Beginning to Unburden

For months I carried the weight of my Step Four inventory alone. I'd written everything down – the resentments the fears the character defects the mistakes. All of it sat in my notebook like a heavy stone. I knew what came next but I kept putting it off. The thought of actually speaking these things out loud to another person felt impossible.

In Step Five we begin to unburden ourselves of our secrets. Begin – that word gave me hope. I don't have to unburden everything perfectly or all at once. I just have to begin. Start the process. Take the first step toward sharing what I've been carrying alone.

The secrets have weight. Every resentment I haven't spoken. Every fear I've hidden. Every mistake I've kept to myself. They accumulate into a burden that gets heavier the longer I carry it alone. Step Five offers to lift that burden – not all at once but beginning now.

If the weight of my Step Four inventory feels unbearable, I can call my sponsor and schedule a time to do Step Five. I don't have to carry these secrets alone anymore. Just setting the appointment begins the unburdening.