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.
Practice
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.
Today’s Reminder
Recovery principles apply everywhere not just in meetings.
