2) CAME TO BELIEVE THAT A POWER GREATER THAN OURSELVES COULD RESTORE US TO SANITY.
3) MADE A DECISION TO TURN OUR WILL AND OUR LIVES OVER TO THE CARE OF
GOD ...
AS WE UNDERSTOOD HIM.
4) MADE A SEARCHING AND FEARLESS MORAL INVENTORY OF OURSELVES.
5) ADMITTED TO GOD, TO OURSELVES, AND TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, THE EXACT NATURE OF OUR WRONGS.
6) WERE ENTIRELY READY TO HAVE GOD REMOVE ALL THESE DEFECTS OF CHARACTER.
7) HUMBLY ASKED HIM TO REMOVE OUR SHORTCOMINGS.
8) MADE A LIST OF ALL PERSONS WE HAD HARMED, AND BECAME WILLING TO MAKE AMENDS TO THEM ALL.
9) MADE DIRECT AMENDS TO SUCH PEOPLE WHEREVER POSSIBLE, EXCEPT WHEN TO DO SO, WOULD INJURE THEM OR OTHERS.
10) CONTINUED TO TAKE PERSONAL INVENTORY AND WHEN WE WERE WRONG, PROMPTLY ADMITTED IT.
11) SOUGHT THROUGH PRAYER AND MEDITATION TO IMPROVE OUR CONSCIOUS CONTACT WITH GOD ... AS WE UNDERSTOOD HIM, ... PRAYING ONLY FOR KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL FOR US, AND THE POWER TO CARRY THAT OUT.
12) HAVING HAD A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING AS A RESULT OF THESE STEPS, WE
TRIED TO CARRY THIS MESSAGE TO ALCOHOLICS, AND TO PRACTICE THESE
PRINCIPLES IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS.
DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. NO ONE AMONG US HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN ANYTHING LIKE PERFECT ADHERENCE TO THESE PRINCIPLES. WE ARE NOT SAINTS.
THE POINT IS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO GROW ALONG SPIRITUAL LINES.
THE PRINCIPLES WE HAVE SET DOWN ARE GUIDES TO PROGRESS. WE CLAIM SPIRITUAL PROGRESS, RATHER THAN SPIRITUAL PERFECTION.....
OUR DESCRIPTION OF THE ALCOHOLIC, THE CHAPTER TO THE AGNOSTIC, AND OUR PERSONAL ADVENTURES BEFORE AND AFTER, MAKE CLEAR, THREE PERTINENT IDEAS;
(A) THAT WE WERE ALCOHOLIC AND COULD NOT MANAGE OUR OWN LIVES...
(B) THAT PROBABLY NO HUMAN POWER COULD HAVE RELIEVED OUR ALCOHOLISM...
(C) THAT GOD COULD AND WOULD, IF HE WERE SOUGHT...
Alcoholics Anonymous, Big Book, © 1939 A.A. World Services, Inc.