Second Chance to Live – Action Steps

Hello and welcome back to Second Chance to Live my friend. I am happy to see that you decided to stop by to visit with me. You are always welcome around my table. In my experience, I have found that I determine how I choose to experience my life. I am not saying that I am able to control people, places and events because I am not. To think that I have the power to change people, places and things is foolishness. With my awareness I have come to realize that having control or asserting control is merely an illusion of power.

When I let go of the illusion of control I am able to accept that I am powerless over people, places and things. As I practice the power of acceptance new doors are opened to me. When I admit my powerlessness I am able to admit my limitations. Through admitting that I have limitations I discover that I am not helpless. When I realized that I was not helpless — in my process — I had a spiritual awakening. Because I am not helpless I am able to take action steps. These action steps enable me to accept the things that I can not change, to change the things that I can and in the process learn to distinguish the difference between what I can and what I can not change.

Through my process I have grown to trust a power greater than myself. Consequently, I have made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of that power. In the process I made the decision to become a proactive participant in my life. Subsequently, I have been empowered to change the things that I can. As a proactive participant in my life the obvious became apparent. I needed to change my attitudes and the perspective (s) that I placed on my experiences. I needed to be honest with myself. I needed to be accountable to myself. I needed to keep the focus upon myself. I needed to take a fearless moral inventory of myself, not to berate who I am but to free the negative energy of my defects of character.

Through my process, I discovered that my defects of character were in essence the defense mechanisms that I used to protect myself over time. Through examining my motives and by being honest with myself I began to realize that my defense mechanisms were no longer serving me or enhancing my relationships. In actuality, I found that my defense mechanisms were hindering my ability to truly live my life. Through being honest with myself I was slowly able to come out of hiding. My isolation was broken when I met with my sponsor and shared what I discovered about myself. As I trusted the process and shared my story I discovered that I was not terminally unique. As my sponsor listened without judgment I began to learn to trust again. In my trust I became willing to have my defects of character removed.

In the next action step I humbly asked the God of my understanding to remove my character defects.

My next action step involved making a list of the persons that I had harmed through out my lifetime. I placed myself on that list. Next I became willing to make direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or other people. In my process I shared such amends with my sponsor before I attempted to make amends to those individuals. In the next action step I made a decision to continue to be honest with myself and in the process keep my side of the street clean by continuing to make direct amends. Next I made a decision to trust again by praying for the knowledge of God’s will for me and the power to carry that out – on a daily basis.

In the final action step – as a result of completing the previous action steps – I had and continue to have spiritual awakenings. Consequently I am motivated to share my experience, strength and hope as I have the opportunity. My spiritual awakening (s) also inspire (s) me to practice the principles of 12 action steps in all my affairs.

In the spirit of sharing the power of these action steps I have compiled a synthesis of the action steps. I will include that list below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me through a comment or a confidential email.

Synosis of the 12 Action Steps

1- You may be powerless over many things but you are not helpless. Although your life may seem unmanageable now, you no longer need to feel like a victim.
2- You do not have to be alone anymore to figure it out on your own.
3- By making the decision to turn your will and your life over to the care of a power greater than your self, you will find an unlimited source of encouragement and power.
4- You can find out what you have been doing to sabotage your life. You do not have to keep shooting yourself in the foot of life.
5- You no longer need to hide in the shadows. You can trust the process. By admitting to God, to yourself and to another human being the exact nature of your wrongs, you can find freedom. You can make peace with both God and with yourself.
6- You can become entirely ready to have your defects of character removed. Be encouraged my friend.
7- You can be actively involved in the process of having your defects of character removed by humbly asking God to remove your shortcomings.
8- By making, a list of the people you have harmed (that you have gleaned through completing your 4th action step) you become willing to make direct amends to them all.
9- You make direct amends (once you have completed the first 8 action steps and you have talked with your sponsor) to the people to whom you have harmed. Consequently you can make peace with your fellows, and in the process make peace with yourself. You can be released from the burden of guilt and shame.
10- On a daily basis, you continue to take a personal inventory and when you are wrong you promptly admit that wrong to the person (s) that you have harmed. You continue to be accountable to and for your self. You choose to keep your side of the street clean.
11- You do not have to live life each day by yourself. You can rely on a power greater than your self to guide and direct your steps. You don’t have to lean on your own understanding. You can pray for the knowledge of God’s will for you and the power to carry that out. You can trust the process, a loving God and your ability to learn from the process.
12- Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of working these 12 action steps you attempt to carry the message of the 12 action steps to others and continue to practice the principles of the 12 action steps in all your affairs.

Note: The 12 action steps are not punitive in nature, but are instead to be used as a tool to empower the individual to live life on life’s terms. The 12 action steps by nature are meant to free the individual of self-defeating behaviors so as to empower the individual to be of maximum service to God and to their fellows.

In the original text the 12 Steps adapted from the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous has written “We” where I have written “You”. I have used you instead of we to emphasize that we are powerless over people, places and things. I have needed to keep the focus on myself as I have worked through the 12 action steps. In the event that I choose to focus on another person, place, event, institution or thing I will miss the benefit that can be gained as a result of my working through the 12 action steps.

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