The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
-The Ultimate Responsibility and Authority for Alanon World Services Belongs to the Alanon Groups -
Something that has helped me a great deal in my own recovery and given me a great perspective on how to look at my recovery differently are the Concepts. Which very honestly after Steps and Traditions the last thing I wanted to look at was more "rules" or even "guidelines". LOL! I have a hard enough time following guidelines and rules.
In reading out of the How Alanon Works book and the last line is how I can apply this to my own life.
Page 129, "If something is important to us we need to do our part -Whatever we can realistically do - to make that happen."
For me this was learning how to accept responsibility and ask for help. I had to do the footwork in whatever given situation was going on. I still struggle with asking for help. I'm not sure if I don't ask because I think I've hinted enough .. lol .. or if I need to ask in a different way. I get that whole I can do it myself faster, better whatever .. I only have to do MY part. This means learning when to say no and how to say no in a kind way.
Living with dysfunction for so long I stopped asking for help because it wasn't a viable situation to ask for help. When I finally did ask for help I was so exhausted, frazzled and so on I sure didn't ask nicely. LOL .. the prickly porcupine. I just assumed people were going to say no anyway.
It's getting easier and I'm far better than I used to be in terms of asking for help. It is still not easy. I can defer to the fact I don't have to have all the answers and I am more able to have that open mindedness to realize I do not have all the answers.
I have really enjoyed the concepts and learning more about how to apply them to my own life.
Thanks for letting me share :)
__________________
Faith minus vulnerability and mystery equals extremism. If you've got all the answers, then don't call what you do "faith". - Brene Brown
"Whatever truth you own doesn't own you" - Gary John Bishop
HI Serenity, thanks for taking the lead in opening that thread that discusses the 12 Concepts of Al-Anon. I really appreciate your share and identify completely with thinking that I had to do it all by myself, and that by asking for help, I was admitting that I was unable to live life as an adult.
For me this Concept points out how important the individual groups and individual members are to the functioning of Al-Anon as a whole. There are no leaders only trusted servants, even all the way up to World Service Organization. I love how the division of responsibility always funnels down to the individual groups and the members. We send delegates to Inter Group and WSO meetings. It is miraculous to witness how this very important organization operates worldwideusing alanon Steps Traditons and Concepts to clarify the responsibilities of each of us.
Each group participates in the concepts by holding regular business meetings, and sending delegates to the various committees
Thanks again Serenity for the topic and your service