Second Chance to Live -- Action Steps Revisited -- An Overview Part 1

In yesterday’s article – Accepting Myself when Family and Friends Can Not Part 2 – I shared a link to an article — Second Chance to Live — Action Steps — as an addendum to the article. I wrote this article — Second Chance to Live — Action Steps — in May of 2008. I decided to share the article as an addendum in yesterday’s article because the information has been and continues to be a benefit to me. My hope is that the information will also be a benefit to you.

As a friend encouraged me, I believe the information with in the article may also benefit anyone who experiences a difficult time accepting themselves as individuals. In my experience, I have found that working the 12 steps has helped me to accept myself in ways that I never dreamed possible. I will share this article in 2 parts. In the 1st Part I will share an overview. In the 2nd Part I will share a synopsis. In both parts, what I share is from my understanding.

And now for Part 1 of the article — An Overview

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.

Please read Part 2 of this article by clicking on the following link. Thank you. Second Chance to Live – Action Steps Revisited – A Synopsis Part 2 

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