🔥 DON'T MISTAKE MY PASSION FOR PROMOTION 🔥

Today I attended a meeting where we were studying Step Twelve in the Twelve and Twelve.

I love this chapter because it reminds us that every step matters. More importantly, it reminds us what our responsibility becomes once we have experienced a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps.

We are called to carry the message.

Not our opinions.

Not our accomplishments.

Not our success stories.

The message.

As I sat there listening, a woman shared something that touched my heart. I can remember not that long ago when she confided that she wasn't really sure she was a "real alcoholic." She attended meetings because she was retired, lonely, and looking for friendship and fellowship.

Then alcoholism reminded her exactly what it is.

A vacation.

A party.

A few drinks.

And suddenly she found herself unable to stop.

What started innocently became frightening.

Today she has a year sober and shared how grateful she is that she made it back.

As I listened, I couldn't help but think about my own journey.

Because when I first came into AA, I was not happy, joyous, and free.

I was suffering.

I was in denial.

I could not admit to something I could not surrender to.

And because I could not admit powerlessness, I continued to suffer for years.

In and out.

In and out.

In and out.

Some people survive that process.

Many do not.

That is why I share the way I do.

Not out of anger.

Not out of ego.

Not out of self-importance.

And certainly not because I am trying to sell anyone anything.

In fact, let's be honest.

I don't get paid to do this.

I don't receive a commission when someone gets sober.

I don't earn a bonus when a newcomer works the Steps.

I don't get a paycheck for carrying the message.

I DO THIS FOR FREE.

DON'T MISTAKE MY PASSION FOR PROMOTION.

I'm not trying to sell sobriety.

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything.

I'm not trying to build a following.

I'm not trying to win a popularity contest.

I'M TRYING TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT A DISEASE THAT KILLS PEOPLE.

I do it because alcoholism has taken people I love.

I HAVE BURIED PEOPLE I LOVE.

I do it because I have watched this disease destroy families.

I do it because I have watched people suffer.

I do it because I have watched people die.

💔 I watched my Nana die 57.

💔 I watched my Daddy die at 35.

💔 I watched my Mother die at 59.

💔 I watched my brother in law die and my brother die 12/17/25 at 52 years young.

All way too young.

And I was headed down the exact same road.

The road may have looked different.

But the destination was the same.

⚠️ I was inflamed.

⚠️ I had high blood pressure.

⚠️ I was prediabetic.

⚠️ I was spiritually bankrupt.

⚠️ I was emotionally exhausted.

⚠️ I was living in denial.

And if I continued doing what I was doing, alcoholism would have eventually taken everything from me too.

THAT IS NOT BEING DRAMATIC.

THAT IS BEING HONEST.

THAT IS REALITY.

The Big Book talks about carrying a message of depth and weight.

Depth and weight means we tell the truth.

Depth and weight means we do not forget where we came from.

Depth and weight means we remember:

🔥 The desperation.

🔥 The obsession.

🔥 The insanity.

🔥 The fear.

🔥 The loneliness.

🔥 The hopelessness.

Because there is a newcomer sitting in that room who is still living there.

😢 There is a newcomer who is still suffering.

😢 There is a newcomer who still cannot stop.

😢 There is a newcomer who believes nobody understands.

THERE IS A NEWCOMER WHO IS CONSIDERING DRINKING TONIGHT.

THERE IS A NEWCOMER WHO MAY NEVER MAKE IT BACK.

THAT IS WHO I AM SPEAKING TO.

I am grateful my life is peaceful today.

I am grateful recovery works.

I am grateful for joy.

I am grateful for serenity.

I am grateful for all the blessings sobriety has brought into my life.

BUT IF ALL I EVER TALK ABOUT IS HOW WONDERFUL MY LIFE IS NOW, WITHOUT TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW PAINFUL MY LIFE WAS THEN, I MAY UNINTENTIONALLY LEAVE THE NEWCOMER FEELING COMPLETELY ALONE.

