Principles of AA

Alcoholics Anonymous presents a 12-step program to help people move into a sober life. AA's steps center around solid principles meant to build character and form a source of internal strength. Each step builds from prior steps as you work through a program pursuing a sober lifestyle.

Surrender

Surrender involves a capitulation to your hopelessness. Surrendering means more than giving up. It refers to ending your personal struggle but negotiating the terms of your surrender. For Alcoholics Anonymous this means admitting that you are finishing your struggle and ready to begin the AA program.

Hope

Hope involves finding a higher power to which you can turn to in order to gain strength during your times of weakness. This can be a deity or a strong personal ideal. The only requirement is that it must be something more powerful than yourself and be something from which you can draw willpower.

Commitment

Decide that you are ready to commit yourself to the process of quitting drinking. This should be a formal and deliberate choice. Mark your commitment by a verbal acceptance of the process and a declaration that you are ready to commit to the program.

Honesty

Take an inventory of your life. During this period of personal reflection and introspection, be honest and consider your personal traits, both positive and negative.

Truth

The truth stage involves a candid confession directed to your personal deity as well as to another person. This confession is an important step in admitting the damage that you have done and recorded in the prior step.

Willingness

Make the decision to abandon those negative traits you defined earlier. Adopt new traits that are more positive and take the steps needed to leave behind negative ones.

Humility

Consult your higher power for help making a change in your life. Ask for something that only your higher power can give to your life. It should be something that self-will cannot obtain.

Reflection

Make a list of the people harmed by you before you began your recovery. These are the people affected by your drinking. Consider family members who felt betrayed by your actions and people at your work who depended on you.

Amendment

Seek out those whom you harmed during your drinking. Make amends for your actions or inaction. Seek forgiveness. This may require some restitution in cases where you damaged property or admission to your mistakes in the case of criminal activity.

Vigilance

Repeat your earlier steps on a periodic basis to ensure that you make the process of self-discovery and restitution a part of who you are.

Attunement

Seek a personal union with your higher power. Allow this union to guide you into a new life. Through this union, discover where you want to go in your life.

Service

Step into your new sober life. Begin your new life as a sober person.