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A Decision

Old 03-04-2010, 08:32 AM
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Post A Decision

Thinking back on my experience with this step, my first sponsor moved me on past it quickly. For him, making a decision did not mean that I would do anything else. He said that all I am doing in Step Three is deciding to continue with the rest of the steps--and that is where I actually accomplish the work of turning my life and my will over...

What do you think about this?
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Old 03-04-2010, 09:03 AM
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For me the comittment to this decision has grown and keeps on growing each day... when asked by my sponsor...you see this is what i loved about how he helped me, put in such a simplistic way...how has your decisions and your way turned out for you? Ok then are you willing to let God take the drivers seat....ehhh hell yeah! So you have decided to let Him run the show....yep!

And onto step 4:-)
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Old 03-04-2010, 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by DonaldS View Post
all I am doing in Step Three is deciding to continue with the rest of the steps--and that is where I actually accomplish the work of turning my life and my will over...
That is my experience with it. The decision in Step 3 has little permanent effect unless followed at once by strenuous action in Steps 4-9.

I also think that without the willingness to give up my life, my desires, dreams, opinions and all the rest of it in Step 3, I simply do not have the power to face or see the truth in Steps 4-7. I need a higher power to direct that process of uncovering the truth about causes and conditions.

The requirements state that I have to be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be successful. I got convinced of that by the evidence of the wreckage around me, but I didn't fully see the truth of that wreckage until it was revealed in Steps 4-5.
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Old 03-04-2010, 09:32 AM
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I agree 100% with your sponsor. My concerns at that point were "how can I turn my will and life over to something I don't know?". My sponsor told me at step 3 I didn't turn anything over, I just made a decision to do so.

I read this somewhere: 3 frogs are sitting on a log and one makes a decision to jump off. How many frogs are on the log? 3. The last frog hasn't actually jumped yet, he has just decided to jump.

In step 3 you decide to turn you will and life over to the care of God as you understand Him. Turning it over comes in working the rest of the steps. Your understanding of yourself, your addiction and your HP will be profoundly different at steps 9 thru 12 than it is now.

This is what my sponsor told me, and it turned out to be true for me. This was one of the hardest steps for me to grasp, and this approach really helped me.
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Old 03-04-2010, 10:26 AM
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It isn't clear to me that I have "really" made a decision...if I say i have, but don't really actually do it...but then i get...step 4 is suppose to be the action that results from the decision....

I guess it confuses me because my decision to do step 4 can be made without any decision to turn my will and life over....it's just a decision to do step 4.....


I'm sure this may be clearer to me when i am further along in the steps.
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Old 03-04-2010, 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by dgillz View Post
I read this somewhere: 3 frogs are sitting on a log and one makes a decision to jump off. How many frogs are on the log? 3. The last frog hasn't actually jumped yet, he has just decided to jump.
Ha ha ha, hey you took the words right outta my mouth(or keyboard). lol
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Old 03-04-2010, 11:52 AM
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Originally Posted by ananda View Post
It isn't clear to me that I have "really" made a decision...if I say i have, but don't really actually do it...but then i get...step 4 is suppose to be the action that results from the decision....

I guess it confuses me because my decision to do step 4 can be made without any decision to turn my will and life over....it's just a decision to do step 4.....


I'm sure this may be clearer to me when i am further along in the steps.
again the difference is making a decision and actually doing something.

You can decide to do step 4 all day long, but until you do the work you don't get the results.
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Old 03-04-2010, 12:31 PM
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yeah..i get that..i wasn't clear....I can make a decision to do step 4 without ever making a decision to turn my will and life over...therefore i can easily be lying to myself, probably unintentionally that i've made a decision, and go to step 4 without a step 3 experience....I think...

Sorry..I'm trying real hard to understand this stuff as I have worked the steps over and over and over and keep missing something...

Any ways...like i said....I probably just need to shut up and listen
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Old 04-13-2010, 08:06 AM
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step 3 does not read...." made a decision to do step 4" or " made a decision to do the rest of the steps". The Book says " being convinced we are at step 3..........convinced.......ie done steps 1 and 2 proberly and no we do not do step 1 the moment we walk in the rooms. First 43 pages all about step 1, the foundation step.

Anyway, the book continues........"just what do me mean and what do we do?"

Pages 60-64 tell us exactly what step 3 is all about and if we have done steps 1 and 2 correctlyy then step 3 is our plan for living,

Its all in the book and if your sponsor can not explain "exactly" what step 3 is about or says it is only a decision i would doubt his knowledge on the step, well meaning or not.

Step 3 is a decision but a decision to take action which e do not take is a decision not made.
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