thuggybear

I just did 10th step written inventory. Now, do I sit for an hour and do a formal 6 and 7 after? Or can I just be ready (like I am now) and then say the 7th step prayer?

thuggybear

Oh, and I also just shared all of it.

sugarbear1

you mean the 4th step and then the 5th step?

what does your sponsor say?

Tommyh

We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help.

one of my past sponsors would tell me ,after I told him my stuff,to ask God for forgiveness and to please take me to better things.Then find someone to help.If amends was necessary,he would say,"you better talk to them"

worked pretty good for us


sounds like you are on the right track.
Good

UncleMeat69

Middle of Page 84 of the Big Book says:

Step Ten suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for a lifetime. Then Bill W. gives us the five Parts:

Part 1.) Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear. This is what we did in our 4th. Step - so by doing this each day we are doing a daily Step 4.

Part 2.) When these crop up, we ask God to remove them at once. We did this in Steps 6 & 7. If not removed we continue to Part 3.

Part 3.) We discuss them with someone immediately. Just like we did in Step 5. During that discussion our sponsor will probably ask "Did you make amends to the person you harmed ?" If not, proceed to Part 4.

Part 4.) And make amends quickly if we have harmed someone. Steps 8 & 9. If all of the above fail to resolve our resentments then proceed to Part 5.

Part 5.) Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help. (First half of Step 12.) Thus, go to a meeting and find a suffering newcomer and take him/her for
coffee and listen to their situation. That will take you right out of your own problems and you will be doing the second half of Step 12 - carrying the message.


Living this way has indeed proved to me that working and living the 5 Parts of the 10th. Step is the easier, softer way. I never have had to do a lifetime 4th. Step again because I am doing one every day. In my first 4th. I had to list a lifetime of garbage that was buried deep down inside me that I was carring around for years. Booze enabled me to bear the weight. But in sobriety I can't carry that kind of a load and have serenity at the same time. You can't be full of s--t and feel good.

Step 10 is called a Maintenance Step for an important reason. By working it regularly I am working Steps 4 thru 9 every day and Step 12 regularly when possible. Isn't that how "We practice these principals in all our affairs ?

mick3580

I don't often do written tenth steps, because the book just asks me to watch. So, I don't take a quiet hour when working step ten.

UncleMeat69

I may be wrong, but I think the OP may be referring
to Step 5, where it talks about taking a quiet hour after
Step 5 is completed to ensure nothing has been
omitted......

KyrieEleison

I was thinking about this only watching at step ten.

I went back and read the book and before it tells us to watch, the steps says to continue to take personal inventory.

I go back to the instructions to take personal inventory if I am to continue to take personal inventory and the instructions are specifically to write and list.

To take personal inventory is to write. To continue to take personal inventory is to continue to write, no?

So how do we not write at step 10, and merely watch, if the book tells us to continue to take personal inventory which means to write?

Curious on your take of this mick3580.

BadCompany

Nepsis. Just as the desert fathers practiced it.

mick3580

My take on this is that I do not equate "to take personal inventory" with "to write. It sounds like you are of the belief that "to take personal inventory means "to write." That's not my understanding. I think you can write if you want to, as sometimes you might not be able to see the truth. It's up to you, I suppose. I have written as a step ten practice, but my default is to just watch. I also follow the other parts of that step involving discussion with others and making amends and resolutely turning my thoughts to someone I can help. I also try to do this with carrying a vision of God's will into all my activities. I hope that makes things clear about how I do it.

UncleMeat69

I'm with you on this Mick. If we are working Step 10 on a regular basis it should not
be too hard to remember our daily defects or mistakes. Step 4 was a lifetime of
resentments and fear which would definitely take some writing - In fact, the BB
states six times that we write the 4th.
The most important facet of Step 10 is regularity because by doing the
5 parts of Step 10 consistently I am enabled to stay in a "fit spiritual
condition" sufficient to remain recovered and protected from relapse.
When I have, at times, neglected Step 10, I found it necessary to
write some to stay abreast of the resentments & fear that were
starting to seep into my life again. I keep saying, take out the
trash everyday and your house won't start to stink(ing) thinking.

Boleo

A whole hour? My take on the word "continue" means just that - continue.

"This thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along."
(page 84)

KyrieEleison

"Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four. A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock-in-trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values.

We did exactly the same thing with our lives. We took stock honestly. First, we searched out the flaws in our make-up which caused our failure. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations.

Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics 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. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. ..We listed."


"We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper..."

"Now about sex...
Review your own conduct over the years past. Where have you been selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate? Whom did you hurt? Did you unjustifiably arouse jealousy, suspicion or bitterness? Where you were at fault, what should you have done instead? Get this and all down on paper look at it."


How do we set or put on paper without writing?


How It Works, Alcoholics Anonymous, First Edition Quotes

mick3580

That is step four, not step ten.

KyrieEleison

Step 4 is personal inventory, step 10 says continue with personal inventory.

If step 4 defines what personal inventory is with directions to write and then step 10 tells us to continue with personal inventory...how is step 10's personal inventory different from step 4's definition of personal inventory?

GracieLou

"Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it."

Step 4 is past resentments/inventory. Step 10 is present and continues daily. If writing things down during the day helps then by all means, write it down. The point though is to take this inventory as you are living each day.

I am not at step 10 but that does not mean I cannot work it. There have been several occasions that I have gotten angry and short with someone. In the past I would have held on to it and only saw their part in it. Today I see that I was wrong and make amends that day if I can. I do not let it fester.

An example happened last week. I was messing with the vacuum cleaner. It was clogged and not working. I was frustrated. I had let my dog out and she was in my yard doing her business. My neighbor knocked on my door to let me know my dog was out. I sort of looked at him strange and said "Yeah I know, my dog is out and she is in my yard". I thought WTF? That was stupid of him.

Then I thought, well that was pretty rude of me. I was mad and frustrated with the vacuum and my bad attitude vented at him. He is a really nice guy and he is always looking out for my dog.

So an hour or so later when I saw him out I made a point to go over and apologize for being snippy. I also told him how much I appreciate that he looks out for my dog. He always makes an extra effort to say hi and pet her.

So I acted badly, I recognized it and I apologized for it. I took my inventory, I was wrong and promptly admitted it.