“Humility is a simple request and a letting go.”

– Life with Hope, first edition, page 34

Before recovery, I didn’t know how to ask for help. I thought I had to figure everything out by myself. When I got to the Seventh Step and was told I needed to ask my Higher Power to remove my defects of character, I was stumped. Could I trust my Higher Power to make the changes I felt I needed to make? Humility means I step back from my problems, and I learn to trust that my Higher Power has my back and wants the best for me.

My first sponsor said I would never get rid of these “survival skills that no longer work,” but that I would recognize them sooner. This has been my experience. I haven’t completely lost my impatience, but I do recognize it quicker, and am able to make amends quicker too. I’ve heard it said that “humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” Humility does not mean we are less than or greater than; we are “right size” with our Higher Power and with others.

Final thought: Today, I see that humility is the key to serenity.