Friday, November 15th
How can I be a sponsor? I am not qualified.
Many of us have been approached by another member asking us to sponsor them. Their request might have initially inflated our ego, but we may have had second thoughts: There is so much that I do not know about recovery, or I have not finished working the Steps, and so on.
We might think of many reasons why we should not sponsor someone, ranging from personal dislike to concerns about our sobriety. Most of all, we may fear that a sponsee might judge our recovery as weak and that we lack the wisdom to be their sponsor.
The desire to escape negative feelings, such as fear and shame, often drove us to act out our sexual compulsion. Now, faced with the choice of taking positive action, some of those feelings can reappear.
Twelve Step recovery is a process that promotes spiritual change. By attending meetings, working the Steps, and using other recovery tools, we begin to accept who we are: flawed but healing.
We may remind ourselves that there is no such thing as a “perfect” recovery. By sponsoring others, we can pass on our experience, strength, and hope — with all its gaps and imperfections. Doing so promotes and strengthens our own recovery.
By helping others, we help ourselves.