Entirely Ready?

[caressa]

STEP SIX: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

"If we would gain any real advantage in the use of this Step on problems other than alcohol, we shall need to make a brand new venture into open-mindedness. We shall need to raise our eyes toward perfection, and be ready to walk in that direction. It will seldom matter how haltingly we walk.

The only question will be 'Are we ready?'"

© 1952, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 68

The Hoffields

So many times I have heard, "Well I am only on Step One or I haven't got past Step Three! They are aware of their defects, but don't realize that they can take them to their Higher Power and relieve themselves of those that are glaringly apparent in today. This is a one day at a time program, and as we get to know ourselves we can make changes in today, but we must be willing.

There are those too who are very aware of their defects but don't have a desire to have them removed. Many people aren't aware of what they are if they haven't done a Fourth Step, that is why it is so important to do one. To take inventory of ourselves, good and bad, and look at what we need to change for the better and the good point that we need to nourish and continue to put into practice in today. My sponsor told me to look at who I was point my finger at, if I was ever in doubt as to what my character defects were. She said, "It takes one to know one!" It took me a long time to be able to recognize that if I found the positive in someone, I also had the same characteristics within me.

[SunnyGirl]

Entirely Ready?

I honestly was ready to have these defects of character
removed. What I hoped for was that God would zap them
and they'd instantly all be removed and that didn't happen.

Impatience has always been a biggie for me, but today I
know I have to work on it daily. When I have a crisis or
a bump in the road, I want to clear that hurdle and keep
on truckin.... I've learned that if I don't slow down and
learn the lesson, I'm just going to keep having my patience
tested.

I love that 12 step recovery is worked at on a daily basis.
We get up and do our best one day at a time. It comforts
me know that I have God on direct dial and can call on HIM
to help me through the rough patches that are called life.

I am quicker to notice when a defect I had thought I was
done with, one more rears it's ugly head. But, the good
news is.... God gave me that nudge and I get a brand new
chance to make amends and change that behavior....

Good topic Caressa, not sure how I missed it....

Peace on the journey, SG

[caressa]

Good share, SG, especially like the last part about how noticeable they become. For some reason, the longer I stay sober, the more glaring apparent they become. I can even be willing to the one tonight when I did the ABCs, I just couldn't resist putting my name on the post. My friend snagged it and sent it to me, I seldom use it beause it isn't spelled right. Again, it is the Ms. Perfection, the Ms. Pride, and any other label you want to put on it, who don't like to have it used, who got put it aside, and Ms. Sarcy, Ms. Mischief,and Ms. Chuckles, got the deciding vote. As someone said earlier tonight, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can. You certainly couldn't laugh at me. I would have taken a swipe at you. I think it was my Yahoo messenger buddy, and member here Rhawnie who claims to be a biker chick and keeps telling me that I am 2 2 funny. She looks like the girl next door to me.

[majestyjo]

Sometimes they are glaringly apparent, sometimes quite suttle, others are just there ready to jump out at the most inconvenient times.

All of them I have to turn over to my Higher Power who I choose to call God.

God was an old tape. He was who other people told me He was. I had to go on a Spiritual Journey to see who He was to me in today. Every where I looked He was there.

[majestyjo]

Are you ready? Some of them my God and I are still working on.