Service Tools & Concepts A New Focus Whenever I went to my Tuesday night meeting, I noticed my sponsor talking with newcomers. He greeted them when they came in the door and sought their reactions after the meeting. I was amazed anyone could be so invested in helping others. I wanted the kind of recovery my sponsor had, so I also began to focus on newcomers. I … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts Service Put Me There Service above the group level was never in my plans, but as I write this, I am the treasurer for my region. Thanks to my region-level service, I am about 30 pounds (14 kg) lighter! After twelve years of recovery and maintaining a 40-pound (18-kg) weight loss, I thought my weight-loss days were over, and I was comfortable with that. … Read More
Tools & Concepts Meetings are Multipliers My first few OA meetings were like stepping into another world. The meetings I attended began with members reading the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. At first, this made no sense to me. I spent my first meeting scanning the crowd while someone read the Steps. Funny, I had no idea someone was reading the keys to my recovery. By … Read More
Higher Power Grounded by Grace After I shared my Fourth Step inventory with my sponsor, taking the Fifth Step, I moved on and wrote this poem during the hour I spent with God alone as I took Steps Six and Seven. Broad highway Narrow path, narrow steps. Tight rope strung between mountain peaks formed by stories, wrapped in drama, about a life lived overdone. Suspended, … Read More
Anorexia & Bulimia Diversity Different Bodies, Similar Reasoning Look for the similarities, not the differences.” How grateful I am to have gotten that message straightaway when I walked in the doors of OA. It was out of desperation that I had to do this, because the only alternative was going to be death. I came to OA looking different than most, weighing in at 42–47 kilograms (93–99 lbs), … Read More
Gratitude Recovery Gratitude Building For as long as I can remember, I carried so many of the world’s burdens on my shoulders. I worried about gas prices, nuke attacks, and the stupid things the men in my life did. I worried that I was ugly and couldn’t wear stylish clothes because they didn’t come in size “triple-Z.” I felt the need to share these … Read More
Recovery Relationships Meditation: “Quality Time” This is a story of my relationship with HP, whom I choose to call God. I did all of my Steps up to Step Eleven. The Eleventh Step said for me to pray and meditate. I was good at praying and asking for what I wanted, but staying quiet and listening? That was all new to me. All I knew … Read More
Higher Power Trusted Others I’ve heard that a Higher Power can be anything or anyone but me. However, I do believe in listening to my own intuition and conscience, in addition to outside voices. I believe in God, but I don’t believe in a God who directly intervenes in my every interaction. Instead, God is embodied in appropriate others, in my case, my sponsors, … Read More
Recovery Relationships More Kindness As far back as I can remember, I never felt truly loved by anyone. Different issues and circumstances in my life reinforced this belief over the years. As a compulsive overeater, I sought comfort in food and used it to try to numb some of the hurt I felt deep inside. As a result, my weight climbed higher and higher. This caused me … Read More
Steps Traditions Principle Focus This morning, I picked up my OA Twelve and Twelve to read Tradition One because I needed help with a challenging situation at work. I know how well Tradition One works to keep meetings strong and united, and I needed help working as a team with a colleague. When a conflict or difference of opinion comes up, “Tradition One guides … Read More
