i am willing to be released of these defects, that i need not be afraid of the consequences. my life will be better for letting go of these defences. my un-wellness tells me hold on like mad!!! my proramme tells me surrender and if it is only for two minutes then so be it.... surrender again.
    thanks again everyone.smile

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florrie



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hi Dot and everyone ,  thanks , well apart from making doormats of ourselves , there's the 'stinking thinking' too ! who needs someone else to criticise us when we do it so well to ourselves ! you know and I used to be untidy but now that I have it all organized I'm overly houseproud and all I can do is wait for the programme to put it into balance in it's own time . Newbies often think this is an exercise in guilt which it isn't of course . Some great shares ,

llol Vickyr x

juggle.gif


From: How Courage to Change - pg. 233 (copyright 1992 , by Al-Anon

Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Limited use by express written permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.)

" Al-Anon encourages me to examine my thoughts and actions , but this is meant as an act of self-love , not as a weapon to use against myself. When I begin to accept myself exactly as I am, life will feel alot more gentle. "




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Step Six - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.


Hi all,

I'd written in step five on talking too much, after tonite's
chat re patience - after meaning my computer froze up
before I am to share my computer froze up and I was
off the board, rebooting and off the system. My system
had to reconfigure itself to allow me back online and
chat was over by then.

I kept thinking one of the shares re program ideas
and a comment was made 'if we worry why pray. And
if we pray, why worry.' That is, before my sys went
down. The idea gave me another a-hah moment

That tool is another aspect to the letting go or
the removal of my defects of character, my mind
races off on thw what if's and I do use other tools
to release - to include the halt slogan, at times I
can only flash the neon sign that is right behind
my eyeballs - er eyelids which says serenity. What
am I to do to bring it back to myelf again...

I m h o, the removal of character defects can
only come about doing the footwork, or taking
back to god what is not mine to hold onto in
the first place. As soon as I know it is in my
hands, however, it is going to god for it's
correction. Now I must insert i m h o =
in my humble opinion, and I know I do
not know everything.. Love in recovery,
getoverit

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getoverit, whatever tool/s it takes


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Thank you everyone for your contributions to the board.

After completing my 4th step and discovering what an envious and resentful person I am, I feel more than ready to have those character defects removed. I hated to admit that I resented people who have more than I do or seem to have easier lives but when I get envious, I am resentful. It's embarrassing and painful to admit.

Other defects I am ready to turn over to God are feeling different and "less than." When I realized that those feelings were a pattern I was more than willing to let go of them.

Since my father passed away when I was three years old, I have continually been needy for affection and support from a father figure. This is a defect that needs to go. My self esteem has suffered and I haven't been doing the work it takes to form relationships.

And lastly, I depend on others entirely too much to make me happy when I need to take the responsibility for my own happiness.

This step was a real exercise in dealing with some unpleasant things about myself. It is a growth step.

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