February 28
Daily
Reflections
WHAT? NO
PRESIDENT?
When told that our Society has no president having authority to govern
it, no treasurer
who can compel the payment of any dues. . . . our friends gasp and
exclaim, "This
simply can't be . . ."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 132
When I finally made my way to A.A., I could not believe that there was
no treasurer to
"compel the payment of dues." I could not imagine an organization that
didn't require
monetary contributions in return for a service. It was my first and,
thus far, only
experience with getting "something for nothing." Because I did not feel
used or conned
by those in A.A., I was able to approach the program free from bias and
with an open
mind. They wanted nothing from me. What could I lose? I thank God for
the wisdom of
the early founders who knew so well the alcoholic's disdain for being
manipulated.
***********************************************************
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
We should be free from alcohol for good. It's out of our hands and in
the hands of God,
so we don't need to worry about it or even think about it any more. But
if we haven't
done this honestly and fully, the chances are that it will become our
problem again. Since
we don't trust God to take care of our problem for us, we reach out and
take the problem
back to ourselves. Then it's our problem again and we're in the same
old mess we were
in before. Do I trust God to take care of the problem for me?
Meditation For The Day
No work is of value without preparation. Every spiritual work must have
behind it much
spiritual preparation. Cut short times of prayer and times of spiritual
preparation and
many hours of work may be profitless. From the point of view of God,
one poor tool
working all the time, but doing bad work because of lack of
preparation, is of small value
compared with a sharp, keen, perfect instrument working only for a
short time, but that
turns out perfect work because of long hours of spiritual preparation.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may spend more time alone with God. I pray that I may get
more strength
and joy from such times, so that they will add much to my work.
***********************************************************
As Bill Sees It
Conviction
and Compromise, p. 59
One qualification for a useful life is give-and-take, the ability to
compromise cheerfully. Compromise comes hard to us "all or nothing"
drunks. Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the fact that
progress is nearly always characterized by a series of improving
compromises.
Of course, we cannot always compromise. There are circumstances in
which it is necessary to stick flat-footed to one's convictions until
the
issue is resolved. Deciding when to compromise and when not to
compromise always calls for the most careful discrimination.
Twelve Concepts, pp. 39-40
***********************************************************
Walk In Dry Places
Seeking
Excitement____ Seeking Serenity
"I haven't found anything to replace the excitement I felt while
drinking," a member complained. "Sure, Im grateful to be
sober. But sometimes it's so darned boring!
Let' talk about that need for excitement, or "high." For many of
us, it was an important part of our drinking. At times, our
drinking was exciting---it came with celebrations, graduations,
marriage receptions, engagements, and just about anything else out of
the ordinary. Along with it, we wanted other excitement:
exciting love affairs, exciting experiences, exciting stories.
For us, however, excitement always ended with a crash, often a terrible
one. Waking up after an exciting binge was a horrible
moment. It stretched out to become horrible It never seemed to
have a happy ending.
We can take this addiction to excitement in hand by recognizing it as a
component of our alcoholism. We'll still be able to be excited at
times, but it must be a type of excitement that brings neither crash
nor hangover.
I will not let boredom push me into actions that I know will be
destructive in the long run. I do not want thrills at the expense
of my self-respect and sense of well-being.
***********************************************************
Keep It Simple
Leave yourself alone.---Jenny Janacek
We often pick on ourselves. We put ourselves down. But doing this isn't
part of our recovery.
In fact, it goes against our program. Our program is based on loving
care. We have turned our lives over to a caring, loving Higher Power
who
will give us the answers. We are told Easy Does It. We back off. As
recovering addicts, we learn not to judge. Instead, we learn to be kind
to ourselves. Our job is not to figure out the world, butt to add more
love to it. Let's start with ourselves.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, stop me from judging. Help me
know what You want to do.
Help me work the Steps Two and Three.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll leave myself alone. I will
remember that picking on myself is
another from of control.
***********************************************************
Each Day a New Beginning
The weariest night, the longest day, sooner or later must perforce come
to an end. --Baroness Orczy
The difficult spells in our lives come to an end. And no matter the
depth of our disturbance, we will survive. We forget that the depths
teach us how to better appreciate the heights.
Sorrow heightens joy. Depression heightens laughter. We wouldn't know
the joys and laughter were it not for the sorrows. In them we learn to
be patient, waiting for the wisdom which will light our way. In them we
learn to listen for the guidance that beckons us forth.
