The specific purpose of this Inventory Guide is to provide serious people with some pertinent questions related to the past, present, and the immediate future.
The idea behind all of this is to give a person an insight as to where they have gone astray in the emotional department; where they are now, and to set some short term objectives and corrective measures.
In order to gain the most positive results from this, may we suggest the following guidelines.
1) Do not attempt to tackle any of this till you get yourself into a fairly positive frame of mind. AVOID BEING … HUNGRY, ANGRY, LONELY, TIRED… HALT.
2) Use a coil exercise book and put the date in it, this way you will be able to see your growth when you do future fourth steps.
3) Do not just answer yes or no, qualify your answers. Remember you cannot get something for nothing, and very little for two cents.
4) If you get stumped on a question, discuss it with your sponsor, or with someone who is seriously working at the program.
5) After you have finished this inventory, review it with your sponsor, and then prepare yourself for the fifth step.
6) Good luck to you, you are one of the few who ever attempt this all-important step, let alone ever complete it.
1. Are you able to see yourself as being worthwhile?
2. Do you feel good about yourself now?
3. Do you have any resentments now?
4. Why do you have them?
5. What qualifies you to have resentments?
6. Are you aware that it is in your best interest to get rid of all of your resentments? Discuss this.
7. Are you aware that you must be fully responsible for your behaviour, positive or negative?
8. What do you know about forgiveness and understanding?
9. Has the ability to accept the things that you cannot change become part of your life now?
10. Are you still intolerant of others? Who? Why?
11. How does it feel when you are yourself?
12. Do you spend a lot of time worrying about the future and your own needs? Why?
13. How have you hurt others by putting your own needs first?
14. Are you learning to respond to the needs of others?
15. Have you learned to really care about others?
16. How does it feel?
17. Describe some situations where impatience caused you damage? Damage to others?
18. How do you handle impatience now?
19. Are you learning to take it easy?
20. Have you ever felt self-pity?
21. Do you feel self-pity now?
22. How can you eliminate self-pity?
23. Describe how your pride has kept you from looking at your own behaviour?
24. Being humble doesn’t mean being weak – it means accepting ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses. Do you know what humility means?
25. Are you learning to be less defensive?
26. How does your need to be perfect hurt you?
27. How have you made others unhappy by insisting they be perfect too?
28. Are you starting to admit your mistakes?
29. How have you been phoney in the past?
30. Are you still phoney? Why?
31. How can you try to eliminate phoniness?
32. Are you learning tolerance? Explain specifically.
33. Are you learning to accept yourself?
34. Can you write down some ways in which you alibied for yourself?
35. Do you still do this? Why?
36. How can you eliminate this?
37. Are you learning to be open and honest?
38. Are you more comfortable now that honesty is in your life?
39. Is it a relief not having to explain yourself?
40. How have you deceived yourself in the past?
41. Are you deceiving yourself now about important matters in your life?
42. A. A. shows us how to be ourselves. Are you really being yourself these days, or do you try to act like someone else?
43. Describe how you used to pretend to be someone else and what happened?
44. List examples of projects you put off while you waited for just the right time?
45. How do you feel when you are under pressure to finish your work?
46. How do you behave?
47. How is the quality of your work when this happens?
48. What do you plan to do to combat procrastination?
49. Give some examples of things you have done recently that made you feel good about yourself.
50. How do you feel about the task of putting your life together?
51. Describe any guilt feelings you still have.
52. Is guilt still an important part of your life?
53. Are you learning to let go of guilt?
54. Are you learning how important it is to learn to respect yourself?
55. Can you see that respect for yourself is really a basic part of personal growth?
56. Describe any fears you may still have – the fears that destroy your peace of mind. SEE BACK SECTION ON FEAR.
57. Are you learning to trust yourself and others too?
58. Do you find yourself being less afraid?
59. Are you less manipulating?
60. Can you recall instances when complacency or boredom caused you to slip back into irresponsible ways of behaving?
61. How far are you really willing to go to change your life?
62. Would you say that you have changed 180 degrees in some areas of your life?
63. Describe these areas and changes.
64. Are you grateful for your new way of life?
65. How do you show your gratitude to those who are helping you build your new life?
66. What are some ways in which you could express your gratitude now?
67. Can you see how feeling grateful can influence you in a positive way, and help you to avoid the pitfalls of complacency, boredom and depression?
68. Do you find fault in others? In whom specifically, or in general? How do you allow this to happen? How can you become less critical?
69. Are you sarcastic and offending in your conversation? If so, to whom? How does this happen? How can you become complimentary?
