12 Step Workshop - Fast Track To Sobriety

STEP 4

P.59: “Made a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves”

P.63/last paragraph: “Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never attempted. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions.”

Notice that there is no mention here of taking a break. It doesn't say we are going to ‘ease into’ or ‘stroll along’. It says ‘LAUNCH’.

Have we ever seen a rocket launch? It takes off abruptly, quickly and suddenly.

Notice also that it says "a course of VIGOROUS action".

Step 3 has to be followed IMMEDIATELY by step 4 or there will be little permanent effect!

The authors are telling us that the purpose of step 4 is to remove the things that have been blocking our connection with G-d.

P.64/last paragraph: “Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more addicts than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick.

P.66/3/4 down: “If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for addicts these things are poison”.

You know what a resentment really is? It’s like taking poison and expecting the other person to die!

P.67/half way down: “Referring to our list again. Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely our fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other man's. When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to set these matters straight.”

P.68/first paragraph: “We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them. We asked ourselves why we had them. Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us?”

We can spot the people at live meetings who do regular inventory. They laugh, they have a good time, they enjoy life much more fully; they are at peace. Why? Because the more inventories they do, the more they become aware of their limitations, the more they embrace their limitations, the more peace of mind they have. Because now they know exactly who they are. They have NOTHING to hide from themselves. They get to be themselves around us. There is nothing to pretend anymore. And that’s called peace of mind.

If we find it hard at any point whilst doing step 4, let us just ask ourselves “How free do we want to be?”

***We should have a copy of the step 4 inventory worksheet.

It’s important to know that we WILL NOT do this perfectly. It’s a work in progress. The aim is progress, not perfection. Leave perfectionism to G-d!

Step 10 will be a continuous working of step 4 on a daily basis, so don't worry about getting it all right now. Let's just do what we can.