One alcoholic talking to another. Communications is what I was thinking about today. I have been reading and talking to others about this. In fact, in The Language of the Heart, Bill discussed this at length.
It’s what helps us all to stay sober. Me especially, when I think about it. Whenever I have been worried, fearful, or anxious, just talking with another alcoholic has been what deflated that big ego of mine and brought me back down to earth. Those self centered thoughts of mine, that negativity within me was lifted.
I was given this gift by my sponsor. He was the one, who helped me find my way to what worked in this program. One alcoholic talking to another. Not only one on one, but he also taught me how to listen in meetings. I remember how I didn’t like this one woman, when she talked in meetings. He made me go to the front of the room, when she was leading a meeting. He told me to look at her and listen. I did, as he suggested and actually learned something from that experience. In fact, as a result of that, she and I actually became friends and learned to talk and solve a lot of our problems.
Talking to one another is a two way street I was to learn. It’s not who is being helped. Both of us are the beneficiary of such conversations. I help him, he helps me. Or the other way around.
Isolation is the villain in all of this. If I want to stay sober I have to get out of myself and be willing to be helped or help someone else.
It’s about changing my attitude. Attitudes are everything. They are more important than facts. In fact, my atttitude changes the facts.
I was watching people at the meeting today and observing others sharing with one another. I joined in on this and was able to spend some time with a number of them, as we went through this process of sharing and communicating with one another.
I was also to learn from my sponsor that it doesn’t matter how I feel. I might not feel like talking, but I learned to walk past my feelings and to participate in my own sobriety and that of another.
It’s this kind of participation, which has kept me sober.
Anyway, I was thinking about this today, as we talked about being powerless. The need I have for my higher power to help me and empower me to stay away from alcohol one day at at time. And when I sit with someone else or in a meeting, that’s where I find my higher power in my life.