Weekly AA Thread - Dec 28 - Jan 3

[retteacher]

Everyone: I hope everyone that reads & shares here has a wonderful New Year's Eve. It feels very different, not only because I won't be drinking, but also because I have a new view of life. In the nine short months that I've been sober, my whole life has changed:
-I no longer have that hate-myself-because-I-drank feeling.
-I have confidence that I can tackle problems wo/having to avoid them.
-I have lost the obsession to drink & the feeling that I have to numb life out.
-I'm living an honest, forthright life...not hiding a very big secret.
-I'm feeling physically better...I know when I'm tired & can rest wo/any kind of chemical.
-I know what I'm doing & saying at all times.
-I make mistakes & can chalk them up to being human instead of being drunk.
-I have a higher power today who has answered my prayer for sobriety, even when I wasn't so sure an HP was even there.
-These & many other blessings make me a very happy person.

I know that my life will continue to have ups & downs...whose doesn't? However, as I get through every new challenge, I gain the confidence that I had lost w/the onset & prgression of alcoholism.

I'll continue in AA & MWO. My meetings & this site help me process new ideas & ways of being. I'm looking forward to the new year.

Thank you everyone!

Mary

[cpn1004]

Great words Mary. I'm looking forward to my first AF NYE. I've been sober at a few of them but always drank, usually to the extreme including the morning after and all that. I don't have to do that now.
Instead I will "party" with my grandchildren.
Happy New Year everyone.

[ready2change]

Lurker here as well...Happy, Healthy, Sober 2010 everyone. All of your contributions are an inspiration to me. Thank you all!!

Hugs..R2C

[Doggygirl]

Happy New Year AAers and lurkers!! Hi Sheep and R2C, it's always good to *see* you both. And Phil - partying with your G-kids sounds fabulous! I've had way too many of the *other* type of New Years Eves that you describe and I'm grateful I don't have to do that any more.

Mary, I love your list. I can identify with all of it. I especially like this one:

-I have a higher power today who has answered my prayer for sobriety, even when I wasn't so sure an HP was even there.

It took some time for me to truly feel this in my heart. But I believe I finally do. I hope that feeling just continues to grow.

Our meeting this morning was terrific. We ended up talking about "gifts" of 2009. Lots of tears of gratitude today, and that includes among the Grown Men. And of course me. I am so grateful to be finding myself and slowly working to eliminate (or at least reduce!) my fears that have held me hostage for so long.

I love todays Daily Reflections Reading:

Daily Reflections

Daily Resolutions

The idea of "twenty-four-hour" living applies primarily to the
emotional life of the individual. Emotionally speaking, we must not
live in yesterday, nor in tomorrow.
As Bill Sees It, p. 284

A New year: 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600
minutes--a time to consider directions, goals, and actions. I must
make some plans to live a normal life, but also I must live emotionally
within a twenty-four hour frame, for if I do, I don't have to make
New Year's resolutions! I can make every day a New Year's day! I
can decide, "Today I will do this . . . Today I will do that." Each day
I can measure my life by trying to a little better, by deciding to follow
God's will and making an effort to put the principles of our A.A.
program into action.

I'm not "perfect" at anything. But even my imperfect attempt to truly live one day at a time is paying huge dividends in the peace of mind, and joy of living department. I'm so grateful to be learning new life skills from AA.

There is a pot luck and speaker meeting, then a dance at the club tonight. Then an "Alkathon" starts at 1AM where there is a meeting every hour on the hour going through all of the steps. I will be chairing Step 6 at 6AM. A guy I really like from one of my home groups is chairing Step 5 at 5AM. So I plan to go to that meeting first, then maybe stay for Step 7 too. I'm sure I will get something out of each meeting as I always do. I'm looking forward to spending some New Years Morning Time that way.

I love you all and you make such a difference in my life. Happy New Year! Strength and hope to anyone lurking here who is suffering today. There IS a way out. Don't stop looking until you find yours.

DG

[dancelot]

I've been lurking here lately, too. I love the peace and quiet wisdom I see here every day.

Have a wonderful, happy and hopeful AF New Year (I am) - much, much love to you all!

