from "The Twelve Steps for Adult Children"

"Step One, if worked properly, leaves us feeling empty. We have admitted our own powerlessness and the unmanageability of our lives. So we are left saying, 'If I am powerless and cannot manage my life, who can?' God can! ... This begins the process of trusting that a power greater than ourselves is at work in our lives...

"We prepare for Step 2 by acknowledging that we don't know everything about our Higher Power. Many of us have a distorted view of God... We may believe that God is like our abusive or absent parents or significant others. We may believe that God doesn't care how we feel, that God is cruel and waiting to judge us. We may have been threatened with God's punishment all our lives...

"Preparing for Step 2 requires that we set aside our old images and mistaken beliefs about God. For now we can simply hold on to the words of AA's Second Tradition, '... there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God...

"For many of us, this Step presents major obstacles. Since we find it hards to trust others, the loneliness of our present condition causes us to fall back on our own resources. We may even doubt that a Higher Power can heal us or even be interested in doing so. Unless we let go of our distrust and begin to lean on God, we will continue to operate in an insane manner...

"Step 2 is often referred to as 'The Hope Step'. It gives us new hope as we begin to see that help is available to us. We must simply reach out and accept what our Higher Power has to offer... All we need to do is be willing to believe that a power greater than ourselves is waiting to help us...

"One way God helps us see our condition clearly is to bring us into contact with others who share experiences similar to ours. It becomes evident, when sharing our stories in meetings and through fellowship, that each of us can maintain 'emotional sobriety' only one day at a time. Also, our Higher Power helps us realize that actions destructive to ourselves or to others are not acceptable...

"When we are ready to accept our powerlessness and unmanageability (Step One) and when we trust our Higher Power to restore us to sanity (Step Two) we will be ready to make a decision to turn our lives over to the care of God (Step Three). There is no need to rush the process of working the Steps. We move forward in faith so we will be able to proceed with the remaining Steps. The faith we develop in Step Two is our most important building block in recovery. Our success in the program depends upon our relationship with our Higher Power and our belief that this Power can help us...

"Coming to believe in a Higher Power and admitting we behave in a destructive manner require a great deal of humility... As we work toward a more balanced lifestyle, we see the importance of humility in all our affairs. Our growth is considerably enhanced by our willingness to be humble and accept our humanness."