“Once we made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to a Higher Power, it was imperative that we do just that. After all, the faith we acquired by taking Step Three meant very little if we did not follow it with immediate action.”

– Life with Hope, second edition, page 15

Step Three is about a decision, but a decision means very little if I don’t take action to carry it out. I may decide to make dinner; that doesn’t mean dinner is made. I have to follow it with a series of actions: get groceries, prepare the ingredients, start the stove or oven, and cook the meal for dinner to actually get made. If I decide I want to get a degree, I don’t suddenly have that education. I have to apply to schools, attend classes, write essays, and take exams in order to obtain that degree. A series of actions implements my decision.

My decision in Step Three means I take action to turn over my will and my life. I take action by working the rest of the Steps. I look at exactly what I am turning over by writing inventory in my Fourth Step, sharing that inventory with another in my Fifth Step, looking at my behaviors and character traits that I need to let go of in my Sixth and Seventh Steps, and making amends in Step Nine. Through a series of actions, the Steps, I carry out my decision. I continue to carry out that decision with daily reflection, prayer and meditation, being of service, and living by spiritual principles. These actions allow me to continually turn my thinking and actions over to a Higher Power.

Final thought: Today, I will take action through the Steps, tools of the program, and with spiritual principles to implement my decision and turn my will and life over to the care of my Higher Power.