I admitted that I am powerless over alcohol—that my life had become unmanageable.
I finally accepted that I have no power over alcohol.
I accepted that I have no power over others.
I gave up hope that I could still be a social drinker someday.
I became willing to change my way of thinking.
I realized that my life rarely unfolds as I plan.
I became aware that I cannot even control my own life.
I realized that I cannot change the events of the past.
I became aware that the future will not be as I think.
I accepted that the present moment is always what it is.
I reached a belief that a Power greater than myself could restore my sanity.
I recognized that there are other forces at work in the world besides myself.
I realized that there are greater forces than me.
I noticed that those who believe in a Higher Power have better mental health.
I became willing to imagine that there could be a force that restores my sanity.
I wanted to believe that there exists a force that restores my sanity.
I began to practice this thought. I started to believe in it.
I decided to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understand Him.
I accepted the world created by God as it is.
I believed that God knows better than I do what is good for me.
I became willing to subordinate my will to God's will.
I became willing to trust the unfolding of my life to God (as I understand Him).
I recognized that I cannot change the world. And I also realized that this is not necessary.
I recognized that I cannot change others. And I also realized that this is not necessary.
I recognized that I can only change my own way of thinking.
And I also recognized that this is all I need.
I became grateful to God for these realizations. I became grateful for everything.
I thoroughly and bravely conducted a moral inventory of myself.
I moved past the thought that my character defects were caused by drinking.
I moved past the thought that there would be no problems with me if I abstained from drinking.
I moved past the thought that my troubles were caused by others.
I listed my resentments (anger list).
I forgave myself.
I forgave my mother.
I forgave every person, every authority, every institution.
I began to recognize the negative emotions behind my negative feelings.
I listed my fears and anxieties (fear list).
I began to identify the negative thoughts surrounding the negative emotions.
I began to let go of negative thinking and attitudes.
I realized that I am not my thoughts; thoughts come and go.
I admitted to God, myself, and another person the true nature of my faults.
I became capable of admitting my faults to God.
I became capable of admitting my faults to myself.
I became capable of admitting my faults to my fellow human beings.
I noticed that behind my wrongful actions there are always faulty (negative) thoughts.
I realized that my faulty thoughts are due to my incorrect way of thinking.
I understood that the essence of my faults lies in my self-centered (ego) way of thinking.
I reported all of this to my then-sponsor in a private conversation.
I was completely ready for God to remove my character defects.
I believed that God could relieve me of everything I recognized as objectionable.
I realized that I do not need to love my character defects, and I decided that I would not cling to them.
I recognized that I sometimes enjoyed negative feelings and thoughts. I made a list of them.
I recognized my ego-driven manifestations (labeling, judging, dramatizing).
I listed my self-centered demands (assertion, attention, understanding, love).
I listed my external identifications (past, life story, family, education, work).
I listed my internal beliefs (belief system, political beliefs, opinions).
I humbly asked Him to remove my shortcomings.
I prayed regularly to God.
I began to let go of my negative feelings and thoughts.
I began to curb my ego-driven manifestations.
I began to reduce my ego demands.
I began to let go of my false identifications and beliefs.
I recognized that I am as (perfect) as God created me.
I realized that I do not need to be anything other than what I am.
I made a list of all those I had harmed, and I became willing to make amends to all of them.
I looked back to see where I had made mistakes at others' expense.
I assessed whether I still resented anyone in the world.
I clearly saw that my faults could be corrected and made amends for.
I became willing to close the door on the past once and for all and start a new life.
I examined whether I had any expectations of others.
I learned about the forms of direct amends.
I recognized that an apology is not amends.
I made a plan to make direct amends.
I made direct amends to them where possible, except when it would cause them or others harm.
I tried to reach out to them for the purpose of making amends.
I made full amends to some.
I made partial amends to some.
With some, my amends are ongoing.
I know who I will make amends to later.
I also dealt with those where personal contact was not possible.
I did not try to substitute an apology for direct amends.
I continued my self-examination and promptly admitted when I was wrong.
I notice when I do not feel good.
