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Step Two
“We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
Step One strips us of our illusions about addiction; Step Two gives us hope for recovery.
The Second Step tells us that what we found out about our addiction in the First Step is
not the end of the story. The pain and insanity with which we have been living are
unnecessary, says Step Two. They can be relieved and, in time, we will learn to live
without them through working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous.
The Second Step fills the void we feel when we've finished Step One. As we approach
Step Two, we begin to consider that maybe, just maybe, there's a Power greater than
ourselves-a Power capable of healing our hurt, calming our confusion, and restoring our
sanity.
When we were new in the program, many of us were puzzled by this step's implication
that we had been insane. From acknowledging our powerlessness to admitting our
"insanity" seemed an awfully large leap. However, after being around the program for a
while, we began to understand what this step was really about. We read the Basic Text
and found that our insanity was defined there as "repeating the same mistakes and
expecting different results." We could certainly relate to that! After all, how many times
had we tried to get away with something we had never gotten away with before, each
time telling ourselves, "It will be different this time." Now, that's insane! As we live the
principles of this step for many years, we discover how deep our insanity actually runs;
we often find that the Basic Text definition just scratches the surface.
Some of us resisted this step because we thought it required us to be religious. Nothing
could be further from the truth. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, in the NA program
that requires a member to be religious. The idea that "anyone may join us, regardless of...
religion or lack of religion" is fiercely defended by our fellowship. Our members strive to
be inclusive in this regard and do not tolerate anything that compromises the
unconditional right of all addicts to develop their own individual understanding of a
Power greater than themselves. This is a spiritual, not religious, program.
The beauty of the Second Step is revealed when we begin to think about what our Higher
Power can be. We are encouraged to choose a Power that is loving, caring, and-most
importantly - able to restore us to sanity. The Second Step does not say, "We came to
believe in a Power greater than ourselves." It says, "We came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." The emphasis is not on who or what
this Power is, but on what this Power can do for us. The group itself certainly qualifies as
a Power greater than ourselves. So do the spiritual principles contained in the Twelve
Steps. And, of course, so does the understanding any one of our individual members has
of a Higher Power. As we stay clean and continue to work this step, we discover that no
matter how long our addiction has gone on and how far our insanity has progressed,
there's no limit to the ability of a Power greater than ourselves to restore our sanity.
Hope
The hope we get from working Step Two replaces the desperation with which we came
into the program. Every time we had followed what we'd thought would be a path out of
our addiction - medicine, religion, or psychiatry, for instance - we found they only took
us so far; none of these was sufficient for us. As we ran out of options and exhausted our
resources, we wondered if we'd ever find a solution to our dilemma, if there were
anything in the world that worked. In fact, we may have been slightly suspicious when
we first came to Narcotics Anonymous, wondering if this was just another method that
wouldn't work, or that wouldn't work well enough for us to make a difference.
However, something remarkable occurred to us as we sat in our first few meetings. There
were other addicts there who had used drugs just as we had, addicts who were now clean.
We believed in them. We knew we could trust them. They knew the places we'd been to
in our addiction-not just the using hangouts, not just the geographic locations, but the
hangouts of horror and despair our spirits had visited each time we'd used. The
recovering addicts we met in NA knew those places as well as we did because they had
been there themselves.
It was when we realized that these other members - addicts like ourselves - were staying
clean and finding freedom that most of us first experienced the feeling of hope. We may
have been standing with a group of members after a meeting. We may have been
listening to someone share a story just like our own. Most of us can recall that moment,
even years later -and that moment comes to all of us.
Our hope is renewed throughout our recovery. Each time something new is revealed to us
about our disease, the pain of that realization is accompanied by a surge of hope. No
matter how painful the process of demolishing our denial may be, something else is being
restored in its place within us. Even if we don't feel like we believe in anything, we do
believe in the program. We believe that we can be restored to sanity, even in the most
hopeless times, even in our sickest areas.

What do I have hope about today?
Insanity
If we have any doubts about the need for a renewal of sanity in our lives, we're going to
have trouble with this step. Reviewing our First Step should help us if we're having
doubts. Now is the time to take a good look at our insanity.

Did I believe I could control my using? What were some of my experiences with this, and
how were my efforts unsuccessful?

What things did I do that I can hardly believe I did when I look back at them? Did I put
myself in dangerous situations to get drugs? Did I behave in ways of which I'm now
ashamed? What were those situations like?

Did I make insane decisions as a result of my addiction? Did I quit jobs, leave friendships
and other relationships, or give up on achieving other goals for no reason other than that
those things interfered with my using?

Did I ever physically injure myself or someone else in my addiction?
Insanity is a loss of our perspective and our sense of proportion. For example, we may
think that our personal problems are more important than anyone else's; in fact, we may
not even be able to consider other people's needs at all. Small problems become major
catastrophes. Our lives get out of balance. Some obvious examples of insane thinking are
the belief that we can stay clean on our own, or the belief that using drugs was our only
problem and that everything is fine now just because we're clean. In Narcotics
Anonymous, insanity is often described as the belief that we can take something outside
ourselves-drugs1 power, sex, food-to fix what's wrong inside ourselves: our feelings.

How have I overreacted or underreacted to things? How has my life been out of balance?

In what ways does my insanity tell me that things outside myself can make me whole or
solve all my problems? Using drugs? Compulsive gambling, eating, or sex seeking?
Something else?

Is part of my insanity the belief that the symptom of my addiction (using drugs or some
other manifestation) is my only problem?
If we've been clean for a while, we may find that a whole new level of denial is making it
difficult to see the insanity in our lives. Just as we did in the beginning of our recovery,
we need to become familiar with the ways in which we have been insane. Many of us
have found that our understanding of insanity goes further than the definition of insanity
in the Basic Text. We make the same mistakes over and over again, even when we're
fully aware of what the results will be. Perhaps we're hurting so bad that we don't care
about the consequences, or we figure that acting on an obsession will somehow be worth
the price.

When we've acted on an obsession, even though we knew what the results would be,
what were we feeling and thinking beforehand? What made us go ahead?
Coming to Believe
The discussion above provided several reasons why we may have trouble with this step.
There may be others. It's important for us to identify and overcome any barriers that
could prevent us from coming to believe.

Do I have any fears about coming to believe? What are they?

Do I have any other barriers that make it difficult for me to believe? What are they?

What does the phrase, "We came to believe...," mean to me?

