Making a Fearless and Searching Moral Inventory: Step 1

Introduction: What is a Moral Inventory?

A moral inventory is usually used by those recovering from addiction; however, it can be used by anyone looking to improve. I once heard a recovering addict state that everyone needs to twelve-step. The "twelve-step" basically refers to coming clean and entails honesty, hope, a trust in God, truth, confession, change of heart, humility, seeking forgiveness, restitution and reconciliation, daily accountability, personal revelation, and service.

Some programs may vary, but most of these steps are similar. It all has to do with a desire to improve by accepting one's inability to go it alone, that we've hurt others and desire to make amends, to build our future life upon honesty, hope, and humility, and to work at doing all this on a daily if not hourly basis. Then as we mature we build in ourselves a greater and greater desire to help others. Who shouldn't desire or want to do this in his / her life?

Most if not all of us have emotional baggage or negative thoughts, emotions, and actions that to some degree rule our lives. In most cases, when we act out we are attempting to avoid the problem by seeking solace in some action. This action could be simple denial or it could be addiction to food, drugs, pornography, which are some of the more standard avoidances. However, there are others such as gambling, video gaming, shopping, collecting, reading, sports or anything that we do that helps us to avoid dealing with a problem, life, or reality. So you can see that many who may have initially believed they didn't need a moral inventory may have to reconsider.

By doing a fearless inventory, the point is not that you won't have any fear, as expressed by the self-pumping "no fear" stickers that are displayed on many of today's automobiles. But rather that you will not let your fears rule you to the point that you will avoid the exercise. At this point, you will have to stop justifying, be humble, honest, and truthful in coming forth in exposing the painful, embarrassing, or difficult thoughts, actions, or events that have occurred in your life.

However, if you continue to deny the truth, it will never be able to set you free. If you continue to live the lies, avoid the realities you will go in circles to your grave never growing, never ridding yourself of great pain and discomfort that needs to be released, that is begging to be released and can be found in the great sadness, depression, disappointment, and failures that occur in your life and only will continue if you do not do the moral inventory.


You need to release the dark to receive the light. There are no two ways about it. For every time you do something that encourages the doubt, the fear, the loneliness, the sadness that resides in your heart, you only encourage the wound to be deepened and strengthened. Dishonesty cripples our ability to reflect in truth and humility that enables healing. Only by going deep with pen and paper will you discover the liabilities that hamper if not destroy life. Only by taking a moral inventory of our self, of our life will we get to the dark that hampers and destroys if it stays too long.

But what exactly is a moral inventory?

The word "moral" implies right or wrong behavior. But what exactly is "right"? For example, some may say that taking $20 found on the ground at a bus stop is not stealing but taking $20 dollars off a friend's kitchen table is. But what's the difference? The definition of stealing states that one does so if the original owner does not give permission to another to possess an object or intellectual property. So are not both situations stealing?

This is not a course in ethics; however, you have to determine how far you desire to take your inventory. An inventory here is finding all the "wrong" in your life or wrong actions, thoughts, words, and deeds that has turned your life for the worse. But what is "wrong"? Some will not take a towel from a hotel or a pencil from work because of a "lack of permission." You must determine through your own conscience how far you are willing to go in making a moral inventory list. You must let your conscious be your guide. By going through the process alone, by reflection through writing you will be prompted and guided.

But if need be, you may want to take extra time in reflection, thought, meditation, discussion with others you feel comfortable with or prayer in seeking additional guidance. You need to find out for yourself the "wrong" in your life. Through writing and reflection, a moral inventory will help you. Remember though, that you must write. You can't avoid it. The process is magical in its ability to reveal the forgotten, the hidden, even wisdom in your soul. Many a writer has said, "I don't know what I'm thinking until I write." How write they are.

But let's get into the process itself to get you going on the trail to recovery.

Step 1:

There is no one way to complete or take a personal moral inventory. You can, however, begin by categorizing. Take a piece of paper and list memories by age, addresses or places you lived, places of employment; principles, ideas, or beliefs; events, situations, or circumstances. If none of that works or makes sense or doesn't help you get started, just do the next best thing: begin.

One of the keys to anyone's success is in the beginning or getting started. Don't over-plan or get into the mindset of paralysis of analysis. Shoot then aim. If you just relax, clear your mind, begin writing. Just grab your pen or pencil don't worry about doing it right or wrong, being too angry or revealing, silly or self-conscious . . . anything. Just get going. 

One of the things that holds back a lot of people is in the over thinking. Many think that they have to do something a certain way and look for that way or "the way." There is no such thing when it comes to writing. Some write in phrases or fragments. Some write in flowing sentences. Some write by organizing their paper first with categorized columns and rows. Some write by using drawings or drawings along with words. Some doodle to get it out. Whatever method works best for you do it. Experiment.

The key here is to get going and get flowing. If you get stuck, try something else until it works. Here's a great quote to help you: if you want to be successful, keep doing it poorly until you do it well. Simple enough. Bottom line, don't let fear or doubt or anything stop you from beginning and getting going. So go.

And don't think that if a positive feeling comes out that you shouldn't write it down. Write down everything. This is your idea generating phase. Worry about making sense, categorizing and organizing later. The greatest artists, thinkers, idea generators have said that they don't know what they have written until after they've read it. That's because they were not consciously manipulating the ideas coming forth in the initial or idea-generating phase. They just simply became a conduit or mouthpiece for the idea flowing out. This can be called tapping into the subconscious, the intuitive, the divine. Whatever you want to label it is fine. But don't try to edit, manipulate, or manage the thoughts coming forth in this idea generating stage. Just let them flow.

As you develop a moral inventory or as you work to become more honest with your life, focus on thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that lead to your behavior. These are at the root of your negative behaviors or addiction. Unless you look fearlessly at your fears, pride, resentment, anger, self-will, self-pity your recovery and revelation will be shaky at best. But help yourself; first and foremost it is best to get yourself writing freely and openly to resolve issues of poor or negative behavior even addiction.