🌿 BOE- Mutton but the BEST!
*(Copy/paste this once into the Zoom chat at the beginning of the meeting)*
AA Preamble
www.aa.org/aa-preable
Big Book – Chapter 3: *More About Alcoholism* (pp. 30–31)
www.aa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/en_bigbook_chapt3.pdf
Big Book – Chapter 5: *How It Works & The Twelve Steps* (pp. 58–60)
www.aa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/en_bigbook_chapt5.pdf
Native Empowerment Resources (phone list, meetings, affirmations)
www.nativeempowerment.org
Daily Readings (multiple options)
www.aahappyhour.com/daily-readings/
Opening Script
“Welcome to the “MUTTON BUT THE BEST” Talking Circle. My name is ___________. And I am____.
This circle is a safe and supportive place for healing, reflection, and growth. Some of us come here from recovery programs, others are walking through grief, loss, or the effects of domestic violence. No matter what brings you here — you are welcome, and you belong.
BOE and Native Empowerment were founded by our Navajo brother Redcorn Gary Maloney, may he rest in peace. He believed that balance brings empowerment — and that when we find balance in our lives, we rediscover our strength and purpose.
The Mutton but the best meeting is here to support healing and recovery. Even though we read the AA steps this meeting is not just for alcoholics. Addiction is a family disease and we all need help
When we live in balance, our inner warrior awakens. We carry hope, healing, and strength — not only for ourselves, but for our families and our people. May creator awaken hope in you today.
📖 Readings
We're going to start out by reading more about alcoholism from the AA big Book. Even though you may not have a problem with drugs or alcohol we find this can help us understand a problem drinker’s struggle. We can also often apply this concept of addiction to something in our own life. Some of us are actually addicted to other people, or other addictions such as: shopping, porn, food or people pleasing. In addition we will read the 12 steps of alcoholics.
“Who will read *More About Alcoholism*, starting on page 30 and ending at the bottom of page 31?” “More About Alcoholism” (AA Big Book, Chapter 3, pp. 30–31)
Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.
We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.
We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control. All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals—usually brief—were inevitably followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization. We are convinced to a man that alcoholics of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any considerable period we get worse, never better. We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones. Neither does there appear to be any kind of treatment which will make alcoholics of our kind like other men.
We have tried every imaginable remedy. In some instances there has been brief recovery, followed always by a still worse relapse. Physicians who are familiar with alcoholism agree there is no such thing as making a normal drinker out of an alcoholic. Science may one day accomplish this, but it hasn’t done so yet.
3. “Who will read *How It Works* and the *Twelve Steps* “How It Works & The Twelve Steps” (AA Big Book, Chapter 5, pp. 58–60)
Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves.
There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it—then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not.
With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start.
Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.
Remember that we deal with alcohol—cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power—that One is God. May you find Him now!
Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous:
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We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
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Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
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Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
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Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
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Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
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Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
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Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
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Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
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Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
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Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
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Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
🪶 Main Reading / Topic/Speaker/
Today we will be: (can be a topic, readings, or a or a speaker.)
reading from: ________ (for example, the *Twelve and Twelve*, page ___).
The chairperson may also choose a topic or invite a speaker.
🗣 Sharing Time
- “We’ll now open the meeting for sharing. If you are on Zoom, you can just step in and share.
- “We ask that you use ‘I’ statements, and keep the focus on your own experience, and not give advice to others.”
- “Anonymity is very important. Who you see here, what you hear here, stays here.”
After Sharing
“If you didn’t get a chance to share or if you have questions, please stay after the meeting or call someone.” It’s important in recovery to get a sponsor. We have potential sponsors in this meeting and on our website nativeempowerment.org. You are not alone. The first step to change is getting out of isolation and doing a new behavior.
📢 Announcements
“Are there any announcements?”
on December 13th. Native Empowerment is sponsoring "Healing and Wellness in Tuba City. AZ. Navajo Nation." This event will include: Wellbriety Talking circle with drumming, NA, AA and ACA speakers, We hope to see you there! if you need more information, please put your number in the chat or go to our website and we will get back to you.
*native empowerment is offering peer support employment services: resume, encouragement, practice interview, llc formation. Check out the Website and spread the word. This is virtual support so you can be anywhere to receive free support.
We need to have a chair and co-chair for this meeting. Getting into service helps our recovery. Who would be filling to chair or co-chair for the next month?
Matilda needs rides to this meeting. She lives behind KFC, if you can help her with a ride please let us know.
Please exchange phone numbers after the meeting. It’s important we reach out to each other. Go for coffee. The time is now for change and healing.
🌅 Closing
**The Promises** – “Who will read *The Promises* from the Big Book, p. 83?”
(Reader reads the Promises.)
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through.
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
**Closing Prayer** – “Now, will someone lead us in a prayer of their choice, or the Lord’s Prayer?”
✅ End of Meeting