Discussion and Sharing Welcomed!

[Tazman53]

Wow!!! Great shares on the 4th, I finished the 4th a little over a week ago and due to scheduling conflicts my sponsor and I were not able to get together for the 5th step. Well I just finished printing out the 4th step and some prayers and a check list of character defects to fill out as we do my 5th step.

If the 5th step is 1/2 as freeing as the 4th I am truly going to be amazed, I had an experience last night/this morning that was to say the least a "Spiritual Experience" That I will never forget, when I awoke (if I was asleep), I felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders and I was free of my fears, guilt and worries.

God is great!!!!

[lanie67]

I didn't realized I'd missed this step. I've done two fourth steps, one out of the 12 and 12 and one out of the big book. I think the second one was a little bit more thorough and helpful. Truly I found the most relief when I started the 9th step.

[patricial]

The fourth step for me was done right away as a direction from my sponsor. In the book after saying the third step prayer it is time to get into action. For me my fourth step was to identify core of my resentments and what part did I play and what insecurities were affected. I also seen patterns in my behavior . All the insecurities I gave to God. My resebtments come from my own insecurities.Whether it is self esteem,material.financial,sexual. After I did the fifth I went right home and did 6 and seven as it says to do in the book.

[BP44]

I completed my 4th step this morning. In the middle of it I had the epiphany that these defects, all this crap is what makes my connection to God loose. Now I can't wait to 5th step it and move forward. We used to worksheets. I found them helpful. As the 12&12 states, my fears over the 4th step were just bogeymen. So, this is what I've been avoiding all these years? It has taken me since 1991 to do a 4th step and a number of relapses.

[savoy]

Originally Posted by BP44

I completed my 4th step this morning. In the middle of it I had the epiphany that these defects, all this crap is what makes my connection to God loose. Now I can't wait to 5th step it and move forward. We used to worksheets. I found them helpful. As the 12&12 states, my fears over the 4th step were just bogeymen. So, this is what I've been avoiding all these years? It has taken me since 1991 to do a 4th step and a number of relapses.

6 years ago , half way through step 9 ,
I sat there wondering " is that all there is to these steps"?
I couldn't believe it was so simple and I'd wasted yrs procrastinating.

[CarolD]

it seems my orginal post was lost in the crash
along with many others. Sooo...

I went to several Step Study Workshops
Attended weekly Step meetings
Got a bunch of forms from various places

And still I fiddled around ...started and stopped.
It was darn hard to look at myself.

Finally...I sat down with my Big Book...Prayed
and let it flow. 4 hours later
I called L. and we made a date
to do my 5th the nest morning.

I was almost 3 years sober!!
Whew!

Thanks for letting me share

[EricP]

I have 11 months sober and I'm stuck....stuck.....stuck..... I can't seem to get this done.....I have read everything.....I have every book and guide..........I have listened to my sponser and grandsponser........I go to meetings almost everyday.......and still .................I'm stuck ...stuck...stuck

[AW2486]

What is the sticking point? What part are you having trouble with?

[lostnfound1961]

So far I have 42 people listed as resentments. I lost my original list as it was on my phone that died, and I didn't get it back. I know I had about 60 people listed there, so I need to go over my list again, and see who I come up with. I have what the resentment is about and need to go back to each of them to finish my part and how it affected me. I also know there are some people that I have a lot more resentments to add. I grew up in an alcoholic home and that affected everything.

Now I do have to admit that I sort of skipped steps on some people and wrote amends to them as soon as I got done with the resentments. These are people who I affected and that caused them to do the stuff that I resent. Anyway, I felt the need to make the amendment right away.

I still have a lot to write and I do keep a journal every day so that helps bring stuff up. Just like most people, it took me a long time to get things going because I over complicated it.
D

[turtleturtle]

Hi I am Turtle, and I am, and will always be "a real alchoholic",
Have decided to post my first message, instead of just reading, you know, "into action". Thank you to all the humble people on this site for supporting us newcomers, much gratitude. Am living and loving my first 5 months of complete soberiety, since age 15. My cousin/ best friend was killed due in part to his meth addiction, and after I gave the Uleigy I vowed to him that I would live my best, for him and his 3 children.
I go to at least one AA meeting per day, 163 and counting, it is my medicine. Have a great sponsor, with 18 years sober, who I talk to every morning, along with praying, my daily reflections and 24 hrs a day readings. Pray every night, to thank my higher power for another small achievment then fall asleep reading the big book. Some folks at meetings say I am wearing my program like a strait jacket not like a loose shirt, and how long can anyone stand wearing one? My intencity has always been a strugle for me, the same intencity I used when drinking for 20 years on and off. Anyone have an opinoin on intencity or perfectism? Is why I have been on step 4 for 2 months?

[Rob B]

My Big Book says we seek the solution with the desparation of a drowning man, sounds pretty intense to me. After all, this is only about life or death, my advice, keep on moving forward.

You can stay sick in AA and have plenty of company. or You can recover and live a life beyond imagination. It boils down to the kind of company you wish to keep. PM if I can be of service.

[CarolD]

Hi again....

I replied to your other thread in Newcomers.
Glad your making progress.

[BeautifulLife]

I'm loving a whole thread on each of the steps!

I'm doing my 2nd 4th step with my 3rd sponsor now. My first sponsor got me to step 7, then just started having life issues and I was unable to depend on her to show up to meet with me. Started over with another sponsor, got ready to do my 4th step and I realized we weren't a good fit. Have been with my most recent sponsor since December, who is great, as was my first one, and am about 1/4 of the way through this 4th step.

I don't know about anyone else, but the first column is always easy for me. Resentment! Yeah! Second column is somewhat painful, though I can also get into justifiable anger there too. Not going to worry about the third and, especially the fourth column right at the moment!

[JeremiahS]

Yeah first column...
"To conclude that others were wrong was as far as most of us ever got."
I remind myself here that where the BB refers to 'most people' most of us' 'all of us' and lots of times 'some of us' it usually applies directly to me, especially if I think it doesn't.

Tough part for me is really seeing how Ive been wrong. Once I get over the initial experience of humility acting upon me which feels I guess something like humiliation Im ready to do the rest

And worst is when Ive been really really wrong. Blood freezes from the inside out starting with the marrow, get tunnel vision and faint and the hair stands straight up on my neck as my face flushes and the world as I know it is at an end and I must never show my face again as I attempt to will myself into being magically un-created, the only thing that could really fix things in that moment.

Did I mention I hate being wrong?