SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information - View Single Post

Pernell Johnson · 03-04-2003, 07:40 PM

Cc welcome to the recovery board. I suggest that you get sponsor/and or temporary sponsor and get to writing--working the steps. Are you willing? Have you humbled yourself? Are honest with yourself? Just for Today are you sober? Start Now---Tomorrow is not promised to you.

One of the many benefits we get from working Step Five is a sense of self-acceptance. We clearly recognize who we are today, and accpet ourselves without reservation. Just because we're lacking in certain areas doesn't mean we're worthless. We begin to see that we have both assets and defects. We're capable of great good---and of inflicting great harm. There are aspects of our personalities that make us very special. Our experiences even the negative ones, have often contributed to the development of the very best parts of us. For the first time, we're able to acknowledge that we're okay just as we are, right at this moment. But accepting ourselves as we are today doesn't mean we can relax and stop striving for improvement. True self-acceptance includes accepting what we're lacking. It wouldn't be self-acceptance if we believed we had no further growing to do--it would be denial. So we acknowledge what we're lacking, and we make a commitment to work on it. If we want to be more compassionate, we work on it by practicing the principle of compassion. If we want to be better educated, we take the time to learn. If we want to have more friends, we take the time to develop our relationships.

*How has working Step Five increased my humility and self-acceptance?

As we finish Step Five, we may feel a sense of relief; we've unburdened ourselves by sharing what we previously had put a lot of energy into hiding or suppressing. It is true that our "defects"....die in the light of exposure." Exposure to the light brings a sense of freedom that we feel no matter what the outer circumstances of our lives may be like.

All of our relationships begin to change as a result of working this step. We especially need to acknowledge how much our relationships with ourselves, with a Higher Power and with other people have changed.

*How has my relationship with a Higher Power changed as a result of working the Fifth Step?

*How has my relationship with my sponsor changed as a result of working the Fifth Step?

*How has my view of myself changed as a result of working this step?

*To what extent have I developed love and compassion for myself and others?

AAalong with a sense of relief, our weariness with our character defects has probably reached a peak. This will translate easily into a state of being entirely ready--just what we need to begin Step Six!

03-04-2003, 07:40 PM	#51 (permalink)
Pernell Johnson Forum Leader Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey USA Posts: 498 Blog Entries: 1	Moving On Cc welcome to the recovery board. I suggest that you get sponsor/and or temporary sponsor and get to writing--working the steps. Are you willing? Have you humbled yourself? Are honest with yourself? Just for Today are you sober? Start Now---Tomorrow is not promised to you. One of the many benefits we get from working Step Five is a sense of self-acceptance. We clearly recognize who we are today, and accpet ourselves without reservation. Just because we're lacking in certain areas doesn't mean we're worthless. We begin to see that we have both assets and defects. We're capable of great good---and of inflicting great harm. There are aspects of our personalities that make us very special. Our experiences even the negative ones, have often contributed to the development of the very best parts of us. For the first time, we're able to acknowledge that we're okay just as we are, right at this moment. But accepting ourselves as we are today doesn't mean we can relax and stop striving for improvement. True self-acceptance includes accepting what we're lacking. It wouldn't be self-acceptance if we believed we had no further growing to do--it would be denial. So we acknowledge what we're lacking, and we make a commitment to work on it. If we want to be more compassionate, we work on it by practicing the principle of compassion. If we want to be better educated, we take the time to learn. If we want to have more friends, we take the time to develop our relationships. How has working Step Five increased my humility and self-acceptance? As we finish Step Five, we may feel a sense of relief; we've unburdened ourselves by sharing what we previously had put a lot of energy into hiding or suppressing. It is true that our "defects"....die in the light of exposure." Exposure to the light brings a sense of freedom that we feel no matter what the outer circumstances of our lives may be like. All of our relationships begin to change as a result of working this step. We especially need to acknowledge how much our relationships with ourselves, with a Higher Power and with other people have changed. How has my relationship with a Higher Power changed as a result of working the Fifth Step? How has my relationship with my sponsor changed as a result of working the Fifth Step? How has my view of myself changed as a result of working this step? *To what extent have I developed love and compassion for myself and others? AAalong with a sense of relief, our weariness with our character defects has probably reached a peak. This will translate easily into a state of being entirely ready--just what we need to begin Step Six!