AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)
April 13, 2016
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Step Four
"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."
Once we have complete willingness to take inventory, and exert ourselves to do the job thoroughly,
a wonderful light falls upon the foggy scene.
As we persist, a brand-new kind of confidence is born,
and the sense of relief at finally facing ourselves is indescribable.
These are the first fruits of Step Four.
- Tweve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 49-50
Thought to Ponder . . .
I stood in the sunlight at last.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
K I S S = Keep It Serenely Simple.
A Member Shares:
I'm Charlie J, and I have Alcoholism. When new, I had a real need to do Step 4 but got no encouragement to do it. Thank God, the instructions were written down by the early A.A. members. I had so much sick thinking about myself and others that I HAD to get it out. When I came to A.A., I had no idea what defects of character were. I believed we are born the way we are and that's the way we stay... good, bad or in between. While growing up, I didn't see my loved ones making changes. I'm not even sure they needed to change, or if they even knew how to change. So my first attempt at Step 4 was, ah, less than what would later be needed to ensure I stayed stopped. This self-searching was all new to me. I did do the best I could at the time. I didn't and couldn't and can't do it perfectly. I believe the willingness I needed to go forward in spite of any fear I may have had carried the day. The 4th Step does say in the Big Book that this is the beginning of a lifetime process. So no 4th Step for me would have been a direct route back to the bottle. Any honest effort to move forward seems to be the main requirement for a successful first 4th Step. And, by the way, as I continued to self-search I found I had not done or created any new original sins. I was doing the same things Human Beings have been doing since we first walked the Earth. To sum up, I was much too afraid to drink again not to do a 4th Step. "Keep It Simple." Thank you.
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(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)
Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org
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