Chris thought his first Fifth Step meant reading someone every ugly thing he already knew about himself, until the Big Book showed him that inventory was supposed to reveal the pattern underneath it all.

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Chris opens up Step Five by admitting his first attempt was basically a life story, a shame dump, and a walk in the park with a sponsor who mostly wanted to walk his dogs. Later, after learning how to do inventory from the Big Book, he found out Step Five was not about confessing every bad thing he already knew. It was about seeing the exact pattern underneath his resentments, fears, and conduct so he could start getting free. With blunt humor and no patience for overthinking, Chris makes the case that AA is not a debating society - it is a program of action.

Chris S. from New Vernon, NJ talking about step 5 at a Big Book study in Winston-Salem, NC - 2010