If someone has worked the steps, continues to do so to the best of their ability and has gotten a spiritual awakening along the way it is really obvious to anyone else who has done the same...even sometimes a couple of non-recovery related sentences will give it away...
As a newcomer it is very difficult to see this, it was for me as people's shares may sound much the same...this is due to the simple fact that even if you are not working the program of AA one will pick up the lingo and even be able to recite the Big Book better than someone who has...
All i heard was people being negative and positive...i didn't take into account that my perceived negativity of a share could be flipped over and be seen as a positive, e.g. if a recovered alcoholic is going through a rough time and is sharing about it and say makes a brief final comment about the AA program is that a negative share or a positive one because they have highlighted how under any circumstances we do not need to drink and can now handle life on lifes terms?
Also if someone hasn't worked the program of AA it is nigh on impossible for me, even though i would like to think i can, to tell how that person behaves outside the rooms...example i have met top blokes in AA who are seemingly happy all the time and then go home and give the wife and kids a good slap (i got sober in a very small place) and i have met miserable gits who i have seen volunteering at weekends to help others!
Being open minded, checking with your sponsor about whether the information you pick up in meetings is something to take on board or leave and keep working or start working on the steps is a great was for you to move forward:-)
ps. and some meetings are just pretty rubbish...but as my sponsor would say "so what did you do to make it a good meeting *apply swear word of choice*":-)