[nandm]

Day 1

Dropping the armor.

"Self-respect: The secure feeling that noone, as yet, is suspicious. H.L. Mencken

Now we're really ready to clean house. We've identified the nature of our wrongs. We've shared that inventory with God, ourselves and another human being. And the decks are cleared for us to take the action that proves even to ourselves our willingness to proceed. Now that we've uncovered and discovered, we're ready to discard.

But, this is where we run into a whole new issue---the startling realization that we treasure some of our defects of character! They've been a part of us for so long, and they've served our purposes in so many ways that dropping the familiar armor that has protected us from the onslaught of other people's criticism feels much like standing naked in school. In the past, some of us have operated on the theory that a strong offense is the best defense. It's hard to let go of that posture when we're feeling inadequate and defenseless.

Remember that the word "God" can be translated into whatever guiding energy you've chosen to embrace as your Higher Power. But be aware also, that Step Six presupposes that you accept this power as a senior partner in your recovery process.

Today's Step: I let go of defensiveness about my defects of character.

Step by Step. Muriel Zink