Fourth Step Inventory: A Guide to Making a Moral Inventory of Ourselves

The purpose of the Fourth Step is for you to begin to discover your values, what you consider to be right and wrong, behaviors, actions, and ideas that will help you to live up to your own standards of life.

This inventory is about who you are now, not who you were when you were drinking and using.

Be careful to not to blame all your past behavior and troubles on drinking and using. You can be clean and sober and still have a dysfunctional lifestyle that keeps you from living a spiritually harmonious life.

Do not be discouraged when your character defects are not immediately removed after you have completed your Fourth and Fifth Steps.

Continue with the rest of the steps, looking forward to experiencing the promises and miracles of all the twelve steps.

Chapters are:

• Preparation
  

• Purpose of the Fourth Step Inventory
  

• Prioritize
  

• Glossary of Words Used in the Fourth Step
  

• Checklist of Defects: Pride, Avarice, Lust, Envy, Anger, Gluttony, Sloth
  

• Time Out
  

• Welcome Back to the Next Day
  

• Practice Exercise
  

• Let’s Get Ready to Write Down Your Fourth Step on Paper
  

• Resentment Inventory
  

• Your Turn
  

• Examples of Being Selfish, Dishonest, Self-Seeking, and Frightened
  

• The Fear Inventory
  

• The Sex Inventory
  

• Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditons
  

• Character Assets
  

• The Serenity Prayer
  

• Just for Today

ED SAYS:

"Your Fourth Step inventory is not an exercise in beating yourself up. Be thoroughly honest and fair with yourself.

The checklists included with this guide are merely suggestions. You must decide for yourself how they fit with your own moral code.

Do not be limited by this list - it's okay to add other items you feel are relevant for you."

"God, grant me the SERENITY to ACCEPT the things I cannot change, the COURAGE to change the things I can and the WISDOM to know the difference."

Just a few more reminders:

* Don't quit before the miracle of recovery happens for you and don't quit after the miracle either.

* Pray

* Read your "Big Book" or other Twelve Step literature

* Talk to your sponsor on a regular basis

* Go to meetings regularly

* Trust God

* Help others

Keep Trudging the Road of Happy Destiny

Ed H.