“The difference between our defects and our virtues is their effectiveness in helping us live clean, spiritual lives.”

– Life with Hope, first edition, pages 27-28

I feel that in many ways Step Six is the action step related to Step Three. When I make a decision to turn my will and my life over to my Higher Power, that manifests itself in Step Six as a willingness to have my character defects removed. The problem is that it is not always so clear cut what is a defect and what is a virtue; for example, some amount of confidence may be necessary at work when I need to defend my work product, but if I am so prideful that I step on the opinions of my co-workers, my confidence has become a defect.

If I measure my actions and motivations by their effectiveness in helping me to live a clean spiritual life, it provides me with a clear benchmark to tell when I have crossed the line, so that next time, with willingness and humility as my guide, I can do something different.

Final thought: Today, I will seek the clarity to recognize when my actions are manifestations of my character defects and when they are moving me closer to my Higher Power’s will for me.