How We Can Amass Awe-Inspiring Courage in the Face of Crippling Fear – Step 5 begins

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“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.” (12 & 12 p. 55)

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What steps have you taken to walk through your fears, lately?

OR

What would happen if we told the whole truth to someone we trust?

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This is How We Do It – Montell Jordan (3:59) 

 Mark Twain Brief Bio (1:40) 

Braveheart – Celtic Pipes, Strings & Movie Scenes Meditation (5:40)

 

Analysis: How We Can Amass Awe-Inspiring Courage in the Face of Crippling Fear

Step Five, from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, commands a deep honesty. It demands that we tell the truth completely. This truth must reach God, ourselves, and another person. Carl Jung emphasized such confession in healing. He believed truth-telling restored the soul’s balance.

The dilemma expresses ego’s fight for survival. Ego hates exposure. Yet exposure leads to freedom. Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “He who has a why can bear almost any how.” Admitting wrongs gives us a “why.” It anchors us in purpose. Peace of mind begins with humility.

Next, the solution highlights action. It Works: How and Why says we must walk through fear. Fear shrinks when we name it. Brené Brown, a leading voice on shame and vulnerability, notes this truth. She insists, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of courage.” Sharing our pain builds resilience.

Mark Twain’s quote underlines a key point. Courage is not fear’s absence. Courage grows when we face fear anyway. In recovery, fear often speaks loudest before growth. Reaching out to a sponsor reminds us: we don’t face fear alone.

Through confession, courage, and connection, Step Five transforms fear into strength. We find the bravery to change. We don’t do it perfectly, but we do it honestly. The courage to speak becomes the courage to live freely.



SPANISH TRANSLATION

I. Citas (Quotes)

Cómo podemos reunir un valor asombroso frente al miedo paralizante – Comienza el Paso 5

-Comienza el Paso 5-
“Admitimos ante Dios,
ante nosotros mismos y
ante otro ser humano
la naturaleza exacta de
nuestros errores.”

El Dilema –
“Cuando se trata
de reducir el ego,
pocos Pasos son más
difíciles que el Cinco. Pero
escasamente hay algún
Paso más necesario para
la sobriedad a largo plazo y
la paz mental que
éste.” (12 y 12, pág. 55)

La Solución –
“Debemos superar nuestro miedo y trabajar el Quinto Paso si queremos hacer cambios importantes en nuestra forma de vivir. Reunimos nuestro valor y seguimos adelante. Podemos llamar a nuestro padrino para recibir ánimo.” “… no tenemos que enfrentar nuestros sentimientos solos…” (Funciona: Cómo y Por Qué, pág. 35)

“El coraje es
resistencia al miedo,
dominio del miedo –
no ausencia de
miedo.”

– Mark Twain (1835–1910), autor y satírico estadounidense


II. Análisis

El Paso Cinco, del Doce Pasos y Doce Tradiciones, exige una honestidad profunda. Exige decir toda la verdad. Esta verdad debe llegar a Dios, a nosotros mismos y a otra persona. Carl Jung enfatizó esta confesión como parte de la sanación. Decir la verdad restaura el equilibrio del alma.

El dilema expresa la lucha del ego por sobrevivir. El ego odia la exposición. Pero revelarse nos libera. Friedrich Nietzsche dijo: “Quien tiene un porqué puede soportar casi cualquier cómo.” Admitir errores nos da un propósito. La humildad da paso a la paz mental.

Luego, la solución resalta la acción. Funciona: Cómo y Por Qué dice que debemos atravesar el miedo. El miedo disminuye cuando lo nombramos. Brené Brown, experta en vulnerabilidad, apoya esto. Ella insiste que “la vulnerabilidad es el origen del coraje.” Compartir el dolor crea fortaleza.

La cita de Twain subraya una verdad clave. El valor no significa no tener miedo. El valor crece cuando enfrentamos el miedo. En la recuperación, el miedo aparece justo antes del crecimiento. Llamar a un padrino nos recuerda: no estamos solos frente al miedo.

