The Starting Point

Before Step Four I felt completely stuck. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't identify what. I knew I needed to change but I didn't know how. I attended meetings and listened and felt hopeful but I didn't have any concrete way to start making changes in my own life.

I discovered a starting point for making some changes. Now I could actually use some tools of the program. This is what Step Four gave me – a starting point. Not the complete transformation but the place to begin. The inventory showed me specific patterns specific character defects specific situations where I get stuck. And once I could see them specifically I could start working with them.

Before I just had vague awareness that I was anxious or controlling or people-pleasing. Now I have concrete examples. This is when my controlling shows up. This is the pattern my people-pleasing follows. This is what triggers my anxiety. The specificity gives me something to work with.

And now I can use the tools. I can work Step Six on the specific defects I identified. I can pray about the specific patterns. I can call my sponsor when the specific situations arise. Step Four created the starting point. The remaining Steps give me the tools to work with what I discovered.

I can choose one specific pattern or defect from my Step Four inventory and identify one tool I can use with it. When this pattern shows up, I'll call my sponsor. When this defect activates, I'll pray Step Seven. Specificity makes the tools usable.