there's the program....and your program...si?

[fraankie]

hi, been really busy
now, the great thing about the program
to me
(since i came in, el sponsensore' told me)
is everyone one works the program to the best of their ability
and
in essence, has their own program

so, theoretically, no 2 fellows have ever had the same program
steps, tradtions, meetings, sponsor, no sponsor, big book, sharing, fellowship, etc
do your own thing
don't drink and go to meetings
traditicione' numbre quatro
you're in if you have the desire "not" to drink

uno, dos, quatro meetings a week, month, el ano'?
nueve meetings a day
(i did it, pompano beach clubhouse, '95)

90 and 90, ole'
no 90 and 90, ok

so
literally
someone can come to a meeting
sit down
walk out
and
no 90 and 90
no steps
no traditions
no sponsor
no big book
not say one worddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
ikkeeee muchacha
not even hold hands at the end of the meetingoine'
and
recite el serenity prayero with the grupo
but
as long as he does not drink or use mind altering drugs
he is a member
am i correct????????????????????????????/
ok, you got me
he should at least go to a meeting on his anniversary

feedback please


best
frankie

[sugErspun]

As I think has been said many times before.

The requirment to be a member and the requirments to recover are not one in the same.

[jimhere]

AA is not a meeting, it is a way of life.

[Rob B]

Everyone I know who has either relapsed or died has worked "their program" instead of the program of action described in our basic text.

[Tazman53]

Agreed, everyone has thier own program..... if thier program encompasses the program as laid out in the BB then they are working the program of AA, if it doesn't then they are not working the program of AA, they are working their own program and going to AA meetings.

[ananda]

Originally Posted by Tazman53

Agreed, everyone has thier own program..... if thier program encompasses the program as laid out in the BB then they are working the program of AA, if it doesn't then they are not working the program of AA, they are working their own program and going to AA meetings.

I agree with you Taz....the program is for me the 12 steps and the big book explains it very well. The program had to become personal to me just as my higher power had to be personal to me, and we all have different explinations of that HP. Yet this is a WE program.....learning to live in the paradoxs is an interesting journey

[zencat]

I go to meetings, make friendships, work my personalized program and have been staying happily sober.

[stone]

Originally Posted by Rob B

Everyone I know who has either relapsed or died has worked "their program" instead of the program of action described in our basic text.

But surely everyone has their own conception of HP? They will 'pray' and 'meditate' in their own way, so in that way everyone does have their own program, personal to them.

I think I get what you are saying though, trying to 're-write' the program is not doing the program?

[Tazman53]

But surely everyone has their own conception of HP? They will 'pray' and 'meditate' in their own way, so in that way everyone does have their own program, personal to them.

So true Stone, so true.

[lizw]

Is we get to be around other people who have the same primary purpose as us. Soberity, right? And the Big book is a historical account of how the first 100 members stayed sober, right? And the 12 steps are points they all agreed one needed to take/go through in order to get and remain sober.

I don't know if anyone else has noticed this either in themselves or others in AA but the people I have seen that have come in after me seemed to go through some sort of internal process, all on their own that could easily be defined as 'the 12 steps'.

Of course they've done other stuff as well like service, got a sponsor etc.., some of which is suggested and some of which is not! And I couldn't tell you when I started to notice what seems to be an internal process but one day I could see it quite clearly in someone I sponsored and not because she'd stopped drinking but because she couldn't!

Am unsure what this has to do with 'a program' or 'the program'. I suppose I would define 'the program' as sponsorship, fellowship (mtgs), service, steps. I wouldn't define meetings as 'the program' alone.

[ananda]

yeah liz....it has seemed to me the internal process is the most important..the others are tools to help get there...and for me the basic is one alchoholic sharing "their" expereince strenght and hope with another and meetings help that

[Rob B]

Originally Posted by stone

But surely everyone has their own conception of HP? They will 'pray' and 'meditate' in their own way, so in that way everyone does have their own program, personal to them.

I think I get what you are saying though, trying to 're-write' the program is not doing the program?

You are right on Stone, there is "one Program" with very specific precise instructions on how to recover. However, how one chooses to form a relationship with a God of their understanding is entirely personal, as is how one prays and meditates. There is some room for flexibility.

Where I see people get in trouble are by doing half measured 4th steps, no fear inventory, no sex inventory, no sane ideal for future conduct, an incomplete 5th step, unfinished amends, and no prayer and meditation life. Working with others is not the bright spot of their day.

The mechanics of step work is important but it is not the end all be all, it's much more important to just do it, ideally, from a place of honesty and fearlessness. The neat thing about the Big Book is that it gives great instructions on how to do just this.

[tiburon88]

I like to do my "own program." I seem to be doing okay right now.

[Sheryl85]

Anything said by me is my own opinion and experience as of now. I do not speak for AA as a whole. That being said, let me ask you this . . . If my best thinking got me here, then wouldn’t it be the best thing for me to exercise extreme caution in the idea of “making” my own program? Knowing that my former thinking was insane, wouldn’t anything that I came up with be suspect?

Today I realize that all the research and development in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous had already been done. The reason I feel this way is because of the first sentence in Chapter 5 of the Big Book, “Rarely have we seen a person fail who has throughly followed our path.” I learned from what was in the literature (and from my fellow AA members) that the way from the insane side of the street to the sane side was through the spiritual side of the Program which can be found in the Steps of this Program. After all, sanity is first talked about in Step Two and then when you reach Step Ten it has that statement about sanity having returned (“For by now sanity will have returned . . . ”). However, what is most conspicuous by its absence is the statement that sanity would stay. That’s where the maintenance Steps come in to play. (Also, where does humility go when I make the statement that this is “my” program? I didn’t invent it! I only become a part of it.)

Folks, I’m fairly smart, in fact most of us that suffer from this disease are quite smart people, but I couldn’t come up with this stuff by myself to save my life. (And that is a TRUE statement of proven facts.) The reason I couldn’t is because I had a crazy person living in my head that was trying to kill me one drink at a time. Only by being introduced to the Program of AA and practicing its principles in all my affairs, was I finally able to learn that there IS a Power Greater than myself which could deliver me into sanity, found the peace of mind necessary to live life on life’s terms, and give me the ability to even care about being of help to my fellow alcoholic. These gifts came from THE Program. I’m just practicing what has already been laid out for me to follow. Although the conception of God that I have is all mine, the Program was already there and working just fine. So, I just placed myself under its’ auspicious guidance and here I am!

And that’s “my” opinion.

[ananda]

yep - my best thinking did get me here, in AA