Now that you have worked through Steps One, Two, and Three, you should be really proud of the progress you are making. The 12-Steps are thorough, to say the least, and the fact that you are conceding to your innermost self that you are suffering from addiction, while trying to connect to a Higher Power, is a big deal. All this gets you ready for the personal inventory you must take to free you from the bondage of self.
Step Four states, “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” For this step to work, you must be painstaking and forthcoming with all that encompasses your life. Listing out your resentments, fears, relationships, and harms can give you a clear indication of what your character flaws are, which you can alter into strengths. Getting completely honest with yourself, with the help of your Higher Power, will give you the ability to experience a new attitude all around.
You will experience relief.
Basically, with a Fourth Step, you are purging all the information that keeps you mentally and spiritually sick in your addiction. The saying, “We are as sick as our secrets” really applies to this step. Suppressing all the painful and embarrassing things in your life can make you reach for a drug or a drink pretty quickly. Letting go of fears and resentments will take the weight of the world off your shoulders that maybe you did not even know was holding you back in your life. Through the process of the Fourth Step, you will find some major relief just by following the suggestions of this much-needed inventory.
You will experience hope.
Part of working the steps is knowing that when you get to the other side of the work, you will find benefits beyond your comprehension. When you are implementing steps in your life, the most important aspect is to trust the process. Sure, you can question why and how to work your Fourth Step to motivate you to keep moving forward. When you start second-guessing the process and think this inventory will not work for you (because you are scared to lay everything painful out), you are setting yourself up for relapse. You cannot keep going with all this negativity stuffed deep down and expect to not need to cope. This inventory will give you a chance to break free from your pain and stop having to rely on drugs and alcohol to carry you through. Take a chance on using your inventory to give you hope for a new life in recovery.
You will experience forgiveness.
Often the lack of forgiveness can make life very painful for a person. Holding grudges, reliving the past that cannot be changed, and holding onto negativity can antagonize you. Having these adverse feelings all of the time would no doubt make anyone want to reach for drugs and alcohol. Looking at each resentment, fear, and relationship in your Fourth Step gives you the opportunity to see your part and then dole out forgiveness to others and yourself. Forgiveness will give you a fast track to freedom because you no longer have to harbor unnecessary pain or suffering. All you have to do is be rigorously honest and open-minded in this step and you can find the desired happiness you have been searching for.
You will experience awareness.
The best part of this step is to allow you to understand who you are and why drinking and using made you feel comfortable. Writing out what makes you tick will allow you to see yourself in a new light so you will comprehend all the hurt you have been holding in. Taking the time to list out your inventory can be eye-opening. What you thought to be the underlying problem is probably beyond your scope and will explain more than you thought. You may find this inventory to be tedious and unnecessary, but this step will be the road map to mending relationships and seeing your character defects in a new light. Using this imperative information will grant personal and spiritual growth for you to build on.
You will experience gratitude.
Drugs and alcohol probably keep you from receiving true happiness instead of instant gratification. Each step you take in your recovery can show you how great being sober really is. Recovery produces confidence, resiliency, contentment, and many other attributes that make you see all the blessings bestowed onto you. Striving for daily gratitude is a practice that is rewarding and not something you can attain under the influence. Working a solid Fourth Step will assist in opening you up to be grateful for your past, as well as present, to manifest positivity with your future endeavors.
Do not be afraid to work your Fourth Step because of the work involved and the uncovering of things you intentionally have been trying to avoid. The promise of Step Four is to outgrow your fears and resentments so you can have a productive and fulfilling life in recovery.
We have plenty to say about recovery here at Valiant Living, and we would love for you to hear our offer of “Expanded Recovery” to enrich your mind, body, and spirit. With the power of recovery, you can be restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Give us a call today for more information: 303-536-5463
