Fresh Start Club West Branch

10/18/2025

Reparenting
“With the Steps and by reparenting ourselves, we can further remove the ‘buttons’ that have been pushed by others to manipulate us or to get a reaction out of us.” BRB p. 326
As children, others manipulated us at will. Sometimes it seemed we were born to be used by others. We showed up for horrible people who sucked us dry of our courage and strength, because that is what we learned from our families. That’s what they told us we were meant for by the way they treated us every day.
As adults, we now know we can set boundaries with those who abuse us. When we find that we have recreated an unmanageable situation at work, we get new jobs. We change our living arrangements when we find that we are once again living with addicts who keep us awake at night and need us to look after them.
In recovery, we make space to feel the anger and shame that were handed to us in our childhoods, and we heal. We may even detach from abusive family members permanently if that’s what it takes to maintain serenity.
On this day I will write down what I want my life to be like as a way of turning things over to my Higher Power.
© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

10/18/2025

Today (Saturday) at 10am is Sober Saturday Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. Then at Noon Recovery Nation group of Narcotics Anonymous meets.

10/17/2025

Tonight (Friday) at 7pm

10/17/2025

Changing Inside
“As we greet co-workers or friends, we feel that we are changing inside. We begin to recognize a power inside we had not known before.” BRB p. 273
Regularly taking a quiet time helps us to grow up emotionally and spiritually. How we take it depends on our choices. At first, we spend time by ourselves when we need to, letting others do what they will to take care of themselves. If they spend it getting drunk and high, we let them, but we no longer seek that outlet for our pain and suffering, if that was how we previously coped.
Later, we see that we actually enjoy spending time alone. We don’t fill ourselves up with others just to pass the time and keep us numb. We no longer pretend to be excited when we’re not. We seek those we can truly connect with and enjoy. We talk not just about superficial things, but about who we are and what’s important to us.
People respect us more at work and elsewhere because we don’t seek constant approval as we did in our families. We no longer do things we’re uncomfortable with just for the sake of fitting in. As we become more genuine, we allow others to find their own paths; instead of labeling them, we now make room for our differences. If some don’t like the new us, we have to let them go. We adjust our list of whom we can trust.
On this day I will own my power to be genuine and feel how comfortable it is to focus on being myself.
© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

10/17/2025

Today (Friday) at Noon

10/16/2025

Tonight (Thursday) Big Book Study at 7pm

10/16/2025

10/16/2025

Today (Thursday) at Noon

10/15/2025

Promise Ten
“Fears of failure and success will leave us, as we intuitively make healthier choices.” BRB p. 591
While most folks believe they want to be successful, we know that many ACAs fear success. This is a fear born from years of regular servings of failure with side orders of abandonment, shame and humiliation. To be successful means that the spotlight can be turned on us, which recalls painful memories of never being good enough.
As we learn to connect with our inner loving parent, our Inner Child, and our Higher Power, our intuitive sense is sharpened. No longer dependent on old tapes or the critical voice inside of our heads, we are free to use this intuitive sense to make healthy decisions. At the same time, we are clear that we are on a spiritual path and that every situation is a spiritual lesson. There is no way to fail on this path.
Failure is the domain of our inner critic’s all-or-nothing thinking. As we learn to see this for what it is, we filter everything around us through our inner loving parent. We become attuned to our Inner Child’s quiet and steady voice as it tells us the better course for our spiritual, physical, and emotional development. We release our fears.
On this day I will listen for guidance from my purest Inner Child’s perspective and trust that my fears will lose their grip on me. I am open to being guided to higher levels of spiritual, emotional, and physical consciousness.
© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

10/14/2025

Tonight ( Tuesday) at 530pm is Adult children of alcoholics and dysfunctional families meeting
Then at 7pm is common ground group of narcotics anonymous meeting

10/14/2025

Service
“Red flags that warn that a bottom or relapse is coming involve: dropping out of meetings and isolating; being argumentative or unreasonable; gossiping; losing focus and returning to one of the family roles of hero, lost child, or mascot; general noncommitment to recovery; avoiding the Steps and intellectualizing; failing to give service to ACA; binging on s*x, drugs, food, or other compulsive behaviors; and acting with perfectionism and failing to talk about feelings and critical inner messages.” BRB p. 70
ACA deals with deep attitudes and behaviors that sometimes are difficult to stay conscious of. Sure, the blaring ones are easy to recognize and to admit into our consciousness. But others lie beneath multiple layers of self-deception or socially-celebrated attributes.
When we miss meetings on a consistent basis, it may seem like a way of avoiding unwanted pain and disappointment. But it also provides the opportunity for our critical parent to distract us from our healing journey. This false self is masterful at finding ways to avoid doing the work that gives us a lifeline of hope.
In ACA, one way that keeps us coming back is to give service from a space of love. This is a sure-fire way of keeping ourselves tuned into our True Selves and our inner loving parent, which leads to taking care of our Inner Child. By having consistent check-ins with ourselves, we can stay focused on what is right with our program and how to best help fellow ACAs begin their recovery process.
On this day I will give service to my ACA group as a way of staying conscious and focused on my recovery process.
© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.