Step 6: Becoming a New Person
This step is actually one of the shortest steps in The Big Book because it’s a pretty simple step. My sponsor told me all I needed to do was literally be ready to have my Higher Power remove my defect of character. Step 4 and 5 help you figure out what your defects of character are, then Step 6 is the willingness to work on them and do something different when you notice them, such as call yourself out on it or talk your sponsor.
Once I put down the drugs and alcohol, it wasn’t enough because there was still work to do. I needed to work on who I was as a person because I wasn’t a good person – I stole, lied, cheated, and didn’t care about anyone’s feelings. When I got sober, I still had those things lingering and was still selfish by only thinking about what was best for me. Everything wrongdoing was written down for Step 4 and 5, then came Step 6 and I starting noticing those defects of character, so when something happened I prayed to my Higher Power to remove them. I would talk to my sponsor about the things I did and make amends immediately, or I recognized the behavior before it happened so I could stop myself. Once I started making those personality changes, I started to feel much better because I could see and feel the changes – I was becoming a new person. When you start living selflessly and care about other people, it makes your life more fulfilling.
