Casting Out of Troubles

Step We Are On: Five

 Page: 72

 Chapter: 6 “Into Action”

Subject:   Discussing ourselves with another person,

Good morning. Now that we have taken Steps Three and Four and have decided to put the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous to the test, we are ready to go into action.  

Page 72

• Have we ascertained what our trouble is in great detail?

we have ascertained in a rough way what the trouble is; 

Notice that they consider this to be a “rough” consideration of our past troubles. A 4ths step inventory is not the excruciating, gut busting ordeal many make it out to be, is it?

Surely as painful and thorough as we have been, self examination can still be deeper  - but we aren’t supposed to do that here or now.  We are supposed to be fact finding and exposing the ‘certain’ defects or “flaws”, if you prefer, that caused our downfall - enough to have a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps. 

Using a 4^th step inventory for any objective beyond this, is not its purpose. The 4^th Step inventory is a very poor tool for ongoing maintenance of spiritual growth. It is meant to find facts out of our past . It can become and addictive crutch and a limit to spiritual growth if abused beyond the intent of the co-authors.

QUESTION:  Do you know anyone who must continually repeat new 4^th step inventories in order maintain a feeling of “spiritual fitness”? 

Step 10,and 11 are for that purpose of  ‘real-time’ maintenance. When lived keenly, they prevent us from building new and future 4th step inventories and harms. We will be getting to those steps later on in this chapter.  

• We have put our finger on all there is to know about us?

we have put our finger on the weak items in our personal inventory.

Just the weak ones. We aren’t here to admire our strong suites. There is no ’assets’ list in a fourth step inventory and to create one totally negates an effective 4^th step. If you know anyone who has made an “assets”  list during a 4^th step – then you know someone who has never actually had a 4th  step experience.  Although they probably think they have and with each repeated shot of it believe they are getting closer and closer to God. They aren't.  (Don’t ask me to tell them, better to wait until they ask you to work with them them. Still you had better have your psychic  defenses in order. Reaction can be violent.) 

• What is about to happen to these defects of character?

Now these are about to be cast out.

What an odd choice of words? 

Cast - throw or hurl, often violently to shed; (*Cast has been displaced in familiar usage by the more  vigorous throw but cast appears in may idiomatic and special uses…)
~ The Winston Simplified Dictionary – 1938

This means that selfishness, dishonesty, self-seeking and fear are going to be removed.  This is very different than “cast-off” as a snakes skin is cast off. This is cast out , which carries a far difference meaning. Something from within us is forcibly getting thrown out of us.

When this experience has been kept true to the directions, some people have been known to experience, dramatic cathartic experiences, sometimes resembling a kind of seizure. These are not always violent events but they can be. This should not be feared after all, the 12 steps are a highly spiritual route and this a  "casting out” as characterized by the co-authors, is not an inappropriate interpretation. Many (not all, but many) alcoholics have been seriously violated with their natures compromised with personalities and traits that need expulsion. A true spiritual awakening will drive what amounts to  unwelcomed "guests". With them go some very objectionable traits of the typical alcoholic. Remember, “willing to go to any length?’ Some are. Others will stop just short.

•  What is required?

This requires action on our part, which, 

A requirement!  There are only two “requirements” an alcoholic must meet to become a member of AA – but to have a spiritual awakening via the 12 step approach, and to grow in that awakened state…this book notes many more requirements, and musts than that.

• When completed, we will have admitted to whom?

when completed, will mean that we have admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, 

• And what will we have admitted?

the exact nature of our defects

We are getting onto Step five. Notice it doesn’t say that we merely admitted our defects.  That would mean simply admitting what is in columns 1 and  2 to another and this is not what they are saying. Step five is not about 'confession'. It does say we admitted the exact NATURE of them, and that means the contents of column four. We are not taking an inventory sheet into a ‘confessional’ box top recite one or two hundred ‘sins’ to some poor priest. Some folks who remote ‘absolution’ through their religion can do that if they want to, but absolution  isn’t part of this process and not an objective.

Going over anything more than the natures of our defects can turn a potentially powerful spiritual event into an inhibiting block; while can inciting much emotion and drama between sponsor and protégée, that emotion dilutes the powerful experience a 5th step event would otherwise have.  

Peace and Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://stepelevencomesalive.blogspot.com/

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