Step 6 focuses on acceptance, which involves accepting character defects exactly as they are and then being willing to let them go. The purpose of step 6 of AA is to be fully willing to release your flaws to your higher power, 1 This step is important for a person's spiritual growth, as he trusts his higher power and the recovery process enough to let go of his flaws and no longer be defined by them. Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, is a 12-step program designed to help alcoholics stay sober. Step 6 requires participants to be willing to look at their negative qualities and ask their higher power to help them change.
This step can be challenging because it requires the alcoholic to deal with their own imperfections, including behaviors that they may be deeply ashamed of. Others say it could be someone or something that can help you change your life. An example could be something tangible, such as a profession or a family. It can also be something a little more abstract or distant, such as “love”, nature or simply “reality”.
Some people find themselves in conflict over the concept of a “higher power”, especially those who do not associate with any religion or believe in a god. Many people at AA struggle with this dilemma, but there are also countless who work through the twelve steps without compromising their own personal beliefs. While there is no predefined “higher power” in AA, the concept of seeking higher power in addiction recovery is fundamental. For people who believe in a god, it's often easier to give up control to that god.
They will be confident that this entity will help them face the many difficulties and obstacles that come with achieving long-term recovery. When a recovering alcoholic reaches step 6, they will be asked to seek a higher power to help them overcome their failures. After Step 5, the program asks you to prepare your heart and mind for your higher power to eliminate all those character defects. This is the logical follow-up to the previous two steps, which increased awareness of areas that were problematic and needed change, but did nothing to actually change them.
Sober partners, your AA sponsor, or treatment professionals are available to help you navigate every step of the program. If you're ready to start working on Step 6 but don't know where to start, here's a quick summary of its purpose and some tips to help you get started. Although you may simply be able to stop drinking, this step is the beginning to address the underlying causes of your addiction. While working on Step 5, you took a full inventory of your harmful behaviors to your higher power and to another human being.
As you look at your character flaws in Step Six, it's important to remember the basic nature of all human beings (which is the same for all of us). As you continue to work on your AA Twelve Step Program, this ripple effect will obviously become visible to you. Talking to others who have been through the Alcoholics Anonymous program and with your counselor or therapist is the best way to get ideas on what to do to take this step. As you work through Step Six, try not to beat yourself up if you can't overcome each and every one of your flaws immediately (or even for a longer period of time).
