Beyond the Meetings
Practicing the principles of the Steps in all our affairs – at work, in our community and religious institutions, with family and friends – is important to our recovery and serenity.
Before Al-Anon, I thought recovery was something I did only on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I'd go to meetings, work my Steps, talk to my sponsor. The rest of my life was separate. I had my recovery life and my real life, and they didn't overlap much. Recovery was a compartment, not a foundation.
But truly practicing the principles of the Steps in all our affairs—at work, in our community, with family and friends—is vital to our recovery and serenity: all our affairs. Not just at meetings. Not just with other Al-Anon members. Everywhere, with everyone, all the time.
This integration changed everything. Now, I practice Step One powerlessness when my boss is unreasonable. I use Step Three surrender when my adult child makes choices I don't agree with. I apply Step Ten inventory when in conflict with my neighbor. I employ Step Eleven prayer when stuck in traffic. The principles work everywhere because they're about how to live, not just how to recover.
My serenity increased when I stopped compartmentalizing. Recovery isn't something I do separately from life; it's how I do life. The principles aren't just for meetings—they're for living. Practicing them everywhere means I'm never without tools, no matter what I'm facing.
When I'm frustrated at work or arguing with family, I can ask: which Step applies here? Powerlessness? Inventory? Amends? The same principles that work in meetings work everywhere—I just need to use them.
