JFT May 15

[REZ]

May 15


Fear of the Fourth Step

“As we approach this step, most of us are afraid that there is a monster inside of us that, if released, will destroy us.”

Basic Text, p. 27

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Most of us are terrified to look at ourselves, to probe our insides. We’re afraid that if we examine our actions and motives, we’ll find a bottomless black pit of selfishness and hatred. But as we take the Fourth Step, we’ll find that those fears were unwarranted. We’re human, just like everyone else—no more, no less.

We all have personality traits that we’re not especially proud of. On a bad day, we may think that our faults are worse than anyone else’s. We’ll have moments of self-doubt. We’ll question our motives. We may even question our very existence. But if we could read the minds of our fellow members, we’d find the same struggles. We’re no better or worse than anyone else.

We can only change what we acknowledge and understand. Rather than continuing to fear what’s buried inside us, we can bring it out into the open. We’ll no longer be frightened, and our recovery will flourish in the full light of self-awareness.

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Just for today: I fear what I don’t know. I will expose my fears and allow them to vanish.

[REZ]

Actually, I didn't find out I was no different from anyone else until step 5.

[huntsober]

For me the problem is "judging my inside with others outsides".
This is not apples to apples.

[Gmoney]

We can only change what we acknowledge and understand.

For me...I was so hungry for recovery I wasn't fearful of doing a 4th step. Sure, I heard the myths and heard of members who were doing the 1-2-3 step shuffle. I had the "fire" and was driven. I didn't ever want to go back. I wanted to change so badly that I was willing to do whatever it took.

Like they say, "You don't know what you don't know." I'm still hungry.