Spiritual Principle - Hope
This step is about hope.
Our powerlessness over gaming and the unmanageability of our lives has left us with little hope. But we don't know what to do differently. This is the insanity: that we continue the same behavior and expect different results.
"Came to believe" is a statement of hope. We have realized in the first step that we are stuck; in this step we begin to believe that with help, things can change.
What is a power greater than oneself? It can be God related to one's spiritual conviction or it can be OLGA as a group. OLGA is not here to preach religious teachings. The 12 steps of recovery is a spiritual path independent of any religion; it is not a religious path. The key aspect of this step is that we stop relying on our own thinking--that's what got us here.
Is it weak to rely on a power greater than ourselves? No! History has shown that people of great courage have always had faith. Few of us have faith by the time we get here; then we meet others like ourselves, who are powerless over addictive gaming. And by listening to them, we begin to believe that change is possible, when we accept help. That's the essence of Step 2.
Here is another way to look at Step 2:
I came.
I came to.
I came to believe.
I came to believe that God.
I came to believe that the God of my understanding.
I came to believe that the God of my understanding could.
I came to believe that the God of my understanding could restore me.
I came to believe that the God of my understanding could restore me to sanity.
The first thing we do is just come. We come to a meeting, we post our story, we show up.
Belief in our higher power develops differently for each person. But by being in our community, with others who are recovering, we find hope.
Working guide for Step 2. Read and share your personal stories about Step 2 here: Step 2