Steps By The Big Book

[bluidkiti]

STEP 3 Written Inventory

Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.


Consider these questions, which are borrowed from meetings and recovery literature, and ones of your own. Consider responding in detail with specific examples.


Decision
Who or what made my decisions for me while drinking?
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Can I make a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of a higher power of my understanding – just for today? What fears or reservations do I have about turning my life over?
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What actions will I take to follow through on my decision to turn my life over to a higher power?
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Self-will To work Step 3 we need to identify the ways we have acted on self-will.
[Willful: (from ON wella- well of boiling heat) Headstrong, obstinate, rigid. Gaining power over people and situations.] [Willing: Being receptive to new possibilities. Using our will in harmony with life, not against it.]
How have I been self-centered? How have I been defiant?
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Which problems have I tried to resolve through willpower? What were the results?
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In what ways are my troubles of my own making? (62: 2)
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How do my reactions to life events make me suffer? Be specific.
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In what ways am I an extreme example of self-will run riot? (62: 2) How have I acted on self-will?
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How has my self-will affected others?


Have there been times in my recovery when I have found myself subtly taking back my will and my life? What alerted me? What have I done to recommit myself to the Third Step?
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The God of My Understanding
Who or what makes my decisions for me in recovery?
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Why is it OK to have a different higher power from everyone else?
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How is my higher power working in my life today? How do my higher power and I communicate? What do I do in order to be open to my higher power?
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Is my current concept of a higher power still working? How might I need to change my concept of a higher power?
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Turning It Over
What are my personal examples of my turning my life and will over to my addictions?
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How would my day look if I were to turn my will and my life over to the care of a higher power of my understanding?
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What are my fears about making this decision?
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Which thoughts and behaviors and I willing to turn over right now? Which am I holding on to?
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How do I take action to turn my will and my life over to my higher power on a daily basis? Are there any practices I do regularly? What are they?
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What have I done recently that demonstrates my surrender to recovery and to working a program?



pp. 32-33