Imagine If
We can better appreciate Tradition Nine by imagining if OA was organized by VIPs and from the top down.
Readings
Poem for My Sponsor
A sponsee overflows with gratitude to her sponsor. Read this wonderful poem by Catherine W. from Minnesota USA. “Finally,” she says, ”I am not alone with my fear and grief.”
On Being Asked to Be Your Sponsor
OA member Glen F. reflects on the imperfect nature of being a sponsor. “Someday I’m going to let you down,” he reflects to his sponsee. Read on and take heart from his heart’s guidance, both spoken and unspoken.
I’ll Be Blunt: Perfection Is a Life-or-Death Issue for OA Members and the Fellowship
Do you sometimes feel dissatisfied with your meetings, available sponsors, or other aspect of program? What’s the solution? For Cate M. from California USA, the solution is to shift your perspective. “Our program works without us working it perfectly,” she explains.
Speed Dating for Sponsors
What happens when you apply a “speed dating” format to match up OA sponsors with sponsees? Only good things, as Christine from New Zealand describes from her experience at an OA retreat.
I Used To Weigh Over 430 Pounds (195 kg). I Would Not Be Alive Right Now if Not for My Overeaters Anonymous Sponsor
Chris B. reflects on the personal challenges that come with sponsorship and just how essential sponsorship is to recovery. “Consider my hand forever raised for being available to sponsor,” says Chris.
Light Wash
“A glass that looks so clean when out of the bright light can actually be very dirty,” notes Paulette. When she agrees reluctantly in to be held up to the light, she says “It is shocking to see me as I really am . . . . but now I know what to do about it.” The answer is in the Seventh Step.
I Was Denied Weight-Loss Surgery. I Was Skeptical about OA, but Now I Have Hope, Health, and Happiness
Here I was at my rock bottom, and I didn’t feel I had any other choice.
Never and Always
“I can freely, honestly, and humbly admit that I am powerless over food,” says Carolyn M. When she takes OA’s First Step, it is not in hopeless defeat. Instead it is the beginning of a hopeful and liberating journey with a source of help that “gives me a peace I cannot describe.”
An IDEA Once Planted
“Through nurturing both a small plant gifted in celebration of abstinence and my OA program, I’ve learned that with care, patience, and renewed enthusiasm, growth and beauty can always be rediscovered—even after 9,190 days.”