Getting A Sponsor

 In my graduate program at the University of Utah, I had to select an adviser. This person would help me select the courses that I needed to take, advise on projects, and help me stay focused. Most importantly, this adviser was there to provide honest and powerful feedback to me. The adviser was not there to sugarcoat anything. The individual I selected was born in Eastern Europe and was brutally honest. They were very direct in their speech. I learned a lot from them but I also learned how important an adviser was to my academic progress.

In addiction recovery, a sponsor is an individual who serves as an adviser of sorts. A sponsor's role is to help other addicts in their journey. Having a significant amount of time in sobriety, the sponsor can provide advice, give insight, and help those they sponsor stay focused. It is an amazing responsibility to be a sponsor to anyone in their journey.

For the addict, selecting a sponsor can be a difficult task. It’s quite humbling trying to decide who you would want to sponsor you. I know that when I was trying to choose a sponsor, my heart would always sink. I didn’t know what to do. I knew I would need to be brutally honest with them, but I wasn’t sure if I could. I wanted someone that I could trust. I also wanted someone that would love and support me.

As I pondered this idea, a name came to me. I knew who the individual should be. I could see their face and knew they would be a great fit. Soon, I asked this individual if he would be my sponsor. He smiled and said yes. We talked about what his expectations were: morning check-ins, weekly 1:1’s outside of group meetings, and complete honesty. At first, I didn’t think this was too much, but then I found out how much work it really was. Looking back, my sponsor was trying to teach me how to be accountable. Initially, he knew that I needed a lot of things to keep myself accountable. Over time, I took on more accountability to reach out to him with daily updates.

There are too many times in the scriptures when the Lord calls someone to be a sponsor or mentor to another. Elisha had Elijah. Aaron had Moses. Amulek had Alma. Moroni had Mormon. All of these great men had amazing sponsors who taught them the ways of God. Sponsors are there to be such types of help.

I know how important sponsorship is. I know that if I would not choose a sponsor, I would not be in recovery right now and enjoying the sobriety that I do. If you are serious about starting your own addiction recovery journey, make sure to select a sponsor! You will not regret it!

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