Missybuns

ok gang let's get this forum going again!

Let me give some assurance there is no shortage of recovery topics.

At a recent NA convention I attended, I went into the marathon meeting room the first night of the convention. The meetings were to start after the opening speaker and go non stop (with a few hours exception during main speakers) until the close of the convention.

No one was there (yet) but the tables were nice big conference tables, plenty of coffee and even little note pads provided by the hotel all ready to go. On the table was lying this clip board and it had a paper clipped to it and it was a schedule of hourly topics for the meeting chair to bring up for discussion.

here's the list:
* My will or God's will
* Trust is a must
* What is our common welfare?
* Another Look (IP)
* Attraction not promotion
* Carry the message not the addict
* Sharing clean living dirty
* What is a healthy relationship
* Loving you and losing me
* Hateful to grateful
* Recovery is my responsibility
* I'm trying to turn it over
* Is it love or addiction
* Triangle of Self Obsession (IP)
* We can no longer blame
* honesty is the antidote
* Gossip or Concern
* Sponsorship
* With membership comes responsibility
* What is our ultimate problem
* Relapse is a reality
* Walking the walk
* Carry the message not the mess
* Change I must or die I will
* Where are the old-timers
* Prisoners of our own mind
* You can't heal what you can't feel
* Using against our will
* Living the program (IP)
* I reached a moment of clarity
* Trusting the process
* Give yourself a break

any of these appeal to anyone?

Gmoney

LOL! All of them!! I think I've been to at least one workshop on each of those topics listed. Here's some that also came to mind:

* Victim or Volunteer?
* Wearing The Mask
* In Times of Illness
* What Is A Newcomer?

G

REZ

These are all great topics. I like "Prisoners of our own mind". Most of my problems today are caused by my messed up thinking.

tricky164

carry the message NOT the mess.

fantastic topic.

may your god keep you safe.

Timebuster

* I reached a moment of clarity


Ivan

Gmoney

I shared a workshop on "Gossip or Concern" back in 2001. I also did "Carry The Message, Not The Addict." It was fun. There's a member in my area that really kills "Using Against My Will," and I guess he would know because he's been around since 92' and can never get more that 2 or 3 years continuous clean time.

Gmoney

Oh yeah...here's some more:

* Spiritual, not Religious
* Never Alone
* Are You Really Powerless?

2ala2

Here are some topics someone mailed to me a while back. We sometimes use them in my HG:

1. How are you taking recovery into the rest of your life, outside of meetings?
2. What does being "powerless" mean to you?
3. How is honesty growing in your life now, compared to when you were using?
4. How has your life changed since you got clean?
5. How was your life unmanageable when you were using? What about now?
6. Are you still isolating? How, and if not, what did you do to stop?
7. Talk about reservations -- the ones you had -- and the fear of ones you may still have.
8. What does addiction mean to you, and how did/does it affect your life?
9. Talk about the self-centeredness while using. Is it still affecting you, and how?
10. What does "came to believe" mean to you?
11. How do you change from "feeling apart from" to "feeling a part of"?
12. What are you most grateful for today? Share about blessings in your life.
13. How do you have fun clean? Share about your favorite things to do.
14. Who ran your life while you were using? What about now?
15. Talk about the relationships in your life, then and now.
16. What does "recovery" mean to you?
17. Who's an Addict says, "We used to survive." How do you survive today?
18. Talk about willingness. Has yours grown since you got clean?
19. How do you get out of those "spiritual slumps" that we all experience?
20. Defects of Character: Talk about the ones that are still bothering you.
21. How do resentments affect your life? What do you do about them?
22. What about service? How important is it, and what are you doing?
23. Since we can't "fix" with dope anymore, what are you fixing with?
24. What does "spirituality" mean to you? How is it growing in your life?
25. How good are you at "letting go?" How has this changed for you?
26. What do you do on a daily basis to stay clean and grow? What would you like to do more of?
27. How important has "open-mindedness" been to your recovery? Share about how.
28. If you could change three things about your life right now, what would they be?
29. How do you treat someone who repeatedly goes back out and uses?
30. What is the importance of passionately welcoming and helping the newcomer?
31. What are the 12 Steps for?
32. What are the 12 Traditions for?
33. What is a sponsor for?
34. How do you deal with adversity now that you are clean?
35. What do you do to give back what you have gotten?
36. What is your favorite step?
37. How do you deal with family members, or anyone else outside the rooms, now that you are clean?
38. What does anonymity mean to you?
39. Pick a spiritual principal and share about it.

huntsober

How about the Aging in Recovery topic.

I find today that addicts are living clean for long periods of time. We now have very long term clean time in our fellowship. Many of us are getting old in age and in clean time. Facing the golden years is a different issue today. Many thought we would never get this far in life due to the damage done to our bodies.

In the near future we will see H&I mgt in nursing homes to carry the message to our aging members. This is new and we will adjust.

Missybuns

43 is NOT old! (me is 43 too!) However I do have rheumatoid arthritis and am no spring chicken.

Having said that... I plan to grow (cough) old in recovery, so "Aging In Recovery" is a topic I'd like to hear/read about.

huntsober

Yep I am 43 too, however I think my areas average age of ....around 26 treats me like I need to be put at to pasture. My sponsor is 60 and I just hate to think of retirement coummunities with no recovery. That is a reality we will be facing soon

Gmoney

I was 41 when I got clean and I'm 52 now. By no means am I a "young buck" but I'm certainly not an old man. I'm not sure what the average age in my local fellowship is. If I were to guess, I'd say somewhere in the 30's. My sponsor is almost 60, retired, and goes to meetings daily. I'd also guess and say the bulk of our membership has 8 years clean or more.

Sugah

My all-time favorite meeting topic, which I used to hate, which a lot of newcomers (not all, but a lot) hate, which upon first suggesting it when I do jail meetings the female inmates hate (but usually love by the end of the meeting)....gratitude. A grateful heart will not, cannot use...

Peace & Love,
Sugah

kj3880

This is a great thread. I need to make a gratitude list, this reminds me.

Also, G, , 8 years clean is average there? That is wonderful! A miracle! The average clean time in my area (near Baltimore) is about 9 months. They did a poll and that is what they got. And the membership is 3/4 male here. The average age is 23. A young group! We have a huge turnover in the Baltimore metro area. It's a tough area, I guess.

Love,
KJ

Gmoney

I'm guessing, KJ. We haven't had a poll or survey done. At our last convention, when they did the countdown, the largest groups to stand were members with between 6 and 10 years. Yes...it is a blessing.

Kahlia

Gratitude is also my favorite ...I am grateful for so many things..my being clean, my sanity, my personal relationships, my ability to recognize things now more clearly.
I have 11 years clean.

Blessings,
Kahlia

CarolD

I'm really glad y'all want to get this Forum active again...

How about this? Each member could post their favorite Topic on a new thread ...perhaps daily or weekly?

Others could post to the thread...shareing their ES&H ...hopefully that would attract more SR members.

aprilpfrog

Prisoners in our own minds

Alraihani

God?

keryjo

What does 'Sharing clean, living dirty' mean?