[retteacher]

Happy New Year to everyone here at this wonderful thread. I feel such hope for 2010!

Phil: I spent NYE w/family: I made a big pot of sauce, meatballs, sausage w/pasta. We had a great time. My SIL is a police officer & was out til 4AM dealing w/drunken stupidity. I'm grateful I wasn't there w/drinking.

Today we have a New Year's pot luck followed by a meeting. I can't imagine anything better. I woke up this AM bright-eyed & bushy-tailed...a departure from past new year's when I woke up groggy & hung-over.

Take care one & all.

Love, Mary

[Doggygirl]

Hi fellow AAers! Just got back from the Alkathon and some shopping. 8AM on New Years Day is a GREAT time to shop at Walmart and have zero wait time at check out!

I went to the 5AM meeting on Step 5 where one of my friends from one home group was chairing. Then I chaired Step 6 at 6AM - I was thrilled that Step Coach came - he only did that to support me - he hasn't been feeling very well lately with the cancer situation. Then I also stayed for Step 7 at 7AM as that is the usual time for my home group and lots of the "regulars" came - it was nice to wish everyone Happy New Year.

I love studying the steps. It was not possible for me to comprehend their true meaning just by reading the 12 steps or even by reading about them in the Big Book. The steps are the key to the positive changes going on in my life (starting with Step 1 - admitting I am powerless over alcohol and my life had become unmanageable). I benefit greatly from hearing from the people with years of experience *living* these steps every day. So the 3 hours spent at the club today was definitely "sober living school" and I wish I could have gone earlier, and stayed longer.

One man who was there for Step 7 is someone I have heard a lot about - heard of his deep understanding of the steps and wisdom he shares with his sponsees. My friend who chaired Step 5 is one of his sponsees, and he speaks so highly of this guy. Anyway, I've not been in meetings with him before and WOW. He does seem to have a very deep connection with the steps and how they apply in our lives. I could have listened to him talk all day.

Anyway, what a great way to start the new year. I look forward to learning a little more each day that will help me apply the steps more fully in life over the coming year - one day at a time.

Love, strength and hope to you all!

DG

[retteacher]

DG: I too love the steps which are really designed to be done w/someone not alone. I did a preliminary run-through of the steps w/my first sponsor (who is still a friend). However, I'm thinking seriously of doing another go-through w/a small group of women that I've met in AA. I broached the subject w/one of them who seemed to like the idea. We'll see what happens. I've learned through the program that when the time is right, it will happen the way it's supposed to happen. I'm accustomed to forcing outcomes, therefore I'm learning to let HP help guide my life.

We're getting ready to go to the New Year's potluck. I feel lucky to be connected to this group. I want to remember that I'm putting in the effort as well. To me, "walk the walk" refers to the effort I have to put in to feel a part of my AA groups. Now that you've fulfilled your committment for chairing your meetings, dear DG, I'm sure the other AAers have a much better understanding of who you are. I'm sure this is why service is stressed constantly. We have to feel "a part of" in order to recover. I think that's the part that was missing for me before I joined AA. I do feel a part of MWO, but cyber relationships are just very different from face-to-face ones. I'm hoping that some day in the indefinite future, some of us can get together (in the flesh).

Again, the happiest of New Year's to all of you. Remember: If you're lurking & would like to share an opinion, story, question, etc. about AA, don't hesitate to do so.

Mary

[retteacher]

Our potluck went very well, & I'm so glad my husb & I went. I just got back from the BB meeting that I usually attend on Friday nights. Mary

[Winefree]

Happy New Year 2010!
Mary, meeting in the flesh sometime sounds awesome. We all share a deep connection on this spiritual journey.
I spend time at least twice a week in 12-step meetings. Both my women's meetings on Thursday and Friday are 12 step meetings. We go over the steps and I learn or hear something different each time that helps me on this sobriety path. Today it was so odd, since we read the first step, on the first day of the year. I didn't think we would have many people there, but we had a fairly good group. Everyone shared about their beginning in AA and how they had their bottom. Mostly reinforcing how AA was the best thing to happen to them and how glad they were to have the new life sober.
It was good for me to hear being so new in sobriety.

Hope everyone is having a great first day of January.

Winefree