Service (and more)
"Humility comes from God and is a sibling of
anonymity, a foundational principle of the Twelve
Steps and the Twelve Traditions. Through
anonymity, we practice service with love." BRB p.
223
In our families, humility and humiliation often got
confused and led us to either become very
passive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive. In
working the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,
we are given a different definition of humility. In
ACA, humility is about being the one we were
supposed to be before our families infected us
with their dysfunction and before we recycled that
dysfunction in our own lives. It is about being our
True Selves.
Anonymity is naturally confused with our
alcoholic/ dysfunctional family's desire to keep
secrets. The difference is that in ACA, we don't
share what others say or tell who was at our
meetings as a way of giving security to each other.
Knowing this allows us to feel safe to share our
own story. When we are tempted to judge, ridicule,
or speak of someone else, we are reminded that
through the practice of protecting the anonymity
and confidences of our fellow ACAs, we now have
a higher purpose, a healthy limit that gives life
rather than diminishes it.
The possibility of performing service in ACA flows
powerfully from our understanding of these
principles in our lives. The newcomer feels it, the
old-timer appreciates it, and our Higher Power
loves it.
On this day, love for my fellow ACAs, humility, and
anonymity will provide me with a positive motivation
for the service I may choose to give to ACA.
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