As addicts, we're prone to wanting everything to happen instantly. But it's important to
remember that Step Two is a process, not an event. Most of us don't just wake up one day
and know that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. We gradually grow
into this belief. Still, we don't have to just sit back and wait for our belief to grow on its
own; we can help it along.Have I ever believed in anything for which I didn't have
tangible evidence? What was that experience like?

What experiences have I heard other recovering addicts share about the process of
coming to believe? Have I tried any of them in my life?

In what do I believe?

How has my belief grown since I've been in recovery?
A Power Greater Than Ourselves
Each one us comes to recovery with a whole history of life experiences. That history will
determine to a large degree the kind of understanding we develop of a Power greater than
ourselves. In this step, we don't have to have a lot of specific ideas about the nature or
identity of that Higher Power. That sort of understanding will come later. The kind of
understanding of a Higher Power that's most important to find in the Second Step is an
understanding that can help us. We're not concerned here with theological elegance or
doctrinal adherence - we just want something that works.
How powerful does a Power greater than ourselves have to be? The answer to that
question is simple. Our addiction as a negative power was, without a doubt, greater than
we were. Our addiction led us down a path of insanity and caused us to act differently
than we wanted to behave. We need something to combat that, something at least as
powerful as our addiction.

Do I have problems accepting that there is a power or powers greater than myself?

What are some things that are more powerful than I am?

Can a Power greater than myself help me stay clean? How?

Can a Power greater than I am help me recover? How?
Some of us may have a very clear idea about the nature of a Power greater than ourselves,
and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, Step Two is the point at which
many of us begin to form our first practical ideas about a Power greater than ourselves, if
we haven't already. Many addicts have found it helpful to identify what a Power greater
than ourselves is not before identifying what it is. In addition, looking at what a Power
greater than ourselves can do for us may help us begin to discover more about that
Power.
There are many, many understandings of a Power greater than ourselves that we can
develop. We can think of it as the power of spiritual principles, the power of the NA
Fellowship, "Good Orderly Direction," or anything else of which we can conceive, as
long as it is loving and caring and more powerful than we are. As a matter of fact, we
don't have to have any understanding at all of a Power greater than ourselves to be able to
use that Power to stay clean and seek recovery.

What evidence do I have that a Higher Power is working in my life?

What are the characteristics my Higher Power does not have?

What are the characteristics my Higher Power has?
Restoration to Sanity
It Works: How and Why defines the term "restoration" as "changing to a point where
addiction and its accompanying insanity are not controlling our lives."
We find that just as our insanity was evident in our loss of perspective and sense of
proportion, so we can see sanity in our lives when we begin developing a perspective that
allows us to make better decisions. We find that we have choices about how to act. We
begin to have the maturity and wisdom to slow down and consider all aspects of a
situation before acting.
Naturally, our lives will change. Most of us have no trouble identifying the sanity in our
lives when we compare our using with our early recovery, our early recovery with some
time clean, and some time clean with long-term recovery. All of this is a process, and our
need for a restoration to sanity will change over time.
When we're new in the program, being restored to sanity probably means not having to
use anymore; when that happens, perhaps some of the insanity that is directly and
obviously tied to our using will stop. We'll quit committing crimes to get drugs. We'll
cease putting ourselves in certain degrading situations that serve no purpose but our
using.
If we've been in recovery for some time, we may find that we have no trouble believing
in a Power greater than ourselves that can help us stay clean, but we may not have
considered what a restoration to sanity means to us beyond staying clean. As we grow in
our recovery, it's very important that our idea of the meaning of "sanity" also grows.

What are some things I consider examples of sanity?

What changes in my thinking and behavior are necessary for my restoration to sanity? In
what areas of my life do I need sanity now?

How is restoration a process?

How will working the rest of the steps help me in my restoration to sanity?

How has sanity already been restored to me in my recovery?
Some of us may have unrealistic expectations about being restored to sanity. We may
think that we'll never get angry again or that, as soon as we start to work this step, we will
behave perfectly all the time and have no more trouble with obsessions, emotional
turmoil, or imbalance in our lives. This description may seem extreme, but if we find
ourselves disappointed with our personal growth in recovery or the amount of time it
takes to be "restored to sanity," we may recognize some of our beliefs in this description.
Most of us have found that we gain the most serenity by letting go of any expectations we
may have about how our recovery is progressing.

What expectations do I have about being restored to sanity? Are they realistic, or
unrealistic?

Are my realistic expectations about how my recovery is progressing being met or not? Do
I understand that recovery happens over time, not overnight?

Finding ourselves able to act sanely, even once, in a situation with which we were never
able to deal successfully before is evidence of sanity.

Have I had any experiences like that in my recovery? What were they?
Spiritual Principles
In the Second Step, we will focus on open-mindedness, willingness, faith, trust, and
humility.
The principle of open-mindedness that we find in the Second Step arises from the
understanding that we can't recover alone, that we need some kind of help. It continues
with opening our minds to believing that help is possible for us. It doesn't matter whether
we have any idea of how this Power greater than ourselves is going to help, just that we
believe it's possible.

Why is having a closed mind harmful to my recovery?

How am I demonstrating open-mindedness in my life today?

In what ways has my life changed since I've been in recovery? Do I believe more change
is possible?
Practicing the principle of willingness in the Second Step may begin simply. At first we
may just go to meetings and listen to other recovering addicts share about their
experiences with this step. Then we may begin applying what we hear to our own
recovery. Of course, we ask our sponsor to guide us.

What am I willing to do to be restored to sanity?

Is there something I am now willing to do that I was previously unwilling to do? What is
it?
We can't just sit back and wait to feel a sense of faith when working Step Two. We have
to work at it. One of the suggestions that has worked for many of us is to "act as if" we
had faith. This doesn't mean that we should be dishonest with ourselves. We don't need to
lie to our sponsor or anyone else about where we are with this step. We're not doing this
to sound good or look good. "Acting as if" simply means living as though we believe that
what we hope for will happen. In the Second Step, this would mean living as though we
expect to be restored to sanity. There are a variety of ways this may work in our
individual lives. Many members suggest that we can begin "acting as if" by going to
meetings regularly and taking direction from our sponsor.

What action have I been taking that demonstrates my faith? How has my faith grown?

