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Revisiting Step Three
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Each year I like to run through the 12 steps as written in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. These steps were an adaptation of many works before them, and are a universal truth for all people who want to enjoy good mental Hygiene and an abundant life. They have been adopted by some 150 self-help groups, and in the words of my favourite forensic psychologist, are the best basis for mental health around IF worked and lived.
I am not a step guru, and like to keep things as simple as possible.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of god as WE UNDERSTOOD him.
There was a great man who had a major influence on the early part of my journey. His name was John Skelly, we lovingly called him Grumpy. John had a brilliant grasp on the applications of the steps and being an uncomplicated man, taught them simply and directly. Each time I relook Step 3, I can hear Johnâs gravelly voice, âJust TURN IT OVERâ!
For me, I was soured on formal religion and institutions by the time I hit my low point. God was then, and remains today, a âchurchâ word for me. Today I can handle to word, because as a society we label everything, as an acronym for âGood Orderly Directionâ. The god I am intimate with today feels very different than the god I knew in church. In Step 2 I recognized there was a power greater than me that could help. With regards to my sanity in early recovery, god was not a part of things.
It was very evident, as I learned to get honest to some extent with myself, that my actions and thinking over time had taken me to a place I hated being at in life. I was convinced that I had to seek help to solve things; I could not do it alone. A slight bit of progress that had begun through Step 2 reinforced this. Gradually, and as the step asked me to do, I made a decision to try and turn problems over to the care of things outside of myself. The god/higher power/universal truth I know today works in mysterious ways; often through other people like John.
I did experiments at first in turning things over. It was very difficult for me. I did not trust and certainly did not trust structured religion things. I loved being in control, and had tried (and with some success for a while) to control people places and things. I began to turn certain things over to a god that I thought I might understand,; something outside of me. Funny, when I made a decision to do this, several of the things I turned over seemed to work out OK without my help.
As I progress on my journey, my concept of a higher power seems to constantly evolve. The consistent has been there is something that gives overall direction and that something IS NOT ME. That being said, I found something inside of me (and in many places) that does give good orderly direction, and proves to me there is good orderly direction, if I pay attention.
The question, how do I know when Iâve done Step 3. With this step, the answer for me is ongoing.
Way back when, and with the propting of Grumy, I made a decision to start turning some of my will and parts of my life over to this higher power as I understood it then. Over time, I learned to trust more and more, and turn more and more over.
For me, who still likes to take control, Step 3 is a daily step and is always work in progress. Each day I say the 3rd Step Prayer in my own fashion. I ask for relief from âselfâ and ask that for the day, I listen to and respond to the âvoiceâ of a higher power I feel and have grown to love and trust. This higher power gives me âFREE WILLâ, and sometimes I do take control back, and many times the results are not very good when I do that.
Funny, when I remain conscious of my higher power and take the time to really turn things over, the outcomes are so much better and sleep is far less troubled!
For me, Step 3 was done early in the journey as best I could. I did make the decision asked for. But it remains work in progress, and I have to make the decision on a daily basis to âTurn It Over.â I have achieved progress, not perfection.
Keith B.
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Each year I like to run through the 12 steps as written in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. These steps were an adaptation of many works before them, and are a universal truth for all people who want to enjoy good mental Hygiene and an abundant life. They have been adopted by some 150 self-help groups, and in the words of my favourite forensic psychologist, are the best basis for mental health around IF worked and lived.
I am not a step guru, and like to keep things as simple as possible.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of god as WE UNDERSTOOD him.
There was a great man who had a major influence on the early part of my journey. His name was John Skelly, we lovingly called him Grumpy. John had a brilliant grasp on the applications of the steps and being an uncomplicated man, taught them simply and directly. Each time I relook Step 3, I can hear Johnâs gravelly voice, âJust TURN IT OVERâ!
For me, I was soured on formal religion and institutions by the time I hit my low point. God was then, and remains today, a âchurchâ word for me. Today I can handle to word, because as a society we label everything, as an acronym for âGood Orderly Directionâ. The god I am intimate with today feels very different than the god I knew in church. In Step 2 I recognized there was a power greater than me that could help. With regards to my sanity in early recovery, god was not a part of things.
It was very evident, as I learned to get honest to some extent with myself, that my actions and thinking over time had taken me to a place I hated being at in life. I was convinced that I had to seek help to solve things; I could not do it alone. A slight bit of progress that had begun through Step 2 reinforced this. Gradually, and as the step asked me to do, I made a decision to try and turn problems over to the care of things outside of myself. The god/higher power/universal truth I know today works in mysterious ways; often through other people like John.
I did experiments at first in turning things over. It was very difficult for me. I did not trust and certainly did not trust structured religion things. I loved being in control, and had tried (and with some success for a while) to control people places and things. I began to turn certain things over to a god that I thought I might understand,; something outside of me. Funny, when I made a decision to do this, several of the things I turned over seemed to work out OK without my help.
As I progress on my journey, my concept of a higher power seems to constantly evolve. The consistent has been there is something that gives overall direction and that something IS NOT ME. That being said, I found something inside of me (and in many places) that does give good orderly direction, and proves to me there is good orderly direction, if I pay attention.
The question, how do I know when Iâve done Step 3. With this step, the answer for me is ongoing.
Way back when, and with the propting of Grumy, I made a decision to start turning some of my will and parts of my life over to this higher power as I understood it then. Over time, I learned to trust more and more, and turn more and more over.
For me, who still likes to take control, Step 3 is a daily step and is always work in progress. Each day I say the 3rd Step Prayer in my own fashion. I ask for relief from âselfâ and ask that for the day, I listen to and respond to the âvoiceâ of a higher power I feel and have grown to love and trust. This higher power gives me âFREE WILLâ, and sometimes I do take control back, and many times the results are not very good when I do that.
Funny, when I remain conscious of my higher power and take the time to really turn things over, the outcomes are so much better and sleep is far less troubled!
For me, Step 3 was done early in the journey as best I could. I did make the decision asked for. But it remains work in progress, and I have to make the decision on a daily basis to âTurn It Over.â I have achieved progress, not perfection.
Keith B.
donttread
For me spirituality ebbs and flows and requires daily maintenance too. And yes the steps are and incredible program for living and you see similar tennants in almost all great philosophies of living.
CoogeeMum
Step three I couldn't see the word 'decision' or 'as we understood him'. All I could see was God, and that was putting me right off AA. Took me a while to get past that, much frustration from my sponsor, but with guidance, I was able to use the power of the people inside the rooms as an interim God whilst I worked the steps. Once I was able to come to the conclusion that God wasn't in my life, but a HP of my understanding, I was able to start looking at making that 'decision' which would save my life. CM xxx
deleted_user
once i was sober i realized what step three meant,it was like i was stuck there for so long and nothing was happening..i took action then i really saw what step three meant............
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