The True Answer To Recovery (Character Defects)

[crazylion]

" ANYONE CAN STOP DRINKING ALCOHOL, BUT IF YOU DO NOT FIX YOURSELF WHATS THE POINT?"

A quote from my sponsor and it rings true in every heart and soul in every meeting of A.A. across the world.

Step 4 in my opinion is the second most important step in our recovery. After we hit bottom and admit we are powerless over alcohol and our lives have become unmanageable what are we gonna do now?

For the average person it is unthinkable to look inside themselves and find the real problems. Its easier to blame all our drinking on the disease!!! But in order to put the disease in quarantine we have to use the tools in step 4 to minimize the spread of the negative behaviors that feed our disease of alcoholism.

Pride, arrogance, greed, lust, deceit, jealousy, hoarding, gluttony, and many more character defects keep us on the verge of taking another drink. As we write them down and bare our soul we break the power of the negative things that hold us down. And man is it a good feeling to let those things go.

There is room leftover to fill our heart and soul with good things like love, peace, joy, happiness and many more. Once the good things are in place our thought pattern begins to change as well. No longer are the triggers that used to bog us down so powerful.

If you have not begun to work on the character defects that inside all of us now is a great time to start. It is an important part to your recovery and also for your peace and serenity.

Thanks for letting me share..........

Brian

[NoCOguy]

Until I had a successful and meaningful 3rd step nothing mattered.

[Dallas]

Someone once said: "If you have a wheel with 12 spokes... which spoke is most important?"

If one of the spokes is missing or broke... it puts stress on the other spokes, weakens the wheel -- and is more likely to break.

Dallas

[Bobby D]

Somewhat new .. I'm starting day 10 of my new life..... !!! Seems to me steps 1 & step 4 are the esier steps albeit very important...I'm still struggling with 2 & 3.. accepting and turning ovver control to god is a toughie for me... have only been to one meeting but planning on more...

god bless

Bob

[DiggerinVA]

The steps are a way of life.

1-3 is the surrender.
4-9 is the clean up.
And 10-12 is how to live.

I kind of feel step 4 is practice for step 10, as is the rest of 4-9. You know learning how to check ourselves daily.

[Luv]

I'm glad to hear that you went to a meeting Bob. I hope that you found it as helpful as I do. Keep up the great work! You give me hope that I can do it too!

[GeoffS]

Someone once said: "If you have a wheel with 12 spokes... which spoke is most important?"

If one of the spokes is missing or broke... it puts stress on the other spokes, weakens the wheel -- and is more likely to break.

Dallas

Well said.

For me, step 4 is 8.33% important.