I acknowledge that if something bothers me, I need to look for the fault within myself.
I know that my excessive desires can cause much suffering.
I no longer dwell on the past.
I am not afraid of the future.
I can recognize the negative emotions behind bad feelings.
I can identify the thought patterns surrounding negative emotions.
I see that these thoughts are connected to bad feelings.
I am willing to change these thoughts.
I can let go of ego-driven thinking.
I can replace negative attitudes and outlooks with positive ones.
I am willing to develop new, positive perspectives through practice.
I have tried to deepen my conscious contact with God as I understand Him through prayer and meditation, praying only for knowledge of His will for me and the power to carry that out.
I became familiar with the three main elements of our spiritual toolbox (self-examination, prayer, meditation).
I read AA literature regularly.
I also read other spiritual literature regularly.
I reflect on what I read.
I practice meditation exercises.
I pray, but I do not bombard God with my requests.
I recognized His will for me.
I say a prayer of gratitude. I glorify Him!
As a result of these steps, I have experienced a spiritual awakening, and I try to carry this message to alcoholics and apply these principles in all my affairs.
I have experienced spiritual awakening and its various phases.
I realized that there is something to love in everyone.
I understood what joy is and got to know peace.
The steps have led to the development of my own spiritual principles.
I try to apply these principles continuously in everyday situations.
My understanding of God has developed as I see Him.
I try to carry the message to those alcoholics who are still suffering.
---
1.1. I Believed That God Could Free Me From All That I Had Admitted Was Objectionable
“Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable?” – asks the Big Book in connection with Step 6. To answer this, I broke down the question into parts:
1. Can I recognize what is objectionable? – This is the focus of Step 4. While making an inventory of my faults, I tried to recognize objectionable elements in my behavior, speech, emotions, thoughts, and thinking patterns.
2. Do I admit my faults? – That was Step 5: I admitted the exact nature of my wrongs (my self-centered mindset) to God, to myself, and to another human being.
3. Am I clinging to my faults, or am I ready to let them go? – That is the core of Step 6.
4. Can I rely on God to help me let go? – That will be Step 7.
To reach Step 7 and trust God to help me let go of my defects, I must arrive at a **new level of faith** in Step 6. I must believe that God can free me from **any character defect**. The *Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions* book gave me clear support on page 64:
“Of course, the frequently debated question of whether God can—and under certain conditions will—remove our character defects is answered with a nearly unanimous yes by almost every AA member. For us, this is not theoretical at all; it’s one of the most significant facts of life, usually expressed this way:
I was beaten, no doubt. My willpower was powerless against alcohol. Changing my environment didn’t help, nor did my family’s attempts, nor doctors, priests, or friends. I simply couldn’t stop drinking, and it seemed that all human help was useless. But when I was willing to do a thorough housecleaning and asked a Higher Power, as I understood Him, to free me, the compulsion to drink vanished. It was simply uprooted.
If we’ve been completely freed from the obsession of alcohol, why shouldn’t we be able to achieve the same freedom from all other faults or difficulties by the same means?
I firmly believe that God can free me from **any** of my faults. **No exceptions. No excuses. No loopholes.**
---
Reflection Guide for This Step:
Write down (or think about):
- Can you recognize the objectionable parts in your behavior, speech, emotions, thoughts, and thought patterns? Are you good at taking inventory?
- Do you admit your faults? To God? To yourself? To others?
- Are you still clinging to your faults, or are you ready to let them go?
- Do you believe God can free anyone from any character defect?
- Can you imagine God freeing **you** from any of **your** defects?
God, I believe You can free me from any of my character defects.
---
1.2. I Realized I Don’t Have to Love My Character Defects, and I Decided Not to Cling to Them
On page 67 of the *Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions* book, it says:
“We must recognize that some of our defects are really enjoyable. We actually love them.”
Examples:
- Who doesn’t feel a little (or a lot) superior to others?
- Don’t we like to hide greed behind the mask of ambition?
- Lust may sound absurd to love, but many carry it deep inside despite outward declarations of love.
- Self-righteous anger can feel good. We perversely enjoy being burdened by others because it makes us feel superior.
