Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility—a word often misunderstood. . . . it amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be.
— TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 58
I knew deep inside that if I were ever to be joyous, happy and free, I had to share my past life with some other individual. The joy and relief I experienced after doing so were beyond description. Almost immediately after taking the Fifth Step, I felt free from the bondage of self and the bondage of alcohol. For me that freedom remains after 37 years, a day at a time. I found that God could do for me what I couldn’t do for myself.
One of the great orators of our time once said “Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty we are free at last.” Freedom is sure to be attained by all once we truly get through the 5th step this freedom that we enjoy will be given to everyone, regardless of race, color, creed, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.