Have I been able to make plans, having faith that my addiction isn't going to get in the
way?
Practicing the principle of trust may require overcoming a sense of fear about the process
of being restored to sanity. Even if we've been clean only a short time, we've probably
already experienced some emotional pain as we've grown in recovery. We may be afraid
that there will be more pain. In one sense, we're right about this: There will be more pain.
None of it, however, will be more than we can bear, and none of it has to be borne alone.
If we can develop our sense of trust in the process of recovery and in a Power greater
than ourselves, we can walk through the painful times in our recovery. We'll know that
what's waiting on the other side will be more than just superficial happiness, but a
fundamental transformation that will make our lives more satisfying on a deeper level.

What fears do I have that are getting in the way of my trust?

What do I need to do to let go of these fears?

What action am I taking that demonstrates my trust in the process of recovery and a
Power Greater Than Myself
The principle of humility springs from our acknowledgment that there is a Power greater
than ourselves. It's a tremendous struggle for most of us to stop relying on our own
thinking and begin to ask for help, but when we do, we have begun to practice the
principle of humility found in the Second Step.

Have I sought help from a Power greater than myself today? How?

Have I sought help from my sponsor, gone to meetings, and reached out to other
recovering addicts? What were the results?
Moving On
As we get ready to go on to Step Three, we'll want to take a look at what we've gained by
working Step Two. Writing about our understanding of each step as we prepare to move
on helps us internalize the spiritual principles connected to it.

What action can I take that will help me along in the process of coming to believe?

What am I doing to work on overcoming any unrealistic expectations I may have about
being restored to sanity?

What is my understanding of Step Two?

How has my prior knowledge and experience affected my work on this step?
As we move on to Step Three, a sense of hope is probably arising within our spirits. Even
if we're not new in recovery, we've just reinforced our knowledge that recovery, growth,
and change are not just possible but inevitable when we make the effort to work the steps.
We can see the possibility of relief from the particular brand of insanity in which we've
most recently been gripped by our addiction. We've probably already begun to experience
some freedom. We're beginning to be released from the blind pursuit of our insanity.
We've explored our insanity and have started to trust a Power greater than ourselves to
relieve us from having to continue on the same path. We're beginning to be freed from
our illusions. We no longer have to struggle to keep our addiction a secret or isolate
ourselves to hide our insanity. We have seen how the program has worked for others, and
we have discovered that it is beginning to work for us as well. Through our newfound
faith, we achieve the willingness to move into action and work Step Three.
Step Three
"We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we
understood Him."
We've worked Steps One and Two with our sponsor-we've surrendered, and we've
demonstrated our willingness to try something new. This has charged us with a strong
sense of hope. But if we do not translate our hope into action right now, it will fade away,
and we'll end up right back where we started. The action we need to take is working Step
Three.
The central action in Step Three is a decision. The idea of making that decision may
terrify us, especially when we look at what we're deciding to do in this step. Making a
decision, any decision, is something most of us haven't done in a long time. We've had
our decisions made for us-by our addiction, by the authorities, or just by default because
we didn't want the responsibility of deciding anything for ourselves. When we add to this
the concept of entrusting the care of our will and our lives to something that most of us
don't understand at this point, we may just think this whole thing is beyond us and start
looking for a shortcut or an easier way to work our programs. These thoughts are
dangerous, for when we take shortcuts in our program, we short circuit our recovery.
The Third Step decision may be too big to make in one leap. Our fears of the Third Step,
and the dangerous thinking to which those fears lead, can be eased by breaking this step
down into a series of smaller, separate hurdles. The Third Step is just one more piece of
the path of recovery from our addiction. Making the Third Step decision doesn't
necessarily mean that we must suddenly, completely change everything about the way we
live our lives. Fundamental changes in our lives happen gradually as we work on our
recovery, and all such changes require our participation. We don't have to be afraid that
this step will do something to us that we're not ready for or won't like.
It is significant that this step suggests we turn our will and our lives over to the care of
the God of our understanding. These words are particularly important. By working the
Third Step, we are allowing someone or something to care for us, not control us or
conduct our lives for us. This step does not suggest that we become mindless robots with
no ability to live our own lives, nor does it allow those of us who find such
irresponsibility attractive to indulge such an urge. Instead, we are making a simple
decision to change direction, to stop rebelling at the natural and logical flow of events in
our lives, to stop wearing ourselves out trying to make everything happen as if we were
in charge of the world. We are accepting that a Power greater than ourselves will do a
better job of caring for our will and our lives than we have. We are furthering the spiritual
process of recovery by beginning to explore what we understand the word "God" to mean
to us as individuals.
In this step, each one of us will have to come to some conclusions about what we think
"God" means. Our understanding doesn't have to be complex or complete. It doesn't have
to be like anyone else's. We may discover that we're very sure what God isn't for us, but
not what God is, and that's okay. The only thing that is essential is that we begin a search
that will allow us to further our understanding as our recovery continues. Our concept of
God will grow as we grow in our recovery. Working the Third Step will help us discover
what works best for us.
Making a Decision
As we've already discussed, many of us may find ourselves unnerved by the thought of
making a big decision. We may feel intimidated or overwhelmed. We may fear the results
or the implied commitment. We may think it's a once-and-for-all action and fear that we
won't do it right or have the opportunity to do it over again. However, the decision to turn
our will and lives over to the care of the God of our understanding is one we can make
over and over again daily if need be. In fact, we're likely to find that we must make this
decision regularly, or risk losing our recovery because of complacency.
It is essential that we involve our hearts and spirits in this decision. Though the word
"decision" sounds like something that takes place mostly in the mind, we need to do the
work necessary to go beyond an intellectual understanding and internalize this choice.

Why is making a decision central to working this step?

Can I make this decision just for today? Do I have any fears or reservations about it?
What are they?
We need to realize that making a decision without following it up with action is
meaningless. For example, we can decide one morning to go somewhere and then sit
down and not leave our homes for the rest of that day. Doing so would render our earlier
decision meaningless, no more significant than any random thought we may have.

What action have I taken to follow through on my decision?

