I lived in active addiction for more than twenty-five years of my life. During that time, I had short periods of being clean, but I’m not lying when I tell you that went to rehab twelve times before it stuck. Twelve times.
Only during my last rehab did I finally make the realization that if I didn’t change, I was going to die.
While I had been to meetings before this point, it was only during this final rehab that I began to understand what was behind the 12 Steps I’d been introduced to so many times and began to fully appreciate the spiritual principles that inspired these steps.
Most everyone has heard of the 12 Step Program, but what many people may not know is that these 12 steps were built on spiritual principles from the Oxford Group Movement, which was started by a Christian missionary and very popular in the 1930s when Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) came to be. They include the following:
Honesty—being truthful to yourself and others
Hope—knowing that something better is waiting for you
Faith—understanding that things will change if you make the change
Courage—finding the strength to face the challenge
Integrity—always operating truthfully
Willingness—being prepared to accept that change starts with you
Humility—understanding that it’s not just about you
Discipline & Action—keeping focused on acting the right way
Forgiveness—releasing yourself and others from bad feelings that only hold you back
Acceptance—admitting you are powerless over your addiction and that you are ready to regain control
Knowledge & Awareness—understanding how you and your actions affect others
Service & Gratitude—helping others and being thankful every day that you are in the position to help
When you learn more about these spiritual principles and how integral they are to your recovery, and when you discover how applying these principles to your life will change your entire worldview and how you see your place in the world, you will start seeing results and be on your way to living the life God always meant for you to live.
Discover how in Free Yourself From Yourself. Order your copy today.
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