The Fifth Step
Read Chapter Six – Into Action… from pg. 72 to “…walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.” on pg. 75
Until we actually sit down and talk with someone about what we have so long kept hidden, our willingness to clean house is still largely theoretical. When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves, and with God.
“You can’t stay sober if you don’t do it all.” – Milt Loring
To The Sponsor: The opportunity to listen to a step five inventory is a privilege and should be treated with the highest effort and attention.
There is some kind of essential spiritual humility in the act of opening up to God and being completely honest with another human being.
Discuss the miraculous results others have had from doing their step five, and the results from being completely honest and forthcoming.
Emphasize how the pain and suffering we create from a life based on resentment and self-will, when we injure ourselves and others by meeting the challenges of life with alcoholic thinking, is the Spiritual Malady. Alcohol is only a symbol.
What caused the Spiritual Malady was our thinking: self-centeredness and selfishness. The way we saw things was seriously flawed.
The goal is to replace old, alcoholic thinking with something new and better.
“We go to it, illuminating every twist of character, withholding nothing.
A life which includes deep resentment leads to futility and unhappiness.”
To The Sponsee: It makes sense to take this step with your sponsor, a person to whom you will turn for guidance about A.A. matters in the future. He or she must be trustworthy. Not a single episode from your revelation should ever leave their lips. One of the best ways of evaluating the ability of your fifth step listener to preserve your private information is to see how they talk to and about others. Do they engage in gossip? Do they reveal things about others you wouldn’t want revealed about yourself?
Remember we are engaged upon a life-and-death errand.
This is not a therapy session. The listener is not there to chat, or give advice, or be a shoulder to cry on, or be someone to sign off on your delusional thinking. They are there to guide and listen.
When you have completed this part of step five, stress the importance of following the next instruction completely as written.
Read The last paragraph on pg. 75 “Returning home…” and the first sentence on pg. 76
“We then look at Step Six.”
It cannot be emphasized enough how important this seemingly little part of Step Five is.
You haven’t really completed your step five until you do this part.
Being quiet for an hour means a full sixty minutes with no interruptions or distractions.
No TV, radio, phone, computer etc. Don’t listen to music, eat, or go to sleep.
If you are a religious person, or even if you’re not, you might find a friendly church or monastery to sit in for the hour.
Suffice it to say I have talked to many people who carried out this part of Step Five as written who have had amazing revelations during this hour.
“How free are you willing to be?”
The end of Session 7
The Fifth Step