Thoughts on Step 11

[nandm]

"Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out."

By the time we arrive at Step Eleven, most of us have become comfortable with the concept of spirituality. We feel that the phrase "God, as we understood Him," tells us clearly that, whatever our belief is, some spiritual contact is essential to our recovery program.

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to find a support group---and have participaed in our own recovery by being an active member of that group---have come to know the comfort of being a "part of" rather than feeling pain and loneliness because we don't seem to fit in anywhere. This camaraderie has given us the benefit of hearing how others learned to pray and meditate.

Many people have said that of all the steps, they felt this one was the most healing. It reenforced their commitment to a power greater than themselves. And it gave them a more definitive sense of being on the right path at last.

For those of us who are loners, or whose circumstances preclude involvement with others, Step Eleven is like a beacon light. Its focus on meditation in addition to prayer teaches us how to create calm in the face of chaos. It also familiarizes us with the effective value of guided imagery, which we can use when we do not have someone with whom we can share.

Step by Step. Meditations for living the 12 Steps. Muriel Zink

[nandm]

This step taught me that I can be alone without being lonely. It taught me what calmness, serenity, and peace really mean.

I have found that days when I fail to put the work into maintaining my spiritual contact with my HP by doing those simple things like prayer and meditation my day feels much more difficult. I struggle until I remember that this simple step allows me to be open to viewing life as a lesson rather than seeing things as a struggle. Only then am I open to what life truly has to offer and am able to find the gratitude for the second chance at life that the program has given me.

[kelsh]

Hi nandm,

My Spiritual part of my program works for me the same wayas yours does. If I don't think to consiously say the "Serenity Prayer" during the day...everything seems to go wrong that can go wrong.

I don't seem to have any trouble remembering my meditations and contact with the AA Program in my daily life though. I also do a lot of self-talk which works good for me.

kelsh