Online 4th Step Inventory Guide

[MajestyJo]

Step Four: Made a searching and fearless
moral inventory of ourselves.

"But in A.A. we slowly learned that something had to be
done about our vengeful resentments, self-pity, and
unwarranted pride. We had to see that every time we
played the big shot, we turned people against us. We
had to see that when we harbored grudges and planned
revenge for such defeats, we were really beating ourselves with the club of anger we had intended to use on others.

We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our first need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it."

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 47

At a NA meeting I shared that I had done three Fourth Steps. Two young men were shocked and one said, "My God, you must be about perfect by now!" LOL. One day at a time, I do get better. I was one of the really sick ones. God and I are still working toward it! When I got here I thought I was now that I quit drinking and using. The more I stayed sober the more I realized how much of my life was full of insanity. I have to work on my emotional sobriety (soundness of mind) for the rest of my life.

Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral
inventory of ourselves.

Step Four is our vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what these liabilities in each of us have been, and are. We want to find exactly how, when, and where our natural desires have warped us. We wish to look squarely at the unhappiness this has caused others and ourselves. By discovering what our emotional deformities are, we can move toward their correction. Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for us. Without a searching and fearless moral inventory, most of us have found that the faith which really works in daily living is still
out of reach.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pages 42-43

It was important for me to have the self-honesty and really look at myself. It was also good to balance the liabilities with good characteristics so I didn't beat myself up. It was important to know that I wasn't a bad person trying to be good but a sick person wanting to get well.