What areas of my life are difficult for me to turn over? Why is it important that I turn
them over anyway?
Self-Will
Step Three is critical because we've acted on self-will for so long, abusing our right to
make choices and decisions. So what exactly is self-will? Sometimes it's total withdrawal
and isolation. We end up living a very lonely and self-absorbed existence. Sometimes
self-will causes us to act to the exclusion of any considerations other than what we want.
We ignore the needs and feelings of others. We barrel through, stampeding over anyone
who questions our right to do whatever we want. We become tornadoes, whipping
through the lives of family, friends, and even strangers, totally unconscious of the path of
destruction we have left behind. If circumstances aren't to our liking, we try to change
them by any means necessary to achieve our aims. We try to get our way at all costs. We
are so busy aggressively pursuing our impulses that we completely lose touch with our
conscience and with a Higher Power. To work this step, each one of us needs to identify
the ways in which we have acted on self-will.

How have I acted on self-will? What were my motives?

How has acting on self-will affected my life? How has my self-will affected others?
Surrendering our self-will doesn't mean we can't pursue goals or try to make changes in
our lives and the world. It doesn't mean we have to passively accept injustices to
ourselves or to people for whom we're responsible. We need to differentiate between
destructive self-will and constructive action.

Will pursuing my goals harm anyone? How?

In the pursuit of what I want, is it likely that I will end up doing something that adversely
affects myself or others? Explain.

Will I have to compromise any of my principles to achieve this goal? (For example: Will
I have to be dishonest? Cruel? Disloyal?)
If we are new in the program and just beginning to work Step Three, we will probably
end up wondering what God's will is for us, thinking that the step asks us to find this out.
Actually, we don't formally focus our attention on seeking knowledge of our Higher
Power's will for us until the Eleventh Step, but we do begin the process that will lead us
to that point in Step Three.
God's will for us is something we will gradually come to know as we work the steps. At
this point we can come to some very simple conclusions about our Higher Power's will
for us that will serve us well for the time being. It is our Higher Power's will for us to stay
clean. It is our Higher Power's will for us to do things that will help us stay clean, such as
going to meetings and talking to our sponsor regularly.

Describe the times when my will hasn't been enough. (For example, I couldn't stay clean
on my own will.)

What is the difference between my will and God's will?
At some point in our recovery, we may find that we have somehow shifted from trying to
align our will with a Higher Power's to running on self-will. This happens so slowly and
subtly that we hardly even notice. It seems as though we're especially vulnerable to selfwill
when things are going well. We cross the fine line that divides humble and honest
pursuit of goals from subtle manipulation and forced results. We find ourselves going just
a little too far in a discussion to convince someone that we are right. We find ourselves
holding on to something just a little too long. We suddenly realize that we haven't
contacted our sponsor in quite a while. We feel a quiet, almost subconscious discomfort
that will alert us to this subtle shift away from recovery - if we listen.

Have there been times in my recovery when I've found myself subtly taking back my will
and my life? What alerted me? What have I done to recommit myself to the Third Step?
The God of Our Understanding
Before we delve deeply into the process of turning our will and our lives over to the care
of the God of our understanding, we should work on overcoming any negative beliefs or
unproductive preconceptions we may have about the word "God."

Does the word "God," or even the concept itself, make me uncomfortable? What is the
source of my discomfort?

Have I ever believed that God caused horrible things to happen to me or was punishing
me? What were those things?
Our Basic Text suggests that we choose an understanding of our Higher Power that is
loving and caring and greater than ourselves. These simple guidelines can encompass as
many understandings of God as there are NA members. They don't exclude anyone. If we
understand the word "God" to mean the Power of the program, these guidelines fit. If we
understand the word "God" to mean the spiritual principles of the program, these
guidelines fit. If we understand the word "God" to mean a personal power or being with
which we can communicate, these guidelines fit. It is essential that we begin exploring
and developing our understanding. Our sponsor can help immeasurably in this process.

What is my understanding of a Power greater than myself today? How is my Higher
Power working in my life?
As important as it is to figure out what our Higher Power is to us, it is more important
that we develop a relationship with whatever we understand that Power to be. We can do
this in a variety of ways. First, we need to somehow communicate with our Higher
Power. Some of us call this prayer, and some call it other things. This communication
does not have to be formal, or even verbal.
Second, we need to be open to communication from our Higher Power. This may be done
by paying attention to how we feel, our reactions, and what is going on inside and around
us. Or we may have a personal routine that helps us connect with a Power greater than
ourselves. It may be that our Higher Power speaks to us or helps us see the right thing to
do through our fellow NA members.
Third, we need to allow ourselves to have feelings about the God of our understanding.
We may get angry. We may feel love. We may feel frightened. We may feel grateful. It's
okay to share the entire range of human emotion with our Higher Power. This allows us
to feel closer to the Power upon which we rely and helps develop our trust in that Power.

How do I communicate with my Higher Power?

How does my Higher Power communicate with me? What feelings do I have about my
Higher Power?
As many of us stay clean for some time, we work on developing an understanding of God
for ourselves. Our growing understanding reflects our experiences. We mature into an
understanding of God that gives us peace and serenity. We trust our Higher Power and
are optimistic about life. We begin to feel that our lives are touched by something beyond
our comprehension, and we are glad and grateful that this is so.
Then something happens that challenges everything we believe about our Higher Power
or makes us doubt the existence of that Power altogether. It may be a death, or an
injustice, or a loss. Whatever it is, it leaves us feeling as though we've been kicked in the
stomach. We just can't understand it.
Times like these are when we need our Higher Power the most, though we probably find
ourselves instinctively drawing away. Our understanding of a Higher Power is about to
undergo a dramatic change. We need to keep reaching out to our Higher Power, asking
for acceptance if not understanding. We need to ask for strength to go on. Eventually we
will reestablish our relationship with our Higher Power, although probably on different
terms.

Am I struggling with changing beliefs about the nature of my Higher Power? Describe.

Is my current concept of a Higher Power still working? How might it need to change?
As our understanding of a Higher Power grows and evolves, we'll find that we react
differently to what goes on in our lives. We may find ourselves able to courageously face
situations that used to strike fear in our hearts. We may deal with frustrations more
gracefully. We may find ourselves able to pause and think about a situation before acting.
We'll probably be calmer, less compulsive, and more able to see beyond the immediacy
of the moment.
Turning It Over
The order in which we prepare to surrender our will and our lives to the care of the God
of our understanding is significant. Many of us have found that we actually follow the
order in the step: First, we turn over our will; then, gradually, we turn over our lives. It
seems that it's easier for us to grasp the destructive nature of our self-will and see that it
must be surrendered; consequently, it's usually the first to go. Harder for us to grasp is the
need to turn over our lives and the process of that surrender.
For us to be comfortable with allowing our Higher Power to care for our lives, we will
have to develop some trust. We may have no trouble turning over our addiction, but want
to remain in control of the rest of our lives. We may trust our Higher Power to care for
our work lives, but not our relationships. We may trust our Higher Power to care for our
partners1 but not our children. We may trust our Higher Power with our safety, but not
our finances. Many of us have trouble letting go completely. We think we trust our
Higher Power with certain areas of our lives, but immediately take back control the first
time we get scared or things aren't going the way we think they should. It's necessary for
us to examine our progress in turning it over.

