My friend Mike T who has been sober for five years shared with me why having a sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous was such an important part of his sobriety success. When he first starting going to AA he met with his sponsor, and together they went through the twelve steps. Each week his sponsor checked in with him to see how he was doing. Mike shared that by talking with his sponsor he felt even more invested in himself and his sobriety. He noticed that by doing this work and changing what he didn’t like about himself and his life, things shifted internally for him. His felt comfortable enough with his sponsor to not only check in with him when things were going great, but even more importantly when things weren’t.
What his sponsor did for him was to guide him to learn how to live sober which was something he didn’t know how to do before.
When Mike was looking for a sponsor he shared with me something very important.
He said, “You must find someone who has been through what you’ve been through, who knows more than you do right now and is living life the way you want to live it. You must have some sort of connection, feel that you can trust them, and they must be willing to hold you accountable.”
He also shared, “Sponsors can change based on how you grow and evolve. When I work with a sponsor I feel better than when I don’t. If you outgrow your sponsor, find another one.”
Most people who are successful with their sobriety are participating in sponsorship.
People in AA are committed to their sobriety. If you are committed to living a joyful life, just like the members of AA benefit from having a sponsor, you will too.
When you choose a joy sponsor look for someone who’s been through what you’ve been through, who knows more than you do right now and is living life the way you want to live it.
I have a couple joy sponsors of my own and without them, their love, their commitment to my happiness, their accountability, their trustworthiness, their on-going support of my dreams and goals I would not be where I am today. And I know they are helping me evolve into my most joyful self.
Your sponsor will help you feel more invested in yourself and your happiness.
How will you choose your joy sponsor? Leave a comment.
The awesome in me bows to the awesome in you.