Step Eight, Week Two: June 19th, 2024

This week’s reading assignment:

Yellow workbook pages 131-136 OR BRB pages 227 – 234

Red Book pages 112-114, the “Making Amends” section

Red Book pages 641-643, “A Discussion About Step Eight and Step Nine”

Recommended weekly reading:

“The Laundry List” or “The Problem,” “The Solution,” and “The Promises” on pages 587-591 of the Red Book or in the first several pages of the yellow workbook;

“The Twelve Steps” on pages 91-92 of the Red Book (also on pages 1-2 of the workbook); and

“The Twelve Traditions” on page 592 of the Red Book

Tradition Six (the tradition for the month of June) in depth starting on page 518 of the BRB

Suggested supplemental reading:

Melody Beattie, “Codependents Guide to the Twelve Steps,” the Step Eight chapter, pages 123-129 of the 1990 edition, starting with the “Became Willing” section and continuing through the end of the chapter.  See ACAWSO’s Literature Policy: “It has always been accepted that ACA should remain eclectic in choosing literature. That is, ACA meetings may draw from various sources without censorship.”

This week’s step study questions are excerpted from the Step Eight worksheet on http://12-steps-recovery.com in conjunction with the yellow workbook, and from Melody Beattie’s book, “Codependents’ Guide to the Twelve Steps” with the author’s permission:

1. Take the list of people that you have harmed and make a list of possible amends to each one of them. Then, choose the amends that seem most appropriate, and rank them according to level of difficulty. Which amends will be the hardest for you to make? Which will be the easiest?
2. What consequences do you fear in making amends? What is the worst thing that can happen? What is the best thing that can happen? What is likely to happen?
3. Do you feel angry or resentful towards any people on your amends list? If so, write them a letter of anger, but don’t send it to them. Describe here any other ways that you have used to get rid of the anger and resentment towards anyone on your list.
4. Describe any dreams that relate to making amends to others.
5. What are the relationships, past or present, that bother you the most? (© Melody Beattie, Codependents Guide)
6. Would you like peace and healing in your relationships, even those you don’t wish to maintain? What are the barriers to healing that are still within you? (© Melody Beattie, Codependents Guide)

Deep Dive questions:

A. Can you identify any patterns of harms you have done? What are they?

B. How will you become willing?

C. What emotional (and other) harm have you done to yourself?

D. How will you forgive yourself?

© Podenco Press’ 12 Step Workbook