Step 1: Honesty — After many years of denial, recovery can begin when one simple admission of being powerless over alcohol — for alcoholics and their friends and family.

Step 2: Faith — It seems to be a spiritual truth, that before a higher power can begin to operate, you must first believe that it can.

Step 3: Surrender — A lifetime of self-will run riot can come to a screeching halt, and change forever, by making a simple decision to turn it all over to a higher power.

Step 4: Soul Searching — There is a saying in the 12-step programs that recovery is a process, not an event. The same can be said for this step — more will surely be revealed.

Step 5: Integrity — Probably the most difficult of all the steps to face, Step 5 is also the one that provides the greatest opportunity for growth.

Step 6: Acceptance — The key to Step 6 is acceptance — accepting character defects exactly as they are and becoming entirely willing to let them go.

Step 7: Humility — The spiritual focus of Step 7 is humility, asking a higher power to do something that cannot be done by self-will or mere determination.

Step 8: Willingness — Making a list of those harmed before coming into recovery may sound simple. Becoming willing to actually make those amends is the difficult part.

Step 9: Forgiveness — Making amends may seem like a bitter pill to swallow, but for those serious about recovery it can be great medicine for the spirit and soul.

Step 10: Maintenance — Nobody likes to admit to being wrong. But it is absolutely necessary to maintain spiritual progress in recovery.

Step 11: Making Contact — The purpose of Step 11 is to discover the plan God as you understand Him has for your life.

Step 12: Service — For those in recovery programs, practicing Step 12 is simply “How It Works.”

Principles of the 12 Steps

1. Surrender. (Capitulation to hopelessness.)

2. Hope. (Step 2 is the mirror image or opposite of step 1. In step 1 we admit that alcohol is our higher power, and that our lives are unmanageable. In step 2, we find a different Higher Power who we hope will bring about a return to sanity in management of our lives.)

3. Commitment. (The key word in step 3 is decision.)

4. Honesty. (An inventory of self.)

5. Truth. (Candid confession to God and another human being.)

6. Willingness. (Choosing to abandon defects of character.)

7. Humility. (Standing naked before God, with nothing to hide, and asking that our flaws – in His eyes – be removed.)

8. Reflection. (Who have we harmed? Are we ready to amend?)

9. Amendment. (Making direct amends/restitution/correction, etc..)

10. Vigilance. (Exercising self-discovery, honesty, abandonment, humility, reflection and amendment on a momentary, daily, and periodic basis.)

11. Attunement. (Becoming as one with our Higher Power.)

12. Service. (Awakening into sober usefulness.)

From all of the above comes a prime Principle of Alcoholics Anonymous …
“We have to give it away to keep it!”From silkworth.net

From AA Cleveland:

The office was recently contacted by a long-timer who pointed out that the following article provides a list of spiritual virtues (not principles) that originated from a plaque which was sold years ago and may originally came from a Grapevine article or other AA newsletter. It is known in the rooms of AA that the spiritual principles are the Twelve Steps. To be thorough, the 36 principles are the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts.

There are many different spiritual virtue lists that refer to the Twelve Steps which have been printed by other AA’s over the years. Although used by many AA members, they are not Conference Approved and the origin of these lists are unknown.

Bill W. considered each step to be a spiritual principle in and of itself. However, particularly in the 12 & 12, he outlined the spiritual principles behind each step. Some of them seem like common sense, but understand going into the exercise that reading these principles and actually practicing them in your day-to-day lives are two entirely different things (and that the latter requires vigilance and willingness).

1. HONESTY – Fairness and straight forwardness of conduct: adherence to the facts.
2. HOPE – To expect with desire; something on which hopes are centered.
3. FAITH – Complete confidence; belief and trust.
4. COURAGE – Firmness  of  mind  and  will  in  the  face  of  extreme  difficulty;  mental  or  moral  strength  to withstand fear.
5. INTEGRITY – The quality or state of being complete or undivided; soundness.
6. WILLINGNESS – Prompt to act or respond; accepted and done of choice or without reluctance.
7. HUMILITY – Not proud or haughty; not arrogant or assertive; a clear and concise understanding of what we are, followed by a sincere desire to become what we can be.
8. LOVE – Unselfish concern that freely accepts another in loyalty and seeks his good to hold dear.
9. DISCIPLINE – Training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; to bring under control; to train or develop by instruction.
10. PATIENCE/PERSEVERANCE – Steadfast despite opposition or adversity; able or willing to bear; to persist in an understanding in spite of counter influences.
11. AWARENESS – Alive and alert; vigilance in observing.
12. SERVICE – A  helpful  act;  contribution  to  the  welfare  of  others;  useful  labor  that  does  not  produce  a tangible commodity.

By Unknown Author