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A Walk through the 12 Steps: Step 5

© Cynthia Webber (Jausten)

We definitely must acknowledge our talents, strengths and positive actions and attributes. Our inventory may show us that the driving force in our life today is a willingness to do whatever it takes to heal ourselves emotionally, physically and spiritually. This does not mean that we fall for every magic "cure," but rather that we take the time to really look at ourselves and to see the good which is within each of us.

The importance of sharing ourselves with another trusted person is a time of healing, and if we avoid doing this and just pray to the God of our understanding, then we will not be able to really hear ourselves, or to get much needed feedback for our spiritual and emotional growth. I learn more about myself by opening up and sharing my true feelings with a trusted person. However, picking a person to share ourselves with is not something which we should take lightly. Most 12-Step programs suggest a lot of prayer and thought must go into the actual choosing of this person. Doctors, clergy, counsellors or health care workers, who really understand fibromyalgia, are some of the resources we have in choosing someone we trust and can share ourselves with. Spending time in solitude with my God is also very important to me. He speaks to me through my meditation time, through books, music and nature, but mostly through other people whom He has placed in my life.

This is a commitment to changing our lives, and celebration of life in spite of having fibromyalgia. When we describe the changes, traits and talents of ourselves to another human being, it is much more difficult to casually dismiss them to ourselves. We are building a new life for ourselves, and our character assets can form the basis of a life centered around self-love and self-caring if we recognize our positive traits and admit their importance.