Completing Steps Four through Nine does not insure that our lives will now be totally serene and free of problems.
I thought completing the Steps would lead to a life free of all problems—a state of perpetual serenity. But completing Steps Four through Nine does not mean that difficulties are behind me. A problem is not a sign of failure; it is a sign of life.
Step Ten helps me take stock of my responses and promptly admit when I am wrong. My life will still have friction, loss, and difficult people, but I have tools to help me respond. I stop looking for total freedom from problems and start looking for freedom in the midst of problems. I can see my recovery in how I meet the rough times, not in whether they happen.
Practice
I will name one problem I have been treating as proof that I am failing. Which program tool could help me meet it today? I will take that next step.
Today’s Reminder
A problem is not proof that I failed; it is proof that I am alive and need my tools.
