Congratulations! You are now beginning your First Step!
The Principle of the First Step is Honesty.
It is suggested that you first read the text of Step One from It Works: How & Why.
If you find anything unclear or don’t think that you can relate with what is written for various reasons, it is suggested that you share it with your Sponsor or another member.
If you agree with everything you have read and feel you can relate, it is suggested that you share with your Sponsor or another member why you agree with everything you have read.
After this it is suggested that everyday you read the questions suggested without writing your answers down on that day for the next one week. Let them linger in your mind through out the week and write your answers down at the end of the week.
After having written down all the answers, it is suggested you share them with your Sponsor or another member, either face-to-face or online.
In the end, it is suggested you do the practical exercise for Step One for the next 10 days and write down those experiences. This exercise will gently lead you into applying the First Step in your daily life, in all areas and in all situations that you encounter in the course of the day.
It is strongly suggested that you share your experiences of working Step One with the fellowship at both face-to-face and online meetings and also at the online NA forums that you participate at.
Together We Can!
Walk in the Light with your Higher Power.
Hugs, Love, Light.
QUESTIONS:-
Give 3 instances as to how you have tried to change your state of mind by taking drugs. Explain why you felt an urge to do so.
Have you tried to control your intake of drugs and then discovered that you couldn’t resist the temptation to take it anyway? Why did you have to try to control? Give 3 instances.
Describe 3 incidents from your active addiction where your addiction has made you lose your self-respect.
Which sides of your behavior met with the most opposition in your social life? Describe 3 situations.
Describe 3 of your experiences as to how you were powerless over drugs and discovered that your life became unmanageable for that reason.
Do you like to admit, to yourself and to others? Explain what it does to you when you have to admit something.
Describe 3 defeats you have experienced during active addiction and the thoughts dominating you when you tried to control those situations.
Explain your lack of control over drugs by giving 3 instances of what happens to you when the drugs take control of you.
When you are faced with the fact that the drugs are controlling you, what thoughts and emotions crop up in you?
Are you able and ready to admit that you are powerless over your addiction and that your life becomes unmanageable when you surrender to drugs, drawing from your answers to the above questions?
EXERCISE FOR APPLYING THE FIRST STEP:-
Explain how you admitted your powerlessness and your unamanageability in a certain situation in the course of the day. How did you feel after admitting your powerlessness? Also reflect as to how and why you were powerless in that situation. Write a minimum of one experience from the day for the next 10 days.
What have you done for yourself today which filled you with joy and contentment? Write a minimum of two experiences from the day for the next 10 days.
This is a format passed on by my first Sponsor from Denmark. It is being used in my hometown area now where we used this format for a step working group that we held there two years back, the first attempt of Stepwork in my hometown area out of which I was born. Today, me and my sponsees and my sponsees' sponsees use it too.
-- Edited by Tahir at 16:46, 2006-10-22
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
