Tradition 2: Sense of Belonging
Before I came into Al-Anon I never really felt that I "belonged" to any group. No matter what committee, board of directors, steering committee, or whatever group I was a member of, I always had this feeling that everybody else "belonged" there, but I was somehow just visiting -- or intruding even.To compensate for this feeling, I usually overcompensated. I always had to be the one who sold the most tickets, raised the most money, volutnteered the most time or whatever.
This was my way of trying to get to the point where my membership in the group was "justified." So that I would feel that I was truly a part of the team. I never worked.
It was in Al-Anon that I learned the concept that the "meeting" did not belong to anyone, except those who showed up and participated. There was nobody who "ran" things. Nobody was "in charge." Our leaders were but trusted servants, they did not govern.
Switch in Attitude
As I kept coming back to the various meetings, I discovered that Al-Anon really meant what it said. Every meeting I ever attended was just as much "my" meeting as it was anyone else's.
It took awhile to sink in, but I finally got that sense of belonging and it has carried over to other areas of my life. I now know that just by being a member and showing up and participating, I am just as much a part of the group as the oldest "old-timer." And my opinions are given just as much consideration, and are just as welcome, as anyone else's in group discussions.
Something deep down inside me had to change in order for me to make that switch in attitude. I am grateful to Al-Anon for showing me the way.
Buddy
More about Tradition 2
Authority
In 12 step groups there is no such thing as individual authority, but there are leaders.Voting As Necessary
"It's not the first time I have seen a "Group Conscience" called for during a meeting, but it was the most dramatic."
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