The thought of taking action can fill people with deep dread,anxiety and fear. That is why the steps take courage and the inventory is looked at as drastic action. Also that individuals are asked to go to any lengths for victory over addiction.
The truth is changes can be made and you can be in control but only if you take action and do not rely on self will. This is where there can be a transfer from pain to power. If everybody feels fear when approaching something totally new in life. Yet so many are out there “doing it” despite the fear. Then we must conclude that fear is not the problem. It is how we hold fear and what our life-scripts dictate to us, which can be out of conscious awareness.
This is where taking the action has the power to cross-transact that life-script process which can leave individuals in distress. It can hold you stuck. It can create impasses which are de-motivating and de-moralising. It can leave you passive and bitter. It can leave you feeling incapacitated.
The secret of managing fear is to move you by taking action to a position of appropriate power. This does not mean by ego or exploitation or using power to play out one up man ship games. The power is about being adult, doing the right thing and living with more spiritual connection. This gives you more heart and more principled living that is relevant to liberation from the negative parts of the script process that can feel like entrapment rather like addiction itself.
In Susan Jeffers book “Fear the Fear and do it Anyway”. She talks about people becoming accustomed to interacting with you in a certain way. When that pattern of interaction is broken there is usually impact. That people can be fearful of moving forward due to people being stuck and habitual. That there is something about positive people that is light and joyful. This is the energy that taking action with others can generate.
The Step 9 supports positive action and positive thinking. It expands vision as we are concerned with others thus, the world is bigger then just the self. We this we can sense ourselves as part of a much bigger whole that we actually belong to. We are not alone and we can become aware of purpose, kindness, and fulfilling relationships.
Surly with what is on offer we “can feel the Fear and do it Anyway”. We can make decisions, we can lighten up,we can take the action to make amends. Its about taking action with the new script messages that hopefully the other steps have helped to internalise. I can, I will, I am responsible. I will sort out my problems, I am satisfied, Life is a struggle at times that I can deal with, I can do this even if the feedback I get is terrible. I don’t have to hide but can be seen and take the action required to live a more relationally fulfilling life. By making amends I am caring about myself but also giving to others.