Step Six

Here we are, well into the 6th month and it's time for me to post on step 6. "Were entirely ready to have the old HP remove all our defects of character". Despite popular belief, nobody is made up entirely of defects. This means that you are not unique here, either. We ETA members tend to think of ourselves as a big clot of defects packed tightly into the skin of a human being. It has been my experience that most of us fear that when our defects are removed there will be nothing left of us. In step 3 we gave our thoughts and actions to the old HP and now we are expected to give up our flaws?! Might as well be puppets. Or zombies. Oh, goodie. Isn't sobriety fun?

Here is what step 6 really means. We have identified our defects in the previous steps so all there is to do in this step is to be alert to the way we practice our defects in our daily lives. We ask the old HP to help us recognize the occurrence of faulty thinking and behaviors. When we see this happening, we make note of it and talk it over with the old HP and our sponsor. Our sponsor can show us how the current situation relates to the past, what happened then and what we might do to avoid this happening in the future. Ta-da! No big deal after all.

We are trying to build a new life for ourselves, a design for living that is much more satisfying than our previous lives which were full of boozing and using. All of the steps, including step 6 are an assessment of ourselves, not a judgement. Last time I checked, that would be earlier this morning, the old HP frowns upon judgement and condemnation. He likes being involved in helping His children become better people. And remember, we in recovery are not bad people trying to become good, we are sick people trying to get better.

Have a good and sober day.