By Renascent Alumni, Shayna
Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings
When I first came into the rooms and heard people say the 12 Steps had relieved them of the obsession to drink or use, I didn’t believe it. I thought they were either lying or just built different. I was completely broken, barely hanging on, and the idea that following these steps — including humbly asking some Higher Power to remove my shortcomings — could actually change my life? That felt impossible. Honestly, it sounded cheesy. Like okay… or I could just try to be a nicer person?
But I was desperate enough to try, and over time, I started to understand what this step is really about. It’s not about becoming perfect or trying to erase who I am — it’s about becoming willing to let go of the parts of me that don’t serve me or others. The parts that protected me in active addiction but now hold me back in recovery.
Today, I practice Step 7 by staying aware of my character defects — things like selfishness, impatience, fear, dishonesty. I take a nightly inventory and ask myself where those things showed up. Was I resentful today? Did I act out of fear? Was I dismissive or judgmental? These questions help me stay honest — not to beat myself up, but to stay spiritually fit.
I also spot-check myself throughout the day. If someone cuts me off in traffic and I snap, I ask myself: was that about them, or is that a lack of compassion on my part? Maybe they’re having the worst day of their life. Step 7 reminds me that I can ask my Higher Power to help me pause and choose differently.
This is an ever-evolving process. I’ll never be “fixed” or “cured” — I’m an alcoholic for life. But today, I don’t have to drink. And the 12 Steps, including this one, are what gave me that freedom. That’s something I never thought was possible — but today, I get to live it.
