It breaks my heart when a newcomer hits one or two meetings and then announces “This program doesn’t work for me.” I know that means they will be using within a day or two. I attended 12 step meetings for several months when I stood up in front of a group of drunks and announced, “If this is staying sober, then by God, I’ll die drunk!” and I meant it. The program wasn’t working for me. Of course it wasn’t. I had no sponsor, no home group, hadn’t worked any steps but one. At that time I didn’t realize that the program doesn’t work for anybody! No one. We work the program, it doesn’t work us!
What we mean when we tell the newcomer to bring the mind and the body will follow is that eventually they will clear up long enough to understand that they must make the changes by working the program, not sit around and expect the program to magically work for them. Fortunately, I kept bringing my body, despite my outburst, and I began to understand the distinction between the program working for me or me working the program. The next time a newcomer tells you, “The program isn’t working for me,” agree with them. They are right. Then explain to them that the only people who stay sober are the ones who work the program, not the ones who wait for the program to work for them. Tell them to bring their body to more meetings until they get it!
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