THE NEWCOMER NEEDS IDENTIFICATION BEFORE INSPIRATION.

They need to know I once sat where they sit.

They need to know I once felt what they feel.

They need to know I understand:

💔 Their shame.

💔 Their fear.

💔 Their denial.

💔 Their hopelessness.

Only then can they believe there might be hope for them too.

Recovery is attraction rather than promotion.

I absolutely agree.

My life should attract people to the program.

BUT MY HONESTY SHOULD HELP THEM IDENTIFY WITH IT.

My gratitude should inspire them.

And my truth should reach them.

BECAUSE ATTRACTION WITHOUT IDENTIFICATION CAN FEEL IMPOSSIBLE TO A SUFFERING ALCOHOLIC.

If all they see is someone smiling and talking about how wonderful life is today, they may walk away believing:

❌ "That person isn't like me."

❌ "They don't understand my pain."

❌ "I could never get there."

❌ "My life is too messed up."

❌ "Recovery works for them, not for me."

The people who saved my life didn't only tell me how wonderful sobriety was.

They told me how sick they were.

They told me how broken they were.

They told me how afraid they were.

THEY TOLD ME THE TRUTH.

AND BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME THE TRUTH, I FINALLY IDENTIFIED.

And because I identified, I listened.

And because I listened, I stayed.

And because I stayed, I recovered.

After the meeting, an old-timer shared that he preferred attraction rather than promotion. He said he'd rather see someone's peaceful life than hear a passionate message.

And that got me thinking.

🔥 CAN A NEWCOMER IDENTIFY WITH US IF WE NEVER TALK ABOUT OUR SUFFERING?

🔥 ARE WE CARRYING A MESSAGE OF DEPTH AND WEIGHT IF WE ONLY TALK ABOUT THE REWARDS AND NEVER DISCUSS THE PAIN?

🔥 HOW CAN SOMEONE IDENTIFY WITH OUR RECOVERY IF THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY WITH OUR ALCOHOLISM?

🔥 IS ATTRACTION ENOUGH WITHOUT IDENTIFICATION?

🔥 IF THE NEWCOMER LEAVES BELIEVING THEY ARE DIFFERENT, HAVE WE TRULY CARRIED THE MESSAGE?

🔥 ARE WE SHARING OUR EXPERIENCE, STRENGTH, AND HOPE—OR ONLY THE HOPE?

🔥 HAVE WE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO STILL BE SUFFERING?

🔥 HAVE WE BECOME SO COMFORTABLE IN RECOVERY THAT WE NO LONGER REMEMBER THE DESPERATION THAT BROUGHT US HERE?

I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHETHER SOMEONE GETS SOBER.

THAT IS BETWEEN THEM AND GOD.

BUT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING THE MESSAGE HONESTLY.

I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR REMEMBERING WHERE I CAME FROM.

I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH.

AND IF MY PASSION MAKES SOMEONE UNCOMFORTABLE, I CAN LIVE WITH THAT.

Because alcoholism is uncomfortable.

⚠️ Watching people die is uncomfortable.

⚠️ Watching families be destroyed is uncomfortable.

⚠️ Watching someone drink themselves to death is uncomfortable.

THE DISEASE IS NOT GENTLE.

THE DISEASE IS NOT FLUFFY.

THE DISEASE IS DEADLY.

PEOPLE ARE DYING. I REFUSE TO CARRY A WATERED-DOWN MESSAGE ABOUT A DEADLY DISEASE.

AND I REFUSE TO FORGET THAT.

Because somebody once carried a message of depth and weight to me.

And today I am alive and thriving because they did.

❤️ Michelle Ann

The Healing Cheff®
Healing Hearts. Restoring Hope. Transforming Lives.

🌐 TheHealingCheff.com
🌐 NanasTamales.com

#TheHealingCheff
#SheChoseHerself2012
#RecoveryMatters
#AASobriety
#CarryTheMessage