SANDHILLS INTERGROUP - The ACCEPTANCE Issue - Newsletter Vol.5 No.3 September 2021

Aug 25, 2026

SANDHILLS INTERGROUP newsletter Vol.5 No.3 (September 2021) centers on “The ACCEPTANCE Issue,” featuring a reflective message on recovery and “life on life’s terms.” The article describes learning acceptance through sobriety, facing reality, and choosing responses rather than control of events. It also includes community updates, acknowledging coronavirus-era challenges and reporting increased treasury support and a building repair campaign to maintain and improve the home.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

The ACCEPTANCE Issue

Leaning in on Life’s Terms

A Special Thank You!

Newsletter ONLINE & PHONE MEETINGS AVAILABLE Visit MOORECOUNTYAA.ORG | Vol.5 No.3 September 2021 | S A N D H I L L S I N T E R G R O U P | The ACCEPTANCE Issue | | --- | --- | --- | “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” -Douglas Adams LEANING IN ON LIFE’S TERMS A SPECIAL THANK YOU | MEETING SPOTLIGHT INSPIRATION FROM “IN THE ROOMS” | UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. . . DON’T JUST | SANDHILLS INTERGROUP IS HERE FOR YOU Leaning in on Life’s Terms I say this all the time in the rooms, but for this alcoholic learning to lean in on the steps, the God of my understanding and this powerful fellowship has taught me valuable lessons that I never even knew I needed to learn and in turn, continues to save my life on a daily basis. For me, “getting sober” was never really the difficult part. Just put down the wine Dana and slowly walk out of the closet. Right? The real difficulty for me came when I had to start really living sober recovery, or what people in the rooms were calling,“Life on Life’s terms.” In the beginning of this “living sober” on life’s terms I walked into this building a messed up, scared, confused and unhappy recently single mother who couldn’t seem to find any peace or contentment in her life anywhere anymore. My former higher power had once and for all crushed me both emotionally and physically for the last time which left me a newly divorcee, looking to build a new version of home for my young child, an affordable mode of transportation, some sort of gainful employment after five years as a stay-at-home mom and any recognizable part of the woman she had somehow lost along the way. And here’s where learning to lean in really started for me. This clearly much wiser and beautifully tan broad, who had also herself been a messed up, scared, confused and unhappy woman suggested that I try to start accepting life on life’s terms. She had discovered the power of acceptance that some how had transformed her into the serene, wise, contented strong woman she now was sitting right there before my eyes. I wanted a piece of what she had and so I decided to do my best to listen to her by opening my heart and mind to some of her experience, strength and hope. I literally hated acceptance until I learned what it was. Then I hated it less. I still hate it. I use to think that I had to like everything and never say anything about awful things going on around me or the awful people in the world, but it doesn’t. Acceptance today for me just means that I strive to face the reality of everything and say to myself, “it is what it is”. I change the bad to good when and if I can, I see what may take longer to improve on and I try; I see what is beyond my human ability to change for the better, and I can rest my head at night knowing that I did all I could for that day. I wish that I could tell you that I’ve been instantly transformed into a calm and happy woman who practices acceptance every day, but all jokes aside, that would be a long way from the truth. What happened was that the seeds of acceptance have started to verrrrry slowly germinate in my life and maybe a little shy of four years later in these rooms I sometimes can see something that resembles fruit. “Accepting ‘what is,’ isnot a passive state forme. Instead it’s one of the most powerful places I can find myself in when I choose to do it.” Truthfully, some days I am still stuck and stubborn striving for something other than life on life’s terms. Talking myself into believing that I would be able to accept life as it is once I am thin enough/serene enough/ financially stable enough/in love enough/fit enough/just enough, blah, blah, blah. See where I’m going with this? I was putting the cart before the horse by telling myself that acceptance was a state of mind reserved for when life was perfect, rather than the amazingly freeing ability to see the imperfect perfection in life everyday JUST AS

FAQs

What is the focus of “The ACCEPTANCE Issue” in this newsletter?

The newsletter focuses on learning and practicing acceptance as part of sober recovery, emphasizing “life on life’s terms.”

How does the author describe the difference between getting sober and living sober?

The author says “getting sober” felt easier, while the real difficulty came when learning to live sober recovery and accept life on life’s terms.

What community updates does the newsletter provide regarding COVID-19?

It explains that the Wilder Building faced challenges due to coronavirus-related closures and reduced attendance, while the AA community responded to rising financial needs through member contributions and a building repair campaign.

Aug 25, 2026

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