Step Six is seemingly too brief a paragraph in the Big Book. Why? The founders directly experienced spiritual awakenings through 12 step work. Bills own, Sudden Awakening occurred immediately following step six.
Their words offer us some context for why step 6 paragraph is written as it is…
Earl Ts story- ” Bob led me through all of these steps. At the moral inventory, he brought up some of my bad personality traits or character defects, such as selfishness, conceit, jealousy, carelessness, intolerance, ill-temper, sarcasm and resentments. We went over these at great length and then he finally asked me if I wanted these defects of character removed. When I said yes, we both knelt at his desk and prayed, each of us asking to have these defects taken away.”
Step Six was definitely well expanded upon in AA literature; first by Bob and Ed Webster in the Little Red Book then by Bill in 12&12 but in the Big Book it is simple for the most profound of all reasons. Awakenings don’t happen intellectually but always through direct experience. The instructions in that one short paragraph couldn’t be more clear or simple. It is up to us to apply the depth and weight and fully surrender to win!
Emotional Sobriety And Food 