We hear so often that Alcoholics Anonymous is a “program of action” – whether it be in the titles of chapters in the Big Book (Into Action) or each of the steps of this program in themselves being a call to action.  For the newcomer, that “action” can be quite daunting. It certainly was for me.  But what is so magical about this program is the fellowship that comes with it, the support of that network and the tools made available to us to stay sober.  One of those tools is service.

When I first entered the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, I was consumed with selfishness and ego. My self–worth and self– esteem were at all–time lows. My goal each day was to keep myself alive, let alone sober. The idea of looking outside of myself to help others was so far beyond my frame of reference, I wouldn’t have known where to start. I thought of service as an inconvenience reserved for the old–timers – not as something that would save my life.

The Twelfth Step asks us to “carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our

As I attended more meetings and heard more shares, that sense of inconvenience grew into something even more daunting. I held a view of service being grand gestures like sponsorship, chairing a meeting, holding the hotline or attending NAMS on a Saturday – all of which seemed totally of reach for this newcomer. How could I possibly help others, when I was so earnestly struggling to help myself?

affairs.” This is what Service means to me – carrying the message and doing what I can in my everyday life to stay connected to the program and keep myself and others sober, to keep this program alive and to create a space in which sobriety can thrive.

All that changed with a single share one early morning at Boat Quay. It was the Friday Beginner’s meeting. The theme was ‘Being of Service’. And who knew? I learned something. I’m sure it isn’t just me who has noticed how this program has a habit of sending us the right messages at the right

But we do not need to wait until we have completed the Twelve Steps to be of Service to the program and our fellows.

A fellow, who wasn’t an old-timer talked about service being the little things – turning up to a meeting, sharing, checking in with other fellows, helping to reset the room after a meeting – really anything, no matter how small, that contributed to the program and the fellowship in a constructive way. Anything that helped to create that safe space for recovery. What an ah-hah moment. Just by being at the meeting that day, listening to my fellows and helping move a few chairs, I was being of service.

Everything in life needs a foundation on which to build, and that nugget of wisdom gave me the base on which I have built a new understanding of service. Suddenly it was not so daunting. It was not out of reach. It was something that this miserable, barely surviving, self- loathing alcoholic could achieve. Suddenly I had a goal. Suddenly I had purpose.

I kept turning up. I set up the room if I got there early. I greeted other fellows. I let the Chair know if I had had a drink. I contributed to Tradition Seven when I could and paid for my drinks when I had to. I shared openly and honestly. I got a sponsor. I worked my steps. I tried to turn up for others in the way they had turned up for me. I was being reliable. I was being accountable. I was engaging with other human beings. I was building a community. I was being of service.

It didn’t seem like much at the time, but all of that was gradually rebuilding the self–worth and self-

esteem that alcohol had taken from me. In the same way that they were chipped away over time, I was rebuilding them one small piece at a time. I was accepted. I felt a sense of belonging and inclusion that I hadn’t felt before – and it felt good. The void that had existed inside of me was gradually being filled. My spiritual malady was gradually healing. All through small, consistent acts of service.

principles of this program in my affairs. It pulls me out of myself and shines a light on the needs of others, helping find a new freedom from my own problems. Service keeps me connected to the spiritual aspects of this program and stops me from falling back into a state of self-pity and resentment.

The ‘internal’ part – prayer, meditation, gratitude and reflection – is service too, but at a more personal level. But all of it together works to keep me sober and, I hope, helps keep others sober. I will be forever grateful for that.

Now, more than two years since first entering the rooms (I haven’t been sober all that time) I have a regular Chair position, I attend NAMS when I can (which isn’t as often as I would like), and I contribute to the fellowship in any way that I can. As I sit and write this, those don’t sound like major things – but they are. They are actions of my program that keep this program working for me.

I balked at the idea of writing this piece! But I’ve loved this opportunity to reflect on my journey and my relationship with service. Thank you for letting me be of service in writing this – and thank you for your service in reading it.

We also often hear that “it works if you work it.” For me, service is a big part of that work. I think about it as being the ‘external’ part of how I work my program. It is how I try to carry the message to other alcoholics, and it is part of how I practice the

I hadn’t even finished working the Twelve Steps with him when he suggested that I get a sponsee. In all honesty, I had been dragging my feet and he knew it –– as sponsors do. When I protested that I couldn’t possibly sponsor someone yet, since I was only on Step Eight, he promptly responded with his usual sharp and direct candour. He said: “Well, if they catch up with you, then you have a serious problem!” Needless to say, I had my first sponsee the next day. That sponsee never caught up with me, and I finished working the remaining steps expeditiously with my sponsor.

I love going to AA meetings. It gives me a sense of belonging and acceptance. It also gives me the chance to hear some really important messages that relate to our program of recovery, the Twelve Steps. Recently I heard someone share in a meeting that: “Gratitude is more than just a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s something you put into action. A recovery muscle that gets stronger with regular use.” I can definitely attest to my experience with that philosophy. It directly relates to Step Twelve and the suggestions that we “… carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs”.

Since then I have taken on an ever increasing range of roles within the fellowship of AA. I have served as an Intergroup chairperson, an HIPI committee member, an AOSM organising committee member and a regional AA convention organising committee member. I also continue to take on various group positions like chairperson, business secretary, treasurer, literature secretary and Intergroup representative. But I must say, the most rewarding service role of all is as a sponsor. One alcoholic talking with another about his experience, strength and hope. How he found a way out from the misery of this disease. That is what makes this program work.

So, when I heard that Singapore AA needed volunteers to share their experience for the “Daily Reprieve” newsletter, I jumped at the chance to express my gratitude and do service for the fellowship. The topic, I was told, is: “Service: The More I Give, The More I Get.” Wow! Isn’t that an understatement?

All these service opportunities are only possible due to my sobriety, and my sobriety is due to these opportunities for service. I truly believe that “service keeps us sober.” There is a paragraph in Chapter 7 of our book Alcoholics Anonymous – “Working With Others” – that sums it all up so completely.

I wouldn’t be here today (literally, I wouldn’t be alive), if it weren’t for the generous fellows giving back of what they freely received. Why? Because of the gratitude in their hearts. That notion was instilled in me by my sponsor. He made it clear to me that we have a responsibility to help other alcoholics when they reach out to us. He got me into service roles early in my sobriety. He told me that it would give me a sense of purpose and a lesson in humility by putting my focus on others. I helped set up the meeting room as my first role. Later, I got put in charge of the refreshments table. Later on as my sobriety time grew, I started to chair meetings.

“Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends –– this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.”