Spotlight On Sobriety 02/01/2026
- GaL-AA Newsletter Committee
- Jan 26
- 5 min read
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Principles Behind The Steps #9
AA Anniversaries Feb 2026
Spotlight On Sobriety 02/01/2026
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Principles Behind Step Nine
Repairing the Bridge Between Who We Were and Who We Are Becoming
Step Nine stands at the heart of transformation. If the earlier steps prepare us for honesty, willingness, surrender, and humility, the Ninth Step asks us to prove those spiritual intentions with courageous action. It is one thing to admit we were wrong; it is another to walk into the rooms of our past and face the people we harmed.
“Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”
These words, laid out in the Big Book’s clear, steady voice, mark a turning point in our recovery. By the time we reach Step Nine, those pages explain, we have “a list of all persons we have harmed” and a readiness to “set right past wrongs.” Yet the principle behind the step goes far beyond a checklist. Step Nine is about justice, restitution, integrity, and the profound healing that occurs when our actions align with our new way of life.
Justice: A Spiritual Rebalancing
The principle most often associated with Step Nine is justice—the willingness to restore what was damaged, take responsibility, and pay our debts where possible. Justice in recovery is not about punishment; it is about restoration. It is the spiritual act of acknowledging that our behavior had consequences, and that our healing becomes more complete when we help repair the harm we caused.
The Twelve and Twelve reminds us that amends are not apologies alone. They require “a change in conduct,” a living demonstration that sobriety is reshaping us into more reliable, compassionate human beings. Justice calls us to meet our past with dignity instead of avoidance, clarity instead of excuses, and humility instead of ego.
Courage: Doing What Fear Tried to Prevent
Few moments in sobriety test us like the Ninth Step. The Big Book openly acknowledges that many of us approach this step with “fear and reluctance.” That’s human. We fear rejection. We fear being reminded of who we used to be. We fear consequences.
But Step Nine invites us into a deeper truth: the courage we gain through faith in a Higher Power is greater than the fear that held us captive in addiction.
Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the decision that healing matters more than comfort. When we step forward—even trembling—we honor the spiritual awakening that has begun within us.
Humility: Letting Love Lead Instead of Ego
Humility is a golden thread running through Steps Seven, Eight, and Nine. By the time we reach Step Nine, humility is no longer an abstract spiritual idea—it is something we practice face-to-face. Humility allows us to approach others not as victims, not as villains, and not as people who “owe” us forgiveness. Instead, we come simply as humans who have caused harm and who are committed to growth.
Humility means accepting the outcome without manipulation. Some people may welcome us with open arms. Some may not. Some may need time, space, or boundaries. Humility means we offer amends without demanding a particular response. As the Twelve and Twelve teaches, we are responsible only for cleaning our side of the street—not theirs.
Love: The Quiet Power Beneath Every Amends
At its core, Step Nine is an act of love.
Love for the person we harmed. Love for the truth. Love for the person we are becoming.
When we make amends, we give others something priceless: the dignity of acknowledging their pain. And we give ourselves something equally sacred: freedom.
Step Nine is not about winning people back. It is about loving our way into integrity, one conversation, one gesture, one repaired corner of our past at a time.
Forgiveness: A Gift That Comes in Unexpected Ways
One of the profound spiritual surprises of Step Nine is that forgiveness sometimes arrives from places we never expected. Not always from others—but often from within ourselves.
Addiction leaves us carrying heavy emotional weight: shame, guilt, regret, confusion, grief. As we make amends, these burdens begin to lift. The Big Book speaks of a “new freedom and a new happiness,” and many of us discover that this freedom comes precisely because Step Nine helps break the chains of self-hatred and denial.
Through amends, we learn that the past does not define us. Our willingness to repair it does.
Discernment: “Except When to Do So Would Injure Them or Others”
Not every amend is simple or straightforward. Step Nine’s clear instruction—“except when
to do so would injure them or others”—is a principle of compassion and wisdom. We do not make amends to unburden ourselves at the cost of harming someone else.
This requires guidance, honesty, and often the help of sponsors, counselors, or trusted recovery mentors. In some cases, direct amends cannot be made, and we seek indirect ways—living amends, restitution through service, or repairing harm through changed behavior.
Discernment honors both truth and protection. It ensures that the Ninth Step is always an act of healing, never harm.
Becoming Who We Were Meant to Be
Step Nine marks the beginning of a new chapter. It is the point at which recovery begins to
radiate outward into our relationships, our families, our communities, and our daily lives. We stop running. We stop hiding. We become people who confront life honestly and lovingly.
This Step teaches us that healing is not passive. It grows through courageous action. Through justice and compassion. Through humility and forgiveness. Through a willingness to clean up the wreckage of our past so we can walk freely into the future.
And with every amend we make, we experience something extraordinary: the realization that we are becoming the people we once prayed and hoped we could be.
Written by:
Steve N.
Las Vegas, NV.
Member February 2026 AA Anniversaries
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Spotlight On Sobriety 02/01/2026
The Spotlight On Sobriety 02/01/2026 features personal stories, articles, and reflections submitted by members and friends of the fellowship. The views expressed are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of Alcoholics Anonymous or GaL-AA.
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