February often invites us to pause. The rush of the new year has settled, resolutions are already being tested, and many of us find ourselves asking quieter, more honest questions about where we are and where we are headed.
February often invites us to pause. The rush of the new year has settled, resolutions are already being tested, and many of us find ourselves asking quieter, more honest questions about where we are and where we are headed.
In recovery, this is where Step Two meets us.
Having acknowledged our powerlessness in Step One, the next movement of the journey asks something both subtle and profound: Are we willing to believe that help is possible? Not certainty. Not blind faith. Simply the openness to consider that a power greater than ourselves, however we may understand it, might restore us to sanity.
For some, this step feels like relief. For others, it can stir resistance, doubt, or even discomfort. That’s okay. Step Two does not require us to define God, solve life’s mysteries, or suddenly feel hopeful. It asks only for a crack in the door, a willingness to believe that we do not have to do this alone.
This month, I invite you to reflect on what “a power greater than yourself” might mean in your own life. It may appear as community, truth, honesty, love, or a presence you cannot yet name. Wherever you are on the path, Step Two reminds us that hope often arrives quietly - long before certainty does.
As always, I’m grateful to walk this journey with you.
The Second Step – “Came to Believe that a Power Greater than Ourselves Could Restore us to Sanity”
The Second Step is, not surprisingly, the step one takes after the First Step. If you remember, the First Step is the one where people admit they are powerless over their addiction. The Second Step is coming to believe that despite one’s powerlessness, there is a solution, or rather, a power source that can produce a solution. Although I don’t hear people talk about this, it was my experience that before I could admit to my own total defeat in my situation, I had to believe that there was a solution, one that I had been unaware of up to that point. So, for me, and I suppose for others, I had to take the ...
Sit quietly. Make a list of people you know personally, or you know of who have overcome seemingly impossible situations. Try to stop telling yourself that you are different.
Now, zero in on someone you know who has overcome an addiction. Promise yourself that before 24 hours have passed you will call them up and ask them how they did it. Pray for the fortitude to follow through with this promise. Then, do it.
Experience has shown that once people get to the point of promising themselves to make the call, they experience a sense of relief. For those whose reinforce the promise with a prayer, the relief is that much greater.
My Blog - Hitting Bottom
There is a general belief that an alcoholic will not face facts and try to quit drinking until he or she has hit bottom. In fact, a phrase we often hear in the general community is “rock bottom.” This phrase is not found in the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) literature, as far as I can tell. The early AA members were all the type that had severe consequences of their drinking. Such consequences included ....
“First, Alcoholics Anonymous doesn’t demand that you believe anything. All of its Twelve Steps are but suggestions. Second, to get sober and stay sober, you don’t have to swallow all of Step Two right now…..Third, all you need is a truly open mind.”
On the Bookshelf - Higher Power: Seeking God in 12 Step Recovery
I ordered this book because of its very similar title to my Seeking a Higher Power: A Guide to the Second Step. Although the titles are similar, there is an obvious difference. Himes’ book’s title talks about “seeking God,” whereas mine talks about “seeking a higher power.” I’m glad I did because although it is very different from mine, it is a good recovery book. Himes identifies himself as a recovering alcoholic, and as the chaplain for a prominent treatment program. He is knowledgeable about both .....
I recently had the honor of serving as a keynote speaker for a virtual event, hosted by VETS2INDUSTRY, focused on veterans and their transition beyond military service. Much of what we explored reflects the core of my work: recovery and personal growth follow a heroic journey, one that often begins with struggle and leads, through honesty and connection, to renewal and meaning. Veterans understand this journey deeply.
Experiences like this reinforce why I continue to speak and write. When people come together, virtually or in person, to reflect on these themes, something important happens: hope becomes visible, and the path forward feels less solitary.
I welcome invitations to speak with veterans’ organizations, recovery communities, faith groups, and professional audiences interested in addiction recovery, the heroic journey, spiritual growth, and life transitions.
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