Today's reading starts out with bringing to mind how it feels to go to the grocery store to find that the item(s) we

expect to be there are gone and that the grocer only needs to take inventory to realize that it is time to restock. 

For us taking the step to do an inventory on ourselves, by doing the 4^th Step, can prove to do the same thing by

helping us seek and find those empty painful places and replace them with the help of the rest of the 12 steps.

Todays Reminder:  "When I can find a solution to a problem, when I have nagging doubts, fears, or frustrations,

when I feel lost or confused, a searching and fearless moral inventory of my self can make a tremendous difference." 

"Whenever I work the Steps, I tell my Higher Power that I am willing to heal, to find a solution, to feel better."  "The

energy that would have been dumped into worry, tears, and obsessions can be turned into positive action."

Todays Quote:  "We all wish good things to happen to us, but we cannot just pray and then sit down and expect

miracles to happen."  "We must back up our prayers with action." ~ Freedom from Despair

I have done the 12 Steps a number of times and each time, I found as time goes on, that it has helped in numerous

areas of my life.  Only doing them once may not be enough and we are encouraged to do those 12 Steps as many

times as needed. 

As I have evolved in this program I found that the Steps helped me more and more each time I did them because

each time I did do them I did them from a better perspective!!

My greatest benefit was deepening my understanding of me and how what I was feeling (those fears and lack of pride)

were caused by my inability to see that I did not have any control over the alcoholic and what he said and did to me,

which was not my fault, that the alcoholic was doing what an alcoholic does and unless they wanted help I needed to

step aside and lead my own life.

Have you found that the same is true for you, that doing the 4^th step inventory and then the 12 Steps more than once,

gradually helped in many different ways?

TGIF MIP Family!!  {{HUGS}}

{{SunnyFrog}} We used to have an active board for working the 12 steps, but in lieu of

that fact I found a really neat Youtube guide to working the 12 Steps of Al-Anon here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9cN2I71AXA&list=PL0H6YBVuEG634AMPJGwclLIzYapZzlVG0

It starts on Step one and if you look to the right you will see all the rest of the steps you can 

click on.

Please let me know if that works for you and of course any questions we are here!!