24hrsAday

as bill talks about in the big book.. working with others has the power to get me out of myself.. this is a very important thing that i sometimes forget! i may not know what i should do next.. but.. if i'm trying to help somebody else.. it's really hard to go wrong most of the time..

sfields141

12 stepping is a great way to help your sobreity. Keep on woking thesteps it works.

24hrsAday

yep.. will do.. ODAAT!

Music

The neat thing about working with others is that it can start at any time. Some folks think working with others means carrying the message about sobriety, leaving out the fact that to a newcomer, the message about how bad it got for me, may be the only message I have to carry. People with only days or a week or two can boost each other's morale and sense of hope by sharing the past, and some of the changes that have come about in the few 24s thay've been sober. This is a way to talk the talk, even though I don't really understand walking the walk. As the Irishman said as he peed in the ocean..."Every little bit helps!"

keithj

I've noticed recently how much emphasis the Big Book places on the recovered alcoholic needing to work with others. The prevailing idea I see in the rooms is that the newcomer needs that guy who's been down the road before. But I read the accounts of the first 12 step visits, and it's clear that the sober guy needs the new guy.

I make this clear to guys I work with. I need them. And they in turn are going to need others to work with.

I remember doing my first 3rd step prayer on my knees with sponsor. I was real doubtful about the god thing, and I felt absolutely nothing. In contrast, I've had some pretty powerful moments doing that 3rd step prayer with other guys. Don't know what they felt, but I needed that.

tommyk

One of my most cherished lifetime accomplishments is having guided a sponsee through all 12 steps.

Now he sponsors others.

navysteve

Working with others is the only reason I still show up at meetings. I don't need meetings, I need the new alcoholic who knows how to say help.

Charmie

hello folks.im not "quallified" yet to sponsor anyone but it shouldnt be long God willing.my sponsor as i have said before is old school and does the steps with me according to the book and how she was taught them,again old school. what i do to help others at the moment is make daily phone calls to other members and last weekend we picked up another member that dosnt have transport and brought him to my house for bbq,then we went for nice trip out in the country to an abbey/monastry and listened to the monks singing their prayers in latin.this was beautiful experience but it was more so for me because of taking this other chap and knowing how much he was looking forward to it.weve had three new ladies in the last few weeks come to a lunchtime meeting and i was open and friendly and gave them my number,,they all rang and said they hoped they werent bothering me,,on the contrary i told them all,,they helped me that day also! was a real buzz when they called,,unfortunatly i havnt heard from any of them again but i was assured with someone with many years sobriety that this is often the case.my sponsor does prison work and when i have enough time i am going to volunteer for this and the phones too.like i said i dont have much experience but the little i have garnered is showing me how much better to do for others,and what a relief to be so much less self obsessed! im a work in progress,,more to follow!

CarolD

What an awesome resource we have with cyber recovery sites
and still....it works out to "each one...reach one"

Puddy

Taking guys from the Salvation Army through the book this past year has been the only thing that has kept me sober. I've needed those guys way more than they've needed me it seems.

I came off a very painful relapse and couldn't stay sober, I prayed for sobriety, and instead of God just handing it to me on a silver platter like He did in 2001, He gave me a pool of 100 men in a six month work therapy/treatment program to wade through and be of service to.

All I can think is, He gave me a free gift in 2001, I abused, misused, and neglected it, this time He gave me a shovel to dig myself out. I'm grateful.

Charmie

thank you puddy.great story.