Step Four … Well, I got the searching and fearless but moral stumped me because I grew up in an emotionally and spiritually unhealthy alcoholic home. The morals could certainly be questioned. The Fourth Step did not ask me to change anything. An inventory doesn’t change things. My inventory is only a story of my feelings and actions from the beginning. Working this Step meant I had to become willing to trust the God of my understanding to see me through the painful process of … discovering the truth, separating my feelings from facts and my self worth without judgment.… Read more »

There are several lessons I learned the first time I worked Step Four. The usefulness of a personal inventory is one of them. I learned to pause and objectively list the facts of a situation as soon as I notice I’m beating myself up over a perceived mistake. If I catch myself jumping into guilt in response to someone else’s behavior, I use the tool of the inventory to get a more objective perspective. Perhaps the most important lesson for me is what is meant by a “fearless” moral inventory. My first attempt at a list of my assets was… Read more »

Step Four scared me. I was afraid to take an honest look at myself because I was convinced I wouldn’t like what I would find. I felt like I was a terrible person who had awful flaws. All I knew is that I didn’t want to continue feeling this way, I had to push past the fear. My sponsor and I did our Fourth (and Fifth) Step together using the second edition of Blueprint for Progress. We began by doing the self-assessment checklist at the back of the book. It was evident that I didn’t think very highly of myself.… Read more »

Step Four was a road block, when I first look at it. The road to follow was there for me, but I was putting the blocks: fear, false pride, low self-esteem, doubts, etc. I also had a long list of excuses for not doing it: no time, not quite ready, no specific way how, etc. However, I came to a point when the discomfort of being how I was, and not having answers as to why, was unbearable. This is when I knew that doing Step Four could not be put off anymore. I looked at the word “moral”, as… Read more »

“Made a fearless and moral inventory of ourselves.” The fear and/or anxiety or inability to say and do what is best for me, not having the courage and self esteem along with confusion and automatic habit of looking outside at others instead of finding me. I continued to pray to God and search within myself and ask myself how does this feel for me and talk to God and my Sponsor about it. I remember why I take my inventory to find what has been causing me pain and what and how I can feel different by seeing myself and… Read more »