Review: Steps Big Book: Step 4
Review: Steps Big Book: Step 4
Review: Steps Big Book: Step 4
STEPS by the
BIG BOOK
This pamphlet spells out taking Step 4 as described in
chapter 5, How It Works from the Big Book, Alcoholics
Anonymous. The 4th Step inventory is a way of seeing how
our character defects, or old worn out defenses, are personal
stumbling blocks which can to be cleared out of the way in the
Steps that follow. Step 4 is about balance. And so we also
recognize our character assets, our positive attributes, and that
there is unbounded good in each of us.
Here are hints about how to proceed with Step 4 that have
been collected in the workbook and website, Steps by the Big
Book, <http://stepsbybigbook.net>. These are just suggestions.
Please ignore anything that you feel contradicts what you find
in the Big Book.
The 12 STEPS of ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
[Optional: the point ; Spiritual Principles]
STEP 1 We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
[Honesty I have a problem!]
STEP 2 Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
[Hope There‟s help for my problem.]
STEP 3 Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.
[Trust I make a commitment to follow ALL of the suggestions.]
STEP 5 Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
[Integrity I share who I am with someone else.]
STEP 6 Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
[Willingness As a result of Step 4, I see things about myself I would like to change.]
STEP 8 Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
[Compassion As a result of Step 4, I make a list of people that I mistreated, or for whom I had ill feelings.]
STEP 9 Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure
them or others.
[Justice If possible, I mend things with these people so that I can get rid of my bad feelings.]
STEP 10 Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
[Perseverance I look at ME daily. How am I doing: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?]
STEP 11 Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
[Spiritual awareness I continue to grow as a human being daily.]
STEP 12 Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message
to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
[Service I try to help other alcoholics/addicts, and to practice what I have learned in all areas of my life.]
Turnarounds
In focused meditation and prayer, we recognize that others like ourselves are
sick and suffering. We ask our higher power to help us wish for others and for
ourselves that we all may have deep happiness, genuine serenity, and peace of
mind. This helps return us to being right size, and gives us a new perspective as we
Step 4 Directions: ―Who, How, What,‖ & ―Why, When, Where and
Willing.‖
The directions for Step 4 are in the Big Book, yet surprisingly few alcoholics
in recovery comprehend them, and fewer still practice them. Our goal is to do both.
Our method is to follow the instructions as written and see what the results are.
The reading describes what an inventory is. (64: 1) Then the Big Book authors
look at the things in ourselves which had been blocking us (64: 0) from our higher
power, which turns out to be self, manifested in various ways. (64: 2) This chapter
specifically mentions the blocks to our spirit of our resentments (64: 3), our fears
(64: 3), and the consequences of our own conduct (69: 1) in the area of our personal
relationships (including sex). (64: 3 - 65: 0) For every one of these three
manifestations of self (anger, fear, sex) the book has us analyze our life experiences
in each of these four ways:
1ST We set them on paper. (64: 3) We learn that our troubles are not so much
who hurt us or how they did that, but rather may stem from our own reaction to
what part of ourselves is being threatened.
2ND We considered it carefully. (65: 3) Why work to change? We learn that
we have to wrestle with these issues or we may drink again and die.
3RD We turned back to the list. (66: 3) When we are ready to change we learn
we must avoid retaliation, and instead see others as being as sick and as worthy as
ourselves.
4TH Referring to our list again. (67: 2) By examining our defects and
shortcomings (50: 1), our motives (86: 2) and the exact nature of our wrongs (59:
2), we learn where we may be selfish, dishonest, self-seeking, and frightened (67:
2), we thereby become willing to set these matters straight. (67: 2)
Each of these four workings of our lists teaches us something from our own
experience that can keep us sober and open the way to our own higher power.
For our resentment inventory we will do a close and careful reading of
the Big Book pages 64 to 67, which are reprinted next. Also Fears, BB pages 67
to 68. And our sex and relationship conduct: BB pages 68 to 71.
Optional Step 4 written inventory forms are included.
An optional ‗pocket‘ Step 4 review guide written by a group member
concludes this hand-out.
STEP 4
Inventory: Assets & Defenses
―Who Am I?‖
69: 3 "In other words, we treat [resentment, fear or] sex[/relationship conduct] as
we would any other problem." [ie: MAKE A LIST, etc.]
64:1 “Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four. A
business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a 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.
[WHO]
“We LISTed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry.
[REPEAT:]
[WHO]
65:1 “On our grudge list we set opposite each name
[HOW]
“our injuries.
[WHAT]
“Was it our self-esteem, our security, our ambitions, our personal, or sex
relations, which had been interfered with?
[REPEAT:] 66:4 “This was our course: We realized that [WHO] the people who
wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick.
