It's a Step program

There are some people who call me about recovery, and we talk sometimes for quite a while. A few of these I’m concerned for, though. I’ve made the point to them that “it’s a step program, not a phone call or meeting program.” Everything else is subordinate to the idea of doing and meaning the steps. The steps are designed to give a person like me a spiritual experience I didn’t know how to have on my own. The 12 Steps and a good sponsor will take me through to a new place in life, where I’m hugely more self aware, I’ve mended fences, and I have tools to move on in life and deal with life on life’s terms. Until then, I will probably try to run the world around me.

I didn’t get into actually doing the steps for a while. I wanted some feel-good meetings to somehow be enough to change my life. I wasn’t doing anything much different otherwise, but that’s the point. I didn’t want to do anything differently, I just wanted different results. If the actions you’re taking aren’t getting you the results you want, ask for help from someone who has what you want.