Step Seven: Shedding Shortcomings, Embracing Growth

In this episode of Blindsight, we continue our journey through the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, focusing on Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. Host Bill Lundgren welcomes back Jeff Shlund, who started our series with Step One, to break down the meaning and personal impact of this step. They discuss the role of humility, self-awareness, and seeking support in overcoming personal flaws. The conversation explores how Step Seven applies beyond addiction, including in the blindness community, and why progress—not perfection—is the key to growth. Chapter Markers: ⏱ 00:00 – Welcome to Blindsight ⏱ 02:23 – Understanding Step Seven: Asking for help in recovery ⏱ 04:18 – The Seventh Step Prayer and its impact on daily life ⏱ 06:33 – Recognizing personal shortcomings and seeking growth ⏱ 08:37 – The power of self-awareness in the recovery process ⏱ 11:01 – Seeking professional help: Therapy, medication, and sponsors ⏱ 15:44 – Breaking the stigma: Medication in recovery ⏱ 18:03 – Building a strong support system ⏱ 22:02 – Applying Step Seven beyond addiction ⏱ 24:26 – Step Seven in the blindness community ⏱ 26:13 – Growth, self-acceptance, and lifelong progress ⏱ 28:40 – Revisiting earlier steps for deeper healing ⏱ 31:21 – Working the steps at your own pace ⏱ 33:25 – Final thoughts: Accepting ourselves while striving to improve ⏱ 35:26 – Closing remarks & listener feedback Key Takeaways: ✅ Step Seven teaches humility—asking a higher power to help remove shortcomings. ✅ Higher Power is personal and can take different forms for different people. ✅ Professional help (therapy, medication) is valuable and not a sign of failure. ✅ Recovery isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress and daily growth. Listener Feedback & Contact: 📞 Blindsight Hotline: (720) 712-8856 📩 Email: [email protected] We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Have questions or suggestions for future topics? Get in touch! 🎧 Join us next week for Step Eight: Making Amends.