From Calamity to Serenity: Finding Hope in the 12 Steps
I was inspired by Larry K. as he spoke about his journey “From Calamity to Serenity,” sharing his experience, strength and hope. Larry compares OA Sponsors to Sherpas, the guides with real-life experience who carry the lantern and maps while we journey side by side to the summit of recovery from the disease of compulsive overeating. I heard Larry talk about what it means to him to be powerless: 1) Can’t stop eating once I’ve started (allergy of the body) and 2) Can’t stop from starting (twist of the mind.) I embraced his encouragement that my OA recovery has to be equally, or more, progressive than my progressive illness – like climbing up a down escalator! I’ve tried climbing up a down escalator and I wasn’t very successful. So this really caught my attention and strengthened my commitment to be willing to do whatever it takes. Larry’s use of metaphors gave me memorable visual cues that helped me better understand compulsive overeating and the OA program. He characterized that a compulsive eater’s mind is like the arcade game “Whack a Mole” – a metaphor for something that keeps popping up no matter how many times one tries to get rid of it!
Reflection written by Anonymous OA Member