Self-Will

Self-will is something we surrender over and over again in recovery.  I have a habit of taking it back from time to time, sometimes daily, but to stay in recovery is to surrender my will to my Higher Power or God of my understanding.  Now this surrender doesn’t mean I become a doormat.  I can still make plans, pursue goals, and try to make changes to my world.  The surrender is of the destructive self-will; where I abuse my right to make choices and decisions, where my actions are self-motivated, and there is no conscious contact with my Higher Power. 

Step Work

In 12 step fellowships we follow the steps as a way of life; that is to say most of us put pen to paper and work on each step in order.  We do this with the guidance of a sponsor and once a portion of work is complete, we sit with our sponsor and share what we have found.  Some people continue to do steps 1-12 throughout their recovery using various step guides or fellowship literature.  Other people may do the steps through once and then continue 10, 11, and 12 as the maintenance steps for the remainder of their recovery.  Some people in recovery never do any written work and only attend meetings.  There are as many ways to do the steps as there are 12 step fellowships.