Step 5 “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs” Lets briefly cover some instructions for taking our 5th Step which we will be sharing with our sponsor or spiritual adviser before our next meeting First a warning: it says on the first page of Chapter 6, “Into Action”: “If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Trying to avoid this humbling experience, they have turned to easier methods. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story.” A couple of important points the book points out in the 5th Step: “We must be entirely honest with somebody if we expect to live long or happily in this world.” “Rightly and naturally, we think well before we choose the person or persons with whom to take this intimate and confidential step.” “Though we have no religious conception, we may still do well to talk with someone ordained by an established religion.” “We search our acquaintance for a close-mouthed, understanding friend.” “It is important that he be able to keep a confidence; that he fully understand and approve what we are driving at; that he will not try to change our plan.” “When we decide who is to hear our story, we waste not time.” “We have a written inventory and we are prepared for a long talk.”
Step 5 “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs” Lets briefly cover some instructions for taking our 5th Step which we will be sharing with our sponsor or spiritual adviser before our next meeting First a warning: it says on the first page of Chapter 6, “Into Action”: “If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Trying to avoid this humbling experience, they have turned to easier methods. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story.” A couple of important points the book points out in the 5th Step: “We must be entirely honest with somebody if we expect to live long or happily in this world.” “Rightly and naturally, we think well before we choose the person or persons with whom to take this intimate and confidential step.” “Though we have no religious conception, we may still do well to talk with someone ordained by an established religion.” “We search our acquaintance for a close-mouthed, understanding friend.” “It is important that he be able to keep a confidence; that he fully understand and approve what we are driving at; that he will not try to change our plan.” “When we decide who is to hear our story, we waste not time.” “We have a written inventory and we are prepared for a long talk.”
12-step-guide.docx