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    12 Steps the Sequel
    12 Steps the Sequel
    12 Steps the Sequel
    Ebook136 pages1 hour

    12 Steps the Sequel

    By Wendy Ellen Coughlin

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    About this ebook

    Maximize your success in recovery
    take the 12 Sequel Steps:
    1. Admit you have power.
    2. Recognize you are sane.
    3. Turn it over, let go.
    4. Inventory your capabilities.
    5. Acknowledge your potential.
    6. Identify your talents.
    7. Ask for support.
    8. List goals and plans.
    9. Protect your recovery.
    10. Monitor your progress.
    11. Seek guidance.
    12. Encourage others.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBalboa Press
    Release dateJun 12, 2012
    ISBN9781452550749
    12 Steps the Sequel
    Author

    Wendy Ellen Coughlin

    Wendy Coughlin lives and works in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. For over thirty years, she has participated in twelve-step recovery programs. Wendy has experienced addiction from every possible angle: child, self, spouse, and parent. Her passion is bringing hope to everyone that life can, and will, improve. Her mission as a psychotherapist and author is to guide others to optimize their wellness and enjoy life to its fullest. KISMIF! (Keep it simple, make it fun.)

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      Book preview

      12 Steps the Sequel - Wendy Ellen Coughlin

      12 Steps: The Sequel

      9781452550749_TXT1.pdf9781452550749_TXT1.pdf

      By:

      Wendy Ellen Coughlin, PhD

      9781452550749_TXT1.pdf

      Copyright © 2012 Wendy Ellen Coughlin, PhD

      Cover Art Provided by Brad Husted of Phoenix 3 Marketing, LLC

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      ISBN: 978-1-4525-5075-6 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4525-5074-9 (e)

      ISBN: 978-1-4525-5073-2 (hc)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2012907797

      Balboa Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      Balboa Press

      A Division of Hay House

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.balboapress.com

      1-(877) 407-4847

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

      Identifying details contained in case references have been altered to preserve individual privacy.

      The use and adaptation of the 12 steps does not indicate that any 12 step program has reviewed, approved or endorsed the contents of this publication. The views expressed herein are strictly those of the author.

      For my children

      Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

      Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

      It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

      We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

      (Williamson, 1992)

      PREFACE

      This book is targeted to people who have worked the original 12 steps, as outlined in the book, Alcoholics Anonymous (Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 2001), for two or more years.

      For Newcomers: You may wish to put this book down and pick up the basic text for the 12 step program you belong to before continuing here.¹ Like most sequels, the writings here will have more meaning if you have completed the original.

      For Professionals: This can be an extremely valuable tool for your clients who have multiple years of recovery but feel the original 12 steps and those meetings just do not help anymore. That is, of course, malarkey, but that is the reason for this book. What follows represents the other side of the coin, a positive spin on the original 12 steps. The original 12 steps focus on recovering from the wreckage of addiction. Eventually, if someone is thorough, those negative elements either disappear or are so minimal they hardly warrant attention. There is a spiritual awakening, a rebirth. Recovery continues beyond abstinence toward maximum wellness. That is the time to apply the concepts of The Sequel.

      For all others: Enjoy! Be challenged. Consider your potential. Recovery allows you to discover untapped abilities as well as resurrect old skills and talents. It is an opportunity to strengthen skills, develop new goals, and take risks. If you have already beaten the odds and established multiple years of abstinence, you have already proven you have the discipline, faith and perseverance to achieve any goal you set. As Dr. Seuss said:

      You have brains in your head,

      You have feet in your shoes,

      You can steer yourself

      any direction you choose. (Seuss, 1990)

      How to start? Read on! And, by all means, KISMIF! (Keep It Simple, Make It Fun)

      Contents

      INTRODUCTION

      The Sequel puts a positive spin on the original 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous helping those already in recovery to further enhance their lives.

      Step 1S

      Admitted we now have power to manage our lives.

      After achieving abstinence from substances or behaviors thatonce controlled your life, enjoy a new found freedom andpower to grow.

