Step Study – Jerry J. – Steps 4 – 5 – 6 – 2005

About This Speaker Tape

Jerry digs into the grit of self-centeredness, mapping it out through the frustration of a blocked traffic lane or a slow elevator. He describes the "evil and corrosive thread" of a life spent competing to avoid being a loser, masking his fear with a West Texas hatred for snakes. He traces his resistance to the Fourth Step through a series of discarded yellow pads and spiral notebooks—defense systems designed to keep him from the truth.

The turning point arrives in a "gut-wrenching" Fifth Step, where he faces the "trashy stuff" and "crap" of his history. By admitting his "tacky" faults to another man, he moves from being a "cynic of the first water" to a place where "weakness aware of itself is the greatest strength." He trades the isolation of his own ego for a "company of equals," finally stepping onto the broad highway of a life managed by a Higher Power.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening: Jerry Jones introduces himself
• 5:00 Story of the boy and the preacher [LAUGHTER]
• 12:00 Discussion on spiritual health and finding reality
• 18:00 The importance of staying in the 'now' and self-awareness
• 24:00 Step 3: Decision to turn will and life over to Higher Power
• 30:00 Addressing self-centeredness as the root of troubles
• 36:00 Step 4: The process of a searching and fearless moral inventory
• 42:00 Creating a grudge list and analyzing resentments
• 48:00 Overcoming fear and the 'West Texas' mentality
• 53:00 Step 5: The experience of admitting wrongs to another human being
• 57:00 Closing: Spiritual awakening and the 'broad highway' of recovery