gorc

Ok all I have done 2 meetings at 2 different groups in my area and I find the honesty which people share is enlightening and a source of inspiration.

I just don't think I have it in me to let go that baggage which I know would be cathartic in a way I even penned a sheet as such.

How long did it take others and I supposed a cheat sheet as such is not really acceptable

Thanks

Soberwolf

I shared v.quickly at the beginning of my first mtn I didn't have to they asked is there any newcomers in the room ??

I stood up told and said hi I'm sober wolf and I'm an alcoholic

heath480

It is always advised to sit and listen at your first few meetings,no pressure to share at all.

IOAA2

Hi and welcome.
The only thing I said for a few weeks was my first name and I’m a alcoholic. Most of us learn by listening and back then it was common for the old timers to say “take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth and listen.”
The day will come when you spontaneously say something about you experiences, that usually breaks the ice.
Something that really helps at discussion meetings is to determine that we won’t say anything so we can concentrate on what’s being said instead of rehearsing our profound contributions in our heads and missing it all.

BE WELL

tomsteve

"I just don't think I have it in me to let go that baggage which I know would be cathartic in a way I even penned a sheet as such."

good on ya for goin to the meetings!

if yer still wanting to hold onto the past, theres good news there.. getting rid of that baggage was detrimental for me. but it wasn't something that I could just throw out and be done with and it didn't start happening once I waked into AA.and it was the same for many others. heck, I was completely afraid to open up about me and my past as I thought for sure them folks would think just as lowly of me as I did if they knew.
but what helped me was seeing those people freely talkin bout what they used to be like. doin it without any care what others thought about them. not only that, those people sharing what they used to be like helped me see I wasn't unique and wasn't alone in this.
listening to others nd seeing the peace they had when sharing about what they used to be like...that got me wanting to have what they had. so I became willing to do what they did.
then I did it.

my past is the most valuable possession I have today. I don't regret it, don't dwell on it, and very greatful and blessed im not that man anymore.


but I didn't start opening up until I was working the steps

Persys

I follow a general rule that works for me: if I am sitting in a meeting trying to think of what I am going to say and ignoring the current speaker, or getting nervous because I don't have anything to say, I will decide just to listen. No need to overthink it. Usually my shares come from within and I don't have to put a heck of a lot of thought into them. When I do have to think about it a lot I take that as a sign to stay quiet.

LBrain

I spilled my guts at my first meeting. Whenever YOU feel comfortable sharing then say something. Do not feel pressured or obligated to share. If you want to take a teleprompter along with you, go for it.

Many times I didn't plan on saying anything until somebody else said something that made me want to share.

hokey

At first, I didn't say much as I really didn't feel that I had anything worthwhile to say (I was feeling so low and so bad about myself). I, too, found that I just had to sit and listen ... really listen to what people were sharing ... if I was rehearsing what I was going to say, I was missing the whole point! Eventually it became easier to share whatever thoughts or issues popped into my head. I still don't share every time I am asked ... depends on the topic and on my frame of mind and sometimes on the people at the meeting. I still learn lots more by listening than I do by talking! I think you'll know when the time is right to open up.