Hello fellow oa’ers. I referred to this fable in a meeting recently. I thought it fit in with OA. Enjoy!

An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered them to bring in a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: “Break it.”

The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none succeeded.

“Untie the bundle,” said the father, “and each of you take a stick.” When they had done so, he told them: “Now, break,” and each stick was easily broken

Sticks in a bundle can’t be broken but sticks taken singly can be easily broken. Same applies to people.

There is strength in union.

Aesop For Children (The Bundle of Sticks)

A certain Father had a family of Sons, who were forever quarreling among themselves. No words he could say did the least good, so he cast about in his mind for some very striking example that should make them see that discord would lead them to misfortune.

One day when the quarreling had been much more violent than usual and each of the Sons was moping in a surly manner, he asked one of them to bring him a bundle of sticks. Then handing the bundle to each of his Sons in turn he told them to try to break it. But although each one tried his best, none was able to do so.

The Father then untied the bundle and gave the sticks to his Sons to break one by one. This they did very easily.

“My Sons,” said the Father, “do you not see how certain it is that if you agree with each other and help each other, it will be impossible for your enemies to injure you? But if you are divided among yourselves, you will be no stronger than a single stick in that bundle.”

Moral

In unity is strength.

Anne B

If you’d like to comment:

Hi, fellow oa’ers! It’s time to bid 2021 a goodbye. I just want to say that I love OA and doing service. Thanks for the fellowship and support I get from all of you. Wishing you a Happy New Year!

I’ve included a little story that I’ve referred to a few times lately. Hope you enjoy it!

Anne B.

Getting to know God

Me: God, can I ask You a question?

God: Sure.

Me: Promise You won’t get mad?

God: I promise.

Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?

God: What do you mean?

Me: Well, I woke up late.

God: Yes.

Me: My car took forever to start.

God: Okay.

Me: At lunch they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait.

God: Huummm…

Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call.

God: All right.

Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home – I just want to soak my feet in my new foot

massager and relax. BUT it wouldn’t work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?

God: Let me see, the death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.

Me (humbled): OH.

God: I didn’t let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have

hit you if you were on the road.

Me: (ashamed)

God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn’t want you to catch   what they have, I knew you couldn’t afford to miss work.

Me (embarrassed): okay.

God: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn’t even let you talk to them so you would be covered.

Me (softly): I see God.

God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in

 your house tonight. I didn’t think you wanted to be in the dark.

Me: I’m sorry God.

God: Don’t be sorry, just learn to Trust Me…. in All things , the good and the bad.

Me: I will trust You.

God: And don’t doubt that My plan for your day is Always Better than your plan.

Me: I won’t God. And let me just tell you God, Thank You for everything today.

God: You’re welcome, my child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking

 after My Children.

​Service
     -Spiritual Principle of Step 12
It is after 5 PM on Friday and I am trying to finish my walk for the day.  I started walking earlier today but cut it short to prepare food for a family dinner which has been moved from tonight to tomorrow night to accommodate others. I am grateful that today was much warmer than it has been so it is still mild out. I also appreciate that I am not working today, unlike my sponsee and the woman who is currently delivering the US mail.

As my sponsor (who will also be out in the dark while walking her dog) said, one of the benefits of being outside this evening is getting to see Christmas lights.  Another benefit for me is seeing the hot pink ripples in the sky after the sunset.  I also don’t want to take for granted that I have people who I will be spending time with this weekend, who love me and want to spend time with me.  Being flexible with our schedule so that a family member can join us is practicing the Tool of Service.  And since service is also the Spiritual Principle of Step 12, l give myself double credit. 😉  You all have taught me that it really isn’t all about me!
Thank you for letting me be of service and practice the steps.  May we all be well.   

“When we applaud someone’s weight loss or celebrate abstinence anniversaries in our meetings, it doesn’t mean we are singling out these people for glory.  It means we are rejoicing in a fellow compulsive overeater’s recovery.” 
     Tradition Twelve, The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition,
page 166.  

