12-step work~15 min12-step
Step 5: sharing my inventory
Get ready to share your inventory with someone you trust — what you'll share, what's hardest to say, and how you'll take care of yourself afterward.
Step 5 ends the secrecy: you share what your inventory turned up with someone you trust. Many people find this is where shame starts to lose its grip — saying it out loud to another person, and being accepted, takes away much of its power.
Step work is best done with a sponsor or mentor. This is a private place to prepare — share it with them when you're ready. Choose someone experienced and trustworthy — usually a sponsor, a mentor or a member of the clergy — and somewhere private. Talks with a sponsor aren't legally confidential the way talks with a lawyer are. If something could carry legal consequences, keep it out of writing and get legal advice before you share the details.
1. Who I'll share my inventory with
2. When and where
3. Patterns I see across my inventory
4. What I'm most afraid to say out loud
You don't need to write the details here — just name it for yourself.
5. What I'm afraid will happen when I share it
6. What I hope will change after I share it
7. How I'll take care of myself afterward (a meeting, a walk, a call, rest)
8. Afterward: what it was like, and what I learned