I'm pretty sure no one knows how many people have benefited from a 12-Step recovery program. And, as one of the key features of these programs is anonymity, I don't see how we could count. But I'd be willing to guess that there have been millions of courageous people who have willingly gone through a program (Talk about Rewiring your mind!).
Maybe one day I'll endeavor to study how each step of the traditional recovery plan engages some part of our Lizard Brain, but today I only want to look at the last step. For those of you unfamiliar with a 12-Step program, imagine you have been to hell and back in your life and have finally made it through to where you're seeing light at the end of the proverbial tunnel as a result of this program.
And the icing on the cake, the act aimed at keeping your life intact, the last act (Step 12) is essentially to
go find someone else you can help.
The capstone of this timeless, wisdom-filled program is this: if you want to keep Rewired, figure out how to practice what you know and then find someone else to help. Giving, helping, and INVESTING in others seems to be some bit of the glue to ensuring our minds and our very lives stay on a healthy path.
What can we all learn from that?