I believe the keys are honesty, open mindedness and willingness.
It may not make sense, you may not "buy" all of it, but if you are are willing to listen and consider and try the program a lot of things can happen. As long as we are willing to allow our thoughts, feelings and behaviors to change, and willing to consider things we shut our minds to before, recovery is possible.
It's just recently that I began to understand what my HP is. I allowed that there was something that could help me recover and I moved forward on that faith, and it's taken over three years before I had much of a clue what it is that is helping me recover. I didn't have to know what it was or how it worked for it to help me! That's the weird part of it all. For many people the program does work if we work it, even if it makes no sense.