Secular philosophy is defined as principles and beliefs accepted and practiced in everyday life by non-scholars. I recently came cross the twelve-step principles in an observed Al-Anon meeting. After this meeting and some personal researching, I have learned that these simple, yet profound traditions are not only practiced in Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon meetings, they are also utilized in many other recovery programs such as the Co-Dependents Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous, Eating Disorders Anonymous…etc. and more. After studying these principles, I have found that the twelve –step philosophy is not only effective in addition recovery, it can also be helpful for people who do not suffer from any unhealthy dependence.

Even though my understanding of these steps came from the Al-Anon literatures, it appears that the main subject of these traditions can be modified as seen in many Anonymous meetings. Contrary to the popular belief, the twelve step traditions are not at all religious based as they emphasize on personal definitions of a higher power (God) as one understands it. Except for the atheists, most population maintains a certain personal recognition of a higher power regardless of its religious connections. What I have found is that the twelve-step traditions call for personal accountability, humility, acceptance, letting go, and spiritual growth. This practical philosophy can be highly beneficial in every aspect of our lives if used properly.

What are the twelve steps? The followings are these powerful principles:

1. We admitted we were powerless over (“subject”), that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God “as we understood him.”
4. Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God “as we understood him”, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

A good example of practicing the twelve steps in a non-addiction based manner is our tendency to “worry”. It is natural for all human beings to gravitate towards the control of our environment. However, this urge for stability and security sometimes overpowers our reasoning, and it turns into obsessive worrying and even clinical anxiety disorders. By practicing personal accountability, humility, letting go, and the trust in one’s spiritual connection however he or she defines it, one cannot help but to powerfully overcome many difficulties such as excessive worrying that might be unhealthy for our wellbeing.

Whether you like to improve your relationship with your co-workers, become a better parent to a difficult teenager or simply lose some weight by practicing healthier habits, the twelve-step philosophy might be tremendously helpful in your adventure for self-improvement. Give it a try, but do not hurry yourself as people who truly practice these twelve principles will tell you to take only “one day at a time”.