Hi, Jarrod. Did you get your birthday messages? We go to meetings for lots of reasons. The main one being to stay sober & for me, to improve on the quality of my life & thinking. Genuinely speaking I think it has to be whatever works for you & it's about balance. If you go to meetings out of a sense of duty then maybe you would become resentful. I don't think we should go to meetings out of guilt or duty but above all to get what we need. It's a bridge to normal living & if anybody tells me I 'have to go' to meetings I get all caught up with the idea that it's a big cult & feel the intentions of them wanting me to go are less than sincere (my head!) lol I treasure my life & what A.A. has given to me but I won't go because I think that's what's expected. I go when I want to, need to, like to. I'm sure you'll go if you feel your getting off~beam & need a spiritual injection of that good stuff. For me, I've tried to 'escape' lol a few times but each time my head goes AWOL & I know I've still more work to do before I can live & be how I want. That means going to meetings for me for the forseeable & I don't mind. I'm balancing my life to a good extent. I'm grateful for today & I know there are other things I can do to help myself too. Do as you need, Jarrod. We're all here for each other no matter where we are in our journey. Come & go as you please. Stay sober & enjoy what you have. You work hard for it. If you want to go to the occasional meeting to carry a message then that's great too. I wish you the best. Well done with turning your life around on a daily basis. A.A. is always here for you just as it has been for me. Love in recovery, Danielle :)
-- Edited by Sobrietyspell at 19:16, 2007-11-27
__________________
Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!
Ironman wrote: "I hear this is the place we fail most of the time"
AA has a 100% success rate for those who want it and are willing to go to any lengths......It's your sobriety, man. If it works for you, who am I to say anything.....But, I will tell ya this - I stopped going to meetings one meeting at the time. "life" got in the way, job, kids, b/f - I picked up 2 months ago!
Congrats on a year, again!
-- Edited by Doll at 05:53, 2007-11-28
__________________
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
We all have our own paths to follow. The big book is full of suggestions that we can take or leave, right! For me, being so new, I have to go to meetings everyday. Sometimes it can be such a pain in the butt as Im sooo busy with work, kids, etc. But for now, its what I need to keep sober. Best of luck to you!! Congrats again on one year!!!!! Lani
__________________
"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
It's easy to get complacent with a family at home and hard to leave for an 8 o'clock meeting but unless you're in some remote area, generally you can find a morning, noon, or 5:30 meeting to hit. Remember "anything that you put in front of your sobriety you will lose anyway if you start drinking again". I haven't seen you here because I haven't been here that long, but didn't Danielle just have a 1 year anniversary thread for you? You're a salesman so you must be pretty good with numbers. If only 1 out 20 people that come into AA stay sober for 5 years or longer, what odds would you give for someone that has one year and doesn't go to meetings? By the way I always give thanks to those other 19 that leave so that I can remain here. It's a selfish program lol.
I know, for me, that I still need to go to my meetings on a regular basis. If, for whatever reason, I can't always get to my meetings I can feel the effect that it has on me and I don't like it.
I have heard so many people say that they stopped going to as many meetings and then stopped going altogether. I have heard the same people share just how bad it was when they picked up again and I don't want to go there.
If I lose my sobriety then I lose everything that I have got back, including my self-respect, and I can't afford to lose it all again. My only fear in life is that I will pick up a drink again.
It's your sobriety and you have to do what feels right for you. Remember that AA is always there for us.
Take care,
Carol
__________________
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss
