Blog post by: Alumni Relations Specialist

When we come into recovery, what do we usually ask for? Often we want to like ourselves, be happy and feel comfortable. The best ways we are taught to do this is start with being completely abstinent from all substances. Then join the 12 step fellowship, build a network of clean and sober friends to help us adjust to this new lifestyle.  In that time we will also want to find a sponsor and jump right into working the 12 steps.

In the 12 step fellowships it is rumored that working the 4^th step is tremendously scary. There have been many people that stop at step four and give up, some even to relapse. However didn’t we come in wanting to feel serene? Didn’t we want to start to like ourselves? These qualities can all come out of working the 4^th step and doing a personal inventory of ourselves. We begin to practice spiritual principals like courage, willingness, honesty, faith and trust. In order to work steps five through nine we use the information we find working step four. Then we continue this process over and over in our recovery, the steps are always working in our lives. So work the 4^th step, be fearless for your recovery!