Who cares to admit complete defeat? Admission of powerlessness is the first step in liberation. Relation of humility to sobriety. Mental obsession plus physical allergy. Why must every aa hit rock bottom?

What can we believe in? AA does not demand belief; twelve steps are only suggestions. Importance of an open mind. Variety of ways to faith. Substitution of AA as Higher Power. Plight of the disillusioned. Roadblocks of indifference and prejudice. Lost faith found in AA. Problems of intellectuality and self sufficiency. Negative and positive thinking. Self-righteousness. Defiance is an outstanding characteristic of alcoholics. Step two is a rallying point to sanity. Right relation to God.

Step three is like opening of a locked door. How shall we let God into our lives? Willingness is the key. Dependence as a means to independence. Dangers of self sufficiency. Turning our will over to a higher power. Misuse of willpower. Sustained and personal exertion necessary to conform to Gods will.

How instincts can exceed their proper function. Step four is an effort to discover our liabilities. Basic problem of extremes in instinctive drives. Misguided moral inventory can result in guilt, grandiosity, or blaming others. Assets can be noted with liabilities. Self-justification is dangerous. Willingness to take inventory brings light and new confidence. Step four is beginning of a lifetime practice. Common symptoms of emotional insecurity are worry, anger, self-pity, and depression. Inventory reviews relationships. Importance of thoroughness.

Twelve steps deflate the ego. Step five is difficult but necessary to sobriety and peace of mind. Confession is an ancient discipline. Without fearless admission of defects, few could stay sober. What do we receive from step five? Beginning of true kinship with man and God. Lose sense of isolation, receive forgiveness and give it; learn humility; gain honesty and realism about ourselves. Necessity for complete honesty. Danger of rationalization. How to choose the person in whom we confide. Results are tranquility and consciousness of God. Oneness with God and man prepares us for the following steps.

Step six is necessary to spiritual growth. The beginning of a lifetime job. Recognition of difference between striving for objective and perfection. Why we must keep trying. “being ready” is all-important. Necessity of taking action. Delay is dangerous. Rebellion may be fatal. Point at which we abandon limited objectives and move toward Gods will for us.

What is humility? What can it mean to us? The avenue to true freedom of the human spirit. Necessary aid to survival. Value of ego puncturing. Failure and misery transformed by humility. Strength from weakness. Pain is the admission price to new life. Self-centered fear chief activator of defects. Step seven is change in attitude which permits us to move out of ourselves toward God.

This and the next steps are concerned with personal relations. Learning to live with others is a fascinating adventure. Obstacles: reluctance to forgive; non-admission of wrongs to others; purposeful forgetting. Necessity of exhaustive survey of the past. Deepening insight results from thoroughness. Kinds of harm done to others. Avoiding extreme judgements. Taking the objective view. Step eight is the beginning of the end of isolation.

A tranquil mind is the first requisite for good judgement. Good timing is important in making amends. What is courage? Prudence means taking calculated chances. Amends begin when we join AA. Peace of mind cannot be bought at the expense of others. Need for discretion. Readiness to take consequences of our past and to take responsibility for well-being of others is the spirit of step nine.

Can we stay sober and keep emotional balance under all conditions? Self-searching becomes a regular habit. Admit, accept, and patiently correct defects. Emotional hangover. When the past is settled with, present challenges can be met. Varieties of inventory. Anger, resentments, jealousy, envy, self-pity, hurt-pride – all led us to the bottle. Self-restraint is the first objective. Insurance against “big-shot-ism.” Let’s look at credits as well as debits. Examination of motives.

Meditation and prayer, main channels to a higher power. Connection between self examination and meditation and prayer. An unshakeable foundation for life. How shall we meditate? Meditation has no boundaries. An individual adventure. First result is emotional balance. What about prayer? Daily petitions for understanding of Gods will and grace to carry it out. Actual results of prayer are beyond question. Rewards of meditation and prayer.

Joy of living is the theme of the twelfth step. Action its keyword. Giving that asks no reward. Love that has no price tag. What is spiritual awakening? A new state of consciousness and being is received as a free gift. Readiness to receive gift lies in practice of twelve steps. The magnificent reality. Rewards of helping other alcoholics. Kinds of twelfth step work. Problems of twelfth step work. What about the practice of these principles in all of our affairs? Monotony, pain, and calamity turned to good use by practice of steps. Difficulties of practice. “Two-stepping.” Switch to “twelve-stepping” and demonstrations of faith. Growing spiritually is the answer to our problems. Placing spiritual growth first. Domination and overdependence. Putting our lives on give-and-take basis. Dependence upon God necessary to recovery of alcoholics. “Practicing these principles in all our affairs”: Domestic relations in AA. Outlook upon material matters changes. So do feelings about personal importance. Instincts restored to true purpose. Understanding is key to right attitudes, right action is key to good living.