Sponsoring Tools & Concepts Working the Program Partners in Recovery There are many different ways to share experience, strength, and hope in the OA Fellowship. As two OA members in recovery, we would like to share a way that has worked for us. We have been calling our relationship “Partners in Recovery.” Together, we have developed a unique relationship that is separate from a sponsor/sponsee relationship, although we still continue … Read More
Steps Well of Humility Along with other OA literature that I read daily, I have developed a habit of reading the Step for each corresponding month in the AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. This morning, I started reading the first page of Step Seven, and two phrases stood out. “The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of A.A.’s Twelve … Read More
Steps Low-Tech Outreach I am on my intergroup’s public information committee. We make flyers with a tear-off portion and give them to members to post on bulletin boards at supermarkets and libraries in their neighborhoods. If space is limited, we use business cards and sticky notes. A couple of months ago, I started sending OA advertisements every two weeks to my free local … Read More
Steps Available to Everyone Here are a few ways I carry the message to other compulsive overeaters. I print out OA’s Courier newsletter and give copies to my health care practitioners. I let them know I’m available should one of their patients or clients want to learn more about OA. I tell close friends I’m happy to talk to anyone they know who wants … Read More
Steps Radio-Active I was listening to a commentary about obesity on our local radio station. The commentator said one of the usual criticisms about people who are obese: “Why can’t they simply stop overeating?!” It made me upset enough to send in my own commentary, which was read aloud by one of the radio hosts the next day. Another person called in, … Read More
Steps In the PI Flow Recently, I had the honor of working the OA booth at a local fair. The fair ran for many days, and it gave several intergroups the chance to reach out and help change the lives of strangers. Another OA member was working the booth with me, and I and recall her sharing the following: “Three years ago, I was wandering … Read More
Steps Knowing about OA A doctor, a nutritionist, and a weight loss clinic gave me three opportunities to carry the OA message of recovery while maintaining the Traditions. What a gift. Several years ago, my nutritionist, who had not worked with anyone with food addiction prior to me, asked me to talk to a group of medical students as part of their nutrition curriculum. … Read More
Literature Tools & Concepts Affirming Words Is it just me? The cover of the January 2020 Lifeline is so affirming. The words I so need to live by and live with are spread all over. I have heard so many say, “It’s just words” or “It’s just a slogan,” which, to me, is very sad. Those words and slogans are signposts and my way of life. They … Read More
Traditions Keep It Simple When I put this Tradition in my own words, I say, “As a member of an OA group, I should never pitch or stress the name(s) of non-OA-approved, books, literature, authors, spiritual leaders, vitamins, weight loss programs, church revivals, other Twelve Step groups, self-help chewing gums, etc. If I do, I could become distracted by problems of money, property, and … Read More
Steps Surrender the Crutch At first, I thought Step Six would be easy for me—of course, I want my defects removed! But just as it warns in OA Twelve and Twelve, Second Edition, this Step is a little more complicated: At first glance, Step Six seems easy. After all, who among us would not want to have all our defects miraculously removed, once we … Read More
