Embracing Change: Step Six Guide
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ScribdTranslationsEmbracing Change: Step Six Guide
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ScribdTranslationsSIXTH STEP
WE WERE FULLY WILLING TO LET GOD
ELIMINATE OUR CHARACTER DEFECTS.
In the fourth and fifth steps, we identify and acknowledge our patterns of
thought, feeling, and behavior. We saw the ways in which these patterns
They have affected our lives and those of a good part of the people surrounding us.
The sixth step is more than taking a difficult action or challenging a cherished belief.
The message of the sixth step was clear.
READY TO CHANGE - 'FULLY WILLING'
At first, the concept of "entirely willing" seemed impossible to achieve.
to be carried out, many of us believed that it meant we had to give
I take this step without fear, once again we put the cart before the horse,
we mistakenly assumed that we could rid ourselves of our character defects in
the extent to which we would be willing to be freed from them. We are
he recalled that -entirely willing- means completely prepared.
Completing the fourth and fifth steps represents a large part of that.
preparation. We examined this phrase more closely and realized that we can
It is present in our daily life.
For example, if we are in a restaurant and the waiter did not take our order with the
speed that it seems to us it should be, we have some options:
we can act like before, -for some of us this can be acting
irritated or perhaps staying silent; for others, the reaction may be one of
resignation, since we hesitate to speak in our favor.
What we discovered in the sixth step was a new option. We faced a
character defect, in this case pride, and we ask ourselves
if we are entirely willing to be eliminated, the choice was ours.
If our answer was NO, we should have measured the consequences of this.
defect, not only in others, but in ourselves Are we willing to
continue paying for this type of activities? We are starting to understand that a
attitude or behavior resulting from a character flaw never leads us to the
PEACE of thought that we are looking for. Regardless of what those VOICES IN
OUR HEAD they say. But what about the defects that we believe are
What do we need to survive? Greed, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth.
These defects are generally the subtitles for low self-esteem.
Resentment seemed to cushion our boundaries against invasion. Fear us
I had many on alert for those who would want to hurt us. How could we
someday be entirely willing to have these defects eliminated? The
the response came to us that all our character defects were, in some way,
way, products of our own will. There were tools of
survival in our past and despite seeming to be for our
well-being, was no longer enough. We wanted to live and not just survive and for
Hello, we needed a clean program LET GOD REMOVE ALL
OUR CHARACTER FLAWS.
As in the previous case, in the sixth step it is suggested that we put our
Will aside and let God do the work. Through our lives, the
most of us have endured adversity on our own terms (a
our way).
Leaning on our flaws to get through painful situations and often
complex, many of us have used our Higher Power, addressing
to make it carry out our mandate:
Dear God, make her love me. Oh my God, don't let her
Abandon, -Sir, make them give me this job right now.
We said these sentences as honestly as we could. The problem was
our approach, mistakenly, when we saw ourselves
damaged, our arrogance made us think that we only had the
the answer to the problems of everyone else, including ours, was this
distorted reasoning that left us in such a state of ungovernability. In the
sixth step we were offered a solution PUTTING OUR RECOVERY IN
HANDS OF GOD again.
But what about what they say that we leave ALL our flaws to God?
Why not be fully willing for God to eliminate SOME of
our flaws? We were suggested to see those flaws as a shell
protector, with which we have grown, clinging to it would be like self-destructing,
like a bird left with a piece of its shell, or a butterfly
hanging a piece of its cocoon. At this point in our recovery, our
character defects do not protect us at all, they were an excess of baggage that
often submerged us, limiting us to our potential.
We were completely willing for God to eliminate all of these.
character defects. This Step offers us one of the greatest gifts
spiritual aspects of the program:
The change
It doesn't matter what we discover about ourselves in the previous steps, the
Change is possible. We are not condemned to live a life poisoned by our
disease. A Higher Power than ourselves can take away our fear, the
dishonesty, self-obsession and our desire to do everything possible to
to bury ourselves in mediocrity.
The fourth and fifth steps have clearly shown us our defects and their
effects in each of the areas of our lives; as well as, in each one of
our relationships with people. We began to understand that our flaws
character has not served us, in fact they were obstacles to achieving experience
in its fullness the richness of Life.
Many SICK people continue to believe that nothing will change us. But because
do not take into account the following questions, as a way of identifying our
responsibility (irresponsibility) How many times have you preferred -in a way
aware - to act through bribery, manipulation or stubbornness and
Have you refrained from having a better attitude? How many times have you failed with that?
attitude? What have been the results of your attitude? How have you
sense? How much have you blamed yourself? Do you manage to find comfort?
How is your faith?
Surely, upon reading these questions, you can identify that your self-esteem is
you find hurt and you have been responsible - as in many other occasions -
to writhe in the pain that your immaturity causes? Is it easier to hurt yourself or
hurt, what to grow? Do you remember the phrase that begins the SIXTH STEP? Do you
Doesn't this sound familiar: "This is the step that separates men from boys?"
The Sixth step offers us a spiritual solution to this dilemma: - Maturity.
Working on this Step we start to be ready for it to happen, this will be
really a miracle, and. The main action that is required is to change our
attitude. The Sixth step asks us to be willing to let go of our defects
of character. We began to be willing, through prayer, meditation and
talking with other members of the Group.
The arrangement was the key to our healing, without it our heart was
blocked from the gift of transformation. Our change will occur when it
let's tell our Higher Power that we are ready and willing to remove
all our character defects that we discover in the Fourth Step. As we grow
In this understanding, we found that we were ready for God to
will transform.
The Sixth Step is necessary for spiritual development. The beginning of a task
for a lifetime. Recognizing the difference between striving to achieve a goal and the
perfection. Why do we have to keep trying. ― Being willing is of
vital importance. The need to take action. Delay is dangerous. The
rebellion can be deadly. The point at which we abandon our goals.
limited and we entrust ourselves to the will towards us.
For example: if you tend to explode easily or get hooked on the attitude.
manipulator of - I am a victim -, or you become very hard on yourself because it exists
a lot of guilt in your heart, you should be willing to let God remove those
defectos y actitudes. Esos sentimientos y actitudes, que aunque sientas que te
In the long run, they make you feel worse.
SIXTH STEP: LEARN NOT TO RETURN THE BALL (DON'T GET HOOKED)
And what does that mean?
Even when you feel provoked by someone or a situation, do not respond.
aggressively driven by impotence or let them degrade you because of
your shyness.
Give yourself the opportunity to react appropriately!
Break your behavioral patterns that have caused your immaturity.
At first it will be a bit difficult not to fall into the trap, but with practice you will get there.
controlling yourself... it will be important for you to realize that when you have reacted, it was justified.
in your arguments (character flaws), things have not gone well, so,
the only one who can stop you, the only one who can give you peace
necessary to face that moment of anguish, is God
…entirely willing for God to remove all these defects from
character....