What is our Primary Purpose on this site?
I have my view and it was passed down to me from the old timers over a year ago. I am going to just say this first, this blog like any and every other blog I have written is NOT directed at anyone personally. I write for myself mainly and if I help someone along the way then that is just a major bonus and it makes my day. So if unless your name is in it, it is not about you.
We all come to this site with the very same one common bond. We are nicotine addicts. We are either addicts who are trying to learn how to stop smoking or we are addicts who have already stopped smoking and found a new way of life. The addicts who have found a new way of life that are still here and who have come before us, are here to teach us how to reach our one ultimate goal. That goal is to stop smoking and stay stopped. They want to give us what they have gotten.
A big part of recovery is giving away the same free gift that a person has recieved. This not only helps the addict who is still suffering, it also helps the helping addict to keep what they have achieved. That is why this is called a WE program.
Not everyone arrives here in the same condition, but we all arrive here with the same problem. We are all nicotine addicts. Many of us, myself included, come here with lots of baggage as well. Unfortunately, this is a smoking site where people deal with addictions only because we are not professionals in any other area. Sure, we can get support from people when we have things going on in our lives, but a fellow addict is only equipped to know how to deal with the disease of addiction.
When I blog about the things going on in my life, I do not expect any one to have the answers to fix those other problems. it is more of a vent to help myself get things out of my head. Sometimes it is to just get support from people who have become my friends. But I do know that I do not put any expectations on people to know how to fix nor cure my problems because I know that the people who came before me are teaching me how to remain smoke free.......thru any and all conditions. They are just fellow addicts who have come before me who have lived life and gotten thru all kinds of crisis's without having to pick up the drug of nicotine to get thru any of it. Is this not the primary purpose of this site? This is what was taught to me anyway.
The first tradition of Smoking Anonymous talks about Unity. It states that our common welfare should come FIRST because personal recovery depends upon S.A unity. The third tradition states clearly that all are included who suffer from addiction. ALL. It states that we may refuse NO ONE who wishes to recover.
The PRIMARY PURPOSE is to carry the message to the fellow addict who still suffers. That is stated loud and clear in tradition five. They say this because it is a WE program and the message gets carried from those who came before us. We keep what we have by giving away what we have received so freely from others. The message keeps getting passed on and on. This is called 12 step work. This 12 step work is never to be paid for.
Tradition 10 is very important because it talks about outside issues. It just clearly states that the group as a whole never to express any opinion on outside issues. This can be religion, politics, family problems and so on. A Part of the reason for this tradition is because we are not experts in other areas. I think the last 2 traditions say it all.
Tradition 11 talks about how we are about attraction rather than promotion. We talk about this all the time how all we can do is lead by example. We cannot force anyone into anything. We know that is someone is not ready then it will not work. But just by being examples, we can show other fellow addicts the way to freedom.
And last but not least....principles over personalities. This is Tradition 12. it states that we are to practice a genuine humility. It has been seen over and over how we can forget that we are to be relaying the message and not getting into personality conflicts with others. Our primary purpose is to carry the message to the still suffering addict.
With all this said, I am only learning. I never claimed to be a saint. So if I offended anyone in my blogs, then I apologize now. But these are the traditions that have been laid down before us so we addicts have direction. I had been thinking about this for a few days now and thought it might be helpful to pass on. Principles over personalities for me would be to remember that it is not the messenger but it is the message. AS far as outside issues, I am not a marriage counselor or a DR......or a lawyer. I really do not think you want me to advise you. When I say ME, I really mean anyone who does not fit this category. But we do make friends as a plus and we do confide. Those things are individual choices and not a prerequesite of being on this site.....or part of any group. If you join AA or SA, usually that is what you use your sponsor for. I think what I am trying to say is that I think everyone on here does their very best with what they have to offer. We all come from different places in life with one common bond. We are all addicts. One addict trying to help another addict achieve their goal of becoming free from this addiction.
I do not think everyone has their heart in the right place.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
I hope this was helpful to at least one person because this was on my mind for days now and I wanted to share my thoughts. I need to walk around now due to my back procedure. As mentioned, if I did offend anyone it was NOY my intent.
Ali
