WALKING THROUGH FEAR

Walking through fear is a cornerstone of recovery. The Big Book teaches that fear is often the root of our character defects, as shown in the inventory process where we list our fears and ask God to remove them [Page 67-68]. When we feel afraid, we are reminded that 'we have a new Employer—God' [Page 63], and we can rely on the Third Step prayer to shift our focus. The Promises on pages 83-84 assure us that 'we will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it' because we learn to face life without fear. In Step 12 work, we walk through fear by sharing our experience with a still-suffering alcoholic, trusting that our Higher Power will supply the courage. As Bill explains, 'we are not fighting anything but our own fear' [Page 85]. So when fear arises, we pause, pray, and act—often finding that the fear was but a shadow.