Step 12

Step Twelve tells us that the result of working the Steps is a spiritual awakening. A spiritual awakening could be described as the way members find their Higher Power and what each member has received from working the Twelve Steps. There will be a transformation; we will see and understand ourselves differently. One member shared her awakening as, "The same events are happening as before. It's my experience of the events that is different." Another member shared, "My spiritual awakening is that I am a spiritual human being." Sharing about our spiritual awakenings in meetings is one way we can carry the message and bring hope to codependents. We hear how the Steps worked for others and that helps us to have faith that the Steps can work for us.

Sometimes spiritual awakenings are gradual and experienced through hindsight, like coming to the realization that we are the ones who need to change and we cannot change others. We are reminded that our spiritual awakening is a result and comes after the time has been spent working the Steps. We are capable of changing by using tools we have found from working the Steps. Some of those tools are taking inventory, making amends, using a daily Tenth Step, meditating, and praying. As a member shared, "I have spiritual awakenings all the time, each time I go from a place of codependency to a place of God's will." Continuing to work the Steps helps sustain our spiritual awakenings. We come to believe that God is within us and not separate from us.

Step Twelve gives us a directive as members. We try to carry the message of our spiritual awakening to other codependents. The word "try" implies that we make the effort and let go of the results. Gradually, we come to understand that our recovery is the message. Having worked through the Twelve Steps, we are different; our lives have changed. Therefore, simply living our lives of recovery is important. We don't always know when someone suffering is listening to or noticing us. Humbly sharing our experiences of recovery in meetings secures our own recovery and, at the same time, carries the message of recovery. As members of CoDA, there are other way we try to carry the message. Some examples are bringing meetings tho those who are confined in hospitals, prisons, or other institutions; sponsoring a new member; speaking; and doing service at all levels of CoDA. It is important to have CoDA's literature available to carry our message of recovery to newcomers and those still suffering.

This Step suggests that the principle of our program can be applied to all aspects of our lives. Learning to live life differently, we become aware that we cannot separate our recovery from other aspects of our lives. After all, codependency affected all areas of our lives, so we want to apply our knowledge of the Twelve Steps in all those areas. These principle of our program are the road map to a more sane way of living. They help us see ourselves and what we are doing or not doing. We no longer have to feel crazy and confused without a place to go. We have the Twelve Steps and our Higher Power to help us make wise decisions. Continuing to practice these principles, we experience life in a different way and carry this message to other codependents.