Topic: The Power of InventoryTopic: The Power of Inventory
Sober Cast: An (unofficial) Alcoholics Anonymous Podcast AA
AA member Linda E from Brewster, New York shares how written inventory in Steps 4, 10 and 11 shifted her from resentment and pain towards greater freedom and peace. She explains in detail how these tools work in daily life and why they are central to her ongoing sobriety.
48:15•12 Oct 2026
The Power of Inventory: Linda E on Finding Freedom in Steps 4, 10 and 11
Episode Overview
- Inventory in Steps 4, 10 and 11 is presented as a practical way to see the truth about resentments, fears and harms, rather than an academic exercise.
- Resentments are described as the “number one offender”, often beginning long before a relapse, making written work vital for continued sobriety.
- Linda highlights that unmanageability lies in repeatedly taking the first drink despite consequences, not just in the chaos that follows.
- Ongoing 10th and 11th Step practice—spot-checks during the day and review at night—helps her stay neutral, honest and connected to a Higher Power.
- Trauma itself is not blamed on the alcoholic, but inventory is used to examine how later behaviour, driven by that pain, has affected others.
“How free do I want to be?”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This AA speaker meeting-style episode brings Linda E from Brewster, New York, sharing how “the power of inventory” became the turning point in her recovery. Speaking to a Zoom-based “Addition by Subtraction” meeting, Linda talks candidly about her sobriety date (21 September 2010), her relationship with her sponsor, and why she sees the 4th, 10th and 11th Steps as tools for freedom rather than punishment.
For anyone who hears “inventory” and wants to run a mile, her humour and honesty make the subject feel a lot more human. You’ll hear her unpack the 4th Step as “fact finding and fact facing”, breaking it into resentments, fears, sex conduct and harms, all grounded in the Big Book. She explains how column work exposes where she’s been selfish, dishonest or full of fear, and how that uncomfortable clarity became the gateway to peace.
As she puts it, “how free do I want to be?” becomes a far better question than “how happy do I want to be?”. Linda doesn’t shy away from tough history either. She briefly shares a brutal assault from 2001 and shows how years of living as a victim shaped her behaviour long after the event.
Inventory didn’t make that trauma her fault, but it did reveal how she’d been hurting others in response – and how God, a sponsor, and continued written work helped her move from being stuck to being useful. The episode is especially helpful for those already in AA who are stuck on, or scared of, Step 4, and for anyone wanting a real-life example of how ongoing 10th and 11th Step practice looks in everyday life.
Expect straight talk, Big Book references, and plenty of gentle nudges toward actually putting pen to paper. If you’ve been putting off inventory, this might be the nudge to ask yourself: what if freedom is hiding in the very work you’re avoiding?
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