Step 7: For Some, It’s Easier Said Than Done
My sponsor was with me on the back porch of the halfway house I was living in when I did Step Seven, which was bundled together with Step Six because I did them on the same day. With humility being the spiritual principle behind this step, I humbled myself and asked my Higher Power to remove the defects of character and shortcomings from my life – for some people, it’s easier said than done.
I don’t know at what point I became a better person because over time the lying, stealing, cheating and everything else I was doing filtered out. Awareness, acceptance, and being mindful of these things is a large part of Step Six and Seven. Active addiction makes you selfish – you don’t care how your actions affect other people or what it does to your interactions with them. When you are of clear mind and start to have these mental realizations, you’re aware of a behavior and how it affects others, so you’re new instinct is to avoid doing those things. For example, self-indulgence still exists in my everyday life. Being aware means I have to learn how to navigate it daily. Accepting it means coping when things arise. Being mindful means I have to be willing to make changes to reverse the behavior. I didn’t fully understand the importance of Step Seven because not everything will be entirely removed after accepting defects and shortcomings.
