WHAT I LEARNED: Step 2 is an invitation to humility. …And I’ve already RSVP’d! – P.S. – See May 24th from the daily reader: “One Day at a Time” (item # B-6).
Tag: Steps
CAL – Forum Favorites, Vol. 1 (Item # B-9A)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. As an Area Archivist once said, “I love my position because I get to time travel.” I too feel I get to step into the ‘Wayback Machine’ whenever I read discontinued Al-Anon literature. When this “Forum Favorites” book was first published in 1970 it was a hefty hard cover book &…
MTG – Orlando – “College Park 12 Step”
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. I can’t work the Steps through sheer willpower, but I can through sheer willingness! 2. For a long time I thought I was a character defect. 3. It was good to hear the six P’s again: Perspective, Pain, Prayer, Patience, Process, & Payoff. It’s been a while since I’ve heard them. 😊
MTG – Deland – “Deland AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: Too bad Step 2 is not just a “yes” or “no” question. The answer is a process… just like all the other Steps… & just like the entire Al-Anon program.
MTG – Orlando – “Together Tuesdays AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: I can’t do Step 11 without doing Step 12 right after, & I can’t do Step 12 until I’ve done 1 thru 11. Because those are the Steps where I build my strength, understand my experiences, & know hope is real. …That is the message I carry.
MTG – Winter Park – “Winter Park Morning AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: With Step 11, it says I only need to pray for 2 things: knowledge & power. I can embellish it all I want, but usually the less talking during my prayer, the more I am trusting.
CAL – A Guide to Alateen Sponsorship – An Unforgettable Adventure (Item # P-86)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Here’s another instance of me sitting down to read a piece of literature & thinking “I won’t relate to anything in it” & then finding it so interesting! Topics are covered that I never even considered, such as: how to handle members with Attention Deficit Disorder, intrusive parents, reporting abuse, kids…
CAL – Al-Anon’s 12 Steps & 12 Traditions – Original (Item # B-8)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. If you’re following along with each post chronologically, then you’ve come to this entry to find out what is different in this original (now discontinued) version from 1981 compared to the revised 2005 version. If the program hasn’t changed, why did the book change & what am I missing that was…
CAL – Al-Anon’s 12 Steps & 12 Traditions – Revised (Item # B-8)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. I would consider this book the “lite” version of “Paths to Recovery” (item # B-24), but it still packs a punch. Each section starts with a 2-4 page essay, followed by a “Thinking It Over” reflection, & lastly a personal story. The average is 6 total pages per each Step (but of…
CAL – Guidelines for Newsletter Editors (Item # G-21)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. For some reason I thought newsletters were only for Districts, but apparently they can also be for Areas & Al-Anon Information Services. 2. Reading this item made me miss our newsletter for District 6. We voted to discontinue it in place of our website, however according to this guideline, there’s a…
CAL – Alateen Talks Back on: Detachment (Item # P-73)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This booklet came out in 1995 is the 6th (& last) one in the “Alateen Talks Back On…” series. Originally planned as a 9-part series, the 6th piece was supposed to be about the 12 Steps & Traditions but the material eventually ended up in the larger book, “Courage to Be Me” (item…
MTG – Orlando – “College Park 12 Step”
WHAT I LEARNED: Here’s the “abby normal” version of Step 6: “I’m always entirely ready to have other people’s character defects removed!”
CAL – When I Got Busy, I Got Better (Item # P-78)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. What are the benefits of service? Let me count the ways… Or you can just let this booklet count ’em for you! It’s 60 pages filled with stories from members regarding Step 12 (the carrying the message Step). Beginning with addressing different types of fears, it eventually culminates with covering each of the 12 Traditions…
MTG – Orlando – “TLC AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: I think there ought to be a second part to Step 6 that says: “…and we were entirely ready to embrace all of our character assets!”
CAL – Services in Correctional Facilities (Item # G-14)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Inmates sharing a Fifth Step with an Al-Anon member is not considered “privileged,” however it is “protected communication” if done with a person of the clergy. …It makes me think of all the privileges I take advantage of in the program. 2. Come to think of it, couldn’t the term “inmate” be relative? I…
CAL – Living With Sobriety (Item # P-49)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. The subtitle of this booklet is “Another Beginning” not, as I had hoped, “My Happy Ending!” At only 52 pages, it’s a quick read & covers topics such as: Accepting Changes, Courage, Resentments, Disappointments, Communication, & Happiness. (I especially like that the topics of Love & Sex are under the Communication…
"CAL Chat" Blog ~My journey in Al-Anon~ 