Recovered Podcast

Recovered Podcast


Practicing Principles - Recovered 700

May 10, 2016

My sponsor taught me that we don't think our way to right action, we act our way to right thinking. If we habitually do right things, we change because they become second nature. So we need to practice right things. This is where the 12 steps are our guide and teacher. The 12 Steps of AA ARE the Principles of the Program that we practice. The principles are listed on Big Book pages 59 and 60 in the form of the 12 steps! Over the years many lists of virtues that correspond to each of the Twelve Steps and their underlying spiritual nature have been published. The origins of these lists are unknown, although they are used by many Twelve step members. So, this is what we are going to talk about tonight, the principles we practice in recovery Each step we practice includes a recovery principle we need. Call us at 1-734-288-7510 or tap Speakpipe Join the Chat Room, Tap Live stream and Chat Room email at mark@recoveredcast.com Subscribe to Premium Get daily recovery messages Daily AA Emails.   So here they are: The AA Principles in the steps In Step 1, the Principle is Honesty Step 1 We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? In Step 2, the principle is Hope Step 2 Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Hope: Step 2 is the mirror image or opposite of step 1. In step 1 we admit that alcohol is our higher power, and that our lives are unmanageable. In step 2, we find a different Higher Power who we hope will bring about a return to sanity in management of our lives.) In Step 3, the principle is Faith Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Commitment: The key word in step 3 is decision.) In Step 4, the principle is Courage Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Honesty: an inventory of self.) In Step 5, the principle is Integrity Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Truth: candid confession to God and another human being.) In Step 6, the principle is Willingness Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Willingness: choosing to abandon defects of character.) In Step 7, the principle is Humility Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Humility: standing naked before God, with nothing to hide, and asking that our flaws – in His eyes – be removed.) In Step 8, the principle is Brotherly Love Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Reflection: who have we harmed? Are we ready to amend?) In Step 9, the principle is Justice Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Amendment: making direct amends/restitution/correction, etc.) In Step 10, the principle is Perseverance Continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. How do you practice the principle in this step? How do you practice this principle in the world? (Vigilance: exercising self-discovery, honesty, abandonment, humility, refl