Steps By The Big Book

[bluidkiti]

SESSION 10

STEP 4 How It Works Our fears. (68: 1)

But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling? (67 ; 3)

I ON YOUR OWN: STUDY- What did the Big Book authors say?

• READ Read Chapter 5, How It Works, on the fear inventory. (67-68)

• 1. • We want to get rid of the fear and resentment that control our thinking so a power greater than any one of us can direct our thinking instead.
     • Our fears come from our early childhood ideas, emotions, and attitudes (27: 4) that we developed in reaction to ancient fancied or real (66: 3) threats to our basic instincts of life. Without awareness, our old thoughts and fears may become today’s actions.
     • [Fear: (OE- sudden danger.) Dread, expectation of harm, or ambush; dismay, panic.] Heard in a meeting: “Anxiety is the existential basis of our addiction to alcohol.”

• WRITE Write daily about your fears and “{#1 – #3} the three fear questions.”
• TALK Call your sponsor and other members of the group to discuss fear.
• PRACTICE DAILY MEDITATION / PRAYER Call on a higher power.

II WITH THE GROUP: PRACTICE- What does the Big Book say to me about my practice of my fear inventory?
What are the underlying fears we try to avoid by using alcohol?


Points of Focus and Reflection. (Consider pp. 67: 3-68: 3)
A. Who? How? What?The word “fear.” (67: 3) We may treat fear, or any other problem, as we do resentments. (See 69: 3) Begin with centering silence.
Use the same page 65 three-column format to take an inventory of your fears.
Fear Inventory
Who: People, institutions, and principles that cause me fear. “#1 When did I first have this fear?”
How? How have they frightened me?
“#2 Why do I have this fear?”


What? What part of my self has been affected and how have I reacted to it?










1.) First Column: Who? “Who threatened me?” 1st Fear Question “{#1}When did I first have this fear?” (See 68: 1)
We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them. (68: 1) List your fears and the first time you had them. We find that we are fearful of everything and everyone.
Fear Inventory
Who: People that cause me fear. “#1 When did I first have this fear?”
Mr. Brown
2.) Second Column: How? “How did they threaten me?” 2nd Fear Question: “{#2}Why do I have this fear?” (See 68: 1) How did self-reliance fail me?


We asked ourselves why we had them. (68: 1) We literally ask over and over for each circumstance and every response:

• 1. • “Why do I have this fear?”
     • “Why do I fear that?”
     • “And the reason I fear that?” (Our very existence feels threatened.)
     • Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us? (68:1)

Fear Inventory
Who: People, that cause me fear. “#1 When did I first have this fear?”
How? How have they frightened me?
“#2 Why do I have this fear?”
Mr. Brown
Told my wife of my mistress.


3.)Third Column What? “What part of my life instinct was hurt or threatened, and how did I react to it?”

• Which of your instinctive social and security and sexual needs, desires and actor’s roles were threatened and at play in your fear reactions?

Fear Inventory
Who: People that cause me fear. “#1 When did I first have this fear?”
How? How have they frightened me?
“#2 Why do I have this fear?”
What? What part of self has been affected and how have I reacted to it?
Mr. Brown
Told my wife of my mistress.


Self-esteem (fear) Sex relations
Personal relationship


B. We Turned Back to the List. (66: 3) Meditation / Prayer * – Ask for help.

• Trust Higher Power rather that Self-Reliance.

• 1. • 3rd Fear Question: “{#3}May I share feelings and experiences of courage about trusting and relying on my higher power, as found through the practice of this program?” (See 68: 2) [Courage: acting in the face of fear.]

• 1. • We trust infinite God [of our understanding] rather than our finite selves. (68: 2) We let [our higher power] demonstrate, through us, what [our higher power] can do. (68: 3) [See also 49: 1; 62: 3] What does this mean? Is this what the program of action is all about?

• Our Own Mistakes (67: 2) Where had you been Selfish, Dishonest, Self-seeking or Inconsiderate? (67: 2; 69: 1) “Where am I responsible?”
  1. • Write precisely and in detail about your reactions to fear situations and Third Column threatened instincts.
• When We Saw Our Faults We Listed Them. (67: 2)
  1. • But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling? (67: 3) “What did I do?” The effects of your self-centered fear.

C. Step 4 Fear Turnaround Willing to change * Meditation / Prayer

• [Optional: God of my understanding, I pray that my fear be removed and my attention directed to being who you would have me be today. May thy will, not mine, be done. (See 68: 3)]

pp. 53-54
http://www.stepsbybigbook.net/