“We use these spiritual principles to guide our behavior.”

– Life with Hope, third edition, page 60

The spiritual principles have become a guide for giving me direction. Principles such as honesty, humility, open mindedness, patience, tolerance, faith, and integrity are some that I have tried to follow. Even now that I am clean, my life becomes unmanageable if I am not living in line with the principles. I can take a situation or a reaction I am having and line it up against the principles to check in with what is the next right thing to do.

Time and time again, my perspective grows as I use all the principles in harmony. They are interlinked, interwoven and become more meaningful when used in combination; that is where I grow. It alleviates justifications, excuses, and linear thinking as I run through the principles. If I am in judgment, I am not practicing the principle of open-mindedness, nor am I practicing humility if I think I know everything enough to cast judgment. I am not practicing justice because to sit in judgment is not fair. When I feel so strongly that I am right, that I need to convince others or voice my opinion, the more I need to stop. Can I trust my Higher Power, and accept that I am not anyone else’s Higher Power?

Acting with integrity takes courage, because sometimes doing the right thing is not easy. Knowing what is the right thing to do takes reflection, willingness, openness to different perspectives and different options. When I persevere I will figure out the right thing to do. These spiritual principles are interlinked, not to be used solo.

Final thought: Just for today, I will practice all these principles and practice applying them together to align myself with my Higher Power and with what is best for my spiritual growth.