Forget success rates. Who really knows what they are?
Focus on what works for YOU! You are the star of this movie.
Aim for progress, not perfection. working the steps I realized I'd been keeping mitzvos, but I wasn't very connected to Hashem. Turning my will over to Him meant sometimes, on a minute by minute basis, doing what I really knew His will is (everything from not looking at triggers even when it is really difficult, to making sure I get to that minyan on time and not at my usual lazy "a few moments late", etc etc.) It is different for each of us. But turning our will over to Hashem for frum Jews means following Halacha and then some. Because we can follow Halacha and still not follow His will.
dudayai wrote on 18 Nov 2011 04:24:
Thank you for all the beautiful replies, I really feel better, as to answer why the 12 steps didn't work; I have been on and off 12 steps for about 2 years, and I know those books, listened in to meetings, did long 4th steps, constantly listing to audios of real aa meetings, Joe and Charlie book study, etc. Countless hours, but I never really changed. I always felt that I never gave my will over to G-d, meaning I would be honest and better in midos, but I could see myself failing in Mitzvos, so it was as if I didnt really care about G-d, just used him for my gain, and I just cant pinpoint it exactly but I left 12 steps with the conviction that there are other ways to recover, and then went back, and so on. I also didn't like the 5 % success rate. I think Im slowly realizing that 12 steps is my only option.