- If our gluttony isn’t destructive, we call it ‘comforting ourselves.’
- How often do we work intensely just so we can be lazy later—and call it ‘rest’?
The book also says:
Some may ask: *‘How can we possibly accept the Sixth Step in its entirety? Isn’t that perfection itself?’* This sounds tricky but isn’t really. Only the First Step—admitting we are powerless over alcohol—can be taken perfectly. The other Steps are ideals to strive for, goals we aim at. In this light, the Sixth Step is difficult, but not impossible. The only urgent thing is to start and to keep trying.
So, I’ll begin.
---
Reflection Guide for This Step:
- Have you ever felt superior to others?
- Have you ever disguised greed as hard work?
- Have you flattered someone just to get what you wanted?
- Do you enjoy fantasizing revenge?
- Do you justify binge eating as self-care?
- Do you label impulsive shopping as “recreation”?
- Do you call substance use “self-healing”?
- Is “being good” keeping you from striving to be “your best”?
- What character defects are you still clinging to?
- Why did Jesus say, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”?
1.3. I Recognized When I Enjoyed Negative Feelings or Thoughts – I Made a List of Them
“We must recognize that some of our faults are truly enjoyable. We actually love them.” – says the Step Book.
Examples:
- Sharing humorous drinking stories in meetings made others laugh—this made me feel special.
- Drowning in guilt over how I ruined my relationships and life through drinking sometimes felt... comforting. I waited for a miracle—or a doctor to save me.
- Replaying my worst relapses and regretting the first drink felt oddly satisfying, like maybe they could be undone.
- Feeling anxious about the future gave me stomach flutters I misread as “the thrill of life.” It triggered a craving.
- Harboring resentment when others let me down let me fantasize about sweet revenge—imagining how I’d show them!
- Procrastinating responsibilities while thinking “They don’t know how important I am!” gave me ego comfort.
- Envying others and fantasizing their downfall gave me satisfaction. *“They don’t deserve that—I do.”*
- Feeling vainly superior gave me a pleasant high. *“I’m better... smarter... stronger.”*
- Complaining about authorities or other groups gave me a sense of shared victimhood.
- Judging others for how they looked or acted made me feel better than them.
- Holding others to expectations and demanding punishment when they failed gave me power fantasies.
- Feeling like I’m different, special, or set apart gave my ego a reward.
These insights led me to be fully ready in Step 7 to let go of the following:
• My dark past
• Guilt
• Self-pity
• Regret
• Fear
• Stress
• Resentment
• Disappointments
• Anger
• Procrastination
• Envy
• Vanity
• Complaining
• Judging
• Unrealistic expectations
• Egoism
• My own self-will
---
Reflection Guide for This Step:
- What negative emotions and thoughts are still poisoning your soul?
- Do you still feel shame, guilt, regret, fear, resentment, pride, envy, etc.?
- Do some of these secretly give you emotional pleasure?
- Do you sometimes enjoy feeling better than others?
- I am willing (in Step 7) to let go of the following:
- • Shame
- • Guilt
- • Self-pity
- • etc.
Earlier, I listed the negative emotions and thoughts that hinder my spiritual progress—because I sometimes enjoy them. Now, I began to reflect on **my major character defects** I need to be freed from.
In the Big Book, I’ve read many times:
“Selfishness—self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. \[...] We think our problems are basically of our own making.”
“The alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible.”
So, in Step 6, I must understand the **nature of my ego** so I can let it go and hand it over to God.
To that end, I read Step 6 in the *Step Book* several times. I also studied the teachings of Buddha and Jesus. I read Tolle, Hawkins, Tepperwein, De Mello, Balogh Béla, *A Course in Miracles*, Karen Casey, Osho, Gunagriha, and the *Bhagavad Gita*. Anything spiritual that discusses the ego.
In the end, I came to this conclusion:
> The central idea of ego is **separation**. Anytime I believed I was different from others—because I’m *special*—that was the ego speaking. Of course, I’m special in my own way—but so is everyone. If they’re not special, neither am I. The choice is mine...