What does "to the care of" mean to me?

What does it mean for me to turn my will and my life over to the care of the God of my
understanding?

How might my life be changed if I make the decision to turn it over to my Higher
Power's care?

How do I allow my Higher Power to work in my life?

How does my Higher Power care for my will and my life?

Have there been times when I have been unable to let go and trust God to care for the
outcome of a particular situation? Describe.

Have there been times when I have been able to let go and trust God for the outcome?
Describe.
To turn our will and our lives over to the care of our Higher Power, we must take some
kind of action. Many of us find that it works best for us to make some formal declaration
on a regular basis. We may want to use the following quote from our Basic Text: "Take
my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how to live." This seems to
capture the essence of Step Three for many of us. However, we can certainly feel free to
find our own words, or to find a more informal way of taking action. Many of us believe
that every day we abstain from using, or take suggestions from our sponsor, we are taking
practical action on our decision to turn our will and lives over to the care of our Higher
Power.

How do I take action to turn it over? Are there any words I say regularly? What are they?
Spiritual Principles
In considering the spiritual principles intrinsic to Step Three, we will focus first on
surrender and willingness. Then we will look at how hope translates into faith and trust.
Finally, we will see how the principle of commitment is fled to the Third Step.
Practicing the principle of surrender is easy for us when everything is going along as we'd
like-we think. Actually, when things are going smoothly, it's more likely that we are
being lulled into a belief that we're in charge, which doesn't require much "surrender."
Keeping the principle of surrender to the care of the God of our understanding alive in
our spirits is essential, even when things are going well.

What am I doing to reinforce my decision to allow my Higher Power to care for my will
and my life?

How does the Third Step allow me to build on the surrender I've developed in Steps One
and Two?
We usually feel most willing immediately following a surrender. Willingness often
comes in the wake of despair or a struggle for control. We can practice the principle of
willingness, though, before it becomes necessary and possibly save ourselves some pain.

In what ways have I demonstrated willingness in my recovery so far?

Am I fighting anything in my recovery? What do I think would happen if I became
willing to let recovery prevail in that area of my life?
There is a spiritual progression from hope to faith to trust in the Third Step. As we begin
Step Three, we carry with us the sense of hope that was born in us as we worked the
Second Step. Hope springs from the knowledge that our life is full of possibilities - there
are no hard certainties yet, just the first whispers of anticipation that we just may be able
to fulfill our heart's deepest desires. Lingering doubts fade as hope becomes faith. Faith
propels us forward into action; we actually do the work that those we have faith in are
telling us is necessary if we are to achieve what we want. In the Third Step, faith gives us
the capacity to actually make a decision and carry that decision into action. Trust comes
into play after faith has been applied. We have probably made significant progress toward
fulfilling our goals; now we have evidence that we can influence the course of our lives
through taking positive action.

How have hope, faith, and trust become positive forces in my life?

What further action can I take to apply the principles of hope, faith, and trust in my
recovery?

What evidence do I have that I can trust confidently in my recovery?
The principle of commitment is the culmination of the spiritual process of Step Three.
Making the decision to "turn it over," over and over again, even when our decision
doesn't seem to be having any positive effect, is what this step is all about. We can
practice the spiritual principle of commitment by reaffirming our decision on a regular
basis and by continuing to take action that gives our decision substance and meaning-for
instance, working the rest of the steps.

What have I done recently that demonstrates my commitment to recovery and to working
a program? (For example: Have I taken a service position in NA? Have I agreed to
sponsor another recovering addict? Have I continued to go to meetings no matter what I
was feeling about them? Have I continued to work with my sponsor even after he or she
told me an unpleasant truth or gave me some direction I didn't want to follow? Did I
follow that direction?)
Moving On
As we get ready to go on to Step Four, we'll want to take a look at what we've gained by
working Step Three. Writing about our understanding of each step as we prepare to move
on helps us internalize the spiritual principles connected to it.

Do I have any reservations about my decision to turn my will and my life over to God's
care?

Do I feel that I am now ready to turn it over?

How does my surrender in the First Step help me in the Third Step?

What action do I plan to take to follow through on my decision? How does working the
remainder of the steps fit into this?
We wind up our work on Step Three with an increase in our level of freedom. If we've
been thorough with this step, we're profoundly relieved to realize that the world will go
along just fine without our intervention. The responsibility of running everything is a
huge burden, and we're happy to lay it down. We may feel comforted that a loving God is
caring for our will and our lives, letting us know in subtle ways that the path we're on is
the right one. We've seen our old ideas for what they were, and we're willing to let go of
them and allow change to happen in our lives. We may even find that we're willing to
take some risks we never had the courage to take before, because we're secure in the
knowledge of our Higher Power's care for us.
Some people pause before making major decisions and ground themselves in their own
spirituality. We look to the source of our strength, invite our Higher Power to work in our
lives, and move forward once we're sure we're on the right track. Now we need to take
another step along the path of recovery, a step that makes our Third Step decision real.
It's time to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step Four
"We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."
Most of us came to Narcotics Anonymous because we wanted to stop something - using
drugs. We probably didn't put much thought into what we were starting-a program of
recovery-by coming to NA. But if we haven't taken a look at what we're getting out of
this program, now might be a good time to pause and think about it.
First, we should ask ourselves what we want out of recovery. Most of us answer this
question by saying that we just want to be comfortable, or happy, or serene. We just want
to like ourselves. But how can we like ourselves when we didn't even know who we are?
The Fourth Step gives us the means to begin finding out who we are, the information
we'll need to begin to like ourselves and get those other things we expect from the
program-comfort, happiness, serenity.
The Fourth Step heralds a new era in our recovery. Steps Four through Nine can be
thought of as a process within a process. We will use the information we find in working
the Fourth Step to work our Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Steps. This process
is meant to be done over and over again in recovery.
There is an analogy for this process that is particularly apt. We can think of ourselves as
an onion. Each time we begin a Fourth Step, we are peeling away a layer of the onion and
getting closer to the core. Each layer of the onion represents another layer of denial, the
disease of addiction, our character defects, and the harm we've caused. The core
represents the pure and healthy spirit that lies at the center of each one of us. It is our goal
in recovery to have a spiritual awakening, and we get closer to that by beginning this
process. Our spirits awaken a little more each time we go through it.
The Fourth Step is a method for learning about ourselves, and it is as much about finding
our character assets as it is about identifying the exact nature of our wrongs. The
inventory process is also an avenue to freedom. We have been prohibited from being free
for so long-probably all our lives. Many of us have discovered, as we worked the Fourth
Step, that our problems didn't begin the first time we took drugs, but long before, when
the seeds of our addiction were actually planted. We may have felt isolated and different
long before we took drugs. In fact, the way we felt and the forces that drove us are
completely enmeshed with our addiction; it was our desire to change the way we felt and
to subdue those forces that led us to take our first drug. Our inventory will lay bare the
unresolved pain and conflicts in our past so that we are no longer at their mercy. We'll
have a choice. We'll have achieved a measure of freedom.
This portion of the Step Working Guides actually has two distinct sections. The first
helps us prepare to work the Fourth Step by guiding us through an exploration of our
motives for working this step and what this step means to us. The second part is a guide
for actually taking a searching and fearless moral inventory.
Motivation
Though our motivation for working the Fourth Step is not as important as actually
working the Fourth Step, we may find it helpful to examine and dispel any reservations
we have about this step, and think about some of the benefits we will get as a result of
working this step.

