Daily Reflection

MAY 8
A RESTING PLACE
All of A.A. 's Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our
natural desires . . . they all deflate our egos. When it comes
to ego deflation, few Steps are harder to take than Five. But
scarcely any Step is more necessary to longtime sobriety
and peace of mind than this one.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 55
After writing down my character defects, I was unwilling to
talk about them, and decided it was time to stop carrying
this burden alone. I needed to confess those defects to
someone else. I had read—and been told—I could not stay
sober unless I did. Step Five provided me with a feeling of
belonging, with humility and serenity when I practiced it in
my daily living. It was important to admit my defects of
character in the order presented in Step Five: "to God, to
ourselves and to another human being." Admitting to God
first paved the way for admission to myself and to another
person. As the taking of the Step is described, a feeling of
being at one with God and my fellow man brought me to a
resting place where I could prepare myself for the remaining
Steps toward a full and meaningful sobriety.