A sponsor is a volunteered position typically within a twelve step organization. In addition to daily phone calls, help getting through difficult situations, and assisting with accountability, sponsors are meant to guide you through the twelve steps and show you how to guide others.
You Should Look For Someone Who Has What You Want
Recovery can bring us a lot of wealth- material and personal. Someone who has the fancy car, lives in the fancy house, and has a fancy lifestyle might still be a total mess deep inside. While we aren’t perfect, we can either continue working on ourselves or not. Though the choice is yours, it is typically best if you look for someone who has what you want on the inside, rather than the outside.
You Should Look For Someone Who Helps Others
“In order to keep it you have to give it away” it sounds enigmatic, but for people in recovery it couldn’t be more logical. We cannot be selfish in recovery about our recovery. When we were struggling and lost it was the generosity and selflessness of others which helped us find our way. The information of twelve step programs and even treatment programs is free, despite donations and treatment costs. We aren’t licensed therapists, but we are people who can tell someone in the struggle: it’s okay. It gets better. You can do this. There is a way. There is hope. Look for a sponsor who reaches out to others and always offers a helping hand.
You Should Look For Someone With Demonstrated Knowledge Of Recovery
People can have a lot of years in recovery and still be struggling. Your sponsor doesn’t have to be perfect- and they won’t be. It is easy to tell the people who have learned from their experiences and the people who just haven’t learned their lessons yet. Like a wise sage, these people tend to seem settled and calm when it comes to life. Look for someone who you feel really knows what they’re talking about when it comes to staying sober. After all, that is a sponsor’s ultimate role- to show you how to stay sober, no matter what.
Lakehouse Recovery encourages recovery and non-recovery activities. We host regular twelve step meetings and speakers- sometimes out on our boat! At Lakehouse, we strive to help clients learn how to have fun in recovery without having to turn to mind altering substances. For information on our residential treatment programs, call us today at 877.762.3707.