Other tools

I want to wrap up this mini-series about the tools of recovery today because tomorrow I am intending to start going through Proverbs...starting on the first with Proverbs 1. I am laughing, though, because my intention was to do one a day for 31 days..but in February, there are only 29 days! Well, we'll do the last two in March. No big deal.
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On the tools, we already talked about abstinence, sponsors and the telephone. The other things that help me to stay on the road in recovery are meetings, literature, service, anonymity, prayer and meditation and exercise, not necessarily in order of importance.
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Prayer and meditation, along with exercise are not mentioned in OA's pamplet "Tools of Recovery," but for me that are what has brought me to the place where I am today--happy and free from food obsession and overeating.
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Meetings: for me initially I showed up at meetings so that I could learn about the disease of food addiction and compulsive overeating. I didn't have a clue about addiction, but felt at home when I walked into the rooms of OA and heard that others were "crazy" like me. In time I found a sponsor and asked how to get on the road to recovery.
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Today I still go to meetings, to remember who I am, but also to give away what I have been given. I love to share the good news of recovery to those who are seeking a solution.
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I go to two committed 90dayOA phone meetings a week and two committed 12-steps for Christians meetings a week, one face-to-face and one phone meetings, in order to work the steps of the program. For me, I know that after abstinence, the steps are what changed my life--my way of thinking, relating to people and to God.
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For me, prayer and meditation is not an option. It's a must! I get on my knees faithfully every morning, typically for l/2 hour, and then meet with God after lunch for at least l5 minutes...but I also talk to God throughout the day. My goal is to "pray without ceasing"...like breathing. I practice that, but cannot say that I am "there" yet.
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Service is helping others. There are many thinks linked into this tool--sponsoring people, making phone calls, taking a service position at a meeting, helping to set-up the room at a face-to-face meeting, and the rest.
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Anonymity is respecting the fact that what people say in the meeting rooms or to me personally is held in confidence. It is important for me to stay out of judgement.
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Literature is important for me to see in black and white what addiction is all about. Kay Sheppard's book, Food Addiction; The Body Knows, helps me to understand the specifics about food addiction, but the Big Book of AA helps me to understand the addicts' mind-set. The Bible teaches me God's Word.
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There are other peices of literature that I use from time to time. I appreciate the Little Black Book or AA and the Little White Book of OA. They are daily meditation books. Personally, I prefer the Little Black Book because it's more on a spiritual plane.
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Exercise is another tool that helps me to feel good in my body, my mind, too. I don't do a lot, but I am consistent. I do a mile Walk-away-the-pounds video Monday through Friday.
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I have heard that the tools are not cafeteria-style--take what you want and leave the rest. I do all the tools every day.