Now resentment is out of the way, the real inventory!
Quotations from pages 67 to 68 of the Big Book.
“Referring to our list again. Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely our fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other man’s. When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to set these matters straight.”
- The disregarding of others
- The notion of ‘our part’
- Eight questions: definitions
- What is the subject matter of these questions?
- Willingness to change an inherent part of the process
“Notice that the word “fear’’ is bracketed alongside the difficulties with Mr. Brown, Mrs. Jones, the employer, and the wife. This short word somehow touches about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn’t deserve. But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling? Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to cause more trouble.”
- Fear and resentment both sides of the same coin
- Both come from self-will
- Creating the structure of one’s life out of fear
- Acting in specific situations out of fear
“We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them. We asked ourselves why we had them. Wasn’t it because self-reliance failed us? Self- reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn’t go far enough. Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn’t fully solve the fear problem, or any other. When it made us cocky, it was worse.”
- What is self?
- What is self-reliance?
- What is failure?
- Why is failure inherent in self-reliance?
- Why is cockiness worse?
“Perhaps there is a better way—we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.”
- What is trust?
- What is reliance?
- Why is the infinite nature of God vital?
- Actors vs roles
- Certainty as to God’s will not necessary for success
- The promise of serenity
“We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear.”
- Who–or what—are we not apologising to?
- Reliance on God not a denial or rejection of own forces
- One-stage removal from the material world
- Our role in the removal of fear
- The nature of fear as immaturity