Con confesión, valor y conexión, el Paso Cinco transforma el miedo en fortaleza. Encontramos el valor para cambiar. No lo hacemos perfectamente, pero lo hacemos con sinceridad. Hablar con valor nos lleva a vivir con libertad.


III. Pregunta

¿Qué pasaría si dijéramos toda la verdad a alguien en quien confiamos?

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Comments

9 responses to “How We Can Amass Awe-Inspiring Courage in the Face of Crippling Fear – Step 5 begins”

  1. E-Dawg Avatar
    E-Dawg

    The first abbreviation for fear stands for…FU..EVERYTHING AND RUN…the second is…FACE EVERYTHING AND RECOVER… I can’t go under it and I can’t go over it so I go through it. After the fourth step is written down the true Freedom lies in reading and discussing it with my sponsor. The only way for me to stay sane and sober is through God and the program of Alcoholics Anonymous

  2. Mickey A Avatar
    Mickey A

    Since moving to LA I have faced my fears by joining this new fellowship of AAs in this city. I connected with a home group and put myself out there by going on a camping trip in the desert with 100 fellows. I have also walked through the stressors of a new work opportunity and engaged in healing work through my program of recovery and therapy.

  3. Rose Avatar
    Rose

    The fact that every time I have overcome my fears, good things have happened gives me courage to keep fighting when I feel like hiding or running. There is truth to the statement that ‘anything worth doing is hard’. I really try to focus my energy and intention on inspiring myself and if inspires others too, even better. But doing it primarily for them I’ve found to be less successful as I became tempted to cheat or cut corners in order to give the outward appearance of success, rather than the real thing that can only be known internally. Find the reason that is important to you to keep fighting and don’t tell anyone about it, and don’t seek the attention of others as your primary motivation.

  4. sarahi Avatar
    sarahi

    good morning fellows happy for been another day clean and sober today is my 90 days clean
    happy and grateful for another month lets keep the good work

  5. Br. Buddha Avatar
    Br. Buddha

    Good morning everyone + happy Thursday. Here is today’s thought. AA teaches us to live a spiritual life; a life centered on being in relationship with God, ourselves, + others. In living such a life, by asking God for help, we learn to love + feel compassion for all our fellows + to feel joy in the world. May God’s blessings be upon you today. Share the joy. BB

  6. Jon G. Avatar
    Jon G.

    I have always stated that the 12-steps have not removed fear from my life but rather have taught me how to move forward despite the fear. I cannot point to any specific steps I have taken to walk through fear but I am often inspired and motivated by the experience of countless thousands before me. My self-esteem needs a lot of improvement but it is not so low that I would believe I was not capable of doing that which so many others before me have been able to do. With respect to specific action, I have often sought out the advice and councel of someone who has gone through a similar difficult or freightening experience and asked them how they did it. To mean, it is critical to only offer suggestions that I can back-up with practical first-hand experience. If I want to learn how to get through a difficult divorce then I seek the counsel of someone who has gone through one not the counsel of someone who has never been married or is happily married for 30 years and never went through a divorce.

  7. Margot E. Avatar
    Margot E.

    Maybe I get a choice: do I face a situation with fear or do I face it with love? Courage is not the opposite of fear; love is the opposite of fear.

    When I face both friends and acquaintances with eyes of love, I can learn from my Higher Power what course to take.

    When a response feels awkward it usually means I am responding with fear.

  8. JB jr. Avatar
    JB jr.

    I like Twain’s idea that we don’t have to be absolutely fearless in order to be courageous. I can acknowledge it but that doesn’t mean I have to give into it. Which seems more honest really.

  9. Margot E. Avatar
    Margot E.

    I often try to hide my fear behind more noble explanations; whether the explanations are true or not, I can acknowledge my fear and move on.

    I first faced fear in Step One when I had to admit my powerlessness. Now, having worked on Steps Two, Three and Four, I can face the fear of the unknown: not what will happen, but will I be able to handle it?

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