I find these to be a welcome and
practical addition to my recovery.
remaining within the spirit of the
12, these steps encourage positive
reinforcement of strengths and
character pluses.
a glaring omission in the 12 is the
encouragement to confront those
who harmed us is word or deed.
this is essential for most and especially
women who have been emotionally
or sexually abused.
the emphasis on self-esteem, pursuit
of freedom and developement of
character is an absolute must for
progressive wellness.
from /www.charlottekasl.com/16steps.html
| 1) | We affirm we have the power to take charge of our lives and stop being dependent on substances or other people for our self-esteem and security. |
| Alternative: We admit/acknowledge we are out of control with/powerless over ________ yet have the power to take charge of our lives and stop being dependent on substances or other people for our self-esteem and security. | |
| 2) | We come to believe that God/Goddess/Universe/Great Spirit/Higher Power awakens the healing wisdom within us when we open ourselves to the power. |
| 3) | We make a decision to become our authentic selves and trust in the healing power of the truth. |
| 4) | We examine our beliefs, addictions and dependent behavior in the context of living in a hierarchical, patriarchal culture. |
| 5) | We share with another person and the Universe all those things inside of us for which we feel shame and guilt. |
| 6) | We affirm and enjoy our intelligence, strengths and creativity, remembering not to hide these qualities from ourselves and others. |
| 7) | We become willing to let go of shame, guilt, and any behavior that keeps us from loving ourselves and others. |
| 8) | We make a list of people we have harmed and people who have harmed us, and take steps to clear out negative energy by making amends and sharing our grievances in a respectful way. |
| 9) | We express love and gratitude to others and increasingly appreciate the wonder of life and the blessings we do have. |
| 10) | We learn to trust our reality and daily affirm that we see what we see, we know what we know and we feel what we feel. |
| 11) | We promptly admit to mistakes and make amends when appropriate, but we do not say we are sorry for things we have not done and we do not cover up, analyze, or take responsibility for the shortcomings of others. |
| 12) | We seek out situations, jobs, and people who affirm our intelligence, perceptions and self-worth and avoid situations or people who are hurtful, harmful, or demeaning to us. |
| 13) | We take steps to heal our physical bodies, organize our lives, reduce stress, and have fun. |
| 14) | We seek to find our inward calling, and develop the will and wisdom to follow it. |
| 15) | We accept the ups and downs of life as natural events that can be used as lessons for our growth. |
| 16) | We grow in awareness that we are sacred beings, interrelated with all living things, and we contribute to restoring peace and balance on the planet. |
6 comments:
i'm gonna read these again. they make good sense.
Although his name is unfamiliar to most, Emanuel Swedenborg was a great influence on A.A. cofounder Bill Wilson, and therefore a great influence on both Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 Steps.
Emanuel Swedenborg wrote of a spiritual ‘twelve steps’ long before the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Swedenborg (1688-1772) has been called the “Father of modern spiritualism’ for good reason.
Like Bill Wilson, Swedenborg communicated frequently with familiar spirits posing as deceased people or other spiritual entities.
An extremely talented man who excelled in many fields, Swedenborg in the 1740s was troubled by strange dreams. Then, in 1745, something incredible happened.
As Professor George P. Landow writes, “that night in 1745 his visions began to invade his waking life as well.
As he ate, he became aware of frogs and snakes crowding into his private dining room, and an unknown gentleman materialized in a comer to rebuke him for eating too much.
Back home in Salisbury Court the stranger appeared again, and introduced himself as Christ, the man-God, creator and redeemer of the world.
He then made an important announcement: humanity stood in need of a definitive explication of holy Scripture, and Swedenborg had been selected to provide it; moreover, to assist him in his labours, he was to be given unrestricted access to the entire spirit world.”[1]
http://mywordlikefire.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/the-first-version-of-the-12-steps/
Alcoholics Anonymous is not the effective "Wonder Cure" society has been taught to believe that it is.
