The 12 Steps

Please note: The use of the terms "Power Greater Than Ourselves", "Higher Power" and "Divine Will" in the following paragraphs is not meant to be misconstrued as an over-riding of your own belief system. The terms are being used generically. Feel free to substitute whatever name, term or phrase that resonates with you.

It is my belief that before we can embark on and embrace a spiritual path we must learn to live life on life's terms. More precisely we must live life with a faith that a Power Greater Than Ourselves guides us and the events in our lives. This understanding is the basis of most religions, philosophies and practices and is also the underlying principle of the 12 Step program.

This site's previously stated purpose is to provide a simple, easily used set of tools that will allow you to lead a more spiritual life and bring you closer to your Higher Power. It is my belief, based on both experience and observation, that there is no simpler, and easier used set of tools than the 12 Step program. The 12 Steps, originally formulated in the mid 1930s, are based upon principles and ideas that go back hundreds and thousands of years. A few of the basic principles behind all 12 Step programs are going to meetings regularly, reading the program's text and writing about it, and making a conscious contact with a Higher Power. This is, in essence, the Hindu concept of Satsang. Another basic principle is living life "one day at a time." This is nothing more than a restatement of the Zen Buddhist philosophy of being alive and present in the moment. Another example is the "Serenity Prayer" that most 12 Step programs use to either open or close their meetings with. It is believed that this prayer dates back to the early part of the 6th century when a Christian martyr named Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius first uttered it. These are just three of the many examples of the ageless understandings that have been incorporated into the 12 Steps.

In this section we are going to provide you with a set of tools that include worksheets for the first three Steps of the Twelve Step program. What makes the 12 Steps such wonderful tools is that they can quickly guide the practitioner from dealing with a behavioral symptom into dealing with the spiritual deficiencies that are at the root of that symptom. More precisely, each of the 12 Steps guides us, in an action, to surrender our self will (ego) and replace it with Divine Will. Though originally designed to help men and women overcome alcoholism, the 12 Steps are now being successfully utilized worldwide to help people overcome addictions to drugs, gambling, sex, eating, spending, rage, etc. It is my belief that any system that can help people overcome such powerful addictions by teaching spiritual principles can be useful to anyone looking to advance along their spiritual path. Unlike a Twelve Step program which has a tendency to focus more on behavior than Spirit the worksheets that follow reflect a Spiritual interpretation of the first three Steps. There are other tools as well. As is with every Spiritual practice, the tools given here are best learned through the guidance of another who has successfully studied and implemented them in their lives. Realistically, this is not always possible. So, like self-help books, when we guide ourselves the results are not always optimal, but we do get some benefit from the effort. Should there be any questions regarding any of the following tools please feel free to e-mail me your questions.