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Forget What You Know (a.k.a. “Step 0.5″)

As you cross the threshhold into your first 12-Step meeting, try to leave all your mental baggage at the door.  (You can have it back on your way out, I promise!)  Just try for that hour or that hour-and-a half to put aside all of your pre-conceived ideas about what you expect to get from OA, what you think they should be saying, how you want the people there to respond to you, what others are thinking about you,…  In other words, all that crap that will be whirling around in your brain as you sit there waiting for the meeting to start.  (I heard someone in a meeting one time liken his messed-up mind to “one of those machines they use to mix-up the numbers at a Bingo game.”  LOVE it!)   And try not to judge those you hear and meet too harshly.  This can be extremely difficult, especially with no recovery to your credit yet, but try to force yourself to say a little prayer to whatever powers may be that you be just a little more compassionate towards your fellows than you were yesterday (…or 10 minutes ago…or 10 seconds ago!)  You want to clear your mind of negativity just long enough for a little “positivity” to sneak in for a change.  As I say in my “mission/non-mission” statement, “the hope is hope!”  You want to walk out of your first meeting with a glimmer of hope that there just may be something to this whole 12-Step thing after all, and that it may actually be worth your while to come back. (Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your “baggage” on the way out!)

March 3, 2012 This post was written by Categories: For Newbies Tagged with:
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