Growth Requires Delegation

Our home group has been run by the same three people for five years. They do everything - set up, clean up, order literature, handle money, arrange speakers. New people offer to help but these three say: It's easier if we just do it ourselves. The group stays small and nobody new learns service. It's stagnant.

Concept Eight more than any of our Concepts reflects the growth of Al-Anon and the need for the delegation of authority. Need for delegation. Not nice to have. Need. The group can't grow if three people control everything. Al-Anon can't grow if we don't delegate authority to new people. Growth requires trusting others with responsibilities. When we hold onto all the authority we prevent growth.

I do this in my personal recovery too. I want to control everything myself. I don't delegate - to my Higher Power, to my sponsor, to the group. I hold tight to authority over every decision in my life. And my recovery stays stagnant. Growth requires delegation. Trusting God with outcomes I can't control. Trusting my sponsor with helping me see what I can't see alone. Trusting the group with holding me accountable. When I stop trying to maintain all authority myself and delegate some to trustworthy others my recovery grows. Same principle for groups as for individuals.

I can examine where I'm holding all authority in my recovery. What am I refusing to delegate to God? To my sponsor? To the group? I can choose one area where I'm controlling everything and delegate: ask my sponsor for help with a decision, let God handle an outcome, let the group support me rather than trying to do everything alone.