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
You have my permission to share my articles and or video presentations with anyone you believe could benefit, however please attribute me as being the author of the article (s) video presentation (s), and provide a link back to the article (s) on Second Chance to Live. In the event that you have questions, please send those questions to me. All questions are good questions. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you. Copyright 2007-2016.
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