What does it mean to live a virtuous life of Recovery? What about living a practical (fitting the needs of a particular situation in a helpful way) life of Recovery? What are they saying to us when we allow thoughts to enter our heads and hearts? “You are not good enough”, “You need to be perfect”, “Your a bad person”, and many others.
How do we avoid this from consuming our thoughts? This is where the heart enters. We engage in the practical work of Recovery. I will tell you a little secret, “It begins in our minds”. Attending support groups, taking ten minutes each day to read a book and reflect on the meditation for the day, listening to a podcast focusing on mental health, addiction, and trauma, attending therapy, and a host of other tools meeting our unique needs.
When we do these activities we build up virtue to extinguish self-defeating thoughts. We create a firewall to protect our hearts. If we don’t build up our hearts in a practical way we have no firewall. We do all of this to protect ourselves. The vice of pride affects us the most because when we place ourselves at the center instead of our Recovery, life becomes unmanageable and chaotic.
Moving ourselves out of the center and placing Recovery there, can only be done if we live a practical life every day of our life. Practicing the 12-steps is an open invitation to heal and become role models for each other and those who struggle.
We can be compassionate. We can suffer with people who are full of pride and vices and not use them for our own good or pleasure. But see people as a gift in our Recovery. When we grow deeper in Recovery we are called to heal ourselves and the world around us.
Do a 2 to 3-minute examination of conscience each day utilizing the 12 steps. Make it become second nature. Live out virtue and eliminate distorted thoughts. We are meant to live with a right heart.
12 Steps to Health
Hope ≈ Healing ≈ Health
- We dedicate ourselves to a lifestyle of Recovery; our lives have purpose and meaning.
- We believe a Power greater than ourselves is the path to hope, healing, and health.
- We choose to contemplate daily, how faith in our Higher Power and Recovery Community can bring us peace.
- We choose to educate ourselves and find the courage to strive for the highest level of health and well-being.
- We communicate our Plan of Recovery with our Higher Power, with ourselves, and with another human being.
- We allow our Higher Power to be the lighthouse in our lives.
- We humbly ask our Higher Power to reveal his unconditional love and ongoing presence within us.
- We acknowledge our behaviors have impacted our relationships. We list those affected by our behavior and whenever possible become willing to reconcile or thank them for their support during a relapse or mental health crisis.
- We seek mutual reconciliation for a harmful action we committed and seek forgiveness from those we harmed or were impacted by our behavior. Then, let go of our shame because it no longer serves a purpose in our lives, we understand we were designed because we are loved and to be in relationships with other people.
- We continually review our Plan of Recovery with our Higher Power, support team, and those we trust.
- We come to recognize our shortcomings during recovery, while discovering our Higher Power is the source of our strength and mercy, we learn to rely on our Higher Power for the courage to heal through prayer, reflection, mindfulness, and when necessary seek professional support.
- We gain insight into our recovery through our Higher Power as we model these steps, and share our journey toward hope, healing, and health with people.
Adapted From 12 Steps of Alcoholic/Depressed Anonymous by Larry Winter and Collene Spaeth
Revised: 6/5/20
SuperHuman Being
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https://superhumanbeing.net/