Re: Step One

[Lin]

Thanks for posting these Lildee! I hope we can discuss step one for about a week beofre moving on to step 2. When i started this section a while back I posted one step a week and it worked very well. But I dont think I ever heard of this book.

Step one for me was a surrender step. It was admitting my ways of dealing with my life were just not working. It was a surrender to GOD and to the tools of the program to help me try a new approach to my happiness in my life. I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel and the tunnel seemed to be getting longer and longer each day.

Like the reading said I wanted to know how to make them get sober and stay sober. Nope. That did not work at all. It ticked me off that they told me AlAnon was for ME and they'd not tell me that secret of how to make them get sober. But as i looked around the room and saw the faces and heard the stories I took HOPE.

I still have to do step one almost every day with SOMETHING in my day. That powerlessness condition happens in all areas of my life. Admitting there is nothing I can do about it helps so much with acceptance.

Thanks for posting this article lildee!

LIN

[Caressa2]

Good material my friend.

For me Step One is "Surrender, Acceptance and Honesty!" It is a daily thing for me, I must never forget my powerless over people, places and things.

This Step applies to all aspects of my life, be it my computer, my eating, my relationship, my love of attention and the self-esteem issues I am dealing with as a result of my sickness.

They all come down to Step One and getting back to basics.

[SaraLee]

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol...that our lives had become unmanageable.

For many years I tried to get the alcoholic to stop drinking, to do what I wanted him to do, that when I started the program and read the first step, I knew I was losing the battle for my own life. At that time, I was so engrossed in my feelings that they dictated everything I said and did. My emotions clouded my sanity and I was far removed from reality.

When I got serious about taking the first step I knew that somehow I had to get outside of my feelings so I could clearly see and accept what I was capable of doing and not doing and where I was over stepping the alcoholic’s boundaries. He was telling me he wanted to drink and that I should stop trying to make him quit and in my own emotional frenzy, I was not listening. To change that I had to start looking at myself without my emotional cap on, to step outside of my own shoes and see my thoughts and actions as though they were, independent of myself and analyze my own self defeating actions. It didn’t mean I lost my feelings, but that I had to drop my emotional self to see reality for what it was. Only then was I able to see how my emotions had dictated just about everything I said and did to get him to stop drinking.

I knew I was making progress when I was able to realistically see that and accept that I was not him, nor he me, and it was up to him not me to make changes in him. It was then that I knew I had to begin to manage my own self and leave him and his drinking alone. That was how I was able to free myself from him and alcoholism and begin to focus on my own sanity and life.

[SunnyGirl]

( ( ( ( Lildee ) ) ) )

Thanks for posting this.....

Caressa brought up a good point, step 1 (admitting
I am powerless) does help me in all aspects of my life.
But, God has given me the courage to, "change the things
I can". Doesn't this mean I can change my eating
habits, or my compusive behavior when posting on
the message boards? Just a thought.....

Peace on the journey, SG

[lildee]

Hi Sunny Girl,
Hey I guess you can 12 Step just about anything. I know there is OA for overeaters. There must be a 12 Step group for those addicted to computers!!! LOL. I would miss all your great posts though. Love ya Arlene

[caressa222]

Not sure were the redt of this post went, probably under Step One at the beginning of the topics

I have found the Steps applicable to all areas of my life, even Bejeweled 3 game.