Steps 6 & 7

I am getting sick. My throat has felt like someone stuck a cheese-grater down it all day, and now I'm achy and feeling blah..... Wish I had some of that awesome soup from Jung's. Ya know... I almost went in there today.

Enough about my woes, though. Today was a very significant day in my recovery. I finished step 5....

Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

We ordered a spinach feta pizza to my sponsor's apartment, made some coffee, and got settled in. I wont go into everything I shared. You can actually find most of my history right here in these pages. After 2 hours of me spilling my guts about my actions over the past 30 something years, we came to the conclusion that my main character default was my selfish, self-serving behavior. It was almost like a theme in my moral inventory. There were others, though. Trust me.

I've had so many people who cared about me over the years, tried to help, and all I could think about was what I could do that would benefit myself. I wasn't the best partner... son... friend.... or brother that I could be. I let alot of people down. I hurt alot of people...

Understanding my faults and wrongdoing.... identifying them... is one of the goals of this step. Telling another person about each and every one helps cleanse my soul of them. They are behind me, but not forgotten. This step leads right into steps 6 and 7...

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

and
Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.

These steps are strictly between me and my Higher Power. My sponsor can answer any questions I may have, but that's about it.

I later went to Riverview Park and sat for quite some time. After some hard and honest thought, I had one of those moments of clarity. I saw myself for what I really was all of those years. The lying, the manipulation, the sneaking... I could see all the kindness I was shown and how I took advantage of it. I thought I was going to be sick. I called my sponsor and told him that if God wants all that, he can have it. I certainly don't want it. When I made that decision... truly, honestly made that decision... a sense of calm came over me. Release. I never have to be that person again.

Don't get me wrong. I've done some really good things in my life. I certainly don't think I was a bad person. Just did some really bad things. Made alot of mistakes. Allowed myself to be ruled by addiction. That part of me, thankfully, sank to the bottom of the Mississippi today.

There's more work to do. Still more steps. Today, though, was a milestone in my program. I read something today that I liked.

Action is Born of Belief, Faith Without Works is Dead.

Here's the 7th Step prayer... Goodnight.

I am now willing that you should have all of me,

good and bad.

I pray that you now remove from me

every single defect of character which stands in the way

of my usefulness to you and my fellows.

Grant me strength, as I go out from here,

to do your bidding.

Amen

On to Step 5

Our men's group speaker was sensational tonight. I've seen the guy around the group several times, but didn't know he had that story in him. I don't like to give much away about our members. I can tell you that his misadventures were like something straight out of a movie. And the way he got into the program was very touching. He was also the spitting image of my Grandpa Melton.

Afterward my sponsor and I went back to his apartment to go over my 4th Step work. We found a pattern of selfishness and ego there. That's for sure. I'm thankful that, with the help of the program and God, I'm coming out of that shell. We'll be meeting again Saturday before work and then again next week to do my 5th Step.

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature

of our wrongs.

That's when we sit down in private and I basically tell him my life story. My dad said that may take a while... LOL.

Got a good sponsor, good sobriety, a good support system, and an awesome Higher Power. As long as I stay true to all of that, there's no limit to the awesome things that will be coming my way. :)

Goodnight!