In today's episode, I talk about "Two Stepping" versus "Twelve Stepping" in recovery. I talk about what these terms mean, why they matter, and how honesty, openness, and willingness together are the key to unlocking twelve-stepping in your sobriety.

In AA circles, "two-steppers" are those who acknowledge their powerlessness over alcohol—Step One—and jump straight to helping others, Step Twelve, without really walking through the steps in between. The process of self-exploration never happens which inhibits you from understanding who you really are when the alcohol is taken out of the equation. We use the steps to figure out what is blocking us from loving ourselves.

Skipping steps often stems from fear. Some who struggle with the full Twelve Steps might be dealing with undiagnosed conditions like depression, PTSD, or other mental health issues. Without addressing these, making progress in recovery is really difficult. True recovery involves more than just showing up to meetings; it requires a deep, internal work that a meeting alone can't complete.

Honesty, Openness, and Willingness are like the instructions for opening a pickle jar. Listen today to find out how these come in to play to allow you to enjoy the pickle and the importance of undertaking the entire recovery process with diligence and sincerity.