How to share at 1-year Anniversary?

[scootinbabe]

Hi! I am coming up on my one year milestone in AA (through the grace of God and my friends in recovery. I know I will be asked to share and need to get ready.

Any words of wisdom? How best to prepare? How best to tell my story? Should I primarily focus on my drinking up to when i got to AA or over this past year?

Thanks in advance,
scoot

[laurie6781]

Please don't worry about it, but I know you will, lol.

HP will put the words in your mouth if you ask for guidance right before you share.

What to share?

Briefly..............................What it was like. What Happened. and What it is like now.

You will do great!!!!!

Congrats on making that first year soon. It is definitely a Milestone.

Love and hugs,

[Grasshopper]

Congrats!!!!..Way to go!!!!
Ditto to the post above me.Thats how it worked out for me.I dont even remember what i said,i was so nervous.But i let go and let God,.
You are in good hands,and will be ok....smile!!!

[CarolD]

Yes...just let it flow.
Congrtulations on your upcoming year!

[scootinbabe]

thanks for the support guys!

how long do i talk? (20 minutes?)

i still don't know if i'm ready to "go public" with all of my shame...need to find what the difference in what i think i'm supposed to say vs. what is truly right for me to share. i obviously will be honest, i just don't know how much i need to say about my past hurts and humiliations--there are so many! i guess a few examples would suffice?

[GlassPrisoner]

Share in a general way, don't tell your entire story. Besides, after a year, you probably have told it already more than once.

Like other pointed out, share where you were, what happened, and what it's like now. In other words, experience, strength and hope. Remember too, that taking a chip is to show others the program works.

Don't prepare or memorize, just let it flow.

[CarolD]

Ask how long you are to speak.
It varies with different groups.

I was used to 15 minutes
when I moved...it was 30
this group does 45.

It really passes quickly regardless.

For me...I spend more time
on the "What it's like now"

[fraankie]

how it was
how we got here
how is it now
experience, strenght, hope

usually, 15 - 20 minutes
but
when you are up there
you are the boss
so to speak
you are not doing a verbal autobiograhy
glance over the hard step
as it comes up
it goes to the 4th step
you don't have to include the lonely child, the hyperactive childhood, the d in mathematics, etc
not that it applies to you
if anything, be brief about drinking
"i drank, i drank, i drank"
but
focus on the first year in reocvery
i'm sure lots of good stuff to share
meetings, friends, acceptance, love, service, steps, etc
i used to pen a short poem about my drinking
but then ended with the love i found in AA
dream, miracle, etc

wow
i'm so happy for you
you were brief in post
but
i could feel your enthusiam for the program
oh, i used to highlight passages in the big book
and sometimes ended with a favorite
or
read a passage in the beginning of the qualification
and shared how i identified with it
and went on to speak of my alcoholism

one more thing,
you can also use the 24 hours a dour bgook, as bill sees it for a topic,
or
daily reflections for the day you are celebrating

oh, oh
one more, one more thing
go, girl
take at least one outgoing commitment a month
(i did 2 or 3 for quite a while)
it will hlep you clarify your story
which will lead to coherent, chronologicallly, superb qualification
not to mention
helping with 4th, 5th and 8th step

above all, at the end,
share how the newcomer is the most important person there
to encourage newbies
like others did for you
finally,
it's an honor to share with the group,
and
an honor for me, fraankie share with you
as in scootin'babe


congrats
best
fraankie

[scootinbabe]

ohh..that is great fraankie! you too GP and Carol! I'm getting ready to take Step 4 (seems a long time coming to me, but that is what my sponsor advised) and I know that lots of growth lies ahead.

fraankie--when you say outgoing commitment, what exactly is that? do you mean speak to a group?

[NoelleR]

Hey Hey Hey ....... WTG!!!!!

I'm with Laurie6781 and some others.....keep it brief (what it was like; what happened; and what it's like now---all can be down to about one sentence each) .... (o: of course,it all depends on wht kind of meeting it is.....if it's just your typical 'topic meeting' then I would suggest you just stick with the topic....if you're the speaker at a 'speaker meeting' well then I would go with whatever the format there is.....

I spent my first 4/5 years at an AA club, and we had a specified 'Birthday Night.' On my first year anniversary there were approximately 400-500 folks crammed into our large meeting room with approximately 70-80 celebrants (16 one-year celebrants), so you can imagine how long it was.........quite frankly, I can't remember, nor can I remember what I said......lol

Regardless of what you decide (and it is YOUR decision).........again, I wish you CONGRATULATIONS!!!! and WTG!!!!


NoelleR
DOS: 6/23/86

[fraankie]

fraankie--when you say outgoing commitment, what exactly is that? do you mean speak to a group?

well, in new york
we have an exchange meeting every 3 months
and
you sawp
speaking commitments with other groups
usually three speakers come to your group
and
three speakers from your group go to their meeting
but
also,
one speaker, too
to share on big book, step, topic, etc


best
fraankie

[scootinbabe]

thanks all. i'm working on the general outline and getting some ideas...spoke with my sponsor about it. i haven't seen a one-year and i wish i had seen several. although, in this circumstance, i will then not be influenced by what others who went before me said and be limited by that.

thank you all!

[Tazman53]

scootin you have recieved some great advice, starting out with a prayer to your HP, be it silent or spoken simply to help you share what he/she wants you to share, is beyond excellent.

I have 2 months before I have a year, but I recall how powerfully speakers who kept their drunkalog short but powerful, what happened short but powerful and focused on their recovery, both the ups and the downs of it, basically keeping the main focus on where recovery can lead.

I know I am rambling, when I was new to the program I always felt uplifted and hopeful when I heard some one who hit me hard with a strong but short drunkalog, a strong but short what happened and then lifted my newbie buts hope with all of the joys of sobriety and how they attained it. They gave me hope and they still do.


BTW Congrats BIG BIG time on that first year, for some stupid reason I am getting teary eyed typing this part.

Hugs and congrats.

Put it in your HP's hands and you will do fine.

[scootinbabe]

[[taz]]

[barb dwyer]

scoots -

how did it go?

or *did* it go yet???

[fraankie]

and ....................

[Tazman53]

Well...... LOL

[scootinbabe]

not done yet folks! will be not this coming saturday, but the following....i'm just planning ahead!