Share your experience with being obedient to the unenforceable
December’s topic is, “Share your experience with being obedient to the unenforceable.”
As always, you can also write about Al‑Anon’s three Legacies. This month features Step Twelve, Tradition Twelve, and Concept Twelve.
Sharings on the Member Blog may be used in future Al‑Anon publications.
The principle of obedience to the unenforceable helps me in a couple of ways. On the one hand, it teaches me to accept responsibility for my own attitudes and actions. It’s up to me to let my conscience be my guide. When I don’t follow that guidance, there are consequences and it’s up to me to do an inventory of my motives and choices (Step Four), and admit the true nature of my wrongs (Step Five). Continuing through the Steps leads me through the process of changing so I can regain serenity and be more of the person I really… Read more »
In working the Al-Anon program I am becoming more aware of my energy level as well as my thoughts. Obedience is becoming to mean to me that my energy level is calm and cool, my thoughts positive. If I am in Obedience to the Unenforceable I am one with my Higher Power and at peace with those around me. When my thoughts are out of alignment, my energy level heated, I must go back to My Higher Power for guidance.
I think about the things that I don’t “have” to do, but I do them out respect, reverence, and growth.
This would have meant nothing to me before Al-Anon and even after, for a while. First of all, I didn’t like the concept of obedience, as I didn’t like to be told what to do. I must also admit that to follow guidelines went against my grain. I often had a one track mind, thinking that I knew what was best for me and even what was best for others. Needless to say I found myself, more often than not, at odds with others and I created a lot of tension and discomfort with people around me. Starting to work… Read more »
Because service responsibilities are shared, meetings are not burdensome to any one person and they don’t become stagnant (Concept Four). One thing I don’t love doing is being the timekeeper. I am so conflict-averse that timekeeping makes me uncomfortable. But I know that serving in this way is an opportunity for me to grow and to contribute to the well-being of the meeting. Every so often I volunteer to keep time, even though it is not required of me. And I am very grateful to the others who offer to do it.
Unenforceable, a hard word to define, or describe. For me right now as I try to travel through the month of December, trying hard not to get caught up in the material Christmas season, and dealing with death of a friend and uncertainty of another friend with a missing child. I find my ‘unenforceable’ to be protecting my serenity. No one other person, program friends, family or even my own spouse can tell me to protect my serenity. I need to make myself number one and not turn into a people pleaser. Taking care of myself, doing the next best… Read more »
To me, this means that although no one tells me what to do, no one is in charge, and no one monitors my progress, I am encouraged to be obedient, or rather, to follow the guidelines (Steps) of the program. The encouragement comes from others when they share their experience, strength, and hope. It comes from within, and it comes from my Higher Power. Everything I have gained from the program motivates me to continue my journey towards recovery. Knowing that I can take what I like and leave the rest further enhances my experience within the program. I am… Read more »