Hope for Today - March 14

At one of my Al-Anon meetings, I heard an interesting way to categorize the Twelve Steps into four groups -- giving up, owning up, making up, and keeping up. Steps One through Three are about giving up. I give up the illusion that I can control the alcoholic, that I am sane, and that I can manage my life alone.

Steps Four through Six are about owning up. In these Steps I seek the truth about my strengths and my weaknesses. I admit those truths to God, to myself, and to another human being and then I become entirely ready for God to remove my shortcomings.

Steps Seven through Nine are about making up. I look at my broken relationships with God, with myself, and with others, and I strive to see my part in how these unions became damaged. I ask my Higher Power what I can do to make amends, and to make up for what harm I've done in the past.

Steps Ten through Twelve are about keeping up. I don't try to keep up with others; I keep up with myself and my growth in the program. Continuing to take personal inventory helps keep my slate clean.

Through prayer and meditation, I keep in line with God's will for me. Carrying the message keeps me grateful and focused, and practicing the Al-Anon principles in all my affairs keeps me coming back. If I feel overwhelmed by the hard work, I remind myself I really need to do four things to continue recovering --

give up, own up, make up, and keep up. This way I can "Keep It Simple." Thought for the Day Sometimes the "It" in "Keep It Simple" can be the program itself. "To get a good, firm hold on the Al-Anon idea . . . 'keep it simple!'" *One Day at a Time in Al-Anon*, p. 143 ----------