The process of recovery is a different journey for everyone, although there are areas of commonality that many people share. One of those common truths is that working with others throughout the recovery process and beyond is a powerful way to reach out and connect with people who are on their own unique journeys. Service to others fosters a different sense of self, new bonds with others and a connection to something greater than our own individual identities. The following thoughts can help people in recovery begin or deepen a path toward service.
What Types of Service are Best?
There are many different ways to pursue service work, and there is truly a good fit for everyone. http://www.my12stepstore.com/One-on-One.html Some people prefer to do good work that is more solitary in nature, such as volunteering to clean a meeting space, complete repairs at a church or community service center or even clear trash from a park or roadway. Others find comfort in helping people directly, such as one on one sponsorship and working the 12 steps with someone new in recovery. Also, tutoring, teaching a skill, or even just volunteering to sit with someone who is ill or lonely. One of the most fulfilling ways to be of service to others is by working with people who are in the earliest stages of recovery, and sharing stories, providing support and just being there when needed. http://www.my12stepstore.com/Carry-This-Message.html
What are the Benefits of Working with Others?
Many times, addicts have come to view themselves in an overwhelmingly negative light. They feel that they have little to offer to others and that they have been more of a burden than a help. Working with others is a good way to rediscover the gifts that all of us have to offer, and the power that we have to be a force for good in the life of someone else. That alone can be a powerful way to re-engage with society and to redefine our place in the world. Regarding helping others who are struggling with addiction, there is nothing more rewarding than helping someone move into a better physical, emotional and spiritual space. In the book of Alcoholics Anonymous it is said “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail.” It is also said to be the foundation stone of our recovery. http://www.my12stepstore.com/Things-My-Sponsor-Taught-Me-Alcoholics-Anonymous.html
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