Dear Reader
On any given day, I wake up and wonder:
"What—and why—should I do anything today?"
I remember when I first took the Seventh Step in Alcoholics Anonymous. It was a surrender: a choice to let God oversee my life. For those who may not know the prayer, it goes like this:
“My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding.”
— AA 7th Step Prayer
My dilemma is this: were these just words, or did I truly make a commitment to change?
Josh Billings once said:
“Words are often seen hunting for an idea, but ideas are never seen hunting for words.”
This reminds me how easily we express a desire to change, yet often remain clueless about how change is actually going to happen.
Simple Beginnings, Subtle Shifts
Looking back on early sobriety, the changes were clear: stop drinking, go to meetings. Those were bold, definable actions.
Now, years later, the changes are more subtle. Aging brings new challenges—less energy, more aches and pains. So I ask myself:
Is the character defect of procrastination still hanging around? Or is it just a lack of enthusiasm for the day ahead?
More pointedly: am I now lacking the will to change my day?
Confucius gives us a sharper perspective:
“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”
— Confucius
What Blocks My Vision?
Today, I believe my struggle is not physical or mental. It is spiritual. It’s a lack of faith that keeps me from seeing what I still am—and what I can still become.
Paul wrote:
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
— Ephesians 4:22–24
As I reflect on this form of change, I pray that my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, will remove from me that lack of faith. It’s still a simple act—but it requires daily willingness. A willingness to ask for help. A willingness to admit that I am not in charge—and more importantly—not in control.
Encouragement from Wisdom and Scripture
I find strength in the wisdom of philosophy, religion, and my community of faith:
“Change is never a matter of ability, it’s always a matter of motivation.”
— Tony Robbins
“Do not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
— Galatians 6:9
“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness... then is his grace sufficient for you.”
— Moroni 10:32
“Faith in the Lord includes faith in His timing.”
— Elder Neal A. Maxwell
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
— Proverbs 3:5–6
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
— Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Conclusion: The Daily Offering
And so today, personal change is not about fixing everything at once. It is about showing up honestly, asking for help humbly, and trusting that grace is still at work, even in the quieter seasons of life.
The promise of the Seventh Step is not perfection, but willingness—the daily offering of ourselves, good and bad, to a Power greater than ourselves.
There are still character defects to confront, but there is also more wisdom, more patience, and more faith than there once was. I do not have to manufacture the will to change alone. I only need the willingness to ask, to believe, and to move forward—one day, one prayer, one step at a time.
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.”
— Doctrine & Covenants 88:63
May we each rise today—not because we are strong, but because we are willing.
And may that be enough.
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