Progressions of Awareness

Looking at the 12 steps as homework assignments to complete, 

or a to do list I check off as I go 

is certainly how I thought of the process early on. 

Over time I considered them to be steps of awareness I developed, 

as that more accurately described my experience. 

I used to be so focused on the “doing” part of the steps, 

which is necessary, but it’s the “being” and “living” aspects 

that demonstrate these progressions of awareness. 

We are human beings, not human doings.

Each awareness is written with its own suggestion 

followed by rewards common amongst many of us. 

This list of rewards is by no means comprehensive, 

and their true gift is not in the acquiring, 

but in how we allow them to impact and change our perception.

Our choices and actions that follow are the rewards, 

not just for self but for others as well. 

It’s the best form of service we can do in early recovery.

The suggestions and rewards are the results of a process, 

not a single event or experience.

 Instant gratification creates consequence, 

patience and effort reveal opportunities. 

The process of recovery does for me slowly, 

what the substances do for me quickly.

Let go of cynicism, prejudice, and judgement   

Discover hope and open mindedness

Addiction is not a fickle lover; it will fuck anyone. 

It does not care about our station in life, 

socioeconomic status, race, religion 

or whatever else our ego uses 

to keep us separate, different, and apart from.  

Identification from one addict to another is the foundation of recovery. 

Our common ground is not in the people, places, and things of our lives. 

It’s not even in what we used, no matter how much or how often we used it. 

The mutual understandings we experience exist in the emotions we all go through. 

These emotions are unexplainable and indescribable to anyone who has not had the same struggles.

Addiction (and recovery) 

cannot be learned of intellectually. 

It must be experiential.

When one addict gets honest with another, 

identification happens almost instantly. 

By the end of my first meeting, 

I knew those people had felt exactly 

how broken and hopeless I felt in that moment.

I could also plainly see they didn’t feel that way any longer 

and I wanted to know how they did it.

Look for the similarities rather than the differences.

Begin to practice the art of remaining teachable.

Always reserve your right to be wrong and to change your mind.