Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Principle - Willingness
Personal Inventory
We Discovered our defects in Step 4 and shared them in Step 5. In this step, we make the decision to let go of the defects that kept us sick. Are we ready?
6a. This step involves a change in attitude. By being ready to have God remove all these defects of character, we become willing to let go of our resentments, fears and whatever other defects of character which we have held. Sometimes, some of us have enjoyed our resentments and other defects, feeling that they were justified, but since we are now on a spiritual path, and we are willing to go to any length to give up our addictive behavior and address the underlying issues that caused it, we become ready to have God remove our defects of character.
Some questions to ponder: - What character defects are obvious to me? These are the defects that you have listed in your fourth step inventory. Dishonesty Pride Control/Power Lust Greed Envy Jealousy Gluttony Unhealthy Fears Unresolved Hurts Rage Laziness Irresponsibility Other Sins - What Desctructive Skills did we use to cope with these? Excessive gaming Ignoring our real lives Escaping from our real lives No longer participating in real-life relationships
a) In your journal, make a list of all your defects of character that you are entirely ready to have removed.
b) Than make a list of all your defects of character that you are not entirely ready to have removed.
c) Write down the reasons why you want to hold onto each defect of character in
6b. We prepare for the process of letting go of these defects in our character. We review our steps thus far. Are we willing to let go of them? Am I willing to surrender them? If so, then the step is completed.
1/24/2015 New website. Liz W.
The format listed above is very similar to how I was taught to work the 6th step. Typically once I've completed the 5th step, my sponsor has me read p72-75 in the Big Book.
She will then ask me to consider the final paragraph on p75 and will ask me
Have you omitted anything?
Is your work solid so far?
Have you skimped on anything?
Have you tried to make mortar without sand?
We then read the top of page 76
We turn back to my list of defects, and note the ones that have tons of tick marks, and the ones that have but a few. My sponsor will ask me why I would want to be free of each one.
I answer honestly--and to be honest, there are occaisions where I'm not yet sure. We come back to those, and talk more. Typically I am ready at this point to be free of the garbage that has been weighing on me so heavily.
Cheers, Desire to Stop
ALL quoted text (unless otherwise stated) comes from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (with wording sometimes changed only to make it more relevant for gaming addiction). I will include page numbers.
Hoping & praying for a measure of recovery for all of us today.
....