Fear is an emotion many AA’s are familiar even though they may not recognize when it is happening. When someone quits drinking, the newcomer is often afraid of many things. Will this work? Will they pick the right sponsor? Are they going to enough meetings? Will they be able to complete the steps successfully? These…
Emotions can be so intense. Thoughts can be so insistent. Either by themselves is enough to make someone feel a loss of control that can be frightening. Then there are those rare cases when both thought and emotion combine and totally overwhelm us. In many of these instances there is good cause for these emotions…
The New York Times published an article titled, Challenging the Second ‘A’ in A.A by David Colman. This article questions the value of anonymity and wonders what harm, if any, is done by someone who publicly admits that they are “recovering” or a part of a treatment program. This debate isn’t a new one. What is new is…
Several years ago there was a best seller called “The Secret.” This book was another in a long line of books of that teaches that what you think determines outcomes in life. Positive thought (and expectation) is “the secret” to success and happiness in life. This Philosophy comes in many flavors. For people in AA, thought…
Often people pray for others. When there is nothing else to say or do, as in a troubling or tragic situation, people often say, “I’ll pray for you.” This is a kind thing to say as many people believe that God or a Higher Power responds directly to prayers and petitions. Whether or not this is the…
The above passage, known as “the Serenity Prayer” is one of the most beloved prayers for people in recovery. It is simple and profound at the same time. It is also theologically benign (in its short form) – allowing people of many faiths to share in its message. There are three things I love about…
In AA “judging” someone is euphemistically called “taking their inventory.” Sitting in a room, looking across from someone, taking in how they present themselves and listening to what they say (if they share) has led me to make many hasty and ill-informed judgements. If there is anything I have learned in my years, is that people have pasts that often…
The classic cliche found in AA meetings is, “religion is for those afraid of hell, and spirituality is for those who have been there.” Debating these cliches is not very productive. After all, the reason they became cliches is that they resonate some truth that compels people to repeat them in the first place. The truth in…