And how do you know you're making better decisions this early in recovery?
For me in early recovery when things would come up, I would discuss them with my sponsor or others who had what I wanted that were also in recovery, they had far more experience then I did with sober decision making.
No I did not speak with them for every decision I made, but for those that would have an impact on others or my sobriety I did.
With more time sober and as I worked the steps I saw the promises bein to come true, one stands out today:
We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
With time sober & taking and applying the steps I did begin to handle situations that used to baffle me both when drinking and in early sobriety. I continue to improve in handling situations, through thoughtfullness, consideration, prayer and meditation, being honest with myself enough to where if need be I will seek advice from some one else when needed.
There are promises throughout the BB, I have yet to see one that if I do the work and continue to apply the principles I have learned through the steps have either not come true or are in the process of becoming true.
Meetings are a part of step 12:
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
The "Primary Purpose" of every AA group is to carry the message to other alcoholics, we do that in meetings by sharing our ES&H, we also learn how others have used the principles they have learned as a result of applying the principles we have learned in the steps by applying them to all areas of our life. Meetings in reality are simply folks sharing thier ES&H, meetings are NOT the program of AA, they are a result of the program of AA which is found in the steps and the first 164 pages of the BB.