Told my story for the first time and it went better than I thought it would
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 464
Told my story for the first time and it went better than I thought it would
Before I told my story my sponsor took me out in the hall and we said a prayer together. While how it works was being read and the traditions too I was freaking out on the inside then chair introduced me and I started talking and my hands were shaking and I was nervous but then after 1 minute I felt calmer and like a force was moving through me giving me the ability to speak. Words I thought I wouldn't say came out. Like in the beginning I said sober through the grace of god and AA. Afterwards the speaker introduced a topic people were touched by my story they said. I never thought I would have something to give back im so used to taking and it felt good to give back for a change.
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,243
Great job!!
That is not easy to get in front of a room full of people and tell your story. I did it after my first year and my sponsor helped me come up with a plan to cover the bases you want to cover. I started out with the "How bad it was and covered everything I had lost in my life - virtually everything". I hated this part because I hate war stories and have left meetings where there just too much of it. But I felt it was important for the group to know where you came from. I got this part done quickly and tried to focus the rest of my story on the positive things that have happened in my life as a result of working the steps and how much better life is today - sober. I was really worried about the timing part of it but somehow I finished 5 minutes before the hour which was great for me as I thought I would burn out at 25 minutes and be staring at a blank room of people.
After going through the experience I will never do it again. I found it totally draining beforehand and when I told my story I found that I really let it loose and held nothing back. The intensity and reliving all of it was much more lasting than I thought it would be. It brought back a lot of pain that stayed with me a long time. Years later people I don't know say hello to me and will talk to me about my story and it freaks me out.
I have friends who have done their story many times and are completely comfortable with it. I'm just one that is not comfortable with doing it.
That is not easy to get in front of a room full of people and tell your story. I did it after my first year and my sponsor helped me come up with a plan to cover the bases you want to cover. I started out with the "How bad it was and covered everything I had lost in my life - virtually everything". I hated this part because I hate war stories and have left meetings where there just too much of it. But I felt it was important for the group to know where you came from. I got this part done quickly and tried to focus the rest of my story on the positive things that have happened in my life as a result of working the steps and how much better life is today - sober. I was really worried about the timing part of it but somehow I finished 5 minutes before the hour which was great for me as I thought I would burn out at 25 minutes and be staring at a blank room of people.
After going through the experience I will never do it again. I found it totally draining beforehand and when I told my story I found that I really let it loose and held nothing back. The intensity and reliving all of it was much more lasting than I thought it would be. It brought back a lot of pain that stayed with me a long time. Years later people I don't know say hello to me and will talk to me about my story and it freaks me out.
I have friends who have done their story many times and are completely comfortable with it. I'm just one that is not comfortable with doing it.
2Cor5:17
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Between Doctor's opinion & pg 164
Posts: 4,187
Good to hear that you battled through it
@ Dime...I prob will have same effect. Have never done my story before but the pain still lingers in my head & heart on all the destruction I caused that I think once will be enough
@ Dime...I prob will have same effect. Have never done my story before but the pain still lingers in my head & heart on all the destruction I caused that I think once will be enough
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