“Like barnacles on a ship’s hull, our past wrongdoings can prevent us from sailing smoothly to a life filled with peace.” — The 12 Steps: A Way Out

The great thing about working the 12 steps each year, one each month, is I get to see gems like this. My attempts to control, my fears, character defects, expectations, resentments, and past hurts are all barnacles that need to be scraped off. I’ll probably not get every one of them, and some persistently grow back, but the process of cleaning them off forces me to focus on myself, leading to increased humility and self esteem. I really do love this 12 step process — it rocks. And, of course, ILML! – James