Another year.... Thanks to all of you who have kept me trudging the road to happy destiny in 2012.

The holiday season is a joyous one. We have to make social decisions that are right for us and that does not mean we can't be a part of the celebration. We have to know what we will and will not accept in terms of socializing in sobriety.

Step Twelve is the last of the steps but marks a new beginning for us. We have found faith but now we have to prove that faith through service to anyone in need.

If we are in recovery, we all have one day a year that celebrates our sobriety. I invite you to reflect on yours and those first memories in recovery as I share mine.

Step Twelve is all about reaching out to others no matter how long you have been in recovery; one day, 25 years...it makes no difference. Find the hero inside of you by practicing this step every day.

One does not have to be have an addiction to see the beauty of this step. Anyone who desires a more spiritual life can follow the suggestions of Step Eleven.

The Twelve Traditions of AA are the foundation of all 12 Step Recovery programs but we honestly don't like to read or discuss them. Make them personal and appreciate that they had to be inspired by a Higher Power.

The feelings of not being good enough or feeling less than do not disappear that quickly. They are deep rooted defects that made us drink or use. Removing these feelings take time, patience, and the ability to acknowledge them.

There are many ways to describe relapse and many reasons why it happens. Prevention is the key but regression doesn't happen overnight. Identify where you are in your recovery and know if you are entering the danger zone.

It is so easy to say we have faith and trust in a Higher Power. But when we are put to the test, is it really that simple or do we still want it our way? When we turn our will and lives over to a Higher Power, do we honestly trust 100%?