This morning my meeting read Tradition Twelve from the revised OA 12 & 12, spiritual principle: Spirituality.

I shared about celebrating 15 years of abstinence and recovery this week.  Instead of focusing on “How’d you do it?” which is what we traditionally ask someone who is celebrating an anniversary, I suggested answering WHY we do it.  Why the change?  First, there is a chapter in the Big Book that tells us how it works.  And, the WHY is the root of Hope that keeps me coming back.  

I keep coming back, one day at a time, working the steps and practicing spiritual principles in all of my affairs because I love the results.  In addition to enjoying a healthy body I live an amazing, joyful life!  I have loving, healthy relationships (with myself and others), I have work which am capable of doing (after years of doubting my abilities), and I no longer let fear and fat dictate my well-being.  These are just some of the intangible results of my working the steps all of these years.

My own experience, strength and hope – which I gain as THE result of working the steps – encourages me to continue today what has worked for the past 5,484 days!  Thanks for showing up with me today!

Hugs and deep gratitude,

Atiya M.

Durham, NC, USA

New post from Atiya

“If I want to go fast, I go alone; if I want to go far, I go together.”

This slogan is a quick summary of what I was like and what I am like today. When I found all of you, what I wanted (and knew) was fast. I would speed and had multiple speeding tickets and car accidents to show for it. I always wanted to go alone because then I could do it my way. And my relationships were surface and superficial because I did not yet understand that intimacy takes time to develop.

Today, I understand that I need other people in order to have a satisfactory life. I have learned how to have deep and intimate relationships. And most of the time, I want to go together.

Sponsorship is one of the tools that has helped my transformation. In addition to sponsorship being a necessity for the way I work the steps, it is in having a sponsor and being a sponsor that I learned how to have healthy, loving, trusting, accepting relationships.

Thank you for teaching me how to go far!

Atiya M.

Durham, NC, USA

myserenitymypeace@hotmail.com

(Yay I got a submission! Anyone can submit anytime!)

Honoring Service from Katrina S

I’ve been receiving congratulations on being appointed R8 Trustee and I want to honor the depth of devotion to service in the Baton Rouge Intergroup that prepared me for this level of service by saying thanks and giving honor to Aleta P and to Rosemary B. Without their nudging, role modeling and guidance I wouldn’t be here.

When I first came into OA, of course, I knew nothing about the ‘business’ side of OA. I didn’t know about Regions, the OA World Service Office or the Board of Trustees. The people that mattered were the people who ran the meetings, welcomed me in, introduced me to the literature, the steps and put my feet on the road to recovery. I would think that it is the same for most of you. The ‘business’ side is invisible.

As some of you may know, Aleta P has served at every level of OA. She served as Trustee, on the Region Board, and at Intergroup level. She leads retreats and gives talks whenever she is asked. We are a small Intergroup, to have 2 Region officers and 2 Trustees chosen from the same small intergroup indicates that there is a devotion to service that allows the area to nurture this kind of service. Aleta P has helped to provide that model.

The other model for me was Rosemary B. She passed away last year but I will never forget her. Rosemary co-founded a meeting that was welcoming and sweet. She assigned me to my 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd OA service jobs. My first job was to put up the chairs. For my 2^nd job, Rosemary heard that I was an engineer, gave me the bank bag and said that the group needed a Treasurer.

Later, Rosemary told me to go to the Intergroup meeting and tell them that I was Intergroup Treasurer. This caused chaos and horror before an impromptu nomination and vote. When I told Rosemary that I wanted to strengthen my recovery by continuing to do service, she told me to speak to Aleta P.

When I became Region Representative and World Service Delegate Aleta taught me how to do this service responsibly and with integrity. She also demonstrated how to give service balanced with recovery. She nominated me for Region Chair. 

For me, service is one of the foundations of my recovery. These two amazing, loving and generous women helped me build the foundation for a beautiful, abstinent life of service and recovery.

