Welcome:)

Step 12
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

I've been in the program for a few years now and tried to apply the principles in my life. It is an ongoing journey and I still have a lot to learn. I have learned that I am not perfect and I am thinking that I never will be. Progress not perfection as they say and hence the name of this blog. I am going to come full circle and start over again with Step 1 and I invite you to join me as I share my insights with you.

I found a good website at 12Step.org with lots of inspiration. Here is some of what I gleaned from the site:

The Three Spiritual Gifts From Practicing the 12 Steps
The Awakening to the Presence of our Higher Power and to be in conscious union with this presence.
The Awakening to the Love that we are, that all of us are.
The Awakening to the individual Self we were created to be, with purpose and meaning. In other words, to consciously live our Heart's Desire, God's will.

We have failed many times, but we are not failures. We have been foolish, but we are not fools. We have done many bad things, but we are not evil."

We will repeat the same problem until there is real healing.

Through doing the steps, not only do we find a spiritual awakening but we also heal. The promises as they are listed on page 83 of the Big Book state that:

We will be amazed before we are half way through.
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

This will be my journey and encourage you all to take the journey for yourselves. Each of our paths is different but we are united in a common cause - finding a happy, rewarding and meaningful sobriety.

Coming soon: Step 1