This week, the group worked through Chapter One, "Step Six," covering pages 10-18. We discussed the importance of being ready to release our character defects. Readiness starts with awareness, followed by acceptance, and ultimately leads to surrender. Surrender is an intentional choice—it requires us to be mindful of what we're letting go of. For it to be effective, we must actively engage in the process, aligning our actions with the things we aim to surrender.
Surrendering is a multi-step process that takes practice. In recovery, it’s a daily commitment to build awareness around our character defects and to understand why they show up. This is what we refer to as progress. As we move forward in our recovery journey, we come to understand that there’s no magic to it—we get what we put in. As we cultivate new habits, the old patterns that once served us are replaced. As we progress, we gain insights that we may not have noticed while trapped in old behaviors, like fear, and how it plays a role in protecting us.
Throughout this journey, we must be willing to take consistent action to become the person we were truly meant to be—to experience life as it was meant to be lived. The rewards of working the steps are many; liberation and awareness are just a few examples highlighted in the section we read tonight.
How have you taken action in your recovery? And how have you recognized that your old character defects no longer serve you?