If we willingly surrender ourselves to the spiritual discipline of the Twelve Steps, our lives will be transformed. We will become mature, responsible individuals with a great capacity for joy, fulfillment, and wonder. Though we may never be perfect, continued spiritual progress will reveal to us our enormous potential.
We will discover that we are both worthy of love and loving. We will love others without losing ourselves, and will learn to accept love in return. Our site once clouded and confused, will clear and we will be able to perceive reality and recognize truth.
Courage and fellowship will replace fear. We will be able to risk failure to develop new, hidden talents. Our lives, no matter how battered and degraded, will yeild hope to share with others. We will begin to feel and will come to know the vastness of our emotions, but we will not be slaves to them.
Our secrets will no longer bind us in shame. As we gain the ability to forgive our families, the world, and ourselves our choices will expand. With dignity we will stand for ourselves, but not against our fellows.
Serenity and peace will have meaning for us, as we allow our lives and the lives of those we love to flow day by day with God's ease, balance and grace. No longer terrified, we will discover we are free to delight in lifes paradox, mystery and awe. We will laugh more. Fear will be replaced by faith, and gratitude will come naturally as we realize that our Higher Power is doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
From page 269 "From Survival to Recovery" c, Al-anon family Group Headquarters, Inc. 1994
