Steps Traditions Simplicity and Beauty Before program, I dealt with work, family, and friendship challenges through power and manipulation. Tradition Two taught me another way. It suggests we serve and let HP govern. When faced with a difficulty in an OA group, Tradition Two gives me step-by-step instructions: (1) ask for guidance from HP; (2) discuss the issue carefully; (3) vote; (4) trust HP’s will. … Read More
Traditions Focus on the Message When I first came to OA, I was a very complicated person (by my own doing) who responded to uncertainty, frustration, resentment, and fear by overeating. At my very first meeting, however, the OA message was delivered right on target, with two of the four members present sharing succinctly how they got over compulsive overeating. By their visible appearance, all … Read More
Traditions Autonomous Solution Tradition Four: Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or OA as a whole. I worked Step Four in order to take responsibility for my past actions. No one else could do it for me; no one else could even really tell me how to do it. Others could guide me, but I had to do … Read More
Steps Traditions When Desire Works Tradition Three works. I believe the best way to show it is to share what I was shown when I first arrived in OA. All I wanted to do was lose weight while eating all my binge foods—was that too much to ask? I hated that I was unable to eat like my friends: they were skinny, yet here I … Read More
Traditions Corporate Conscience When I came into OA about thirty-three years ago, I was working for an important corporation. It just amazed me that our OA meetings were very much more efficient and effective than corporate meetings. Corporate meetings, with all their power, resources, and experience, should have been the better in my mind. But I observed differently, and here is what I … Read More
Steps Traditions Presently Unchained The OA program encourages us to live one day at a time. In other words, that says to me, “Live in today.” I heard a cute story about a man who was dragging a chain behind him on the sidewalk. Another man asked him, “Why are you dragging that chain?” To which he replied, “Have you ever tried pushing one … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality A Better Way One of my favorite OA literature quotes is from the chapter on Step Three in The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition: “Once we compulsive overeaters truly take the third step, we cannot fail to recover” (p. 23). I find it a promise on par with any other; however, I understand that promise in the context … Read More
Traditions Opinion-Free Tradition Ten – Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the OA name ought never be drawn into public controversy. When I first joined OA in 1990, I assumed all members thought the way I thought and believed what I believed. I was sure we all felt the same about religion, politics, and social action. My first clue … Read More
Recovery Paying It Forward My first day in OA, I was desperate and hopeless. I had reached bottom and thought I could not recover. After that first meeting, a kind man gave me a Big Book and Lifeline to take home and read. He told me there was hope and to keep coming back. With tears in my eyes, I left the meeting believing … Read More
