Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Welcome back to Second Chance to Live. I am happy to see that you decided to stop by and visit with me. After much thought and consideration I have decide to begin a series today. I will use principles that I have learned through my process to illustrate some expansive realities. These principles embodied can be applied to everyday living with empowering results. I will share from my experience, strength and hope after setting the stage in part 1 of this series. May you be encouraged, motivated and empowered to set sail on the high sea of courage.
In 12 step recovery programs, there are 12 steps and 12 traditions. The 12 steps provide a road map to restore the individual to a relationship with the God of my understanding, themselves and their fellows. The 12 traditions are the backbone that keeps the individual groups, as well as the fellowship at large, healthy. The 12 steps have played an integral part in my recovery process and have strongly contributed to what you read in Second Chance to Live. For simplicity sake, I have provided a brief synopsis of my awareness. The synopsis will lay the foundation upon which I will build.
When I started my recovery path nearly 22 years ago, I was not all that excited about another set of steps. For the first 29 years of my life I was presented with various steps, that if followed would result in my being, healed, delivered, and provide what I was seeking to live a victorious life. Although these list and steps were nobly constructed, they never provided a way to heal from the inside out. Through experience, I found that I could not think my way to filling the hole in my soul.
Debilitating guilt and shame crippled me – emotionally and spiritually — for many years. When I began my recovery process, I started to trust God and myself. I learned that God was not a terrorist. As I began to thaw emotionally I was able to understand that the 12 steps would provide a way for me to heal emotionally and spiritually. As I began to trust the process, a loving God and myself I progressively found a new freedom. This freedom gave me the courage to be who I am created to be in this life. As I stayed committed to my process debilitating shame and debilitating guilt have been replaced with hope. Continued in Part 2 .
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