Step Six

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Read the paragraph at the top of page 76:

We have emphasized willingness as being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take them all—every one? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing.

Key points:

• Steps Four and Five have highlighted where I'm wrong in my:
• Beliefs
• Thinking
• Behaviour
• These are what is 'objectionable'
• The removal of defects means changing my beliefs, thinking, and behaviour
• The Higher Power provides direction on new beliefs, thinking, and behaviour through:
• Inspiration / intuition
• Guidance from others
• Spiritual literature etc.
• The Higher Power provides strength to implement these
• My job is to take the initiative to seek change, now and into the future
• Practically, this means taking Steps Seven through Twelve
• If I take the actions of these Steps, this will change my beliefs, thinking, and behaviour
• The 'removal' takes the form of replacement
• When I ask the Higher Power to remove a defect, I'm really asking for old beliefs, thinking, and behaviour to be replaced with new beliefs, thinking, and behaviour
• The main reasons I might object are:
• The defect has an upside: gossip is fun; laziness is comfortable
• I am frightened of what might take their place
• The answers:
• I need to review each defective pattern (of belief, thinking, and behaviour) in aggregate: if, on balance, it's objectionable, I'll be better off without it, which means I'll be better off without the fun of gossip or the comfort of laziness
• The Higher Power is good: whatever takes their place is by definition better, as no defect is ever good for me
• If it were, it would not be a defect

Instructions:

Ask:

• Am I willing to take Steps Seven through Twelve?
• Am I willing to have all unhelpful beliefs, thinking, and behaviour replaced with something better?
• If not:
• Pray
• Discuss
• But don't dawdle:
• I can go back to alcoholic drinking
• Or forward to a better life
• Which is it to be?