First, we take a look backward and try to discover where we have been at fault; next we make a vigorous attempt to repair the damage we have done; . . . TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 77
As a traveler on a fresh and exciting A.A. journey of recovery, I experienced a newfound peace of mind and the horizon appeared clear and bright, rather than obscure and dim. Reviewing my life to discover where I had been at fault seemed to be such an arduous and dangerous task. It was painful to pause and look backward. I was afraid I might stumble! Couldn’t I put the past out of my mind and just live in my new golden present? I realized that those in the past whom I had harmed stood between me and my desire to continue my movement toward serenity. I had to ask for courage to face those persons from my life who still lived in my conscience, to recognize and deal with the guilt that their presence produced in me. I had to look at the damage I had done, and become willing to make amends. Only then could my journey of the spirit resume.
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if you did an honest searching and fearless moral inventory then you already heave the list that step eight talks about, the tough part is asking for willingness. i mean really asking for it and wanting it. the thought of doing the work of clearing the wreckage of the past is (in my case) very intimidating. but after praying to be willing, to be willing, i finally had, what felt to me, to be an honest willingness to set right the wrongs (the desire to stay sober didn’t hurt either) of the person i once was. remember that the promises of AA are written after the book talks about step nine and without step eight then you will never reach step nine.
Apparently the home page got hacked and I think I will use these old pages until something is up. You guys have and awesome site and it is a pile of crap that took us down. Like a little kid who has to show everybody up. Darn that sounds like me but I didn’t hack in. 7/12/2010
I’m going to see if I can find the set for last year should be -and then I will copy this to the appropriate date. We get used to curves thrown our way!
Found it – so left my trail circusref@gmail.com