Recovery Working the Program The Silent Engine We gather in our meetings to share our experience, strength, and hope—I hear that expression frequently. We talk about our experiences, and we share the strength we have found in program, in one another, in our literature, and primarily in working the Steps. All of this is so true and so valid. Yet, I have never—in all my thirty years of … Read More
Meetings Tools & Concepts Real Meetings I remember ten years ago or so emailing my sponsor and asking her if an online meeting was really a meeting. Her immediate response was “absolutely.” Thank heavens she said that. Her support helped quiet that perfectionist in my mind that was telling me I had to go to a face-to-face meeting or it wouldn’t count. Yes, face-to-face meetings are … Read More
Steps Empowering Discovery When I first came to OA thirty-three years ago, I was a bundle of resentments. I’m sure I resented almost everyone in my life, and my coping mechanism was to try to be nice to others so that they would feel bad and do what I wanted them to. But that never seemed to work for very long, so I … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Ten Things Here is what has helped me get abstinent: Planning out my food for the next twenty-four hours and making my lunch and snack night before. Making a commitment to my OA sponsor (by phone or email) of what I will eat for the next twenty-four hours. If I need to change it, I call her ahead of time. Being rigorously … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Let’s Ask Permission I have been in OA for nineteen years. Recently, after a Big Book study meeting, another member of the group told me I never share on the portion of the Big Book that is being read and that I always just share on whatever I want. Well, I was shocked and felt attacked. What I want to ask of everyone … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Correcting and Cross Talk Despite six years of OA and maintaining a 90-pound (41-kg) weight loss, I still sometimes feel attacked in OA. This was the case recently at a meeting where we read from OA literature and then opened the floor for sharing. As I began to read, someone interrupted with a loud demand: “What’s your name?!” I stumbled for a few seconds … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Chairing is Difficult I’ve had personality conflicts in the past. Once, I was chairing my home group’s business meeting, and it was not clear how the meeting should be conducted. A couple of people criticized me because I was not using Robert’s Rules of Order. I was not familiar with them. I asked if anyone would like to take over, but no one … Read More
Fellowship Recovery My Life Depends on You Recently, my schedule changed, so I had to change my weekly attendance to a different OA meeting. Sadly, the new meeting has been disappointing. The turnout is rarely more than five or six people. Sometimes, only two are there to get the meeting started, and several members show up late. This type of behavior in recovery is disturbing to me … Read More
Steps Traditions Authority in the Rooms When I came into OA about thirty-three years ago, I was working for an important corporation. It just amazed me that OA meetings were so much more efficient and effective than corporate meetings. Corporate meetings, with all the power, resources, and experience at their disposal, should have been the better, but in my observation, here is what I’ve learned. Everyone … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Fresh in My Mind Last January, I celebrated OA’s 59th birthday, my 76th birthday, and two years of continuous abstinence. I went to my first meeting with a couple of buddies who were already in OA. I was beat and knew I needed a Twelve Step program to start crawling my way out of the abyss of compulsive overeating. I knew I was powerless … Read More
