Note to chairperson--I suggest you follow your own rhythm in chairing the meeting. You might allow 17 seconds to pass after you ask for a volunteer or ask for someone to share, since it can sometimes take that long for someone shy to feel ready to speak up. (Source--Linda Stout, Bridging the Class Divide)
Also, if you want a qualifier to speak on the 2nd Sunday of the moneth, you could ask for a group conscience to have one.
Thanks so much for your service.
Another note to chairperson—Don’t read the things in parenteses ( ). The things in parentheses ( ) may be good ideas to add to the format with a group conscience at the business meeting. to have a group conscience before those should be added to the format officially.
Greeting:
Hello everyone. My name is ______and I am an underearner.
Welcome to the Intuition and Clarity meeting of Underearners Anonymous. This meeting runs from 12:15 to 1:45 pm EST.
Thank you for your service in being present here.
At any time during the meeting, you may press Star (*) 6 to mute, or un-mute, your phone.
Serenity Prayer:
Please un-mute your phone now and may we have a moment of silence, followed by the Serenity Prayer.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Amen
Preamble:
Underearners Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other, that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from compulsive underearning. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop underearning. There are no dues or fees; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. UA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stop compulsive underearning, one day at a time, and to help other underearners do the same.
Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions:
Our program is based on the belief that the foundation of change and recovery from compulsive underearning is to be found in working the Twelve Steps and abiding by the Twelve Traditions, first developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. For those wanting to be familiar with the traditions, you can find them in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous on page 564 which you should be able to find at your local library, or on the internet at underearnersanonymous.org.
Today's meeting focuses on intuition and spirit in recovery. This is a provisional format. It has been voted on to be used by this meeting, until and unless there is any conflict with the Traditions indicated by the World Conference. It is not Conference Approved Litearature at this time. As with any meeting, any part of the formatt may be changed by a 2/3 majority group conscience, in accordance with the Second Tradition. You, anyone, can request a change at a business meeting. Business meetings/ (or if we can create something easier than a business meeting that has the same level of clarity) to make decisions will happen at the half-time break (on the Sunday preceding the New Moon each month). The next business meeting will be ______.
(The second meeting of each month will be a speaker meeting.)
♦At half time we’ll take a break for the 7th Tradition and for UA related announcements.
♦Before the end of the meeting we will allow time to exchange numbers for reaching out to other members.
♦[optional] In the last five minutes, we will briefly state actions or intentions that we plan to take today or this week to overcome our underearning.
Welcome Newcomers:
Before we begin, we want to welcome any newcomers to the meeting and acknowledge your being here. It is suggested you attend at least six meetings so you have time to identify with the speakers, begin to absorb the UA concepts, and learn more about the program by exploring the website and making some outreach calls. Who would be willing to serve as newcomer greeter after the close of the meeting?
Reading:
In recovery it's suggested we live a spiritual life and learn to trust and rely on a Greater Power, as we are guided by it through our intuition. What does intuition mean and how do we know when we are hearing it?
Would someone like to read a reading from the Big Book of Alcoholoics Anonymous or the AA 12 and 12 relating to intuition or clarity in spiritual guidance?
(If none, then here are some the leader may pick:
"But it is better to meet God alone than with one who might misunderstand." (BB p. 63)
"Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us. to some extent we have become God-conscious. We have begun to develop this vital sixth sense." (BB p. 85)
"It would be easy to be vague about this matter. Yet, we believe we can make some definite and valuable suggestions." (p.86)
"In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able ot determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while. what used to be a hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plain of inspiration. We come to rely upon it." (pp.86-87)
Suggestion to chairperson: ask for a particular sentence as a focus for the meeting.
Questions:
Here are some questions that we might ask about intuition. These are meant as open questions, not rhetorical statements--each of us has her/his own answers form his/her Higher Power. Note--these questions are not conference-approved literature, and UA as a whole has no opinion on the answers to these questions.
Would someone like to read two or three questions from the list below, or suggest other topics?
1 How can we keep the tradition of "principles over personalities" when we are in our churches, spiritual communities, spiritual classes we take, religious organizations, or other commercial or non-commercial places?
Professional spiritual work:
2 Is it aligned with my recovery to charge for spiritual services I render, such as giving psychic readings?
3 Is it aligned with my recovery to give away spiritual services without charge?
4 Is it aligned with my recovery to do exchanges of services?
5 How can I bring professionalism into my spiritual and 12th-Step work, and Spirituality into my professional work?
6 Is it better for me to be open about the spiritual dimension of my work, or to do that secretly and have it enhance my performance without calling attention to itself?
