Crazy Sponsor Assignments
It's a luxury to be understood
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 13
Crazy Sponsor Assignments
Hey guys,
doe's your sponsor give assignments out of the blue. My sponsor had me go through every piece of NA litrature and highlight the word "must" wherever it showed up.
What kind of crazy assignments does your sponsor have you do?
doe's your sponsor give assignments out of the blue. My sponsor had me go through every piece of NA litrature and highlight the word "must" wherever it showed up.
What kind of crazy assignments does your sponsor have you do?
I'm an addict.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Hyde Park, NY
Posts: 1,201
Here is a cheat sheet for the basic text.... http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ighlight=musts
It's a luxury to be understood
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 13
Hey guys,
don't get me wrong, I love these cooky assignments. I think there fun, bring it on!! And my sponsor does
I just want to hear about others that your sponsors give to you, nothing deeper.
don't get me wrong, I love these cooky assignments. I think there fun, bring it on!! And my sponsor does
I just want to hear about others that your sponsors give to you, nothing deeper.
I'm an addict.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Hyde Park, NY
Posts: 1,201
well lets see how can I put this......
My sponsor told me that I needed to....."take care of myself more often".....before I ended up doing something stupid again when it came to the womenfolk...........I still ended up with a new girlfriend though....
My sponsor told me that I needed to....."take care of myself more often".....before I ended up doing something stupid again when it came to the womenfolk...........I still ended up with a new girlfriend though....
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Posts: 15,238
Hi, Im Sharon and Im an alcoholic.
A fellow alcoholic wrote this and i was inspired to share because it is almost exactly how i feel about sponsorship....
........the last line about diddly squat..is his words...for me im not that harsh with words....i do care ..but u get the meaning...i hope...if not ...forget the last line...lol
...my sponsor NEVER TOLD me what to do...it was by her shining examples that led the way for me in recovery. Today she continues to be that shining beacon in my mind, heart and soul by remembering her kindness, caring, supportive ways about her.
****In a nutshell, here is what I tell folks who ask me to be their sponsor. "I can't relieve you of your alcoholism. I can't answer all your questions or be your family counselor or father/mother figure or psychologist. I saved my hide/butt by following the AA recommended program, reading the book, praying and meditating, seeking a sponsor, sponsoring others, and always turning down that first drink. So, if you're here to walk the walk, then I'll carry the lantern and be your willing guide but if you're here to simply talk the talk, you've got to have me confused with someone who gives a diddly-squat about your unfortunate situation." And that's the way it works for me. ****
Does that make sense? : )
A fellow alcoholic wrote this and i was inspired to share because it is almost exactly how i feel about sponsorship....
........the last line about diddly squat..is his words...for me im not that harsh with words....i do care ..but u get the meaning...i hope...if not ...forget the last line...lol
...my sponsor NEVER TOLD me what to do...it was by her shining examples that led the way for me in recovery. Today she continues to be that shining beacon in my mind, heart and soul by remembering her kindness, caring, supportive ways about her.
****In a nutshell, here is what I tell folks who ask me to be their sponsor. "I can't relieve you of your alcoholism. I can't answer all your questions or be your family counselor or father/mother figure or psychologist. I saved my hide/butt by following the AA recommended program, reading the book, praying and meditating, seeking a sponsor, sponsoring others, and always turning down that first drink. So, if you're here to walk the walk, then I'll carry the lantern and be your willing guide but if you're here to simply talk the talk, you've got to have me confused with someone who gives a diddly-squat about your unfortunate situation." And that's the way it works for me. ****
Does that make sense? : )
On a tear
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Volcano Country!
Posts: 3,221
My sponsor gave me a list of rules before we agreed to the relationship...
Call her
Call my folks on my phone list
read the literature
go to meetings
She does not give me assignments unless I am struggling. And even those are "as I am willing".
This is my program to work. She is gentle with me...so far. (grin)
Call her
Call my folks on my phone list
read the literature
go to meetings
She does not give me assignments unless I am struggling. And even those are "as I am willing".
This is my program to work. She is gentle with me...so far. (grin)
JUST DO IT!!
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Here Or There
Posts: 7,612
Let's see I just got my new sponsor, this will be my first NA Sponsor since really the NA's around here are pretty limited or were. 
I started two NA Meetings now OMG addiction.
Anyways my new sponsor that I asked last night I called him and asked what he wanted me to do, He said read the 1st step in the It Works How and Why and we will sit down and review it when he gets back. I have to be willing to do anything that they ask, I assume that of course they know more about staying clean and living than I do so I would say if my sponsor told me to pee in a cup and drink it I would think he would not lead me astray.
God I hope that isn't the case 
I started two NA Meetings now OMG addiction.Anyways my new sponsor that I asked last night I called him and asked what he wanted me to do, He said read the 1st step in the It Works How and Why and we will sit down and review it when he gets back. I have to be willing to do anything that they ask, I assume that of course they know more about staying clean and living than I do so I would say if my sponsor told me to pee in a cup and drink it I would think he would not lead me astray.
God I hope that isn't the case 
"The BAND" workshop ROCKS!
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 1,502
I have a workshop called The Band that pretty much handles the literature end of things. We did the 12/12 last year, this time around we're reading the 164 pages in AA.
