An EDA Member Works the Steps (Big Book 511)

By the time I am done with my 5th Step, I am usually quite ready to be done with my defects and the damage I do as a result of hanging onto them. Step Six is about being entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. For me, this just means I am entirely ready to recognize that my shortcomings get in the way of service to a higher purpose. I cannot serve the greater good or those around me very well if I am all caught up in my own self-centered ideas about how things ought to be. My efforts to understand and contribute to the flow of life will be crippled if I am wallowing in anger or self-pity. I have to get rid of these, and I cannot do it by focusing on anger or self-pity: I have to take care of basics, and focus on service to the greater good. This is when I find relief from my defects!