We must reflect on the troubling experiences we've passed through of
late. They made us wiser; they gave us strength. They changed us,
moving us ever closer to the women, whole and happy, we desire to be.
Difficulties often precede enlightenment. They pull us inward, perhaps
push us to search for our connectedness to God, a connectedness that is
at home in our hearts. The paradox is that these painful periods
strengthen our oneness with the Spirit.
If the day looks bleak, I will accept it as a hand reaching toward me,
to pull me forward, to secure my place in the spiritual family.
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition
Chapter 7 - WORKING WITH OTHERS
Never avoid these responsibilities, but be sure you are doing the right
thing if you assume them. Helping others is the foundation stone of
your recovery. A kindly act once in a while isn’t enough. You have to
act the Good Samaritan every day, if need be. It may mean the loss of
many nights’ sleep, great interference with your pleasures,
interruptions to your business. It may mean sharing your money and your
home, counseling frantic wives and relatives, innumerable trips to
police courts, sanitariums, hospitals, jails and asylums. Your
telephone may jangle at any time of the day or night. Your wife may
sometimes say she is neglected. A drunk may smash the furniture in your
home, or burn a mattress. You may have to fight with him if he is
violent. Sometimes you will have to call a doctor and administer
sedatives under his direction. Another time you may have to send for
the police or an ambulance. Occasionally you will have to meet such
conditions.
p. 97
***********************************************************
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth
Edition Stories
Jim's
Story
This physician, one of the earliest members of A.A.'s first black
group, tells of how freedom came as he worked among his people.
About this time an incident took place in grade school that I have
never forgotten because it made me realize that I was a physical
coward. During recess we were playing basketball, and I had
accidentally tripped a fellow just a little larger than I was. He
took the basketball and smashed me in the face with it. That was
enough provocation to fight but I didn't fight, and I realized after
recess why I didn't. It was fear. That hurt and disturbed
me a great deal.
p. 232
***********************************************************
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Eight -
"Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make
amends to them all."
Such gross misbehavior is not by any means a full catalogue of the
harms we do. Let us think of some of the subtler ones which can
sometimes be quite as damaging. Suppose that in our family lives we
happen to be miserly, irresponsible, callous, or cold. Suppose that we
are irritable, critical, impatient, and humorless. Suppose we lavish
attention upon one member of the family and neglect the others. What
happens when we try to dominate the whole family, either by a rule of
iron or by a constant outpouring of minute directions for just how
their lives should be lived from hour to hour? What happens when we
wallow in depression, self-pity oozing from every pore, and inflict
that upon those about us? Such a roster of harms done others--the kind
that make daily living with us as practicing alcoholics difficult and
often unbearable could be extended almost indefinitely. When we take
such personality traits as these into shop, office, and the society of
our fellows, they can do damage almost as extensive as that we have
caused at home.
p. 81
***********************************************************
"The
value of life lies not in the length of days, but in the use we
make of them ..."
--Michel de Montaigne
"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes."
--Frank Lloyd Wright
There is in each of us a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill.
--Blaise Pascal
Expectation is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of
tomorrow, it loses
today.
--Seneca
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the
life in your years.
--Abraham Lincoln
Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.
--Seneca
"This day I choose to spend in perfect peace."
--A Course in Miracles
When we are fearful, God's love can help us to be confident.
--Amanda Graham
O God, help us let your love conquer our fears.
***********************************************************
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
PERFECTION
"He that is without sin amongst
you, let him cast the first stone."
-- Jesus Christ
It is so easy for me to focus on the failings of others and miss my
own. My attraction to
gossip is that it is usually about other people and that keeps the
attention away from me.
Sometimes I am made to "feel good" by exposing the weaknesses of others.
This attitude needs to be changed if I am ever to fully enjoy the
fruits of sobriety. I do not
need to be drinking to behave like a drunk; gossip and character
assassination are
reminiscent of my past addictive behavior. I do not need the side of me
that seeks to
destroy the character of others. With my spiritual program, I am trying
to change.
May I grow in my forgiveness and acceptance of others.
***********************************************************
God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of
sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility
consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Philippians 2:3-4
Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into
your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Luke 6:38
"If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."
Matthew 5:41
"Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Luke 6:31
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Daily Inspiration
Set your priorities daily because some things in our path are just not
important enough to use up our time and energy. Lord, with Your help I
can have a full and enjoyable day.
God doesn't always end the storm, but He will calm your spirit and give
you the courage you need. Lord, I have come to know and believe in the
love You have for me.
