I Stand Aside from My Discomforts to Stand Inside Wisdom
“Joy comes in finding the good, even in the bad. Not only would I rather find joy, I am also assured that Higher Power would want this for me also.”
Willingness
Letting Go of Perfectionism
“I used perfectionism as an excuse for not doing the next right thing,” says Amy. ”If I waited to be ‘struck abstinent,’ I’d be dead and buried in a piano box.” Instead she has turned stubbornness into perseverance, worked her program imperfectly, and is maintaining a 200-pound (91-kg) weight loss.
Peaceful and Serene
“I knew I had huge self-will…” says one member who came in broken after trying to work the program her own way. But she was also desperate and willing, and her willingness led to progress, and her progress eventually, and inevitably, led her to her dream of “a peaceful and serene life.”
Step Nine: “The Importance of Working All Twelve Steps” Podcast Series
Tina, a recovering compulsive overeater, and Gloria, a compulsive overeater and food addict, host this workshop on Step Nine: “Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” They give specific examples to show what making amends can look like in different situations.
Step Eight: “The Importance of Working All Twelve Steps” Podcast Series
Ronnie, a compulsive overeater, and Tina, a recovering compulsive overeater, host this workshop on Step Eight: “Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.” For Ronnie, the accountability of Step Eight is what differentiates the OA program from talk therapy.
Step Two: “The Importance of Working All Twelve Steps” Podcast Series
Mary, a compulsive overeater, hosts this workshop on OA’s Second Step, which some regard as a bridge from the powerlessness of Step One to the resolve of Step Three.
Step One: “The Importance of Working All Twelve Steps” Podcast Series
Tina, recovering compulsive overeater, and Ronnie, a compulsive overeater, host this workshop on OA’s First Step: “We admitted we were powerless over food; that our lives had become unmanageable.”
Introduction / “Step Zero”: “The Importance of Working All Twelve Steps” Podcast Series
This episode explores the nature of the disease of compulsive eating and the willingness it takes to begin the recovery journey. Some refer to the state of being just before accepting the OA program as “Step Zero.”
WSBC 2015 Keynote Speech by Matt
Matt, a young person in OA, talks about his recovery journey and the impact that other OA members had on him as they carried the message to him through their example of taking themselves and the OA program seriously.
Step Seven Save
”I struggle so much with the character defect of pride,” says one OA member, “and I find the antidote in the Principle of Step Seven: humility.”