Each month we’ll feature a book or item from our 12-step recovery and inspirational bookstore! These items will be available for purchase inside our Administration Office in Prescott Valley located at:
2651 N. Industrial Way, Suite A, Prescott Valley 86314. Open Mon – Thurs 9 am – 4 pm, and Friday by appointment. Call Suzi or Leslie at 928-772-4184 to learn more.
When I Got Busy, I Got Better
from Al-Anon Family Groups
April Special Price: $6.50
It never ceases to amaze and delight me when one or more of us reach out to serve another, one of the first comments I hear is: “I thought I was going to help them, and I wound up feeling so much better about myself.” It just works that way, doesn’t it? That’s the very idea of service put forth and beautifully described by different authors in the booklet When I Got Busy, I Got Better.
One author describes her feelings after realizing that not only had she grown up in an alcoholic home, but she herself had a problem with alcohol. She became a dual member of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon*. Here’s a glimpse of her experience:
For years I felt like a double loser. Not until I agreed to serve as an Alateen** Group Sponsor did I begin to feel like a winner. …In fact, I agreed to be an Alateen Group Sponsor because I thought I saw an opportunity to understand my son better. Before long, I discovered that the person benefiting most from my service wasn’t my son but me. …In Alateen service I was encouraged to release my anger and self-pity about being raised in an alcoholic home with little or no security. I was able to admit for first time that I loved my parents and that, though emotionally crippled, they loved me, too. (p. 35)
No matter your circumstances, you’ll be better off serving someone else today, a few hours a week, or more. Get up and go serve!
*Al Anon is a mutual support program for people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.
**Alateen is a fellowship of young people (mostly teenagers) whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.
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