Do I have any reservations about working this step? What are they?

What are some of the benefits that could come from making a searching and fearless
moral inventory of myself?

Why shouldn't I procrastinate about working this step? What are the benefits of not
procrastinating?
Searching and Fearless
This is the phrase that has most puzzled many of us. We probably understand what
"searching" means, but what about "fearless"? How can we get over all our fear? That
might take years, we think; but we need to work on this inventory right away.
Taking a fearless inventory means going ahead despite our fear. It means having the
courage to take this action no matter how we feel about it. It means having the courage to
be honest, even when we're cringing inside and swearing that we'll take what we're
writing to the grave. It means having the determination to be thorough, even when it
seems that we've written enough. It means having the faith to trust this process and trust
our Higher Power to give us whatever quality we need to walk through the process.
Let's face it: This step does involve a lot of work. But we can take heart from the fact that
there's rarely a deadline on completing this step. We can do it in manageable sections, a
little at a time, until we are done. The only thing that's important is that we work on it
consistently.
There are times when our clean time can actually work against us: when we fail to
acknowledge our fear of taking an inventory. Many of us who have worked the Fourth
Step numerous times and know it's ultimately one of the most loving things we can do for
ourselves may still find ourselves avoiding this task. We may think that since we know
how good this process is, we shouldn't have any fear of it. But we need to give ourselves
permission to be afraid, if that's what we feel.
We may also have fears that stem from our previous experiences with the Fourth Step.
We know that an inventory means change in our lives. We know that if our inventories
reveal destructive patterns, we can't continue to practice the same behaviors without a
great deal of pain. Sometimes this means having to let go of something in our lives -
some behavior we think we can't survive without; a relationship; or perhaps a resentment
we've nursed so carefully that it's actually become, in a sick way, a source of reassurance
and comfort. The fear of letting go of something we've come to depend on, no matter
how much we've begun to suspect it isn't good for us, is an absolutely valid fear. We just
can't let it stop us. We have to face it and act with courage.
We may also have to overcome a barrier that grows from an unwillingness to reveal more
of our disease. Many of our members with clean time have shared that an inventory taken
in later recovery revealed that their addiction had spread its tentacles so completely
through their lives that virtually no area was left untouched. This realization is often
initially met with feelings of dismay and perplexity. We wonder how we could still be so
sick. Hasn't all this effort in recovery resulted in more than surface healing?
Of course it has. We just need some time to remember that. Our sponsor will be happy to
remind us. After we've had time to accept what our inventories are revealing, we feel a
sense of hope rising to replace the feelings of dismay. After all, an inventory always
initiates a process of change and freedom. Why shouldn't it this time, too?

Am I afraid of working this step? What is my fear?

What does it mean to me to be searching and fearless?
(Am I working with my sponsor and talking to other addicts? What other action am I
taking to reassure myself that I can handle whatever is revealed in this inventory?
A Moral Inventory
Many of us have a multitude of unpleasant associations connected to the word "moral." It
may conjure up memories of an overly rigid code of behavior we were expected to adhere
to. It may make us think of people we consider "moral," people we think of as better than
ourselves. Hearing this word may also awaken our tendency toward rebellion against
society's morals and our resentment of authorities who were never satisfied with our
morality. Whether any of this is true for us, as individuals, is a matter to be determined by
us, as individuals. If any of the preceding seems to fit, we can alleviate our discomfort
with the word "moral" by thinking about it in a different way.
In Narcotics Anonymous, in this step, the word "moral" has nothing to do with specific
codes of behavior, society's norms, or the judgment of some authority figure. A moral
inventory is something we can use to discover our own individual morality, our own
values and principles. We don't have to relate them in any way to the values and
principles of others.

Am I disturbed by the word "moral"? Why?

Am I disturbed by thinking about society's expectations and afraid that I can't, won't, and
will never be able to conform to them?

What values and principles are important to me?
An Inventory of Ourselves
The Fourth Step asks us to take an inventory of ourselves, not of other people. Yet when
we begin writing and looking at our resentments, fears, behavior, beliefs, and secrets, we
will find that most of these are connected to another person, or sometimes to an
organization or institution. It's important to understand that we are free to write whatever
we need to about others, as long as it leads us to finding our part in the situation. In fact,
most of us can't separate our part from their part at first. Our sponsor will help us with
this.
Spiritual Principles
In the Fourth Step, we will call on all of the spiritual principles we began to practice in
the first three steps. First of all, we have to be willing to work a Fourth Step. We'll need
to be meticulously honest with ourselves, thinking about everything we write down and
asking ourselves if it's true or not. We'll need to be courageous enough to face our fear
and walk through it. Last, but not least, our faith and trust will carry us through when
we're facing a difficult moment and feel like giving up.