67:0 “Though we did not like [HOW] their symptoms and [WHAT] the way
these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us
show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a
sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, "This is a sick man. How
can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done."
67:1 “We avoid retaliation or argument. We wouldn't treat sick people that way. If
we do, we destroy our chance of being helpful. We cannot be helpful to all people,
but at least God will show us how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and
every one.
1. 14.
2. 15.
3. 16.
4. 17.
5. 18.
6. 19.
7. 20.
8. 21.
9. 22.
10. 23.
11. 24.
For every Third Column situation or event, and reaction, fill in resentment „turnarounds.‟
“Where am I responsible?” We write down and share precisely and in detail what our motives
were.
Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, [Second Column] we resolutely
looked for our own mistakes. (67: 2)
Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? (67: 2)
………………………………………………………………………
Where was I selfish? (67: 2) [Concern for self regardless of others. Self-absorbed.]
-
-
-
-
-
-
Where was I dishonest? (67: 2) [A tendency to deceit, conceal our true character,
lack perspective. We believed our own lies.]
-
-
-
-
-
-
Where was I self-seeking (67: 2) or inconsiderate? (69: 1) [Concern for self over
– or under – others.]
-
-
-
-
Write our faults. The inventory was ours, not the other man's. (67: 2) When we
saw our faults we listed them. We placed them [faults] before us in black and white.
(67: 2)
Where was I at fault? (67: 2) [A seismic gap between our own and others‟ deeply
held values or our own instincts in collision. Out of bounds? Miss the mark?]
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Why do we act this way? Because….see p. 338)
………………………………………………………………………
Willing to set matters straight. Were willing to set these matters straight. (67: 2)
2. 12.
3. 13.
4. 14.
5. 15.
6. 16.
7. 17.
8. 18.
9. 19.
10. 20.
1. First Column: Who threatened me? 1st Fear question: ―{#1}When did I first
have this fear?‖ (See 68: 1) Inventory one fear at a time.
2. Second Column: How did they threaten me? 2nd Fear question:
―{#2}Why do I have this fear?‖ We asked ourselves why we had them. (68: 1) We
literally ask over and over and over for each circumstance and every response, “Why do I
have this fear?” “And why do I fear that?” “And what is the reason I fear that?” Etc., etc.,
etc. We fear for our very existence. Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us? (68: 1)
We write just in this second column for now.
3. Third Column: What life instincts threatened?
Which of our instinctive social and security and sexual needs and desires were threatened and at
play in our reactions? Our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions… our security… our
personal or sex relations…were hurt…threatened…[or] had been interfered with. (64: 3 - 65:
0,1) [and we reacted!]
For every Third Column situation and our fear reaction, we fill in our
‗turnarounds.‘
Make multiple copies or expand in your notebook.
Where am I responsible? But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling? (67: 3)
Write our Motives. Referring to our list again. Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had
done, we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-
seeking and frightened? (67: 2) [motives (86: 2)]
We write down and share precisely and in detail what our motives were.
………………………………………………………………………
Where was I selfish? (67: 2) [Concern for self regardless of others. Self-absorbed.]
-
-
-
-
-
-
Where was I dishonest? (67: 2) [A tendency to deceit, conceal our true character,
lack perspective. We believed our own lies.]
-
-
-
-
-
-
Where was I self-seeking (67: 2) or inconsiderate? (69: 1) [Concern for self over
– or under – others.]
-
-
-
-
-
Where was I at fault? (67: 2) [A seismic gap between our own or others‟ deeply
held values or our own instincts in collision. Out of bounds? Miss the mark?]
-
-
-
-
-
(Why do we act this way? Because….see p. 338)
………………………………………………………………………
Willing to change.
Step 4 Fear Turnaround Meditation / Prayer.
1. 13.
2. 14.
3. 15.
4. 16.
5. 17.
6. 18.
7. 19.
8. 20.
9. 21.
10. 22.
For every Second Column and Third Column situation and event, fill in sex
and relationship ‗turnarounds.‘
Make multiple copies or expand in your notebook.
1.) 1ST Working of Grudge List (64: 3-65: 2): We set them on paper.
(64: 3)
Grudge List
First Column: Who? Second Column:
Who hurt or How? How did they
threatened me? hurt me?
Mr. Brown May get my job.
2.) 2ND Working of Grudge List (65: 3-66: 2): WHY? “Why must I
change?” Resentment is a waste of time. My anger leads to indignation
and self-pity. I will drink again if I think this way. If I drink I will die
spiritually, mentally, and physically.
3.) 3RD Working of Grudge List (66: 3-67: 1): WHEN? ―When I am
ready, what do I do?” They, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God
to help us. We avoid retaliation. (67: 0,1) Relaxation Meditation /
prayer. *