Penny Reid

Let It Begin with Me: a Daily Journal Penny Reid

Those of us in Alcoholics Anonymous have begun an extraordinary, life-changing spiritual journey in sobriety, and it all begins with the 12 Steps. We can access their healing power by working the Steps on a daily basis. But sobriety doesn't happen overnight, and many of us had arrived in AA long before we found sobriety. The steps need to be an on-going part of our journey in recovery, and they form the critical foundation for our new, sober life. They are the formula for introspection, transformation, change and healing, enabling us to experience life more fully. It has been my experience and belief that the steps are not worked or practiced as thoroughly as they could be. So many recovering alcoholics have shared with me that they relapsed because they had stopped working the Steps. I wrote this workbook entitled, "Let It Begin With Me", hoping it would, in some small way, help others entering recovery to gain a better understanding of the Steps. I've devoted one chapter to each of the 12 Steps; each step is to be worked for a full month. Each chapter contains a compilation of relevant quotations - one for each day of the month, a descriptive paragraph relating to the quotation, and ends with a question for reflection and journaling. By focusing on one step for an entire month, we give ourselves time to digest them. It wasn't until we could see this disease working in our own lives, that we could do something about it. Their effectiveness depends on them being regularly applied in our daily lives. This journal is for anyone seeking lasting change and healing from the effects of the disease of addiction. The good news is that we don't have to stay stuck in our misery and our dysfunctional attempts at living any longer. The 12 Steps are our best hope for the future. By working the steps, we are shown a way out of our pain. But no one can do the Steps for you. The choice is yours alone. Let it begin with you.