How is my decision to work Step Four a demonstration of courage? Trust? Faith?
Honesty? Willingness?
The Inventory
Get a notebook or whatever means of recording your inventory you and your sponsor
have agreed is acceptable. Get comfortable. Remove any distractions from the place
where you plan to work on your inventory. Pray for the ability to be searching, fearless,
and thorough. Don't forget to stay in touch with your sponsor throughout this process.
Finally, feel free to go beyond what's asked in the following questions. Anything you
think of is inventory material.
Resentments
We have resentments when we re-feel old feelings, when we are unable to let go, when
we cannot forgive and forget something that has upset us. We list our resentments in the
Fourth Step for a number of reasons. First, doing so will help us let go of old anger that is
affecting our lives today. Second, exploring our resentments will help us identify the
ways in which we set ourselves up to be disappointed in others, especially when our
expectations were too high. Finally, making a list of our resentments will reveal patterns
that kept us trapped in a cycle of anger, or self-pity, or both.

What people do I resent? Explain the situations that led to the resentment.

What institutions (school, government, religious, correctional, civic) do I resent? Explain
the situations that led to the resentment.

What was my motivation, or what did I believe, that led me to act as I did in these
situations?

How has my dishonesty contributed to my resentments?

How has my inability or unwillingness to experience certain feelings led me to develop
resentments?

How has my behavior contributed to my resentments?

Am I afraid of looking at my part in the situations that caused my resentments? Why?

How have my resentments affected my relationships with myself, with others, and with a
Higher Power?

What recurring themes do I notice in my resentments?
Feelings
We want to examine our feelings for much the same reason that we want to examine our
resentments: It will help us discover our part in our own lives. In addition, most of us
have forgotten how to feel by the time we get clean. Even if we've been around awhile,
we're still uncovering new information about the ways we've shut down our feelings.

How do I identify my individual feelings?

What feelings do I have the most trouble allowing myself to feel?

Why have I tried to shut off my feelings?

What means have I used to deny how I really felt?

Who or what triggered a feeling? What was the feeling? What were the situations? What
was my part in each situation?

What was my motivation, or what did I believe, that led me to act as I did in these
situations?

What do I do with my feelings once I've identified them?
Guilt, Shame
There are actually two types of guilt or shame: one real, one imagined. The first grows
directly out of our conscience-we feel guilty because we've done something that goes
against our principles, or we harmed someone and feel shame over it. Imagined guilt
results from any number of situations that are not our fault, situations we had no part in
creating. We need to look at our guilt and shame so that we can separate these situations.
We need to own what is truly ours and let go of what is not.

Who or what do I feel guilty or ashamed about? Explain the situations that led to these
feelings.

Which of these situations have caused me to feel shame, though I had no part in creating
them?

In the situations I did have a part in, what was my motivation, or what did I believe, that
led me to act as I did?

How has my behavior contributed to my guilt and shame?
Fear
If we could look at the disease of addiction stripped of its primary symptoms - that is,
apart from drug use or other compulsive behavior - and without its most obvious
characteristics, we would find a swamp of self-centered fear. We're afraid of being hurt,
or maybe of just having to feel too intensely, so we live a sort of half-life, going through
the motions of living but never being fully alive. We're afraid of everything that might
make us feel, so we isolate and withdraw. We're afraid that people won't like us, so we
use drugs to be more comfortable with ourselves. We're afraid we'll get caught at
something and have to pay a price, so we lie or cheat or hurt others to protect ourselves.
We're afraid of being alone, so we use and exploit others to avoid feeling lonely or
rejected or abandoned. We're afraid we won't have enough-of anything - so we selfishly
pursue what we want, not caring about the harm we cause in the process. Sometimes, if
we've gained things we care about in recovery, we're afraid we'll lose what we have, and
so we begin compromising our principles to protect it. Self-centered, self-seeking fear-we
need to uproot it so it no longer has the power to destroy.

Who or what do I fear? Why?

What have I done to cover my fear?

How have I responded negatively or destructively to my fear?

What do I most fear looking at and exposing about myself? What do I think will happen
if I do?

How have I cheated myself because of my fear?
Relationships
We need to write about our relationships in the Fourth Step - all of our relationships, not
just the romantic ones - so that we can find out where our choices, beliefs, and behaviors
have resulted in unhealthy or destructive relationships. We need to look at our
relationships with relatives, spouses or partners, friends and former friends, co-workers
and former co-workers, neighbors, people from school, people from clubs and civic
organizations and the organizations themselves, authority figures such as the police,
institutions, and anyone or anything else we can possibly think of. We should also
examine our relationship with a Higher Power. We may be tempted to skip the
relationships that didn't last long-a one-night sexual involvement, for instance, or perhaps
an argument with a teacher whose class we then dropped. But these relationships are
important, too. If we think of it or have feelings about it, it's inventory material.

What conflicts in my personality make it difficult for me to maintain friendships and/or
romantic relationships?

How has my fear of being hurt affected my friendships and romantic relationships?

How have I sacrificed platonic friendships in favor of romantic relationships?

In what ways did I compulsively seek relationships?

In my relationships with family, do I sometimes feel as though we're locked into
repeating the same patterns over and over without any hope of change? What are those
patterns? What is my part in perpetuating them?

How have I avoided intimacy with my friends, partners or spouses, and family?

Have I had problems making commitments? Describe.

Have I ever destroyed a relationship because I believed I was going to get hurt anyway so
I should get out before that could happen? Describe.

To what degree do I consider the feelings of others in my relationships? Equal to my
own? More important than my own? Of minor importance? Not at all?

Have I felt like a victim in any of my relationships? (Note: This question is focused on
uncovering how we set ourselves up to be victims or how too-high expectations
contributed to our being disappointed in people, not on listing instances where we were
actually abused.) Describe.

What have my relationships with my neighbors been like? Do I notice any patterns
appearing that carried through no matter where I lived?

How do I feel about the people with and for whom I've worked? How have my thinking,
beliefs, and behavior caused problems for me at work?

How do I feel about the people I went to school with (both in childhood and currently)?
Did I feel less than or better than the other students? Did I believe I had to compete for
attention from the instructor? Did I respect authority figures or rebel against them?

Have I ever joined any clubs or membership organizations? (Hint: NA is a membership
organization.) How did I feel about the other people in the club or organization? Have I
made friends in these organizations? Have I joined clubs with high expectations, only to
quit in a short time? What were my expectations, and why weren't they fulfilled? What
was my part in these situations?

