Procrastination is fear in its "long form". When I put off some task or responsibility, instead of trying harder, I may need to examine my trust in God. Lack of Power and lack of faith in that Power is the root of my procrastination.  When I turn to God and use the Spot Check Inventory as suggested in Step 10, I can uncover the real motive behind my resistance. I recently had a phone call that I needed to make but I continued to put it off. After getting quiet with God, the thought came that I "wasn't good enough." When I held this admission up to the light, I saw the bigger truth. I am enough with God. We can do what I cannot. Perspective entered my decision making and I was free to make the call and try my best, one step at a time.
 
Teri C.

Living each day as it comes with poise and peace of mind is a true desirable result of abstaining and seeking deeper connection with God. If I honestly face what is troubling me and do not sweep my disturbances under the rug, I will experience a new freedom and release from the burden of worry. When my anxiety is great, the Prayer of Relinquishment offers much relief and a renewed faith in my loving God. Here is how it works; If I follow the feeling of fear and dread to its final calamity, if I will picture the worst-case scenario and sit with my imaginings, I will see that God meets me there in my despair. He walks with me the entire way, step by step. Then, I am better able to release my crippling fear and pull my energies into the day ahead where God matches my willingness with purpose. The Power of God Goes Deep.

Teri C.

In the past, I have confused desire with power. One day I had a desire to stop eating compulsively. In the middle of a 4-month binge while still attending OA meetings, I put the food down. It’s a miracle, one day eating and bingeing-the next, abstaining from my alcoholic foods. I know that God placed the desire to stop in my heart and lead me to a sponsor who has guided me to the solution as presented in the Big Book. I went through weeks of with-drawl and erratic emotions; emerging ready to do the work of the 12 steps. My desire alone could never have carried me this far; 17 weeks of solid abstinence, amends and restitution. God’s Power combined with action makes this possible. God is inviting me in. I don’t ever have to eat compulsively again. OA meetings are a great place to feel loved and supported and to listen to recovering members tell their story. We don’t sell this program with ads from celebrities. Instead, we demonstrate the solution while our disease sells the program! OA is a program of attraction, not promotion. Its power lies in our admission that food has defeated us. We are all offered a way out and a design for living that works in rough going.
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Teri C.

"We are like men who have lost their legs, we never grow new ones."  I have a disease that tells me I don't have a disease. As I watch others leave the program to do more "research", I'm reminded that I too have tried that and was defeated every time by my obsessions and cravings. Today, one day at a time, I accept a disciplined eating plan that makes communication with my Higher Power possible. May I always remember that further research is unnecessary and may prove deadly.

​Teri C.