      Step 2S

      Having been restored to sanity we

      continued to improve our lives

      Sometimes just letting go of the bad leaves us safe but not happy. Once you are addiction-free and sanity has returned, there are many more options for change.

      Step 3S

      Made a decision to turn our will and our lives

      over to the care of God as we understood God.

      One cannot improve on this original step, but with God in charge, there are infinite possibilities.

      Step 4S

      Took a searching inventory of our

      assets, talents and capabilities.

      You’ve seen the bad and the ugly, now evaluate the good. Whattalents lay dormant during your addiction that can now be developed?

      Step 5S

      Admitted to God, to ourselves and another

      human being the exact nature of our

      potential as sober individuals.

      Our secrets can limit us; if no one knows we have talents and abilities, the expectations remain low. Share your dreams and they may become manifest.

      Step 6S

      Identified our characteristics, skills and

      talents that can now be put to good use.

      List your assets and prioritize those that will give you the most joy and fulfillment.

      Step 7S

      Humbly asked God to guide and

      support our future development.

      Be prepared to receive support and guidance; be open to possibilities.

      Step 8S

      Made a list of goals and plans we

      envision for our future.

      Develop a road map. Without a destination, you won’t arrive.

      Step 9S

      Became willing to execute those plans

      whenever possible except when to do so

      might interfere with our recovery.

      Be willing to challenge yourself, but watchful to assure there is a balance to protect your recovery.

      Step 10S

      Continued to monitor our progress, making

      adjustments as needed to assure maximum

      benefit for ourselves and others.

      A daily inventory is always a good way to assure you stay focused on your goals.

      Step 11S

      Sought through prayer and meditation to improve

      our conscious contact with God, as we understand

      God, praying only for the knowledge of God’s

      will for us and the power to carry that out.

      One cannot improve on this original step; always remain open to help and support.

      Step 12S

      Having had a spiritual experience as the result of

      these steps we carried this message to others so they

      might continue to grow and improve their lives.

      Moving beyond simple abstinence is a gift, share your gratitudeby letting others know there is more to be gained from the 12 steps than relief from suffering. We can find happiness!

      INTRODUCTION

      12 Steps: The Sequel provides guidelines to continue recovery past abstinence into maximal living. Using the principles of the original steps, The Sequel promotes continual growth and personal development. As you work the Sequel steps², you can admit you have the power to manage your life and have been restored to sanity. Once you identify your assets, talents and capabilities, you can develop a plan to fulfill your potential. You will develop new goals, goals that provide maximum benefit for yourself and others. Ultimately, you will enjoy another level of spiritual experience – one emanating from the awakened spirit that is within you.

      In 1980 I felt hopeless. I was about to be evicted and my car was being repossessed. I had already lost my job, destroyed my credit and alienated my friends. I had been in a self-destructive pattern of addictive behavior since adolescence. I was a shell of a person. I made plans for my suicide but then had another thought – what if the problem was drinking and drugging? Perhaps I should try recovery before death. I called a 12 Step hotline and the journey began. Sobriety felt as if I was living on a parallel planet, everything was the same yet somehow totally different. The first few years I relied on others to guide my recovery. The journey was not an easy one, but there was steady progress. I knew I could not turn back. I did not know how to live but I knew I did not want to die. I am immensely grateful to the 12-step fellowships for giving me the support and direction I needed to stay clean and sober. Many years later, I have more blessings than I can count. Reflecting back, it is clear that my success was the result of working the original 12 steps. First I worked the original 12 steps to recover from addiction, then the Sequel steps to reach my fullest potential. This book describes the path from hopeless despair in addiction to flourishing in recovery.

      Getting sober³, becoming free of addictive behavior, can be a scary thing. Every moment of every day holds new challenges as you learn to live life on life’s terms. To stay present, and not escape into addictive behaviors, takes an immense amount of effort. Just about everything in life changes. Some changes may be relatively minor,

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