***********************************************************
NA Just For Today
The Greatest Gift
"Our newly found faith serves as a
firm foundation for courage in the future."
Basic Text, p. 93
When we begin coming to meetings, we
hear other addicts talking about the gifts they have received as a
result of this program, things we never thought of as "gifts" before.
One such "gift" is the renewed ability to feel the emotions we had
deadened for so long with drugs. It's not difficult to think of love,
joy, and happiness as gifts, even if it's been a long time since we've
felt them. But what about "bad" feelings like anger, sadness, fear, and
loneliness? Such emotions can't be seen as gifts, we tell ourselves.
After all, how can we be thankful for things we want to run from?
We can become grateful for these
emotions in our lives if we place them in their proper perspective. We
need to remember that we've come to believe in a loving Higher Power,
and we've asked that Power to care for us - and our Higher Power
doesn't make mistakes. The feelings we're given, "good" or "bad;" are
given to us for a reason. With this in mind, we come to realize that
there are no "bad" feelings, only lessons to be learned. Our faith and
our Higher Power's care give us the courage we need to face whatever
feelings may come up on a daily basis.
As we heard early in recovery, "Your
Higher Power won't give you more than you can handle in just one day."
And the ability to feel our emotions is one of the greatest gifts of
recovery.
Just for today: I will try to welcome
my feelings, firm in the belief that I have the courage to face
whatever emotions may come up in my life.
***********************************************************
You are reading from the book Today's
Gift.
Nothing that is worth doing can be
done alone, but has to be done with others. --Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr
We who are blessed with a
closely-knit family life, where thoughts and actions can be discussed
and developed, are aware that what is given is not as important as what
is shared. As we help one another, we learn that sharing can never
exist unless we care first. This is the major ingredient of love.
Albert Schweitzer described human
service toward a common goal as the greatest of deeds. Charles Dickens
assured us that when we lighten the burdens of another; we can never
consider ourselves useless. Those of us who are led today may show the
way tomorrow. In giving, we receive, and in getting we cannot avoid
being givers.
What do I receive by giving today?
You are reading from the book
Touchstones.
All of my life I been like a doubled
up fist... poundin', smashin', drivin' - now I'm going to loosen these
doubled up hands and touch things easy with them. --Tennessee Williams
Every man has many sides. Some sides
are highly developed and other sides aren't at all. We need not fear
turning to a new side and exploring it. This recovery program has
enabled us to pursue sides of ourselves that were closed before. When
we were lost in our narrow world of codependency and addiction, we had
fewer options. Now we have far greater access to our strength and our
self-esteem, and we find new parts of ourselves.
Many of us have found relationships,
which were never possible before, job choices we would never have had,
and the pleasure of greater involvement in life. It is reassuring to
see that we don't always have to give up one side of ourselves to add
new ones.
Thanks to God for the many options
opening up to me in this renewed life.
You are reading from the book The
Language Of Letting Go.
Letting Go of Denial
We are slow to believe that which if
believed would hurt our feelings. --Ovid
Most of us in recovery have engaged
in denial from time to time. Some of us relied on this tool.
We may have denied events or feelings
from our past. We may have denied other people's problems; we may have
denied our own problems/ feelings, thoughts, wants, or needs. We denied
the truth.
Denial means we didn't let ourselves
face reality, usually because facing that particular reality would
hurt. It would be a loss of something: trust, love, family, perhaps a
marriage, a friendship, or a dream. And it hurts to lose something or
someone. '
Denial is a protective device, a
shock absorber for the soul It prevents us from acknowledging reality
until we feel prepared to cope with that particular reality People can
shout and scream the truth at us, but we will not see or hear it until
we are ready.
We are sturdy yet fragile beings.
Sometimes, we need time to get prepared, time to ready ourselves to
cope. We do not let go of our need to deny by beating ourselves into
acceptance; we let go of our need to deny by allowing ourselves to
become safe and strong enough to cope with the truth
We will do this, when the time is
right. We do not need to punish ourselves for having denied reality; we
need only love ourselves into safety and strength so that each day we
are better equipped to face and deal with the truth. We will face and
deal with reality - on our own time schedule, when we are ready, and in
our Higher Power's timing. We do not have to accept chastisement from
anyone, including ourselves, for this schedule.
We will know what we need to know,
when it's time to know it.
Today, I will concentrate on making
myself feel safe and confident. I will let myself have my awarenesses
on my own time schedule.