What AA does do, however, is to introduce those who are exposed to it, "to seek after other gods, whom they have not known..." Those who attend their meetings or read their literature, or receive their counseling are told that any god at all will do.
AA teaches people to worship "god as they understand him" - or would like him to be, a god of their own making, a god created in their own image, or even the particular AA group of people with whom they meet, they are told, may serve as their "god."
The most frightening aspect of seeking a "lesser god," is the possibility that they will find him, or that indeed they will welcome him in, for Jesus called SATAN the "god of this world," and the "ruler of this present age" in the world's "system," and Satan desires worship in any deceitful form he can receive it.
If they would only turn to the "one true God," the God of the Bible, they would find, as God promises in His Holy Word, that "with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27
Dear Johnny,
The only valid "Spiritual Awakening" that we should share with others is the spiritual regeneration found only in Christ, and any other "spiritual awakening" is demonic deception which leaves men "spiritually dead."Obviously, Christians are not to engage in any kind of interaction with demonic forces, but are to resist them and to oppose them, in the name of Jesus Christ and through the authority of a saved believer in Him.
Bill Wilson's error was in seeking a supernatural power, any supernatural power, rather than the one true God. His experience with the powerful seduction of this white light was one of his key motivations in forming Alcoholics Anonymous.
Love
Micky
ALCOHOLISM IS NOT A DISEASE
By Gerald Brown, Baldwin Research Institute, Inc.
The “recovery” community’s adoption of the disease concept began with an early AA member named Marty Mann. Her efforts, combined with a somewhat dubious scientist named E.M. Jellinek, began national acceptance of the disease concept.
It was Jellinek’s “scientific” study that opened the door for the medical communities’ support. E.M. Jellinek’s study was funded by the efforts of Marty Mann. And, like so many other circumstances involving Jellinek and Marty Mann, the study was bogus if not outright fraudulent.
The surveys he based his conclusions on were from a handpicked group of alcoholics.
There were 158 questionnaires handed out and 60 of them were suspiciously not included. His conclusion was based on less than 100 handpicked alcoholics chosen by Marty Mann.
Mrs. Mann, of course, had a personal agenda to remove the stigma about the homeless and dirty alcoholic or “bowery drunk” in order to gain financial support from the wealthy.
By removing the stigma, the problem becomes one of the general population, which would then include the wealthy.
The first step was Jellinek publishing his findings in his book "The Stages of Alcoholism.” Later, E.M. Jellinek was asked by Yale University to refute his own findings.
He complied. E.M. Jellinek’s Stages of Alcoholism did not stand up to scientific scrutiny.
Earlier in this century, the validity of the disease concept was often debated in medical circles. However, in 1956 the American Medical Association (AMA) proclaimed alcoholism an "illness."
Then, in 1966, the AMA proclaimed alcoholism a disease. The decision was wrapped in controversy.
Historically, Marty Mann had her hand in much of this and manipulated information and doctors into agreeing with the disease concept.
Marty Mann used her position as founder of the NCA (National Counsel for Alcoholism) to promote the disease concept through Jellinek and a somewhat clandestine relationship with the founder of the NIAAA (National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse) whose founder worked with Marty Mann during the institute’s early development.
The founder of NIAAA (Smithers) was a major contributor to and promoter of the disease concept.
It was his money that funded Jellinek’s work at Yale. Smithers was also responsible for gaining insurance coverage for patients in treatment (hence the 28 day program).
Smithers was certainly not altruistic in his efforts. At that time he had already launched a treatment program for which he was lobbying for insurance payments.
Acceptance by the medical community was the only way this could happen; alcoholism had to be a medical problem in order for medical insurance to pay for programs. We can see the influence of these “advances” everyday in treatment programs. Today the treatment industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, with insurance paying the lion’s share of the costs.
Dear Jack,
You are a "good man!"
You will be in my prayers.
Love
Micky
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