November 3, 2010

Should I Spare the Details?

By the time we reach Emotions Anonymous, many of us have hit bottom because we have been starving for a listening ear.   Early on, "we may bask in the discovery that our rooms are safe places in which we can talk about things that have been pent up inside."

"In a face-to-face meeting, we share, and the people around us nod with understanding. They talk with us after meetings and mention how much they identify, or they thank us for sharing. Finally, we are heard and appreciated by others who have been there too."

Online, too,  we can get private feedback that validates us. All of this "can feel so refreshing that we may be tempted to overdo it."

Do I fear to let go of these opportunities to speak, in case I won't have another chance like this-- to heal? 
I am affirmed by my own observations, that when anyone regularly dominates the sharing or meetings, the group suffers.

In program we learn to listen, to ourselves and to others.    What if I could trust the process and learn to listen to myself, alone and with others, outside of my meeting?

"In keeping with our Traditions, the well-being of the group must come first. That's one reason Sponsorship is such a valuable tool. Our needs for self-expression are real and should be addressed. A Sponsor can give us the time and attention we need to talk [, so we can learn] about ourselves and our lives."

I need always remember, that my needs are important and I owe it to myself to be sure they are met.  Our program helps me learn appropriate ways to meet those needs in my everyday life, as in meetings.

I know in our Sunday EA f-2-f meeting, we don't "do" sponsorship right now.  My intuition tells me that Sponsorship would add a greater element of safety to our meeting sharing.I myself have taken a long break from sponsoring any more people,  and I wonder sometimes how to best encourage it, when I am not an  example right now. 

In that light, I find the following excerpt  interesting.  "Personal details are important.  Personal details are better left to a Sponsor who can lend a consistant ear and keep a confidence--someone who knows all about you and accepts you as you are." (Sponsorship--What It's All About)

Glad for the reading in CTC on which this share is based. Glad for the power of God's coincidence, that the quotes were from my reading Today. Glad for the power of questions. 


2 comments:

  1. Sponsorship is important. I am sponsoring five people now. It keeps mw working my program.

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  2. I find that I don't have quite enough program to go that far... with five people. And to boot, I am the founder of my current meeting, and it really feels "off" to be the only one sponsoring. So, I decided it was time for me to take a break, until others are comfortable stepping forward. Otherwise, I am in danger of being too responsible....

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I welcome your thoughts. Keep me honest~