Pinking Shears - Mary Kay 12-Step Recovery

Initially, MKSurvivors (from the Yahoo group) were compiling the steps for fun, (not to MAKE FUN of a 12-step program), moreso, have our own type of therapeutic recovery steps from the MK experience. We found that leaving MK was a "process" and found that the 12-step programs could be customized to our Mary Kay experience. A number of Survivors worked together to compile them and put them in the 12-Step form including myself. Screen names of contributors are: cabrewer, madelinemakeup, paradoxygal and rcsuddeth Thanks ladies! This was compiled some time ago and I think it will benefit current and future members and visitors. SURVIVOR 12-STEP PROGRAM to help you "Step Down" from the Mary Kay Experience

1. ADMITTED we were powerless over the pink fog (scripts and belief systems) and that our emotional and financial lives had become unmanageable. Acknowledged that something was truly wrong.

2. SAW clearer as the pink fog began lifting from reading thepinkingshears.org, the Pink Eye Stories and researching facts about MLM’s that I was not alone and realized that a power greater than myself, the real God, not Mary Kay or the God of MLM was working in our life to restore us and help us realize my self-worth is not grounded in participation in an MLM or defined by anyone or anything other than our creator who tells us that we are wonderfully made and that he delights in us.

3. DECIDED to turn our inventory, credit card debt, self-esteem over to the real God, not Mary Kay, who is not God.

4. MADE a searching and fearless financial inventory (through closets, garages and under our beds) of our inventory, including Section 2 stuff, Seminar/Career Conference expenses, meeting dues and those awful pantyhose, red jackets and director suits we had to buy and wear to uphold the 1950’s Mary Kay image.

5. ADMITTED to God (not Mary Kay – who – all together now, is not God; neither is our director or recruiter) and to another human being (or Yahoo! discussion board) the exact nature of our debt, financial mistakes, disillusionment, and shared our shame of falling for the hype of the Pink Dream/Nightmare.

6. SUBMITTED to the realization that we were entirely ready for God to guide us on removing all the defects of character as well as deciding to deal with all this stinkin’ inventory. We became free from the bond of our peers by deciding that we were in control of our own decisions from now on and either sent inventory back or traded with sisters or sold to customers at a discount. We overcame our guilt/fear.

7. ASKED God, humbly, to remove our debt and the characteristics of what we had become in pursuit of the dream. Followed thru on our inventory reduction actions.

8. LISTED all of the persons we had harmed as a result of our pink haze and became willing to make amends to them all. This included neglected husbands and children; family members we had hounded to “help us through DIQ” by placing fake orders; friends we had alienated because they wouldn’t become “personal use consultants,” “be number 30” or become our customers; and team members who placed large Star Consultant orders to help us finish DIQ – all done in the name of “helping us out”.

9. RECONCILED the people we hurt during our pink fog wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Apologized for the incessant bugging and apologized for what I had become as a result of the manipulation from those who I trusted. This does not include keeping ourselves from returning inventory to MK because our recruiter is “finishing DIQ” or that our director’s commissions will be back-charged (again, we are FREE from fear!)

10. CONTINUED to reduce/return inventory; correct character shortcomings; research about MLM’s, DSA, Networking businesses and promptly admitted when we were wrong and in the process continue to build up an immunity to the guilt and deceptions that abound in the “pink bubble”.

11. SOUGHT through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God (remember when we used to think that God was Mary Kay?) praying only for knowledge of His will for us to live free from debt, doubt, discouragement and deceit giving us strength to continue to overcome the same. Prayed to God, our source of restoration, to teach us contentment and restore our gratitude for the things that matter most in life and for the desire to continually carry this out no matter what the obstacle.

12. COMMITTED to carry this message respectfully to others still stuck in the muck of the pink and to practice these principles of TRUTH and forgiveness in everything we do.