For Today: November 2nd

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

Thomas Paine

Freedom isn’t free; it costs something. The source of all the blessings I have received needs my support to stay alive and strong.  I support my freedom from compulsive overeating by:

---being willing to give up the pleasure as well as the pain of excess food, abstaining no matter what.

---nurturing my spiritual condition through daily contact with a Power greater than myself, even if it is limited to an expression of thanks.

---practicing the twelve steps to the best of my ability.

---taking responsibility for keeping OA alive by attending meetings as a personal commitment and doing service at whatever level it is needed.

---contributing as much as I can afford toward the cost of carrying the message and maintaining OA services at all levels.

For Today:  Does the support I give my freedom come close to this checklist?

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Freedom isn’t free, and certainly, neither is slavery to addiction.

In order to maintain my abstinence, I go to whatever lengths are necessary.  If that means I say No Thank You to someone’s heartfelt offering of off-plan foods, then I say No Thank You, running the risk of hurting that person’s feelings.

What’s better? To hurt the hostess’s feelings or to jeopardize MY abstinence?

If the hostess knew what an expensive price I’d have to pay to taste her delicious (fill in the blank), she’d never even expect me to.  And, in turn, I don’t expect HER to know MY story…………I don’t run around giving out the details of my addiction problem……………

A simple No Thank You, or Gee I Just Ate, or That Looks Lovely But My Stomach Is On The Fritz is enough of a disclaimer to get me OUT of a sticky situation.

“No matter WHAT” is the phrase of importance here in OA.  The tired old excuses MUST be put to rest, once and for all, if I am to maintain abstinence and enjoy the benefits of recovery.

Keeping my home free from trigger foods is a must.  Ordering healthy meals ALL the time when I’m dining out is another.  Preventing myself from having to make decisions with regard to food is another.  My choices are healthy, whole foods and that’s IT.

When I feel like I’m paying too dearly to maintain my abstinence, all I need do is look back to the time I was TRULY miserable, living in spiritual, physical and emotional poverty, ignoring God and doing things MY way. 

MY WAY brought me to the depths of despair, one bite at a time.

The OA way shows me a whole new life, a whole new WAY, a whole new purpose in being, one day at a time.