Milt L. from Cleveland, OH speaking on “Dumb Guy Approach to the 12 Steps” in San Diego, CA – June 21st 1997
Popsicle Sticks is not really a topic but rather a style of meeting here in Southeast Michigan. Tonight, this show will be presented in the form of a popsicle stick meeting.
A popsicle stick meeting is a meeting where we let our higher power determine what we need to share. Here in our virtual studio, we have a can full of popsicle sticks. Each stick has a recovery topic written on it. We will take turns, randomly picking a stick and then sharing on that topic that was chosen.
Tonight, we do popsicle sticks
Addiction and substance abuse disorders are quick to take over your life and everything that’s important to you. When you’re in active addiction, drugs and alcohol become your main priority, and the importance of things like physical and mental health, work, school, and family gets drowned out by your need to not be sober.
Once you get sober, it can be incredibly easy to get caught up in the chaos of daily life, and forget that taking care of yourself is not an option, but a priority. Taking care of yourself sounds like an easy and simple task, but the reality is that most people struggle to find healthy ways to take care of themselves, whether they’re in recovery or not.
Tonight, we talk about Self Care
Alcoholism has been described as “the lonely disease,” and very few recovered alcoholics argue the point. Looking back at the last years or months of our drinking, literally hundreds of thousands* of us remember feeling isolated even when we were among a lot of happy, celebrating people. We often felt a deep sense of not belonging, even when we cheerfully acted sociable. Many of us have said we drank originally to be “a part of the crowd.” Many of us felt we had to drink to “fit in,” and to feel connected with the rest of the human race.
But when that effect of alcohol wore off, we were left feeling more set apart, more left out, more “different” than ever, and sadder.
Tonight, we talk about Loneliness
Milt L. from Cleveland, OH speaking on “Dumb Guy Approach to the 12 Steps” in San Diego, CA – June 21st 1997
Here’s an old saying that has special, strong meaning for us. Simply stated, it is this: Above all other concerns, we must remember that we cannot drink. Not drinking is the first order of business for us, anywhere, any time, under any circumstances. This is strictly a matter of survival for us. We have learned that alcoholism is a killer disease, leading to death in a large number of ways. We prefer not to activate that disease by risking a drink.
Tonight, we talk about First Things First
Cliff R. from Oceanside, CA speaking at Specific Group, Las Vegas, NV June 22nd 2000
It is very important to get plenty of rest when we stop drinking, because the notion of having a drink seems to arrive from nowhere with greater ease when we are tired. Many of us have wondered why we suddenly feel like taking a drink, for no apparent reason. When we examine the situation, time after time we find that we are feeling exhausted and hadn’t realized it.
Chances are, we have used up too much energy and have not had enough rest. Generally, a snack of some kind or a little nap can change our feelings completely, and the idea of a drink vanishes. Even if we can’t fall asleep, just a few minutes of lying down, or relaxing in a chair or a tub, take the edge off the fatigue.
Tonight, we talk about Getting Rest
Cliff R. from Oceanside, CA speaking on the topic of “Principles of Service” at the Stateline Retreat in Primm, NV – December 9th – 12th 2010
On the walls of thousands of A.A. meeting rooms, in any of a variety of languages, this invocation can be seen: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.
A.A. did not originate the Serenity Prayer. Versions of it seem to have been used for centuries in various faiths, and it is now widely current outside A.A., as well as within the Fellowship. Most of us have found these words a wonderful guide in getting sober, staying sober, and enjoying our sobriety. Whether we see the Serenity Prayer as an actual prayer or just as a fervent wish, it offers a simple prescription for a healthy emotional life
Tonight, we talk aboutThe Serenity Prayer
