I hope all who are affected by the blizzard are warm, safe and have plenty of food.
Today's reading is about how the 12 steps can be put into four categories: Giving up (steps 1-3 giving up the illusion that we can control the A and manage life w out the help of recovery); Owning up (steps 4-6 being honest about our strengths and weaknesses); Making up (steps 7-9 repairing our relationships with HP, self and others); Keeping up (steps 10-12 growing within ourselves and recovery).
It is helpful for me to see the steps put into these categories and to know I am consistently cycling back and forward and back again through them. The last line of the reading reminds us that the four things we need to do in recovery are give up, own up, make up and keep up. The Thought for the Day adds that when we "Keep it Simple", sometimes the 'it' is the program.
I will work on applying these four categories as I'm working my program.
Have a great (and snowy for a lot of us!!) Tuesday--
Mary
hotrod said
Mar 14, 2017
Good Morning Mary I am safe and warm in my apartment as the storm continues to rage outside. Hope everyone is the same .
Love this page and how the Steps are broken down into a simple understandable formula. At the beginning of my alanon journey. I do believe that the "Giving up and "owning up'" were the most difficult.
Today ,like yourself, having cycled through the Steps many times, I am prepared emotionally and reap the benefits of the Steps more profoundly. In fact I just came across a defect that will not budge so I have "Humbly asked HP to remove it " What a gift this program is!!!
Thanks for your service
Skorpi said
Mar 14, 2017
Good morning!
What a lovely reminder today - that we have the steps of the program to help us progress from one phase to the next. Keeping things simple is something I strive for each day.
Thanks for your service, Mary!
Iamhere said
Mar 14, 2017
Thanks Mary for the daily and your service. Thanks all for your shares and ESH. I too love how we cycle into/out of these 4 areas and that's exactly how it's supposed to work for us. I am so grateful the program gives us exactly what we need to do the work to be the best version of ourselves, and that changes often too.
We have some snow falling in my world but nothing like what is happening in the upper eastern states! I'm cozy and warm for now and planning an outing to the grocery store for the warmest part of the day....stay safe everyone and make it a great day!
DavidG said
Mar 14, 2017
Good topic, Mary...
I think it was a Shakespeare play that produced the quote- "in a nutshell". Keeping the journey simple is an ongoing battle for me... but
it gets less and less a struggle, as it becomes a joy and a pleasure. The four phase pattern is easy to fit into a busy life.
Once i broke the steps down into three stages- 1. please, 2. sorry, and 3. thanks... this makes more sense when I am working steps
10 thru 12.
Sometimes i still have to go back to the middle steps for a top-up. And sometimes back to step one when i am stumped.
When i began with the MIP groups I was seeing the steps like the numbers on the clock- just going round and round in sequence.
Now it is different- not sure how different; but the order of steps don't seem to matter any more- well not so much.
I think I communicate and connect a lot better these days... when i encounter a newcomer I can do a step one... which is more like a victory lap...
and the middle steps...??? My ability to have adult to adult conversations is improving... the peer group I belong to- unsurpassed..!!! ...
_bunny_ said
Mar 14, 2017
Thank you Mary for your service. I love how the steps are broken down into the 4 categories and It reminds me that the steps can be my most valuable tool in my tool box when I incorporate them over and over again in all aspects of my life.
Good morning Everyone-
I hope all who are affected by the blizzard are warm, safe and have plenty of food.
Today's reading is about how the 12 steps can be put into four categories: Giving up (steps 1-3 giving up the illusion that we can control the A and manage life w out the help of recovery); Owning up (steps 4-6 being honest about our strengths and weaknesses); Making up (steps 7-9 repairing our relationships with HP, self and others); Keeping up (steps 10-12 growing within ourselves and recovery).
It is helpful for me to see the steps put into these categories and to know I am consistently cycling back and forward and back again through them. The last line of the reading reminds us that the four things we need to do in recovery are give up, own up, make up and keep up. The Thought for the Day adds that when we "Keep it Simple", sometimes the 'it' is the program.
I will work on applying these four categories as I'm working my program.
Have a great (and snowy for a lot of us!!) Tuesday--
Mary
Good Morning Mary I am safe and warm in my apartment as the storm continues to rage outside. Hope everyone is the same .
Love this page and how the Steps are broken down into a simple understandable formula. At the beginning of my alanon journey. I do believe that the "Giving up and "owning up'" were the most difficult.
Today ,like yourself, having cycled through the Steps many times, I am prepared emotionally and reap the benefits of the Steps more profoundly. In fact I just came across a defect that will not budge so I have "Humbly asked HP to remove it " What a gift this program is!!!
Thanks for your service
What a lovely reminder today - that we have the steps of the program to help us progress from one phase to the next. Keeping things simple is something I strive for each day.
Thanks for your service, Mary!
We have some snow falling in my world but nothing like what is happening in the upper eastern states! I'm cozy and warm for now and planning an outing to the grocery store for the warmest part of the day....stay safe everyone and make it a great day!
Good topic, Mary...
I think it was a Shakespeare play that produced the quote- "in a nutshell". Keeping the journey simple is an ongoing battle for me... but
it gets less and less a struggle, as it becomes a joy and a pleasure. The four phase pattern is easy to fit into a busy life.
Once i broke the steps down into three stages- 1. please, 2. sorry, and 3. thanks... this makes more sense when I am working steps
10 thru 12.
Sometimes i still have to go back to the middle steps for a top-up. And sometimes back to step one when i am stumped.
When i began with the MIP groups I was seeing the steps like the numbers on the clock- just going round and round in sequence.
Now it is different- not sure how different; but the order of steps don't seem to matter any more- well not so much.
I think I communicate and connect a lot better these days... when i encounter a newcomer I can do a step one... which is more like a victory lap...
and the middle steps...??? My ability to have adult to adult conversations is improving... the peer group I belong to- unsurpassed..!!!
...