AA Principles and Virtues

 

 

Step 1: Honesty & Surrender -- After many years of denial, recovery can begin when with one simple admission of being powerless over alcohol and/or drugs.

 

Step 2: Faith -- It seems to be a spiritual truth, that before a higher power can begin to operate, you must first believe that it can.

 

Step 3: Surrender -- A lifetime of self-will run riot CAN come to a screeching halt, and change forever, by making a simple decision to turn it all over to God.

 

Step 4: Soul Searching -- There is a saying in the 12-step programs that recovery is a process, not an event. The same can be said for this step -- more will surely be revealed.

 

Step 5: Integrity -- Probably the most difficult of all the steps to face, Step 5 is also the one that provides the greatest opportunity for growth.

 

Step 6: Acceptance -- The key to Step 6 is acceptance -- accepting character defects exactly as they are and becoming entirely willing to let them go.

 

Step 7: Humility & Prayer-- The spiritual focus of Step 7 is humility, asking God to do something that cannot be done by self-will or mere determination.

 

Step 8: Willingness  -- Making a list of those harmed before coming into recovery may sound simple. Becoming willing to actually make those amends is the difficult part.

 

Step 9: Restitution -- Making amends may seem like a bitter pill to swallow, but for those serious about recovery it can be great medicine for the spirit and soul.

 

Step 10: Maintenance & Continuance-- Nobody likes to admit to being wrong. But it is absolutely necessary to maintain spiritual progress in recovery.

 

Step 11: Prayer & Meditation -- The purpose of Step 11 is to discover the plan God has for your life.

 

Step 12: Service -- For those in recovery programs, practicing Step 12 is simply "How It Works."