Well, This Step Says it all..."MADE A LIST" of all those Ive had harmed...These people were fresh in my mind... I really didn't need to look over my 4th Step, but did...Writing this list seemed very simple and it was.... And..."BECAME WILLING" to make amends to them ALL...This Step Is about my WILLINGNESS...."NOT" about me making amends...That's Step 9..My sponsor helped me see that...As I Wrote down these people I realized I hurt a lot of people and I was overwhelmed. My Sponsor and I went over each Person and institute. He shared that by putting them down on paper showed how willing I was. I put everyone that came to mind...even if I didn't make amends...So, We went over each one and their were alot. I was scared but WILLING". As I Wrote down these people I realized I hurt a lot of people and I was overwhelmed."
After we went over the LIST, my Sponsor said I forgot one person.....I understood what he meant...It was me he was talking about ...I had hurt a lot of people in my addiction...But I hurt myself the most..So, on top of the list he said I need to make amends to myself..Ive come along way. It doesn't stop now. There is more action to be taken. We Are Never Finished...Basic Text Page 38
"We do this Step as if there were no 9th Step"...Says the Basic Text..This program has allowed me to stay clean one day at a time...But that is only a beginning. I believe that working these Steps are a gift to myself. For a long time I was just staying clean and talking about "HOW I FEEL" Lol...Thats important but...The Basic Text Says in...HOW It WORKS page 17..These are the Principles that made "OUR RECOVERY" Possible...Steps 1-12...This isnt a 3 Step Program...We deserve the best..."We are WILLING to do anything possible to REPAIR the DAMAGE we've done"....."By CHANGING OUR BEHAVIOR" Step 8 of It Works How & Why Page 81..and further down it says...."We can start to make amends by not repeating the same behavior". I was now at Step 9... Thanks, Peter F