Free to Continue the Journey
By using all of the tools we have learned in the previous Steps, we know that by cleaning our slate we are now free to continue our journey to Step Ten.
When I finished Step Nine, I didn't feel a sudden rush of perfection. I felt something quieter and more profound: free. Step Nine is the great clean-up, the place where I used all the courage, willingness, and honesty I'd gained in the previous Steps to clear the debris I had left behind.
I am free now because I am not constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering who I owe what. I am free to continue my journey to Step Ten because I have settled my accounts. My defects haven't vanished, but the weight of unacknowledged error has. This freedom is the spiritual payoff—a lightness that allows me to focus on the present maintenance of my recovery, rather than being tethered to the past. The tools of the Steps are not just for repair; they are for creating a sustainable path forward.
I can take five minutes today to write down three ways the 'slate' feels cleaner. Focusing on what I gained (e.g., peace, integrity) rather than what I gave (e.g., apologies, money) will anchor my understanding of this new freedom.
