Twelve

Twelve: Proceeded by eleven others in a series.

I have to keep in mind that I am involved in a Twelve Step program. Hopefully I'm stating the obvious by pointing out the fact that it has twelve steps. Successful sobriety almost always revolves around working these twelve steps. They are all important and it is not always easy working them. They are in order -- numbered from one to twelve, with no numbers missing -- and are meant to be worked sequentially, starting at Step One. Once you make it to Step Twelve then you can start over again. It's not going to hurt anything.

There are a lot of components in a good recovery program. Attending meetings and talking on the phone are important components. Working on a relationship with a Higher Power is recommended. Service work helps us forget our own problems, at least for a few seconds. There is a lot of literature to read and there are inventories to be written. But, for many of us, this all comes to naught if we aren't working those damn Twelve Steps. We can hide out in meetings. We can talk it up, spin a lot of blather, but not do the work.

If you aren't staying sober you aren't doing the Steps.