“ I ask God to help me accept my powerlessness and remove my need to control in order to feel valued and loved.“ — Reaching for Personal Freedom 

This is from Step 7, and speaks to me as it reminds me that my power is limited; that real transformation comes from believing in, having a relationship with, and reaching out to my Higher Power. 

It says that our character defects (aka our character assets out of balance), infect my life, destroying my ability to have a healthy relationship with myself and others. I believe that to be true as I’ve seen it over and over again in my life.

I can have more love for myself and others than I ever thought possible, but only if I’m willing to consistently be on the lookout for those thoughts, words and actions that don’t make me or others feel good, and bring them back into line with love and gratitude. 

That’s the reason I’m such a big advocate for taking a daily written inventory—it allows me to uncover, discover and discard that which doesn’t positively contribute to my life or the life of others. It makes me accountable, giving me the power to create positive change in my world by changing me.  

When I’m willing to invest the time in becoming a better version of me, instead of powerlessly wishing that people, places, things and circumstances around me would be different, I step out of the role of “victim” and… ILML! 

— JamieQ