Step 4 - IMHO
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Join Date: Jun 2012
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Step 4 - IMHO
Done a few step 4s
Some would say, that if you need to repeat step 4, you're not working your program properly. Personally, it's my belief that as a human, I'm not capable of doing anything completely perfect, but more importantly the part of the step 4 statement - 'Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves' that most overlook is the 'inventory' part.
Ask any retail outlet about what an inventory is and it's importance to the success or failure of the store. They'll tell you that without a yearly inventory, to find out what stock is on hand, what needs replacing, what items are good movers, what could be improved with a little work and what needs to be discontinued, they'd soon be out of business.
IMHO - an AA 4th Step Inventory is no different. Maybe not on a yearly basis, but certainly not only 1 time only.
There's also a huge amount of different ways to go about doing one. The best way I found though, is the what my first sponsor told me to do. Get 3 pads of paper. Label 1 GOOD for all the things that you can think of that are good about yourself - and be honest. Label 1 IMPROVE for all the things that you can think of that could be OK but need to be improved on. Then label the last BAD - This seems to be the one that all newcomers concentrate on, but all 3 are equally important.
Once you have the 3 pads of paper, grab a fist full of pencils, and find a room with a desk and a door. Grab a mirror, the pencils and the paper, go in the room, shut the door, sit down at the desk, spread the 3 pads of paper out, set the mirror up in front of you so you have a good reflection of yourself and start writing. Every now and then pause in your writing and look up at the topic.
This procedure doesn't have to be difficult. There's nothing about you that you don't know already. But you do have to take stock of yourself to see where you need to make changes and what you need to clear out.
Equally important is the pad labeled good. If you're like me it will seem hard to think of things that you like about yourself at first. I told my sponsor this and he started asking me questions, like "Do you kick dogs?" to which I said "No, I like dogs" and he replied "put that down, it's a good thing isn't it?". If you are honest to yourself, there are lots of things that are good about you. You just need to see them and it helps to balance the other side.
IMHO
Some would say, that if you need to repeat step 4, you're not working your program properly. Personally, it's my belief that as a human, I'm not capable of doing anything completely perfect, but more importantly the part of the step 4 statement - 'Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves' that most overlook is the 'inventory' part.
Ask any retail outlet about what an inventory is and it's importance to the success or failure of the store. They'll tell you that without a yearly inventory, to find out what stock is on hand, what needs replacing, what items are good movers, what could be improved with a little work and what needs to be discontinued, they'd soon be out of business.
IMHO - an AA 4th Step Inventory is no different. Maybe not on a yearly basis, but certainly not only 1 time only.
There's also a huge amount of different ways to go about doing one. The best way I found though, is the what my first sponsor told me to do. Get 3 pads of paper. Label 1 GOOD for all the things that you can think of that are good about yourself - and be honest. Label 1 IMPROVE for all the things that you can think of that could be OK but need to be improved on. Then label the last BAD - This seems to be the one that all newcomers concentrate on, but all 3 are equally important.
Once you have the 3 pads of paper, grab a fist full of pencils, and find a room with a desk and a door. Grab a mirror, the pencils and the paper, go in the room, shut the door, sit down at the desk, spread the 3 pads of paper out, set the mirror up in front of you so you have a good reflection of yourself and start writing. Every now and then pause in your writing and look up at the topic.
This procedure doesn't have to be difficult. There's nothing about you that you don't know already. But you do have to take stock of yourself to see where you need to make changes and what you need to clear out.
Equally important is the pad labeled good. If you're like me it will seem hard to think of things that you like about yourself at first. I told my sponsor this and he started asking me questions, like "Do you kick dogs?" to which I said "No, I like dogs" and he replied "put that down, it's a good thing isn't it?". If you are honest to yourself, there are lots of things that are good about you. You just need to see them and it helps to balance the other side.
IMHO
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Zion, Illinois
Posts: 3,411
Thanks Fred.
I've only done two "written" inventorys. I've always had a sponsor I could talk to and am in the habit of recognizing things that come up that maybe should be talked about, but I don't believe in the necessity of writing more than one inventory. Of course, to each his own. Some journal every day and some do a written inventory on their anniversary date. Whatever works.
I've only done two "written" inventorys. I've always had a sponsor I could talk to and am in the habit of recognizing things that come up that maybe should be talked about, but I don't believe in the necessity of writing more than one inventory. Of course, to each his own. Some journal every day and some do a written inventory on their anniversary date. Whatever works.
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Join Date: Jun 2012
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Originally Posted by Music 
Thanks Fred.
I've only done two "written" inventorys. I've always had a sponsor I could talk to and am in the habit of recognizing things that come up that maybe should be talked about, but I don't believe in the necessity of writing more than one inventory. Of course, to each his own. Some journal every day and some do a written inventory on their anniversary date. Whatever works.
I've only done two "written" inventorys. I've always had a sponsor I could talk to and am in the habit of recognizing things that come up that maybe should be talked about, but I don't believe in the necessity of writing more than one inventory. Of course, to each his own. Some journal every day and some do a written inventory on their anniversary date. Whatever works.
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 449
Step 10, continued to take personal inventory. Step 11, evening review.
The "practice" was learned in Step 4. There's not too much going on that disturbs me that isn't a resentment, a fear, or a sex conduct issue. So the training and experience in Step 4 is brought to bear in Steps 10 and 11. But Steps 10 and 11 don't just mention "inventory", there are other things involved too.
So in effect, when I'm working the program properly - I'm taking inventory Step 4 during the day (Step 10) and doing evening review (Step 11) at night. Step 4 becomes a lifelong discipline. It's a tool to be used whenever I need it or better yet incorporated into a daily routine. Days I'm on the "beam" are great. Days I'm not on the "beam" - vary in degree to their sucktitude.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong but I'm sober and free and intuitively know which tools to use to handle situations which used to baffle me today. Instead of the other solution - booze.
The "practice" was learned in Step 4. There's not too much going on that disturbs me that isn't a resentment, a fear, or a sex conduct issue. So the training and experience in Step 4 is brought to bear in Steps 10 and 11. But Steps 10 and 11 don't just mention "inventory", there are other things involved too.
So in effect, when I'm working the program properly - I'm taking inventory Step 4 during the day (Step 10) and doing evening review (Step 11) at night. Step 4 becomes a lifelong discipline. It's a tool to be used whenever I need it or better yet incorporated into a daily routine. Days I'm on the "beam" are great. Days I'm not on the "beam" - vary in degree to their sucktitude.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong but I'm sober and free and intuitively know which tools to use to handle situations which used to baffle me today. Instead of the other solution - booze.
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