Step seven simply requires humility and willingness. Without the willingness to change, I will continue to live how I had for so many years. I must let go of my desire to control everything in my life; instead, I need to opt for God to take care of me.

While taking my fourth step inventory, I was able to see that my character defects had caused misery in my life and the lives of others. I recognized the constant state of selfishness, dishonesty, inconsideration, and fear in which I had been living and which had led me to compulsive eating.

When I completed my fifth step, my sponsor instructed me to spend an hour by myself. She told me to read and meditate on Steps Six and Seven in the Big Book and say the Seventh Step prayer: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character that stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, fourth edition, p. 76). With those words, I had completed step seven.

This step isn’t a one-time deal—it’s a lifelong practice that I must recommit to each and every day. The selfishness, dishonesty, inconsideration, and fear that had ruled my life will surely pop up again. But I can now have a different reaction when these defects arise. Instead of eating compulsively, I can ask God for guidance for how to deal with life. What a blessing!

— Krista M.

Step SevenHumbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings

EDITORIAL POLICY:Submissions deadline for the next edition is July 20th. All submissions when published, will appear with first name and last initial unless otherwise requested. Metro Memo reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. Other OA groups may reprint without permission. We ask that you cite the writer and Metro Memo as your source. The opinions expressed are those of the writer, not those of NY Metro Intergroup or OA as a whole. Please address all submissions and correspondence to Metro Memo via e-mail to: metromemo@OANYC.org

2 Metro Memo — July 2013

A Joyful AbundanceIt’s easy to take myself very seriously. Be serious about what I wear and how I wear my hair, be serious about my job title, be serious about how important I sound when I talk. Recovery has taught me that it’s not all about me, and with that I get to take a more light-hearted look at my life. I can step back and see that it’s silly to think that it’s all about me. I can see that the ridiculousness of feeling sorry for myself when I have love in my life, a nice roof over my head, a job that I enjoy, and fulfilling volunteer work. Once I’m not so focused on myself I can experience the joyful abundance of my life. The disease tells me that I’m not good enough, that I need more. Standing back I can laugh at my disease’s insistence on self-pity. I can laugh at my disease telling me I need more food, more praise, more things. Silly disease, don’t you know that God has provided me with everything I need? I have a beautiful life, by God’s grace, and to see it as anything less is laughable.

— Maya G.

The L

igh

T S

ide A Message from Your

New Twelfth Step Within Committee ChairHi, my name is Marcia L. and I am your new Twelfth Step Within Committee Chair. I’ve been asked, “What is the Twelfth Step Within Committee?” and “How can I join this committee?” I will attempt to answer your questions here. We hope to see new members join us and help do some important service for our fellowship. The Twelfth-Step Within Committee was created to reach out to those in the Fellowship who still suffer. Our committee’s purpose is to strengthen Overeaters Anonymous by sharing information and ideas that generate recovery within the Fellowship, encouraging existing OA members to become or remain abstinent, to work the Twelve Steps and to give service to the best of their ability. Doing this service increases the quantity and quality of recovery in our fellows, thereby assisting our own spiritual journey. Anyone who is abstinent and working his or her own recovery can do this service. Only willingness is needed. Please join us for our next meeting to learn more on Sunday, July 21 at 1:30 p.m. at David Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, 61 West 67th Street.

Let Your Sponsor Be Your Guide When I returned to OA almost one year ago I was lost and angry. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was also very lonely. I had lost all ability to feel my feelings, to experience intimacy with others, and to connect to my Higher Power. I was willing to do whatever it took to change that circumstance. Then I met my sponsor. My sponsor has served as my guide. She was my first introduction to re-learning how to interact with others. Through my work with her such as: turning over food, calling her daily, and doing the Steps, I have an opportunity to practice relationship building. When I show up for our relationship I am then more capable of being available to other experiences. My sponsor has taught me to trust God. Whenever I don’t know what to do, she asks, “Did you get divine communication?” She helps me see where I am emotionally challenged, and through our work I have learned that feeling my feelings is what makes me attractive. By showing up to my food plan everyday, I am also learning how to be accountable to someone other than myself. Thank God we can’t do this alone! Thank God for sponsorship! She has shown me the value in our slogan, “We will love you until you can love yourself.” I look forward to giving someone the same experience when I sponsor one day soon.

— Brittaney H.the t

OO

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Metro Memo — July 2013 3

MeeTing SpoTLighTJan Hus Church, Saturdays at 4:45 p.m., 251 East 74 Street.There are certain meetings that have a unique and lovely vibe, and when I walk in my body seems to exhale and deeply relax. The OA meeting on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. in the front room of Jan Hus Church at 351 East 74th Street has that warm recovery feel with its large wooden framed windows overlooking a pretty tree-lined street. A framed photo of the old paisley green wallpaper that many longtimers remember hangs on the walls. These walls have witnessed decades of OA and Twelve Step recovery. The Saturday circle is a lovely mix of recovering fellows with long-term abstinence, newcomers and wise souls. It is always a qualification meeting that sets the perfect tone for the day. I feel held by the energy of the room, the people, and love the nods of heads as I share three minutes of my life with the joys and the sorrows in the beautiful throws of recovery. Whether I walk in a little late or after an absence, I catch the eye of a familiar fellow and the room welcomes me. All feels well at this most perfect time of day, errands done and an abstinent Saturday evening ahead.

— Susan G.

MeTro inTergroup Working For uS

Intergroup Highlights, June 2013

The Budget – The budget for next year was voted on and approved at the June Intergroup meeting. Metro IG has had to cut costs significantly due to low meeting contributions. Please keep this in mind when making donations and encourage your group to contribute to IG monthly instead of quarterly.

New IG Board and Committee Chairs – New officers and committee chairs begin their term during the second week of July. Many thanks to all who have done service at Intergroup in all forms during this past year! Remember – all are welcome at the monthly Intergroup Meetings (second Thursday of each month, TRS Suites, 40 Exchange Place, 3rd floor, 6:45 p.m.)

New Preamble – A small edit to the OA Preamble was revised and approved at the 2013 World Service Business Conference. Please replace the old preamble with this one if it is part of the script at your meeting:

OA Preamble Revised and approved by the WSBC 2013Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.

Metro Memo — July 20134

My SponsorMy sponsor is not my Higher Power. Sponsorship is a tool of our program. She is not my Higher Power, God is my Higher Power. Ultimately, it is not because of her that I am abstinent, happy, joyous and free. I could do that with another sponsor. God is keeping me abstinent because I work the Steps. I am then open to God’s interference in my life—guiding me and making miracles happen. My sponsor is great, and I am so grateful for her. Not only because she is nice. She is, but that´s not why I am grateful for her. I am grateful because she calls me on my defects that are rooted in self. I cannot always see that myself, because I am wrapped in my self and it is me that is the problem, and I have discovered that it is God that is the solution. My sponsor reminds me that I am definitely not the center of anything—not even my own life. God is. My sponsor helps me from being self-centered to being God-centered. She does not tell me exactly what my ego likes to hear, because my ego wants to run the show. It was my ego that brought me to the rooms in the first place. I need a solution that is bigger than my ego. Food plans and diets never worked for me. I need something bigger. I need God.

— Marianne M.

WorTh A ThouSAnd WordS— Howard S.