All you need is LOVE…
And the Big Book, The 12 Steps, and a Sponsor
7 Things you Need to be Successfully Sober
While the Beatles may have been on the right track with their lyrical solution to life’s dilemmas, they were not directly dispensing advice to addicts and alcoholics at large. For those of you trying your hand at real recovery, we have some proven techniques below to help you find both sobriety and maybe even gain a little love in your sober life.
Find a Higher Power
For those of you seeking love, look no further. God is Love.
Many of us entered recovery programs as self-identified atheist or agnostic. We chose our own concept of God, as suggested in the Big Book. It does not matter what your Higher Power is called, because it only belongs to you.
The primary reason for establishing a connection with a God of your own understanding is to fully realize that you are not God.
Get a Sponsor
This does not require taking out ad space in your local newspaper, or conducting background checks on potential candidates.
Please avoid asking: your best friend, your mother, your boss, your boyfriend, girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend to fill this role. They are not qualified to be your sponsor, and these combinations surely pose the risk of a major conflict of interest.
A sponsor is simply meant to be a spiritual advisor, nothing more, nothing less.
When searching for a sponsor we advise you to choose someone who has a sponsor, someone who attends 12-step meetings, participates in a home group, actively performs service work, has a working knowledge of the program, has worked all the 12 steps in chronological order, and is willing to share their experience, strength, and hope with you.
Find a home group
A home group is essentially your home away from home, in the form of a meeting. With this suggestion, feel free to shop around.
Many people in recovery have different home groups for each of the different fellowships they attend.
It is also helpful to attend gender-specific meetings; meaning women’s only meetings for women, men’s only for men.
Keep in mind, your home group will not only help you remain accountable, but also serves as your own weekly support group within a recovery based fellowship.
Read the Big Book
Pay close attention to the first 164 pages, specifically every word written in black ink. Within this specific text is a known solution to combat alcoholism that has helped hundreds of thousands of men and women worldwide recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.
Work the 12-Steps with a Sponsor
Now that you have a sponsor, and a Big Book in your possession, it’s time to get to work. Your sponsor serves as your guide, and the Big Book serves as the road map to recovery.
Pray and Meditate
This powerhouse combination is a staple in the daily diet of every recovery rock star. It is important not to overthink these suggestions. Here we provide simple thoughts on prayer and meditation for you to ruminate on:
What is a prayer? Prayer is sending blessing to all. Prayer is sending your compassion to all. Prayer is creating an antidote of negative thoughts.-Osho
True meditation has no direction or goal. It is pure, wordless surrender, pure silent prayer.-Adyashanti
Work with others
Our final suggestion directly correlates with the 12th step of recovery programs. In order to maintain sobriety, you must be willing to give back what was so freely given to you.
This means being of service. To your community, to your family, to your fellowship, and to humanity as a whole.
With the gift of sobriety comes great responsibility.
