Step Seven

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. Spiritual Principles in Step Seven: Humility

Next IG Meeting is on Saturday, August 11th, 2012 at the Tulsa OA Intergroup Office
October 2012 Fall Retreat at Camp Wah-Shah-She Hosted by Tulsa Green Country IG October 12-14, 2012 Bartlesville, OK Contact Karen B. (918) 615-6455

Mark your calendars

Tradition Seven
Every OA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. Spiritual Principles in Tradition Seven: Responsibility -Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous p. 213
Page 18 The best way out is always through. For Today ~ Robert Frost January 18

I used to take the long way around avoiding problems, escaping count on Gods help to remove those faults I expose feelings. In OA I heard it called the easier, softer way. But is my I am grateful for the awareness of old patterns. Today I

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way really easier? No! It is the hard and painful, life-of-hell way.

my problems.
July 2012

when I take the honest way out of my difficulties. For Today: Practice of steps four through nine

prepares me for facing rather than trying to escape

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AA Step Seven -- Using the power in Words! by Doug R.

(This article has been modified with (parenthesis) for OA terms)
http://www.ideamarketers.com/?Step_Seven&articleid=1818353
AA (OA) Step Seven is the martial arts method of ending emotional pain. Step Seven is, "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings." If you have reached this page it's probably because you have had trouble getting the AA (OA) Seventh Step to actually work. You are not alone. Step Seven is the hardest to understand and it's hardest to get working. But at the same time, it's the most profound and powerful.

What is your concept of humility?

Humility is the key! Step Seven doesn't work unless one, "Humbly asks." The reason it's the hardest to understand is because the word, "Humility," is very difficult to understand. It origin is from Old English and means, to be servile. That's one meaning. But there's another meaning. The other meaning is, "Sublime," What is your which means: to elevate or exalt, especially in dignity, honor or peace of mind." When we get a dictionary definition of the word humility, it's usually self-image? involves being scraping and servile. So no one rushes to Step Seven with much enthusiasm. Then over time we come to realize there's another meaning, but we still have trouble. Another reason is we don't actually know how to achieve the sublime state. Sublimation is the key. Sublimation means "To divert the expression or impulse of an instinctual desire or mental reaction, from its unacceptable form, to one that is considered more socially, culturally, or spiritually acceptable."

How does your self-image keep you from finding humility?

Achieving a state of humility (The Sublime State) in the midst of intense emotional pain such as anger, jealousy, fear, or depression is actually easy but only if you know how. Humbly asking, the requirement for Step Seven, comes easily too. Sublimation itself is an easy task, but again -- only if you know how!

What have you learned about humility?

Trying to control the mind by forcing it into a state of humility using will power is not advisable. This is because it involves suppressing emotions. This causes both physical and mental illness. Suppressing anger is possibly one cause of cancer. Do it that way and Step Seven will give you cancer. So achieving a state of humility is not done with direct will power. Besides will power is totally ineffective for sublimating any strong emotion into humility. If ever there is a fight between the will and emotions, the emotions always win. Trying to control anger with will power is like trying to
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control diarrhea with will power. It only works for a little while. Step Seven can't be done with will power alone. Instead the martial arts system for controlling the mind is employed. None of the martial arts rely on physical strength alone. Instead the opponent's force is harnessed with leverage, and this doubles and triples one's own strength. We need power just to get the higher power to act for Step Seven.

Why do you want your Higher Power to remove your shortcomings?

In the same way emotional pain can be sublimated into humility. The human mind is not strong enough to do it with will power alone. So more power is needed. The power in words comes to our rescue. This is the real key to Step Seven. All have seen a lady bent over in despair and hopelessness. Another lady whispers a few words of encouragement into her ear. Suddenly she straightens up with a look How can you let go of of determination and vitality. Such is the simple power in words. Contrast this to the person, who in the midst of a suicidal depression, goes alone into his or her closet to pray. I don't want to say anything bad about prayer, because I know it can move mountains. But quite frankly, I personally have never had an luck getting alone with my depression and praying to have it removed. When I had my bouts of suicidal depression, all I could really think about was getting the old shot gun. I told my sponsor about this. He said, "I don't advise going back into your closet to pray with that shot gun!"

old attitudes?

What is my list of character defects?

Gee, why not?

Fortunately, I began using the martial arts method of controlling my depression almost from the beginning. I took advantage of the power of meetings, to lift my hopes dreams and ideas out of the doldrums. All I did was sit down and listen for a few minutes. Like a miracle, I could escape the pain and suffering of the depression -- just by sitting in the meeting and listening. The power in words was great enough to save me. I learned this quite quickly. So right from the beginning I went to a lot of meetings. This was as much of an attempt at staying sane and functional as it was a matter of being reminded not take that (first bite), first drink, pill, or toke. Finally I had been sober (food abstinence) for 31 years when I learned how to work Step Seven. I agree I'm a slow learner. But you don't need to wait 31 years as I did. You can learn to sublimate the emotions into a state of humility right from the beginning.
July 2012 OAsis Newsletter -Tulsa Overeaters Anonymous

What do you do when you make a mistake?

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My depression for example, could not be solved with my own will power. But I could control it by changing my state of mind. There's a great deal of power in gratitude. I didn't realize this at first. So when I heard people identify as grateful alcoholics (overeaters), I passed on the idea. I thought the idea of finding 5 new things to be grateful was about as useful as an empty whiskey bottle. So I never even tired it. Also it aggravated me to no end, hearing people say they were grateful. I To what length are you willing to go to surely wasn't grateful. But finally I found one thing to be rid of your shortcomings? be grateful. It completely changed my life. That day I learned how to sublimate my depression into humility. Humility is a proactive state of mind. No emotional pain can exist there. It's impossible scientifically to be grateful and depressed at the same time. That's how much power there is in the simple grateful state of mind. The power in the words coupled with, "Humbly asking Him to remove my shortcomings," has given me the ability to get rid of all emotional pain every time. This has not just happened a few times. It's been happening now for over 10 years. As a fact out of my own experience, I have learned how to work Step Seven, which for relieving emotional pain is as fast acting and effective as (food), a drink, a pill, or one of those funny little cigarettes. Aristotle said, true happiness lies in the middle of two opposite extremes. I believe this is a very scientific psychology. It means that humility is in the middle and greed and anger are one extreme caused by selfishness. The other extreme is fear and depression which is caused by self-centeredness. 1. Gratitude has the power to sublimate depression into humility. 2. Renunciation has the power to sublimate greed into humility. 3. Faith and heroic stance has the power to sublimate fear into humility. 4. And wishing love has the power to sublimate anger into humility. For this reason I say again, Step Seven is the most profound and powerful of all the steps. Humbly asking Him to remove my shortcomings, I easily get free of all emotional pain every time. Immediately!
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