The 11th Step of Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is about improving conscious contact with a Higher Power through prayer and meditation. For a Type 2 Enneagram personality, this step may have unique challenges and opportunities due to their natural focus on relationships, helping others, and seeking love and connection.
Here’s a step-by-step guide tailored to a Type 2 personality to work the 11th Step in the context of Overeaters Anonymous:
Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Understanding Type 2 in Relation to Step 11
Type 2 individuals often focus on helping others, nurturing relationships, and gaining approval through acts of service. However, this can sometimes lead to neglecting their own needs, an over-reliance on external validation, and burnout. Step 11 offers an opportunity for Type 2s to cultivate a deeper connection with their Higher Power and find nourishment from within rather than solely from the approval of others.
1. Embrace Self-Nurture Through Prayer and Meditation
Type 2s often put others’ needs first, sometimes to the point of self-neglect. Prayer and meditation are essential practices to help you reconnect with your own needs and establish a deeper bond with your Higher Power.
- Prayer: Rather than focusing on how you can help others, shift your prayers toward seeking insight into your own well-being. Ask for clarity on what you need in the moment, and how you can allow yourself to receive love and support from your Higher Power.
- Meditation: Type 2s may struggle with stillness because it feels unnatural to focus inward rather than outward. Start with short, guided meditations that focus on themes like self-love, acceptance, and trust in your Higher Power’s guidance. Gradually build up your practice as you learn to enjoy the stillness.
- Affirmation: In prayer or meditation, remind yourself: “I am loved and cared for by my Higher Power, and I do not need to earn love by giving. I am worthy as I am.”
2. Seek God’s Will for You (Not Just Others)
Type 2s may feel most fulfilled when they’re helping others, but the 11th Step asks for knowledge of God’s will for you, which may involve learning how to receive rather than give.
- Journal Exercise: Reflect on this question: “What is God’s will for me today, beyond my role as a helper?” Write down whatever insights or feelings come up, even if they’re uncomfortable. This process can help you understand how God is guiding you to take care of yourself and grow in your spiritual journey.
- Discernment Practice: When faced with a decision, pause and ask yourself, “Is this God’s will for me, or am I doing this to feel needed or loved?” This helps realign your actions with your Higher Power’s guidance rather than the desire for approval.
3. Let Go of People-Pleasing in Your Connection with God
The need to be needed or loved can sometimes interfere with a Type 2’s spiritual journey. Step 11 invites you to let go of people-pleasing behaviors, even in your relationship with God.
- Prayer for Surrender: “God, help me release my need to please others and to gain approval. Guide me to know Your will for me, not through acts of service alone, but through the peace of being loved just as I am.”
- Boundaries in Service: Create boundaries around your acts of service. Recognize that over-extending yourself can distance you from your conscious contact with your Higher Power. Practice saying “no” when helping others begins to feel more like a burden than an act of love.
4. Learn to Ask for Help from Your Higher Power and Others
For Type 2s, asking for help can feel foreign or uncomfortable. The 11th Step is a gentle reminder that it’s okay, even necessary, to ask your Higher Power for guidance, strength, and support.
- Prayer Request: Make it a daily practice to pray for help for yourself. For example, “God, help me today to find balance between helping others and caring for myself. Show me how to receive support.”
- Accepting Support: Challenge yourself to allow others to help you, whether that’s from a sponsor, a close friend, or simply asking for spiritual guidance from your Higher Power. Remember, asking for help strengthens, not weakens, your relationships with others and with God.
5. Trust in Your Worthiness Beyond What You Do for Others
The 11th Step is about deepening your relationship with your Higher Power and recognizing that you are loved and cared for, not for what you do, but for who you are.
- Daily Mantra: Each day, remind yourself: “I am worthy of love and care without needing to prove myself. God loves me just as I am.”
- Rest in Stillness: Commit to spending a few minutes each day in stillness, free from the need to solve problems or serve others. This quiet time is an opportunity to let your Higher Power fill you with peace, reminding you of your inherent worthiness.
Conclusion
For a Type 2, working Step 11 is an invitation to grow in self-love, trust, and balance. By learning to receive from your Higher Power rather than always giving to others, you open yourself to deeper healing and spiritual growth. This step is about shifting from doing to being—allowing yourself to be nurtured by the divine love that is always present, even when you aren’t actively helping others.
In Overeaters Anonymous, this work is vital to maintaining emotional and spiritual sobriety. As you surrender more of your need to be needed, you’ll find that your Higher Power provides the love, care, and fulfillment you’ve been seeking all along.