Q: I hate my sponsor. What do I do?

I burned through a lot of sponsors in the first few years. I would see red, find a lifeboat (the next sponsor), lob a grenade, and jump.

Why?

Because each of my sponsors, initially heavenly, super, helpful, super-helpful, kind, understanding, and funny became dumb, mean, impertinent, misguided, narrow-minded, and just plain wrong.

Can you guess what was really happening?

Yup, they get close to or actually nailed one of my deep problems, like putting a finger in a wound, and I yelped and lashed back.

I told Doug I had to stay in a job I hated. He said, 'The universe will provide'. I said a bad word, put the phone down, and never spoke to him. He was right.

I told Chris I had to stay in a stressful job, because I thrived on challenges. He said, 'There are more challenges in life than work.' I was politer but extracted myself and didn't call him for two years. He was right as well.

OK, OK, sometimes your sponsor might be dumb, mean, impertinent, etc., and you may genuinely have reached beyond their puny spiritual heights. But maybe not.

What's the antidote?

What I do is this: stay the course. Then see. I've been with the same sponsor for twelve years now. This time, I decided not to be the immovable object and to stop resisting the irresistible force.