This step focuses on humility and reliance on a Higher Power. We should not confuse humility with humiliation. When we are humiliated, we are ashamed; we feel worthless. Humility is almost the complete opposite of this feeling. Through working the steps, we've been stripping away layers of denial, ego and self-centeredness. We have also been building a more positive self-image and practicing spiritual principles. Before, we couldn't see our strengths because the good, healthy part of us was hidden behind our disease. Now we can. That is humility.
In this process, I must overcome the ego-protecting tendency to deny, distort, or minimize my failings - meaning I need to let my wall down - before I can acknowledge them and learn to accept myself exactly as I really am. Here are some parts of the step that really resonated with me.
This lack of anchorage to any permanent values, this blindness to the true purpose of our lives, produced another bad result. For just so long as we were convinced that we could live exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence, for just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power impossible. This was true even when we believe that God existed. - AA 12 and 12, pg 72
A whole life time geared toward self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once. Rebellion dogs our every step at first. - AA 12 and 12, pg 73
We now clearly see that we have been making unreasonable demands upon ourselves, upon others and upon God. - AA 12 and , pg 76
The Seventh Step is where we make the change in our attitude which permits us, with humility as our guide, to move out from ourselves toward others and toward God. The whole emphasis on Step Seven is on humility. - AA 12 and 12, pg 76
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