Dear Emotional Sobriety Workshop Members:
Thank you all for your participation and sharing during our meeting.
Telephone conference number: (712) 775-7031 Access Code: Access Code: 397-681-282
Playback recording number is: (712) 775-7029 Access Code: 397-681-282#
Playback reference number: 11
Here is the link for the MP3 from the meeting on 1-31-2016
The link to the media fire account is posted under the recordings 2016 tab on the blog.
This week, we read and discussed the AA Big Book “A Vision For You” 159:1.
Here are some of my notes summarizing what we discussed:
Today, we read and discussed some of the postings from one of my favorite blogs: First164blogspot.com.
We read one posting on doing an 11th Step Review, and on how to stop being self-absorbed.
The memorable quotes for me were:
158:3: But he had found God — and in finding God had found himself.
It was a very powerful message of hope. AA # 3 left the hospital, ran for office, lost, and no matter what, stayed sober and found God.
158:5: they had to give to others what they had found, or be sunk.
We discussed how overeating is a slow death. It takes a lot of eating before we notice what the excessive eating is doing to us and for us. As we know, our food is just a symptom: “it’s not what we are eating, it’s what’s eating us.”
Initially, food works to self-soothe and help us feel better. However, it just masks what our real problems are. When we finally begin to realize that we have a problem, our problems are still there, and we are obese. Then, we have not just 1 problem but, 2 problems!
We also discussed the importance of “going to any lengths to recover and help carry the message to those who still suffer.”
One of my favorite images from our meeting came from Ossnath. She said, “Our thoughts are like birds. A bird flies over the nest…. When we get entangled in our thoughts, we don’t have to build a nest in our heads. We can let the thoughts fly over us.”
During our next meeting, we will continue reading from the AA Big Book, and The Unpopular Studies.
We discussed that once we finish “A Vision For You,” we will continuing reading the stories for half of our meeting and do step work for the other half.
The literature that we will be using is: the original document of our group,
Emotional Sobriety …. A Journey of Perspective
The 4 Absolutes
Dr. Paul Os Unofficial Guide To The Twelve Steps
and the AA Big Book. I thought we could use this annotated version, which I think is very excellent:
Thank you all for sharing your experience, strength and hope.
Together we can do what we can never do alone.
I am grateful to be sharing this journey with all of you!
With blessings for recovery and peace,
Shira
Emotional Sobriety And Food 