I. A.A.'S TWELVE STEPS

(pp. 152-153)

Here is a side-by-side chart showing the Twelve Steps next to a plain language explanation. The plain language explanation is not intended to rewrite or replace the Twelve Steps. It is here to help more readers understand and embrace the Steps.

THE TWELVE STEPS	Plain Language explanation*
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.	In this First Step, we admit to ourselves that we are powerless over our drinking. We also accept that our lives have fallen apart, and that we cannot manage them. Understanding these things first makes it possible for us to continue with the other Steps.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.	Then we start to believe that a Higher Power can help us stop drinking and guide us to a clearer state of mind.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.	In the next Step, we make a decision to trust God as we understand God to guide us with all our future decisions. We turn our lives over to God's care.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.	Next, we work on thinking long and hard about our past, and being very honest with ourselves about every aspect. Then we write everything down, like a business owner taking an inventory.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.	In Step Five, we take responsibility for everything we have done wrong. We do this with ourselves, and also with our Higher Power. Then we meet with someone we trust, and share the inventory we have made.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.	Then we open ourselves completely to the idea that our Higher Power can help us get rid of our negative traits.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.	In this Step, we connect with our Higher Power, and humbly ask for help getting rid of our negative traits.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.	After that, we write down a list of everyone we have hurt. We prepare to make amends to them, and to find ways to heal our relationships.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.	To complete Step Nine, we reach out to the people we have hurt and ask to talk to them. In our conversations, we explain what we feel we have done wrong and discuss what we could do to make things right. If doing this would hurt them or someone else even more, we do not reach out.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.	On a regular basis, we continue to think long and hard about our actions and mistakes, and be very honest with ourselves. Whenever we are wrong, we make amends as soon as we realize it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.	In this Step, we try to improve our connection to our Higher Power. We use practices like prayer and meditation to do so. While we do this, we ask for guidance and the strength to do what our Higher Power would want us to do.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.	Taking these Steps leads us to a spiritual awakening that changes us. We use what we have learned to help other alcoholics. We also continue to use the principles of the Twelve Steps in all areas of our lives.

*The plain language explanation is not intended to replace the Twelve Steps