When a man or woman...
Illustration
When a man or woman decides to go to Alcoholics or Overeaters Anonymous, they are presented with a plan called the 12 steps. These 12 steps outline a program for getting well -- giving up the alcohol or doughnuts or destructive relationships that have been ruining that person's life.
Step four is to "make a fearless and honest spiritual inventory" of ourselves. Step five tells us to take that inventory and to tell another human being the exact nature of the wrongs we have committed. These two steps are, for some people, the place where they stumble. They cannot seem to be honest enough with themselves. They are too proud to tell another person what they have discovered about themselves. Failing in these two steps, they repeatedly fail to recover from the addictions into which they had fallen.
But for those who are able to carry through at this point, the rest of the program seems to fall into place. The ability to confess the exact nature of their wrongs restores not only their sanity, but puts their life back on track. Like Job, they find love and marriage, home and family, business and success coming back to them, and in fact far exceeding what they had ever hoped to do, because what they are building they are building on a base of honesty and humility.
-- Herrmann
Step four is to "make a fearless and honest spiritual inventory" of ourselves. Step five tells us to take that inventory and to tell another human being the exact nature of the wrongs we have committed. These two steps are, for some people, the place where they stumble. They cannot seem to be honest enough with themselves. They are too proud to tell another person what they have discovered about themselves. Failing in these two steps, they repeatedly fail to recover from the addictions into which they had fallen.
But for those who are able to carry through at this point, the rest of the program seems to fall into place. The ability to confess the exact nature of their wrongs restores not only their sanity, but puts their life back on track. Like Job, they find love and marriage, home and family, business and success coming back to them, and in fact far exceeding what they had ever hoped to do, because what they are building they are building on a base of honesty and humility.
-- Herrmann
