THE 17 STEPS

1. Can you follow instructions without adding your own interpretation?

2. Can you deliver instructions as you receive them or do they change according to your computer?

3. Do you participate in inconsiderate conversation, polluting the ears of others while you and your partner work things out?

4. Are you physically clumsy - breaking things because you handle them too harshly or carelessly?

5. Do you half way complete a task because of your poor standard of what is thorough?

6. Do you put tasks off - procrastinate?

7. Are your patterns of cleanliness, sensitivity, gentleness, etc. consistent or are they good only when spotlighted?

8. Do you use more of something than is adequate (for example, excessively high cooking flame, more toothpaste than necessary, etc.)?

9. Do you go from one extreme to another: as from overeating to undereating, etc.?

10. Are you sensitive when approaching another individual about something you want to discuss? Do you permit that individual the choice to continue what he is doing, or do you force him to drop it in order to give attention to you? Do you stop and check, or do you assume that what is on your mind is more important than what is on theirs? (Know the difference between your relationship with your teachers and your fellow classmates in this regard.)

11. Do you needlessly ask a question when the answer is obvious or a moment of silent observation would quickly reveal the answer?

12. Are you pushy, aggressive, interfering, or demanding in any way?

13. Has familiarity caused you to become so relaxed with your partners or others that your actions or words don't hold enough restraint?

14. Are you gentle, simple, cautious, and thoughtfully restrained in your steps and all other physical actions or words?

15. Have you outgrown defensiveness and its flip side, martyrdom?

16. Can you understand and review in your mind all the ways in which members of the Next Level are sensitive? If you can, you have no excuse for not working on improving in these areas at all times.

17. When your teachers have asked someone to do a task and it relates to you, do you treat that task and its deliverers with as much respect as you would if it came directly from your teachers?

For the next topic in this section: | Major and Lesser Offenses |
To return to: | Table of Contents |