a few pointers and Slogans

Hello, hope you and God are on talking terms today. There are A few things I wanted to add on the list of materials I believe you should have on this journey. I mentioned before of the book depending on your fellowship- be it a "Big Book" , "The Basic Text" whichever as well as a copy of the original manuscript of A.A. as I believe the wording is much more precise in the first 164 pages. If you look through past posts you'll find a link to an online version. You'll also need a again depending on your fellowship a book of the steps, as well some fellowships have their own step guides- if not there our hundreds online and if still looking if you email me a have step guides. I also highly recommend a daily morning meditation book suck as A.A.'s "Daily Reflections" N.A.'s" Just for Today" Al anon's "One Day At A Time" there are hundreds of others Find one that appeals to you, This way you'll use it.

Now in early recovery, at times the people are speaking a different language, and in a sense they they're speaking recovery talk, you'll pick it up. I want to talk about some of the ones I personally are not to fond of or I believe in clarification. One of these is "one disease, one program. one sponsor, one fellowship" I don't particularly like this one , and let me explain why- one disease as whole I believe this part as for ME it comes down to all the fellowships are basically the same disease or close enough to be siblings if not twins. one program well yes because the program is the 12 Steps even if you change the word from alcohol to whatever and I to we it's all the same steps. One sponsor- ABSOLUTELY, One Fellowship well again for ME that doesn't sit well, let me relate for ME that doesn't work. When I first got into recovery it was intravenous drug use basically , Hell my drug of choice was "whatever you had- booze,drugs sex anything to take reality away". So I was in N.A. and very PROUD of it, I was an addict in the gutter looking down my nose at those sloppy drunks or any of those other 300 12 step fellowships don't you know that us addicts in N.A. had it all together and new the score better than all the rest. Well after awhile , again this is my experience. There was only a couple of N.A. meetings in my area and not alot of old timers. So I went to a Couple of those A.A. meetings and low and behold after awhile even though drugs had brought me to Recovery, I found that my addiction problems had started with Alcohol, so now I find I'm an alcoholic/Addict and being young in recovery with a chip on my shoulder per say and knowing how much it antagonized some of the real old timers I proudly said this in A.A. meeting with a heavy inflection on the addict part. But you know they put up with my arrogance and foolishness because they understood how sick I really was. Then slowly I began to see how wise some of these real old timers really were, and as my mind began opening I talked to more of them outside and before meetings, after meeting, and some of them were just like me some even had drug issues. I began to respect these alcoholics and I started to respect A.A. I now follow that When in A.A. i refer to myself as an Alcoholic out of respect for it's members and it's legacy and when I'm in N.A. i refer to myself as an Addict again out of respect. However as sick as I was I needed all the help I could get, If i limited myself to one Fellowship I don't know if I would have learned all that I learned, I was also able to gleam valuable recovery tools and insights from of all places such as Al-Anon. I have even visited a few other 12 step program and gotten very valuable insights and tools . Mind you for ME . I attend A.A. and N.a. with equal respect and love.
Another slogan that I really think needs to be expounded on as it can be deceiving and dangerous to the newcomer especially if your anywheres near as sick as I was. This one is "take what you need and leave the rest"- well this one let me off the hook for alot I'd hear things and say well I don't need that , that's only for those sick bastards, I'm not that bad LOL. Or it would let me off the hook on what steps I thought were necessary for ME. Then I (luckily for me) mentioned something of this nature within earshot of my Sponsor, well he let me know in no uncertain terms I was that sick probably sicker and I needed it all. This slogan only applies when someone is going on and on with a drug alog or drunk alog or about outside issues, or in the case of some really sick sharing and opinions. Otherwise take as much as possible. The things we don't want to listen to are most likely the things we need to here the most.
Remember GOD does not make garbage