Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
I cannot speak for EA as a whole, I can only share my 'take' on the Program from my viewpoint. We have literature and other EA materials that one can choose to use in this Program. It's all available at the Emotions Anonymous website. I can 'quote' some of our literature, following prescribed guidelines of 2 or so paragraphs without harming copywrite laws...so I will do so for Step Four using EA literature sources below that I found and still find useful and please excuse any spelling mistakes:
Emotion Anonymous self-titled book: "
"Our faith in a Higher Power, along with our decision to allow this power to guide us, provides the courage we need to do a personal inventory. This inventory is an honest look at ourselves, perhaps for the first time. It is a very necessary look. We try to be as objective as possible because we need this information for our recovery."
"A thorough and healthy inventory usually includes a balance of assets and defects. In doing our personal inventory we write down both positive and negative character traits. It is necessary to get a true picture of ourselves, so we seek out our strengths as well as our weaknesses."
From the EA Today book:
January 7th: "I knew my secrets were hurting me a lot. As I was being hurt, I was hurting others. I finally decided to call a secret a secret and I itemized them as suggested in Step Four. I faced them with the one weapon that could get rid of them - honesty. Being honest with myself made it easier to be honest with others. Through looking at past mistakes I found I coud forgive myself for being human. Isn't that what I am supposed to be?.....Meditation for Today - May I continue to take moral inventories of myself, never holding back out of shame or pride. Help me to be willing to recognize my assets."
April 3 Reflection: "Perfectionsim is one of my character defects. When I worked hard and honestly on my fouth Step, I was anticipating a feeling of happiness and accomplishment........The day came (to share a fifth step) and my strong feelings were: "It's not good enough; it doesn't mean anything; the work was less than adequate." I reviewed my Fourth Step and realized not only was I looking for perfection, I was also fearful of rejection. Only with that trust in my Higher Power and knowledge that I had honestly tried to do a good job could I overcome the fear and share my Fourth Step."
It Works If You Work It book:
" Sometimes it's helpful to think of our moral inventory as not so much a list of "the bad stuff" we've done during our lives, but as examples of mistaken thinking that led us to make poor decisions. The habits and attitudes that fostered those actions or resentments are being changed by the EA Program."
"EA members say that the most important things to keep in mind while doing your inventory include making sure you've done a strong first, second and third step; be honest and thorough: don't forget to balance each negative with a positive item about yourself, and break down the periods in your life or use one of the EA fourth step guides."
ML here......powerless over my emotions.......
Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
I cannot speak for EA as a whole, I can only share my 'take' on the Program from my viewpoint. We have literature and other EA materials that one can choose to use in this Program. It's all available at the Emotions Anonymous website. I can 'quote' some of our literature, following prescribed guidelines of 2 or so paragraphs without harming copywrite laws...so I will do so for Step Four using EA literature sources below that I found and still find useful and please excuse any spelling mistakes:
Emotion Anonymous self-titled book: "
"Our faith in a Higher Power, along with our decision to allow this power to guide us, provides the courage we need to do a personal inventory. This inventory is an honest look at ourselves, perhaps for the first time. It is a very necessary look. We try to be as objective as possible because we need this information for our recovery."
"A thorough and healthy inventory usually includes a balance of assets and defects. In doing our personal inventory we write down both positive and negative character traits. It is necessary to get a true picture of ourselves, so we seek out our strengths as well as our weaknesses."
From the EA Today book:
January 7th: "I knew my secrets were hurting me a lot. As I was being hurt, I was hurting others. I finally decided to call a secret a secret and I itemized them as suggested in Step Four. I faced them with the one weapon that could get rid of them - honesty. Being honest with myself made it easier to be honest with others. Through looking at past mistakes I found I coud forgive myself for being human. Isn't that what I am supposed to be?.....Meditation for Today - May I continue to take moral inventories of myself, never holding back out of shame or pride. Help me to be willing to recognize my assets."
April 3 Reflection: "Perfectionsim is one of my character defects. When I worked hard and honestly on my fouth Step, I was anticipating a feeling of happiness and accomplishment........The day came (to share a fifth step) and my strong feelings were: "It's not good enough; it doesn't mean anything; the work was less than adequate." I reviewed my Fourth Step and realized not only was I looking for perfection, I was also fearful of rejection. Only with that trust in my Higher Power and knowledge that I had honestly tried to do a good job could I overcome the fear and share my Fourth Step."
It Works If You Work It book:
" Sometimes it's helpful to think of our moral inventory as not so much a list of "the bad stuff" we've done during our lives, but as examples of mistaken thinking that led us to make poor decisions. The habits and attitudes that fostered those actions or resentments are being changed by the EA Program."
"EA members say that the most important things to keep in mind while doing your inventory include making sure you've done a strong first, second and third step; be honest and thorough: don't forget to balance each negative with a positive item about yourself, and break down the periods in your life or use one of the EA fourth step guides."