“The concept of unity, and all that it stands for, helps preserve the fellowship.”

– Life with Hope, second edition, page 73

Unity is a concept that is so crucial to our program that it is the cornerstone of the first Tradition. As a newcomer, this idea was lost on me. I was only thinking of myself and how I was being served by the program. This was an important place to be at the time because I was learning a different way to live life. However, as I kept coming back I began to see this idea with new eyes.

I want to show up on time to the meeting so that my entrance doesn’t pull focus away from the person speaking as I’m trying to find my seat. This idea was not something I ever thought of before sobriety. Learning this concept in the program has led me to use it in other areas of my life. When I practice this concept in my work environment it contributes to my ability to be a team player. I recently had a conflict with a co-worker. She and I wanted to do something differently. I applied this Tradition and asked myself, “What is our common ground here?” We each wanted to help our clients. Breaking the concept of unity down to a simple question helped me to look at my conflict with new eyes. This led me to think of how to combine our two differing ideas in order to serve our community. Unity is something that holds us together, whether at work or in meetings.

Final thought: Today, I will keep in mind how to contribute to the unity of my group.