Katrina S, Region 8 Chair / Trustee 

Honesty
     -Spiritual Principle of Step One

Although I worked Step One for the first time almost 15 years ago, honesty is the spiritual principle that I continue to have the most challenges with and am frequently challenged by.  I would say about half of the amends on my initial Ninth Step were related to dishonesty. As of today, there are two behaviors (one that has already occurred and the other which will occur in the future) on my mind that call for Amends.

Recently someone shared with me the idea of working the three A’s (Awareness, Acceptance and Action) for each step.  I can clearly see how that process would work with Step One.  I am almost always aware of my dishonest behavior. I am also aware that it generally stems from me wanting what I want, when I want it, and how I want it. I imagine that if I was less focused on getting what I want, I would have fewer opportunities to practice dishonesty.

Awareness comes with feelings; this is likely why in the past (in recovery) I would jump from Awareness to Action, giving lip service to Acceptance.  Today (for today) I am sitting with the awareness of my behaviors and the feelings that have come with (although at times it feels like I am sitting IN and not just sitting WITH the feelings). 

As I grow spiritually, I am aware that there is a balance between denial and impulsivity.  My daily spiritual work helps me recognize the sweet spot.

Thanks for reading me today.

 May we each be well along our path.

Atiya M.Durham, NC, USA

919-302-1030 (no text messages please)

myserenitymypeace@hotmail.com

A few months ago, I registered for the World Service Convention in Orlando.  I had not yet decided to attend, but was willing to let the registration fee turn into a Seventh Tradition donation if I decided not to go.  I eventually made the decision not to attend.  However, I then offered the registration to another member.  Shortly after the registration was transferred into her name, the Convention was canceled.  The registration fee was credited to my account.

I don’t know about you, but I like to receive money.  A part of me was on board with keeping it.  Instead I made myself commit to returning the sum to WSO.  OA as a whole took a financial hit from the canceled Convention.  Donating the registration fee is a small way to do what I can to help offset the burden.  
I made myself take action before I changed my mind (and before I typed this) and have now completed the donation to WSO.  Here is the link in case you too are willing to give back some of what has been freely given: https://oa.org/contribute/.  And perhaps I’ll see you at the next Convention in 2025!  

Atiya M.

Durham, NC, USA

myserenitymypeace@hotmail.com

July 26, 2021

Hello my fellow oa’ers! Enjoying the heat? Just kidding. These are the dog days and not in a good way.

I discovered meditation in high school but I never did it consistently until OA. My day goes so much smoother when I meditate. Usually I do it lying down in bed before I go to work. One day I’ll try sitting up. As I promised to discuss my methods of meditation.

1. I use an app that is a meditation timer. I just sit and breath and try to focus.

This is the one I use.

2. I discovered meditation beads. They really helped me focus. There are a slew of ways to use them. After I made myself nuts trying to do it in the direction and style that was suggested, I just pulled one bead through my fingers for an inhale then one for an exhale.

Here is a picture of my beads. I splurged a little and got them from Coyote Moon:

3. I use different meditation videos. Here is a link to my favorites:

Every OA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. 
    -Tradition Seven

In the past week, three of the people closest to me all experienced some stage of grief from death of people close to them. This morning, I zoomed into the last few minutes of my home group OA meeting (after a very good night’s sleep and morning meditation) where I heard a share on Tradition Seven.  In the few minutes I attended, I had a spiritual awakening.    

In the chapter Working With Others, we learn that intensive work with another compulsive eater is immunity against destructive behaviors with food. There are many other places in our literature that address the concept of getting out of ourselves and being of service to others as an imperative part of our healing. Yet, I have also learned that I need to have something to give in order to “give it away.”  This is where Tradition Seven comes in. By incorporating Tradition Seven into my daily spiritual practices, this week I was able to take care of myself AND be present to the people in my life who were experiencing pain and loss.  I was able to be of service in ways that were meaningful to each of them.
I cannot give from an empty well. You all have taught me how to take care of myself so that I can then give care to those around me.  Thank you for teaching me how to be!  

Atiya M.Durham, NC, USA919-302-1030 (no text messages, please)myserenitymypeace@hotmail.com