I am at choice today. I accept the
responsibility of my life with a new sense of maturity, confidence, and
even excitement.
--Ruth Fishel
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Journey to the Heart
Let Life’s Rhythm Find You
I sat in my room, a small cabin in
Chimayo, New mexico. The clock whizzed through the hours, but I didn’t
whiz through my morning. I felt overwhelmed. Lost. I had more to do
than I could handle. I didn’t know where to begin. So there I sat.
Stuck.
Genera, who ran the hostel, knocked
on my door about noon. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Come have coffee and
fruit with us.” Her quiet kindness, her gentle concern, and the simple
act of having coffee and fruit with a friend brought me back to balance.
There’s a life force, a movement, a
momentum that transcends our fears and hopes, our limitations, our
overwhelmed feelings, and even our confusion. There’s a heartbeat, a
rhythm to life and the universe. It’s gentle, easy, natural. It’s in
us; it’s around us. It comes gently, naturally, like a friend knocking
quietly on the door, asking if we are okay, if we have lost our way.
There is purpose, meaning, and rhythm
to each step, each beat of your life. Each step, each feeling, each
beat of your life is another mile traveled on your journey, your
journey to your heart.
If you’ve lost your way and can’t
find life’s rhythm, don’t worry. Keep your heart open and it will find
you.
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More Language Of Letting Go
Experience life for yourself
We learn to do something by doing it.
There is no other way.
–John Holt
“I’m an armchair adventurer,” I’ve
heard more than one person say. This means that they never actually go
out and do anything. They let others take all the risk. Through books,
they’ve climbed Mount Everest, sailed around the world, hiked the
Pacific Crest Trail, and snowshoed to the South Pole. They were even
able to tell me all about how to fly a plane before my first lesson.
It’s one thing to spend our time
reading books or listening to lectures about how to do this or that–
how to have a successful relationship, how to build a business, how to
live life more fully, whatever comes after how to. The trick is to
finally put the books down, walk away from the lecture, and do it.
Getting information, support, and encouragement is helpful.
Necessary,too. But life was meant to be lived, not studied. The only
way that you’ll have a successful career, relationship, or hobby is to
go out and get one for yourself.
God, help me take the risk of
actually doing something I want to learn to do.
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Dealing with Difficult People
Opening the Channels of Communication
by Madisyn Taylor
We all have the experience of
difficult people in our lives at one point or another and honest but
clear communication is the answer.
We encounter a wide variety of people
throughout our lives. Many of them touch us in some positive way.
Occasionally, however, we encounter those individuals who, for whatever
reason, can be difficult to deal with. Perhaps this person is a
colleague or close friend that you feel is deliberately being obtuse,
inviting in trouble, or doing foolish things that you find annoying.
Sometimes, it may be possible to appease or avoid those people short
term. Dealing with them in the long term, however, can be exhausting.
The behavior of difficult people can even make you feel like losing
your temper, but keep your cool. Staying calm is the first step,
especially when you are ready to confront them.
Avoiding a difficult person can
improve impossible and not in your best interest, especially if you
live or work together. Likewise, attempts to steer clear of them can
become a source of stress and anxiety when they are a part of your
social circle. When this is the case, it is best to kindly address the
problem. Try not to let their actions or mood affect you. You also may
want to try expressing your feelings directly. Tell to the person how
their actions make you feel and encourage them toward a more positive
course of action. Speak assertively, but respectfully, and don’t
portray yourself as a victim. Another approach for dealing with a
difficult individual is to gain a deeper understanding of who that
person is. Ask them why they do or say certain things. If you disagree
with their motives, question them further so you can try and discover
the root of their behaviors. In doing so, you may be able to gently
shift their perceptions, or at least help them understand your ! point
of view.
You may want to think about what you
want to say to a difficult person before you actually talk to them. If
you can, avoid being judgmental or defensive, and try to approach the
conversation objectively. If the person is open to the idea, try coming
to an agreement. If approaching them fails, let it go and move on.
There is no reason to let difficult person or situation have power over
your state of being. Remember that a lot can be accomplished when you
take the time to listen and offer up alternative perspectives.
Published with permission from Daily OM
****************************************
A Day At A Time
Reflection For The Day
We’re taught in The Program and the
Twelve Steps that the chief activator of our defects has been
self-centered fear — mainly fear that we would lose something we
already possessed or that we would fail to get something we demanded.
