From Courage to Change of Sep 22:
The Fifth Step (“Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs”) is a very intimate experience in which we share our private thoughts and experiences with another person. Much has been said about the freedom this Step offers to the person who is doing the talking, but it can be extremely rewarding to the listener as well.
Most of us feel deeply honored to be entrusted to share in such a sensitive and personal experience. It’s a wonderful opportunity to practice giving unconditional love and support by simply listening. Many of us hear stories that are similar to our own; others can often identify with the feelings that are expressed. Perhaps we will be reminded of where we have been and how far we have come. We also see that, despite our outward differences, we have a great deal in common with others.
Whether we practice this Step by listening or speaking, we open ourselves as channels for our Higher Power. More often than not, we hear something that sheds light on our own situation.
Today’s Reminder
When I respond to a request for help with working the Al-Anon program, I help myself as well.
“There is no better way to keep our spiritual benefits than by giving them away with love, free of expectations, and with no strings attached.” ~ In All Our Affairs
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The Fifth Step asks us to move from the isolation of secrecy into the open air of honesty. It is one thing to admit wrongs in the silence of my own thoughts, quite another to bring them before God, and even more vulnerable to entrust them to another human being. That moment is not just confession—it is communion. It is where I let the walls drop and allow someone to see me, as I truly am. So, I will name the exact nature of my wrongs without disguise. I will return again and again to this vulnerable practice, even when fear whispers I should hide. I will continue to admit, promptly and honestly, so that nothing festers in the dark, trusting that when I show my true self, I will not be abandoned.
The Fifth Step reveals a paradox: in speaking aloud my shame, I discover my dignity. In listening to another’s secrets, I glimpse my own reflection. Whether we are confessing or holding space, we become channels for something larger than ourselves. My Higher Power often shows up in those sacred moments of listening—sometimes through a word spoken, sometimes simply in the stillness of silence. I desire to be able to listen to another’s story as if it contains a piece of wisdom meant for me too. Sitting with someone’s pain without judgment, holding it gently, because I have discovered that healing often comes sideways, through the mirror of another’s experience.
The practice of this Step has taught me that my spiritual benefits are not mine to hoard. They grow only when I give them away freely—without expectation, without attachment, with love of Self first and others always as the only motive. This is how recovery stays alive in me: by passing it on.
Daily Reprieve 
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