Milkman's Reflections - Jan 4 - A Moral Inventory

Milkman's Reflections - Jan 4 - A Moral Inventory

A Moral Inventory
Many of us have a multitude of unpleasant associations connected to the word “moral.” It may conjure up memories of an overly rigid code of behavior we were expected to adhere to. It may make us think of people we consider “moral,” people we think of as better than ourselves. Hearing this word may also awaken our tendency toward rebellion against society’s morals and our resentment of authorities who were never satisfied with our morality. Whether any of this is true for us, as individuals, is a matter to be determined by us, as individuals. If any of the preceding seems to fit, we can alleviate our discomfort with the word “moral” by thinking about it in a different way.
In Narcotics Anonymous, in this step, the word “moral” has nothing to do with specific codes of behavior, society’s norms, or the judgment of some authority figure. A moral inventory is something we can use to discover our own individual morality, our own values and principles. We don’t have to relate them in any way to the values and principles of others.
Am I disturbed by the word “moral”? Why?
Am I disturbed by thinking about society’s expectations and afraid that I can’t, won’t, and will never be able to conform to them?
What values and principles are important to me?