Cross-Checks and Balance

I've been noticing how the Concepts create cross-checks in our Al-Anon structure. The Board has authority but the Conference provides oversight. The Conference has traditional rights but the Board has legal responsibility. No one entity has all the power. Everyone answers to someone. That's not weakness - it's wisdom.

This Concept provides for cross-checks. It balances our program on a healthy spiritual basis. Cross-checks. Multiple points of accountability. Balance rather than concentration of power. This prevents any one person or group from dominating. It protects against the human tendency to abuse authority. And it mirrors what I need in my personal recovery.

I need cross-checks in my own life. My sponsor provides one check - she questions my thinking when it gets twisted. My home group provides another - they call me on my patterns. The Steps provide structure. The program provides principles. No single source has all authority over my recovery. That balance keeps me from going off course in any direction. When I resist these cross-checks - when I want to run my recovery without input or accountability - that's usually when I'm heading toward trouble. The cross-checks aren't restraints. They're protection and guidance that keep my recovery on a healthy spiritual basis.

Today I can ask myself: Which cross-check am I avoiding? If I haven't called my sponsor in weeks, I'll reach out. If I've skipped meetings, I'll go to one. If I've stopped working Steps, I'll read one page. The cross-check I'm resisting is often the one keeping me unbalanced.