But sponsor does make me write the dreaded 'gratitude list' from time to time. I hate it- that's why I know I should do it more often.
But sponsor does make me write the dreaded 'gratitude list' from time to time. I hate it- that's why I know I should do it more often.
Member
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Somewhere there is peace of mind
Posts: 210
Don't know if this is wacky or not, but since my sponsor was out of town, she put my "grandsponsor" in charge. I was doing my 6th step, had a list of 28 character defects and was still writing. She (GrSponsor) picked one to work on, which was being judgmental. But the twist was, how was I judgmental with myself. And here I was all prepared to beat myself up for my unforgivable cruelty to others, and I had to focus on my cruelty to myself. That was probably the biggest epiphany in my recovery. Also had to do a list every day of 5 things I loved about myself, along with positive affirmations, to be posted on my bathroom mirror (that gave company something to think about when they came over).
Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: fumbling towards ecstasy
Posts: 2,551
That's really cool, StrongR2Day!
My sponsor has me write on my bathroom mirror with lipstick or a dry erase pen, "I LOVE YOU, PHINNY" every day. How weird is that? And how weird is it that it may actually be working?!?
Great thread, Hangnail. Thanks for the topic!
My sponsor has me write on my bathroom mirror with lipstick or a dry erase pen, "I LOVE YOU, PHINNY" every day. How weird is that? And how weird is it that it may actually be working?!?
Great thread, Hangnail. Thanks for the topic!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Starting over all over again
Posts: 4,426
I went to a meet once and the treasurer didn't show up. So somebody had to step in and do it. Went to the next meet and the speaker didn't show up, so somebody had to step in and do it. Next meet and the cleanup guy didn't show, so somebody had to do it.
I complained to my spons about people who don't show up for their comitments. He told me there's a trick that old timers use to make sure that never happens, and he told me to go to this old-timer meet and he'd show me.
Old timer meet is right, _I_ am the baby there at 26yrs. So I'm expecting this deep pearl of wisdom, some twisty slogan from the dim beginnings of AA that would propel me to instant serenity. The secretary of the meet gets up (he's got 40-some years) and says the treasurer job is up for renewal and a new treasurer is needed.
This was it. Now I get to hear the pearl of wisdom.
The secretary turned to me and says to the group "... and I want to thank Mike for volunteering to be the treasurer."
Huh? I didn't volunteer for nothing!!! But like I'm going to say no in front of a room full of old timers. Surely they won't vote me in, I'm just a newbie in their eyes.
"... and we all voted before the meeting and Mike, you are the new treasurer for this meet"
Dang.
".... and Mike, I also want to thank you for volunteering to be our speaker for tonite"
what ?!?!?!?
"... your sponsor told me you had volunteered"
That's when it hit me, as I noticed the smug smiles on all their faces. That's the deep wisdom, the answer to how to not ever have to complain about somebody not showing up for their commitment. Do it yourself.
I got up and spoke to that room full of old timers, and I was treasurer for a whole year, and I loved every minute of it.
The other day I heard this newbie called Howard complain about some guy who didn't show up to make coffee...........
Mike
I complained to my spons about people who don't show up for their comitments. He told me there's a trick that old timers use to make sure that never happens, and he told me to go to this old-timer meet and he'd show me.
Old timer meet is right, _I_ am the baby there at 26yrs. So I'm expecting this deep pearl of wisdom, some twisty slogan from the dim beginnings of AA that would propel me to instant serenity. The secretary of the meet gets up (he's got 40-some years) and says the treasurer job is up for renewal and a new treasurer is needed.
This was it. Now I get to hear the pearl of wisdom.
The secretary turned to me and says to the group "... and I want to thank Mike for volunteering to be the treasurer."
Huh? I didn't volunteer for nothing!!! But like I'm going to say no in front of a room full of old timers. Surely they won't vote me in, I'm just a newbie in their eyes.
"... and we all voted before the meeting and Mike, you are the new treasurer for this meet"
Dang.
".... and Mike, I also want to thank you for volunteering to be our speaker for tonite"
what ?!?!?!?
"... your sponsor told me you had volunteered"
That's when it hit me, as I noticed the smug smiles on all their faces. That's the deep wisdom, the answer to how to not ever have to complain about somebody not showing up for their commitment. Do it yourself.
I got up and spoke to that room full of old timers, and I was treasurer for a whole year, and I loved every minute of it.
The other day I heard this newbie called Howard complain about some guy who didn't show up to make coffee...........
Mike
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mississauga Ontario
Posts: 296
sponsor stuff in early recovery i had to read the just for today meditations to the 4 folks in our area that could not read.
i had to play taxi for alot of folks my first two years.
i had to write daily in my journal(so i would have a written account to help newcomers in the future)
had to make an ongoing list of miracles and coincedences(which was awesome for step 2 and 3)
gratitude list(5 in the morning 5 before bed)
look up every word in each step and each tradition as i worked the steps and traditions together.
had to call my sponsor daily first 2 years.
had to call other addicts,2 in my sponsorship tree,and 2 outside it the first year.
im sure more will come to mind.
my first couple of years realy helped me grow.
and helped me to unass my head
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