Living on the basis of unsatisfied demands, we obviously were in a
state of continuable disturbance and frustration. Therefore, we are
taught, no peace will be ours unless we find a means of reducing these
demands. Have I become entirely ready to have God remove all my defects
of character?
Today I Pray
May I make no unrealistic demands on
life, which, because of their grandiosity, can be met. May I place no
excessive demands on others, which, when they are not fulfilled, leave
me disappointed and let down.
Today I Will Remember
The set-up for a let-down.
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One More Day
We all like to forgive, and we all
love best not those who offend us least, not those who have done the
most for us, but those who make it most easy for us to forgive them.
– Samuel Butler
None of us likes to harbor angry or
bitter feelings toward another person. We know that friends may drift
apart because of disagreements in which either of us will bend or
compromise.
More and more, we know what our
values are and the importance of how we reflect those values. When a
friendship is threatened by anger or misunderstanding, we’re able to
let our values guide us. We’ve been less willing o sacrifice our values
to save a weak relationship. We’ve let go of some friends. If we’ve
been stubborn or selfish, we’re better able now to preserve the
friendship by making amends.
I will nurture my friendships and
myself by letting my principles guide my life.
************************************
Food For Thought
Conserving Resources
In this fight against compulsive overeating, we need all the strength
we can muster. We can learn to conserve our energy for what is
important, rather than wasting it on non-essential activities.
An extra hour of sleep may do more for our program than an hour spent
reading a novel or watching television. We have to guard against
compulsive overactivity as well as overeating. Often, we tend to push
too hard to complete something which can just as well wait until
tomorrow. If we are tired, we are less able to resist temptation.
Choosing the foods, which will provide us with necessary proteins,
vitamins, and minerals, is a vital part of maintaining energy. To take
care of our bodies is to nurture the most valuable physical resource we
have.
Conserving our resources often means saying no to people and
activities, which drain them unnecessarily. Only we ourselves, with the
guidance of our Higher Power, can decide how best to use the strength
and energy we have.
Teach me to conserve the resources You have given me.
*****************************************
One Day At A Time
~ RECOVERY ~
The people who get on in the world
are the people
who get up and look for the
circumstances they want.
George Bernard Shaw
There was a time, not so long ago,
that my life was much different than it is right now. My weight was
skyrocketing because my eating compulsion was out of control. I
couldn't walk very far without huffing and puffing. My lower back hurt
because my stomach pulled my spine out of alignment. My feet and ankles
were swollen, my knees hurt, just standing was painful. I was hot all
the time because my fat acted as insulation, keeping my body
temperature high. My wife was hounding me about losing the weight, my
doctor was taking her side, and even the kids at my son's daycare were
asking me why I was so big.
I didn't start the recovery process
(and it IS a process!) until I got to the point where I was so
uncomfortable with myself that I had to do something. It wasn't just
that I was physically uncomfortable. I had to get past the comfort zone
I had mentally and emotionally set up for myself; I had to get
uncomfortable. I had to jump into the unknown, which was the most
frightening thing I'd ever done.
Sitting around, moaning about my
circumstances and suffering the physical consequences of my weight,
didn't get me anywhere. It was only when I became ready to see my life
change, mentally, emotionally AND physically, that I began the footwork
of this Program. That was the key to the beginning of my recovery, the
getting up and actually doing something about it. When I took that
first Step, the miracle began.
One Day at a Time . . .
I will take the necessary steps to
maintain my
recovery from compulsive eating.
~ JAR ~
*****************************************
AA 'Big Book' - Quote
Though they knew they must help other
alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It
was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves for
others. - Pg. 159 - A Vision For You
Hour To Hour - Book - Quote
We must always fan the flame of
inspiration and enthusiasm or our slight hold on sobriety will flicker
and fade. We fan the flame by going to meetings, listening to the
professionals we hire, choose and use a sponsor, and we must help
others.
God, as I understand You, please show
me one person I can give an encouraging word to in this hour.
New Life
I can feel my body and my spirit
trying to come back to health. I am breathing in and out with relaxed,
complete breaths and with each breath I take, I feel more serene. I
sense the life within each pore of my body and it feels good, it feels
right, it feels alive. My body needed to fall apart a little, it needed
to get my attention and tell me it needed tender, loving care. Today, I
will pay attention to what my body is trying to tell me it wants and
needs and I will give it what it is calling out for.
I listen to what my body is asking
for and I do something about it
- Tian Dayton PhD
Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote
Do you think you deserve special
treatment because you are clean and sober? Most of us do at one time or
another. Treat us special and we feel normal; treat us normal and we
feel rejected.
