Clif G Steps 4-5 Southern Maryland Roundup 2026Clif G Steps 4-5 Southern Maryland Roundup 2026
Mad Dog Recovery AA Speakers
AA speaker Clif G shares his experience with Steps 4 and 5, focusing on resentments, fear, and spiritual growth. The talk blends humour, stories, and practical guidance aimed at alcoholics seeking freedom through inventory and confession.
1:00:15•11 Apr 2026
Clif G on Steps 4 and 5: From Resentment Lists to Real Freedom
Episode Overview
- Step 4 is described as pulling back the plywood on a life so the “grass” of the spirit can get light and grow again.
- Most resentments are shown to be rooted in perception and self-centred expectations, not just in what others actually did.
- A clear third step makes Steps 4 and 5 far easier, because it exposes self-will and the urge to control outcomes.
- Step 5 requires saying the things that were left off or written in code, so that shame loses its grip and genuine freedom can begin.
- A separate “principle inventory” helps expose old ideas that silently run someone’s life, such as beliefs about strength, emotion, and relationships.
“Forgiveness isn’t about setting that person free. It’s about setting me free.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? In this Southern Maryland Roundup talk, AA speaker Clif G takes the crowd through Steps 4 and 5 with a mix of raw honesty, humour, and long-term sobriety experience. Speaking as a “grateful alcoholic” sober since August 2001, Clif frames Step 4 as peeling back a piece of plywood that’s been killing the grass underneath.
Years of resentments, fears, and harmful behaviour have blocked the “shaft of light” between a person and their Higher Power, and writing inventory is how that light starts to get through again.
He stresses that “bottles are just a symbol” and that the real issue is a life built on self-will, control, and misperception: “Everything I see… comes through this prism of self.” Clif talks about identity, community, and purpose as core human needs, and shows how Alcoholics Anonymous offers all three: a name for the problem, a roomful of people who get it, and a clear job in service and sponsorship.
There’s plenty here for anyone who’s ever stalled on a fourth step: perfectionism, procrastination and paralysis, fear of what Step 5 might reveal, and the stories we’ve told ourselves for so long that they feel like truth. His description of doing a fifth step with Judd is especially moving.
After sharing the things he’d left off or coded on his list, Clif heard, “I love you anyway,” and says, “I got free.” He makes it clear that Step 5 isn’t about shocking another person; it’s about finally dropping the mask so change can start. For anyone stuck on inventory, scared of telling the whole story, or just feeling separate and tired of it, this talk offers experience, humour, and a very practical way through.
Where might your own plywood still be nailed down?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.