Asking things/help from spirit:
7 What is the difference between praying for God's will for me to be done, or for the good of everyone, rather than praying for things solely for myself? where have I been "under-asking" for help from spirit? when are my words asking but my heart feeling unable to get the help it needs?
Multiple realities:
8 What support do I need for holding onto my reality? how can I enlist Spirit's help in getting it?
9 What is my reality and what are others' realities?
how can I respect my reality when with others whose reality is different from mine?
how can I respect theirs?
10 Is the solution requiring more effort or less effort from here?
- Hide quoted text -
11 Is this thought the still small voice or an urgent order to be obeyed?
12 Am I under-trusting intuition?
13 What helps me keep my trust?
14 How can I "give it away" in order to keep it?
15 What am I presently holding on to that I don't need to and can allow a Greater Power to take care of for me?
16 What is clear about what spirit has said to me? what was the actual wording, image, feeling, sign, or other communication that came to me? what can refresh my memory of it so that it feels living in the moment?
17 What is my felt sense of what is true?
18 What if I can't hear any guidance?
19 In what ways have my prayers been answered?
20 What things I've prayed for still remain to be answered? what patterns are there?
21 What is "right" to pray for, and what will harm me or others?
22 What self-care do I need? (For example, rest, time in nature, grieving, medical care or other physical healing, healthy foods?) what is good self-care in terms of asking for things from Spirit? what support do I need to advocate for myself?)
Meeting Norms: Tradition Two states, For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as is expressed in our group conscience. To maintain the serenity of the meeting, here are some accepted guidelines:
♦We aim to focus our sharing on how underearning, and our recovery from it, impacts our lives.
♦ When you share, please tell us your name, and if you’re comfortable, your location. This helps to facilitate connection and outreach.
♦We do not engage in cross talk, which we define as interrupting or directly addressing another speaker.
♦After everyone has shared, if time permits, second shares will be allowed.
♦ To best facilitate sharing, we need a timekeeper. Who would be willing to do that service? Shares are up to three-minutes with a one minute warning at two minutes. Please acknowledge [Timekeeper] by saying Thank you, and at three minutes wrap up your share.
(In order to increase the serenity of the meeting, it is suggested to listen for our Higher Power's guidance in deciding whether to share or to listen before speaking up.)
INVITATION TO BEGIN SHARING:
Who would like to begin the sharing on our meeting topic?
Note: after shares, thank speakers by name, invite others to share, and reiterate the meeting’s focus
At 30 minutes - Seventh Tradition & Announcements: UA has no dues or fees, we are self supporting through our own contributions. but we do have expenses; for the dissemination of UA literature, the maintenance of its website, and costs incurred by the General Service Board. Contributions can be made via PayPal on the UA website at underearnersanonymous.org, or by check, to UA, Box 255, Nyack, New York 10960. Please give what you can, but if you can give nothing for now keep coming back because you are more important then your money.
Are there any UA related announcements? [After announcements, invite continued sharing] We have about ___ minutes left for sharing. Who else would like to share? Our focus for this meeting is Intuition and Clarity, but you may of course share on other issues related to your underearning should you feel the need. [Thank speakers by name.]
At about 55 minutes - Wrap Up: That’s all the time we have for sharing. I’d like to thank everyone who shared, and ______for keeping time, and ______for doing the readings (and/or Qualification). And thank you for letting me be of service.
Number Exchange:
Before we share actions and close the meeting, we’ll exchange names for outreach. If you want to contact someone you heard on today’s meeting, please call out their names now and we ask those members to stay on the call, if they are able, until after we say the Serenity prayer. I will also stay on the line to facilitate exchange of numbers.
Share Actions:
Now we will briefly share some actions (or intentions) we plan to take or hold today, or this week, to overcome underearning, and enrich our fiscal and spiritual solvency. Who would like to share actions (or intentions)?
Closing:
In closing, the opinions expressed here today are strictly those of the individuals who gave them. The things you have heard here are spoken in confidence and should be treated as confidential. We do not take outside the meeting who we hear at the meeting. If you try to absorb what you have heard, you are bound to gain a better understanding of the way to handle your problems and begin to change your life. Talk to each other, reason things out with someone else. Let there be no gossip or criticism of one another, but only Love, Understanding and Companionship.
Please un-mute your phone by pressing Star (*) 6 and will all who care to join me in saying The Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
The meeting is open for fellowship.