Preaching, gossip, finger pointing, pontificating, rumors, backstabbing, accusations, denials, lying, yelling, crying, grand standing, insanity, name calling, theatrics, lack of restraint, discrimination, disease disease disease
In short: a "special steering commitee/business/member issue meeting" Cant even think of the name of my room without getting a bad taste in my brain. Trying real hard not to go sit in that pot.
Could use some experience, strength & hope please.
Whenever I find myself having to deal with people who are deep into "Preaching, gossip, finger pointing, pontificating, rumors, backstabbing, accusations, denials, lying, yelling, crying, grand standing, insanity, name calling, theatrics, lack of restraint, discrimination, disease disease disease", I have to strongly remind myself, that if I drink because of them, it will have ZERO correctional effect upon them, and only negatively affect me. Also, I would only be opening myself up for those types to have more mud to sling.
hey miami, i would love to help too, but am confused about what the issue is........could you tell us more info?????
in the mean time, when i am excited over something....i say to my self, literally, "STOP" than i breathe deeply, feel my body receive the air, and i release the negative feelings to my higher power within me...sometimes just doing that i can get to a point of "ok, NOW i can do this.......this or this" sometimes just LETTING IT GO, is all i can do.............peace/ rosie
This goes back to the "under the influence at the podium " issue. I have to say for the most part i feel ok about my actions. My sponsor and the real old-timers were behind me completely. But it was not easy being on the front line and taking the unpopular stand.
Chris B, thank you for that. I spend most of my time with the Big Book thumpers because I want my message hard core. I PREFER to be called on my crap. I have to ask myself if there was a more loving way.
wow.. I can really relate to that , Miami. For most of the years of my recovery I would go to meetings on and off, when I felt I needed them.... then,, just a couple of years ago I decided to 'give back' and make a commitment. I got into the deeper levels of being chairperson, attending business meetings, etc. What I found under the surface was a big mess! All kinds of baloney going on. Elders who thought they should be telling everyone what to do. I guess that was all they had in life and their egoes depended on it. Very controlling people. Devious... you name it.. I needed recovery from my recovery after a few months! And then I backed off,, and now I just basically attend and share. I do give my input, and try to grow myself.
I came to the conclusion that, for me, it was good to see that the AA group was just as human as any other group,, maybe even more so. The group kind of failed at being my higher power, and I had to go further at coming to believe in God as the true Higher Power. And for my participation,,, well,, some people agree with me, and some people listen even if they don't understand,, and some people are really into denial and don't want to hear it at all. They may be sober, but are not in recovery. And for my recovery journey, I learn from everything, mostly from the classic literature, and my own private time spent in meditating on the literature. I also find it worth sorting through the stuff to find the gems that are there.. like panning for gold. There's an old saying, "it takes all kinds", and AA has all kinds in it,, including me. lol I did also switch groups.
love in recovery,
amanda
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do your best and God does the rest, a step at a time
It's tough, and sometimes almost impossible, but I ALWAYS try to hear the message, just in case I may need it later, and it has happened on more than one ocassion. If I pray about it I can always make it thru the CRAP without feeling like part of it .
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change
The courage to change the things I can
The wisdom to know the difference.
Hold on tight.
Doll
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* We eventually realize that just as the pains of alcoholism had to come before sobriety, emotional turmoil comes before serenity. *
