Today, Denise and Jackie explore Step 11, an active choice of being present in response to previous steps: “We welcome mindfulness, grace, and gratitude into our thoughts and prayers.”
Moving forward is only possible if agency is recognized in order to accept things and people as they are, but also put up boundaries where needed in our individual lives. That’s where Step 11 comes in — as an all-encompassing reminder. It is the work of accepting where you’re at, while allowing your head and feet to feel grounded.
They begin by deconstructing the idea that this step is a form of spiritual bypassing, but rather, welcoming mindfulness, gratitude, and grace into thoughts and behaviors. Denise relates grace to walking a mossy path that is soft and free, going into any situation with your head held high and dignity intact. This requires awareness, not only of our situations and environments, but when choosing to react or not.
From there, Denise shares why she specifically can remember the Serenity Prayer, and language she has explored in community around the new experience of being curious to different ways of thinking. Then, Jackie shares how Step 11 shows up as maintenance across the 12-step program, in support of her mental health, but also, in favor of actions that reflect autonomy.
Practicing Step 11 is a reminder to lean on these tools and come back to the small moments, especially when things feel out of reach.
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