70. Do you deliberately avoid anyone? Whom? What is it you are avoiding?
71. Does life seem futile and hopeless? Why do you allow life to be like that? What are you doing about it?
72. How do you work your day-at-a-time program?
73. Do you like your occupation? If not, why? If so why?
74. Are you envious of those who excel you? Why? How can you overcome this?
75. Would you say your mind is occupied with positive or negative thoughts?
76. Why do you tolerate negative thoughts?
77. How do you eliminate negative thoughts?
78. What is bothering you most right now? Why do you allow it to bother you? What do you plan to do to take positive action?
79. What positive action do you take to deal with your problems?
80. Who inspires you the most? Why?
81. Do you tolerate negative influences? Why?
82. What is the state of your physical health?
83. Do you plan a medical soon?
84. How is your dental health?
85. Do you know what it means to eat properly? How can you find out?
86. Can you exercise regularly?
87. Do you groom yourself correctly? If not, how will you learn to?
88. Do you keep your clothes clean? Use mouthwash, deodorant?
89. Whom do you owe money to? What measures can you take to correct the situation?
90. Do you have anything from your past that should be rectified immediately? Describe it. How do you plan to rectify it?
91. What is your definite major purpose? How do you plan to achieve it?
92. What are your goals for 6 months or 1 year in the following areas: Spiritual. Monetary. Health/Exercise. Career. Material. Aesthetic accomplishments.
93. Do you understand that you have the power of choice? Describe your power of choice.
94. Do you face squarely your problems or do you side-step them?
95. Are the goals you set realistic of “pie in the sky”?
96. Do you analyze your mistakes, or do you think this is not your duty? If the latter, why don’t you think it is your duty?
97. What are your three most damaging weaknesses? Why do you tolerate them? What do you plan to do to eliminate them?
98. Do you encourage negative people to bring their problems to you for sympathy? Why do you do this?
99. Have you formed a mental state that blocks out negative influence? If not, why not? If so, how effective is it?
100. Are you aware that you possess spiritual forces of sufficient power to enable you to keep your mind free of fear? If so, how do you use them? If not, why don’t you use them? If not, how are you seeking knowledge of spiritual matters?
101. Do you have a solid sponsor?
102. How much time out of each 24 hours do you devote to: Work? Sleep? Play and relaxation? Acquiring useful knowledge? A.A. activities? Self-improvement? Plain waste?
103. Do you constantly dole out unsolicited advice? Why?
104. Do you often change your mind? Why?
105. Do you finish everything that you begin? What specific things don’t you finish?
106. Are your feelings hurt easily?
107. Do you gossip? Why?
108. Have these questions given you some insight so far?
109. Do you go out of your way to meet new people? Why, or why not?
110. Name your greatest assets (at least four).
111. Do you have a good opinion of yourself? If so, why? If not, why?
112. Make a list of the worst things you have done in your lifetime.
113. List some reasons as to why you think you did these things.
114. List whether or not you can make direct amends.
115. Make a list of all the good things you have done for yourself.
FEAR
There are eight basic fears, and most of us have experienced some or all of these during our lifetime. Of course there are healthy fears, but the fears we are discussing here are negative, and must be eliminated from our lives in order that we can realize our full potential.
These Fears are:
Fear of poverty
Fear of criticism
Fear of ill health
Fear of loss of love
Fear of loss of liberty
Fear of old age
Fear of death
Fear of the unknown…projection
Now that you know the names of fears, discuss them as they applied, or still may apply to yourself.
Go back over all of your answers to the questions, and in the margin on the page write down the name of the fear, in other words the words that best describe your lack of fear.
This exercise will give you some ideas of the fear that you may still have, and will show you where you have faith. REMEMBER THAT FEAR IS SIMPLY THE LACK OF REAL FAITH. This faith can be developed with a little practice.
EMOTIONS
We have found that unchecked emotions have caused us a great deal of pain, and heartache. We must gain control over our emotions if we are to be happy and productive. We must develop positive manifestations of our emotions in order to become emotionally stable.
There are nine basic emotions:
The emotion of love
The emotion of sex
Desire for material gain
Desire for self-preservation
Desire for freedom of body and mind
Desire for self-expression
Desire for perpetuation of life after death
Emotion of anger
Emotion of fear
In detail, and on paper, discuss what you feel are your positive emotions, and your negative emotions. Qualify your answers, give examples, this is very important, and could mean your success with this inventory.
Now go over all your answers to the inventory questions. In the emotional area there must be a lot of soul searching. In the margin of the page beside your answer write down the emotion connected with it, and mark whether or not it is positive or negative. After careful review of this, you will see a picture of your emotional make-up, and will see your weak as well as your strong areas.
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