Carlotta

I was intimidated by Step Five, because it meant revealing my darkest secrets to another person. Afraid that I would be rejected for being less than perfect, I put so much energy into hiding the truth that, although no one rejected me, I was as isolated and lonely as if they had. When I realized how painful it was to continue living that way, I found a Sponsor and asked for help. We worked the Fifth Step, and I shared some of my characteristics and attitudes that I found particularly shameful.
My Sponsor began to laugh. “You see,” he quickly explained, “I’m laughing because five years ago I said the same things to my Sponsor, almost word for word!” I would never have imagined the universality of my
experiences. I would never have guessed that, in sharing what I felt made me different from other people, I would discover how alike we all really are.

As We Understood