Willing To Be Sponsor VS Willing To Approach The Newcomer (The Daily Trudge)Willing To Be Sponsor VS Willing To Approach The Newcomer (The Daily Trudge)
RAW Recovery Podcast
Dion talks about the difference between being willing to sponsor and actually approaching newcomers, using the Big Book to question passive attitudes in AA. The conversation blends humour with straight talk, focusing on fear, willingness, and why active service can strengthen both personal recovery and group support.
43:46•22 Apr 2026
From Willing to Sponsor to Willing to Move: Stepping Up for Newcomers
Episode Overview
- Simply being “willing to sponsor” is passive; the Big Book points towards actively going to the alcoholic who still suffers.
- Newcomers are often scared and unsure how to ask for help, so more experienced members taking the initiative can make a crucial difference.
- Intensive work with other alcoholics is presented as one of the strongest protections against relapse.
- Fear, ego, and concern about personal time frequently hold people back from sponsorship, but these can be challenged through faith and action.
- Real connection starts with simple steps such as saying hello, asking about someone’s life, and being honest about one’s own experience.
“If you are a person who sits around and waits for other people to ask them to sponsor, you probably haven’t done the work.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This RAW Recovery “Daily Trudge” chat with Dion digs into the difference between being *willing to sponsor* and actually walking up to the newcomer and offering help. Aimed at people in 12-step recovery, especially those with some time under their belt, this episode speaks directly to anyone who’s hesitant about sponsorship.
Dion contrasts the old AA meeting format — “Is anybody here looking for a sponsor?” — with the more recent “Is anybody here willing to sponsor?” and asks a tough question: does raising your hand really count as action? As he bluntly puts it, “Good intention, no action.
Bad intention, my thought.” Drawing heavily from *Working With Others* in the Big Book, he reminds listeners that the programme was built on going to the alcoholic who still suffers, not sitting back and waiting to be asked. He reads lines like “nothing will so much assure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics” and uses them to challenge the comfort and fear that keep many people from stepping up.
Along the way, there’s plenty of humour and real talk. Dion jokes about arthritis cream, “doody”, and WhatsApp tutorials, while still driving home a serious message: newcomers are often terrified, confused, and unsure how to ask for help, so it’s on more stable members to make the first move. Regulars like Amber and Andrew chime in, adding real-life examples of sponsorship choices and early recovery attitudes.
If you’ve ever sat in a meeting thinking, “Someone should help that person,” this episode gently asks why that someone shouldn’t be you, and what might change in your recovery if you got off your chair and said hello first.
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