---
title: Top Five Things About Getting and Being a Sponsor
description: John D. discusses the benefits of getting a sponsor in the alcoholics anonymous (AA) program, as well as the keys to being a sponsor. It is a We program, as he describes.
image: https://blog.theretreat.org/hubfs/harli-marten-135841-unsplash.jpg
---

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# [Top Five Things About Getting and Being a Sponsor](https://blog.theretreat.org/top-five-things-about-getting-a-sponsor)

 \[fa icon="calendar"\] Mar 7, 2018 9:30:00 AM / by [Maj Donovan](https://blog.theretreat.org/author/maj-donovan)

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**Top Five Things About Getting a Sponsor:**

1. Get a sponsor – we don’t do this alone. It is a We program. Our common welfare should come first – personal recovery depends upon unity. Don’t do this alone – get a sponsor
2. Your disease wasn’t easy on you and nor should your sponsor be. Remember that we deal with alcohol – cunning, baffling and powerful. To paraphrase page 37 in the Big Book “the idea for a drink can come on suddenly, vaguely and reassuringly”.
3. It’s hard to see the nose on your face, unless you look in a mirror. Your sponsor is your mirror. Your sponsor being a sober, active, member of [AA](https://www.theretreat.org/alumni-friends/calendar) can see things in you that are hard for you to see. You can’t see the picture if your part of the frame.
4. Have a reckless abandon of self-will – give yourself over to following directions. From How It Works, “rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path”.
5. When you are ready – start sponsoring right away. If you want to learn something – teach it.

**Top Five Things About Being a Sponsor:**

1. Be compassionate - People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
2. Be a subject matter expert on AA. Read, Read, Read! You can’t transmit what you don’t have.
3. Your sponsee is not a serf or someone to be treated casually. Having someone ask you to help them, is a huge compliment and a huge commitment. Don’t take it lightly.
4. To paraphrase pg. 89 in the Big Book: Our best defense against the first drink is intensive work with another alcoholic – it works when all else fails.
5. We transmit all three portions of the triangle not just recovery. We transmit unity and service too. We are here to be of “maximum service”. We are here to help others become “Happy, Joyous and Free”.

 

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 Topics: [AA meetings](https://blog.theretreat.org/topic/aa-meetings), [AA Big Book](https://blog.theretreat.org/topic/aa-big-book), [Recovery Program](https://blog.theretreat.org/topic/recovery-program), [help group](https://blog.theretreat.org/topic/help-group), [Support Group](https://blog.theretreat.org/topic/support-group)

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#### Written by [Maj Donovan](https://blog.theretreat.org/author/maj-donovan)

Maj Donovan is a person in long-term recovery with over four decades of sobriety. He is an author, blogger, lecturer and teaches a monthly workshop at “The Retreat” on the 12 Steps and Sponsorship.

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