Do I want my ego to be the first
thing people see when I walk into a room?
"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book
People may not always believe what
you say, but they will always believe what you do.
Time for Joy - Book - Quote
I am at choice today. I accept the
responsibility of my life with a new sense of maturity, confidence, and
even excitement.
Alkiespeak - Book - Quote
...And the unlived life is not worth
examining. - Serenity Sam.
*****************************************
AA Thought for the Day
February 28
Happy, Joyous, and Free
We are sure God wants us to be happy,
joyous, and free.
We cannot subscribe to the belief
that this life is a vale of tears,
though it once was just that for many
of us.
But it is clear that we made our own
misery. God didn't do it.
Avoid then, the deliberate
manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes,
cheerfully capitalize it as an
opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 133
Thought to Ponder . . .
The joy is in the journey, so enjoy
the ride.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free.
~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
Self-appraisal
"I used to be a champ at unrealistic
self-appraisal.
I wanted to look only at the part of
my life
which seemed good.
Then I would greatly exaggerate
whatever virtues
I supposed I had attained.
Next I would congratulate myself on
the grand job
I was doing.
So my unconscious self-deception
never failed
to turn my few good assets into
serious liabilities.
This astonishing process was always a
pleasant one. . .
I was falling straight back
into the pattern of my drinking days.
. .
I shall forever regret the damage I
did to people around me.
Indeed, I still tremble when I realize
what I might have done to AA and to
its future."
Bill W., June 1961
1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the
Heart, pp. 256-7
Thought to Consider . . .
When I let go of what I am, I become
what I might be.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A = Altered Attitudes
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Renewed
>From "An Open Heart":
"I had nothing to do with this gift
coming to me, so my gratitude is beyond description. It did not take me
back to the
person I was before drinking. It gave
me a new life rather, life itself, because I had attempted suicide and
had been
hospitalized in private and state
mental hospitals. It must have been spiritual; it was neither
intellectual nor physical,
that's for sure. I believe it was God
as I understand Him, working through the love and understanding
available in A.A.
May I keep my heart open. The joy
which can come to an open heart is unlimited.--New York, New York, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe,
30th printing 2004, pg. 51
*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We found that all progress, material
or spiritual, consisted of finding out what our responsibilities
actually were and then
proceeding to do something about them
... We found that we didn't always have to be driven by our own
discomforts as,
more willingly, we picked up the
burdens of living and growing ... We discovered that full acceptance
and action upon
any clear-cut responsibility almost
invariably made for true happiness and peace of mind."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965
From: "Responsibility Is Our Theme"
The Language of the Heart
~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve
Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*
"Without knowing it, had we not been
brought to where we stood by a
certain kind of faith? For did we not
believe in our own reasoning?
Did we not have confidence in our
ability to think? What was that
but a sort of faith? Yes, we had been
faithful, abjectly faithful to
the God of Reason. So, in one way or
another, we discovered that
faith had been involved all the time!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
We Agnostics, pg. 53~
"Highly competent psychiatrists who
have dealt with us have found it
sometimes impossible to persuade an
alcoholic to discuss his
situation without reserve. Strangely
enough, wives, parents and
intimate friends usually find us even
more unapproachable than do the
psychiatrist and the doctor.
But the ex-problem drinker who has
found this solution, who is
properly armed with facts about
himself, can generally win the entire
confidence of another alcoholic in a
few hours. Until such an
understanding is reached, little or
nothing can be accomplished."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition,
There Is A Solution, pg. 18~
And as we grow spiritually, we find
that our old attitudes toward our instincts need to undergo drastic
revisions.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
p. 114
Misc. AA Literature - Quote
Conviction and Compromise
One qualification for a useful life
is give-and-take, the ability to compromise cheerfully. Compromise
comes hard to us
'all or nothing' drunks.
Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the fact that progress is
nearly always characterized
by a series of improving compromises.
Of course, we cannot always
compromise. There are circumstances in which it is necessary to stick
flat-footed to one's
convictions until the issue is
resolved. Deciding when to compromise and when not to compromise always
calls for the
most careful discrimination. TWELVE
CONCEPTS, pp. 40-41
Prayer for the Day: May the God of hope fill me and all of us
with the joy and peace that comes from believing, so that
we may abound in hope, by the power
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ask
and you shall receive,
Seek and ye shall find,
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7
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