I consider myself to be very priviliged to be a member of the AA fellowship. Membership was very expensive, pain & suffering.
I have experienced much pain in my life, but I have also experienced so much joy through recovery. I am very grateful for that.
But nothing gives me so much joy as to see a new person recover. Firstly I experience the pain that he has come with. This has been a gift for me. The suffering of the newcomer. It takes me right out of myself and my problems. I am absorbed in his problems.
Today I was in one of my self moods. Planning & strategising. Then I go to a meeting & get called to share. A newcomer comes to me after the meeting & pours his heart out. It's hard to see a grown man cry. It softens my heart because I could feel the pain & suffering.
Now I am not selfcentred any longer. I have become other centred by sharing with the new man. Bill W. always loved working with others & I think that was his trump card against this disease of alcoholism & self pity.
Thanks for this message. Giving back (as you already know) is an essential part of AA's success, for both the alcoholic and recovery alike.
Selfishness on the other hand can not only weaken our resolve further, but could also diminish AA's effectiveness here and abroad. Basically, it can be the corroding thread that could ultimately tear us apart. It's also a complete "180" from what "AA" teaches. And one of the leading causes behind AA's divide.
If our fellowship loses sight of what's truly important and focuses instead on individual needs rather than others, they can miss many opportunities to give back -especially to another alcoholic.
The reason why "AA" has been relatively successful is abundantly clear, and our selfless acts have a lot to do with it.
In order to bring about real change in the lives of suffering alcoholics everywhere, we must remain united -as one cohesive unit, for both the good of AA and the fellowship as a whole.
We must remain God-centered not self-centered and carry the message of "AA" above all else. You did, so be proud of that. Thanks for reminding me that all things are still possible despite our own selfish ways.
~God bless~
-- Edited by Mr_David on Tuesday 11th of October 2011 02:22:08 AM
Thanks Gonee,can't wait to bring my joy In God to His house of worship this morning and continually seek God's will for me,knowing how my self centeredness always overtook all my endevors.Today ,wih God's grace, I have progressed much in that area....Have a blessed and productive day.
__________________
Selfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Thanks gonee, I too love to see the newcomers come into a meeting. They remind me where I came from and how scared I was, and that I am one drink away from being back there and I certainly don't want to go there again. I like to explain to them the passage in How it Works "We beg of you with all the earnestness at our command to be fearless and thorough from the very start". I tell them how far down I was and that they don't need to go there if they do what I and many many others have done, and if you are all ready there we can help you find your way to a better life if you are willing to take the action.
__________________
Tell me and I'll forget. Teach me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll learn.
Thanks for reminding me of the perils of self-centered and selfish behavior.
Loneliness, ungratefulness and self-pity have got me into trouble countless times including yesterday. At 37 days, I almost used yesterday. I actually got into my truck at 11pm and started driving from the beach here in San Diego to the inner city to get some dope. At 10 pm if someone would have given me some I would have used without hesitation. At 10:30 I made up my mind to get some only to take stock a minute later. At 10;45 I stared at the stars and asked God for help. At 11pm started driving telling myself I'm only going to drive around and see whats going on over there in the ghetto. At 11:05 I turned around, depressed about the fact I wasn't going to get high, but hyper aware of the consequences. This morning very grateful upon awakening- but still thinking about dope.
-- Edited by Blu858 on Monday 10th of October 2011 11:26:34 AM
Blu you need some more tools there buddy. In your first year, at the first thought of using, a person needs to pick up the phone and call a sponsor or a close friend in recovery and/or get to a meeting. Going to bed at 10pm regularly will also keep you out of your head or your truck. Likely in SD, there was a late meeting, let's see ok 9pm. 09:00P MISSION HILLS LATE NIGHT SUNDAY Church 4044 Lark St.
What helped me, after 2 years of relapsing, was getting to a meeting every single day, for the first 3.5 years. Yeah you need to work the steps with a sponsor, but imo, getting to a meeting a day is invaluable and pretty damned good insurance for staying clean and sober. I wouldn't hurt to attend a morning and evening meeting daily. 2 hours out of 24. This drives home the point of "our primary purpose is to stay sober" to ourselves. Time to turn up the volume on your recovery a couple of notches.