Have I ever been in a mental hospital or prison or otherwise been held against my will?
What effect has that had on my personality? What were my interactions with the
authorities like? Did I follow the rules? Did I ever break the rules and then resent the
authorities when I got caught?

Did early experiences with trust and intimacy hurt me and cause me to withdraw?
Describe.

Have I ever let a relationship go even when the potential existed to resolve conflicts and
work through problems? Why?

Did I become a different person depending on who I was around? Describe.

Have I discovered things about my personality (perhaps in previous inventories) that I
didn't like, and then found myself overcompensating for that behavior? (For instance, we
may have uncovered a pattern of immature dependence on others and then
overcompensated for this by becoming overly self-sufficient.) Describe.

What defects are most often at play in my relationships (dishonesty, selfishness, control,
manipulation, etc.)?

How can I change my behavior so that I can begin having healthy relationships?

Have I had any kind of a relationship with a Higher Power? How has this changed in my
lifetime? What kind of a relationship do I have with my Higher Power now?
Sex
This is a very uncomfortable area for most of us. In fact, we may be tempted to stop here,
thinking, "Okay, this has gone far enough! There's no way I'm cataloging my sexual
behavior!" But we have to get over such unwillingness quickly. Thinking about the
reason why we need to do this should help. As it says in It Works: How and Why, "We
want to be at peace with our own sexuality." That's why we need to include our sexual
beliefs and behaviors in our inventories. It's important to remind ourselves at this point
that we are not taking our inventory to compare ourselves with what we think is "normal"
for others, but only to identify our own values, principles, and morals.

How was my sexual behavior based in selfishness?

Have I confused sex with love? What were the results of acting on that confusion?

How have I used sex to try to avoid loneliness or fill a spiritual void?

In what ways did I compulsively seek or avoid sex?

Have any of my sexual practices left me feeling ashamed and guilty? What were they?
Why did I feel that way?

Have any of my sexual practices hurt myself or others?

Am I comfortable with my sexuality? If not, why not?

Am I comfortable with others' sexuality? If not, why not?

Is sex a prerequisite in all or most of my relationships?

What does a healthy relationship mean to me?
Abuse
We must exercise extreme caution before beginning this section. In fact, we may need to
postpone this section to a later time in our recovery. We should utilize all the resources at
hand to make the decision about whether to begin this section now: our own sense of
whether or not we're ready to withstand the pain this work will cause us, discussion with
our sponsor, and prayer. Perhaps our sponsor will be able to help us through this, or we
may need to seek additional help.
If we do decide to go ahead with this section, we should be aware that working on this
area of our Fourth Step will probably be the most painful work we'll do in recovery.
Recording the times when we were neglected or hurt by the people who were supposed to
love and protect us is certain to cause some of the most painful feelings we will ever have
to go through. It is important to do so when we re ready, however. As long as we keep the
pain wrapped up inside us, a secret, it may be causing us to act in ways we don't want, or
it can contribute to a negative self-image or other destructive beliefs. Getting the truth out
begins a process that can lead to the relief of our pain. We were not to blame.

Have I ever been abused? By whom? What feelings did I or do I now have about it?

Has being abused affected my relationships with others? How?

If I have felt victimized for much of life because of being abused in childhood, what steps
can I take to be restored to spiritual wholeness? Can my Higher Power help? How?
It is also possible that we have physically, mentally, or verbally abused others.
Recounting these times is bound to cause us to feel a great deal of shame. We cannot
afford to let that shame become despair. It is important that we face our behavior, accept
responsibility for it, and work to change it. Writing about it here is the first step toward
doing that. Working the rest of the steps will help us make amends for what we've done
to others.

Have I ever abused anyone? Who and how?

What was I feeling and thinking right before I caused the harm?

Did I blame my victim or make excuses for my behavior? Describe.

Do I trust my Higher Power to work in my life and provide me with what I need so I
don't have to harm anyone again? Am I willing to live with the painful feelings until they
are changed through working the steps?
Assets
Most of the preceding questions have been directed at helping us identify the exact nature
of our wrongs1 information we'll need for the Fifth Step. It's also important that we take a
look at things that we've done right or that have had a positive impact on ourselves and
others. We want to do this for a couple of reasons. First, we want to have a complete
picture of ourselves from working the Fourth Step, not a one-sided picture. Second, we
want to know what character traits and behaviors we want more of in our lives.

What qualities do I have that I like? That others like? That work well for me? How have I
shown concern for myself and others?

Which spiritual principles am I practicing in my life? How has doing so changed my life?

How has my faith and trust in a Higher Power grown?

What is my relationship with my sponsor based on? How do I see that positive
experience translating into other relationships?

What goals have I accomplished? Do I have other goals I am taking action to reach?
What are they, and what action am I taking?

What are my values? Which ones am I committed to living by, and how?

How am I showing my gratitude for my recovery?
Secrets
Before we finish this Fourth Step, we should stop and reflect: Is there anything we've
missed, either intentionally or not? Is there something we think is so bad that we just can't
possibly include it in our inventory? If so, we should be reassured by the fact that a
multitude of NA members have worked this step, and there has never yet been a situation
in anyone's Fourth Step that was so unique that we had to create a new term to describe it.
Keeping secrets is threatening to our recovery. As long as we are keeping a secret, we are
actually building a reservation in our program.

Are there any secrets that I haven't written about yet? What are they?
Another question we should ask ourselves now is, is there anything in this inventory that
is either an exaggeration of what actually happened or something that's not true at all?
Almost all of us came to NA and had trouble separating fact from fiction in our own
lives. Most of us had accumulated "war stories" that were so embroidered, they may have
contained only a fraction of truth. We made them up because we wanted to impress
people. We didn't think we had anything to feel good about that was true, so we made up
lies in an attempt to build ourselves up. But we don't have to do that anymore. We're
building true self-worth in the process of working Step Four, not false self-worth based
on some phony image. Now is the time to tell the truth about ourselves.

Is there anything in this inventory that isn't true, or are there any stories I've told over and
over again that aren't true?
Moving On
Finishing a Fourth Step is many things - maybe a letdown, maybe exhilarating, maybe
uncomfortable. However we feel otherwise, we should definitely feel good about what
we've accomplished. The work we've done in this step will provide the foundation for the
work we'll do in Steps Five through Nine. Now is the time to contact our sponsor and
make arrangements to work Step Five.