Some thoughts I had today about boundaries, which came up at the meeting. Some “newcomer” didn’t know how to handle them. Made me think about when I was new. I sure didn’t have a clue.
But then I had a great group of old timers and my old sponsor, who helped me to listen. Something also new for me at the time. However I was taught how to say “no”, how to “MYOB”, and keep my mouth shut.
At the beginning of these exercises I kept flubbing up and not getting very far. Exercising boundaries was not easy for someone, who couldn’t mind their own business, couldn’t keep their mouth shut, and didn’t know how to say “no”. That was me.
But eventually working the Steps I began to learn something. Took me a while. And what was that? I started to learn how great musicians become great. How great artists become so good. How athletes become stars. It’s something I failed to learn growing up and never learned when drinking alcohol. And that was how to practice.
And that’s what I learned in working this program. I came to know that if I wanted to stay sober, I was going to have to practice this program on a daily basis. That’s how my sponsor and all those others, who came before me, stayed sober. Practice, practice, practice. Not easy, but simple. If I want to live a sober life, I have to practice what I learned in here.
That’s why I go to meetings, to be reminded that I need to practice. And for the most part I get to hear that message. Someone is going to tell how they practice this program and what it does for them.
Anyway it was nice to remember how this program works for people like me. Alcoholics, who are willing to go to any lengths to get sober and stay sober. Just happy, though imperfect, that I get a chance a day at a time to put this program into action in my life, by practicing all that I learned.
Grateful that I was given the opportunity. It’s kind of like what I heard from my sponsor. I’m not responsible for my getting sober, but I am responsible for my staying sober. Oh, that’s right. The Twelfth Step, “to practice these principles in all our affairs”.