Release from Fear

THE TAKING of Steps One, Two, and Three prepared me for the central meaning of AA--anonymity. Perhaps the core meaning of anonymity, as well as one of its great benefits, is freedom from fear, from the awful fear caused by human desire after it has fallen into the service of addiction. I have never ceased to marvel at the miracle of anonymity. This, I believe, is what really distinguishes AA and makes it an experience of great historical importance, as well as the precious instrument of my personal freedom.