***********************************************************

As Bill Sees It

Give Thanks, p.266

Though I still find it difficult to accept today's pain and anxiety
with any great degree of serenity--as those more advanced in the
spiritual life seem able to do--I can give thanks for present pain
nevertheless.

I find the willingness to do this by contemplating the lessons
learned from past suffering--lessons which have led to the
blessings I now enjoy. I can remember how the agonies of
alcoholism, the pain of rebellion and thwarted pride, have often
led me to God's grace, and so to a new freedom.

Grapevine, March 1962

***********************************************************

Walk In Dry Places
 
Willingness to listen
Willingness
Why is it that we'll accept information from some people but not from
others?  Many people tried to advise us while we were drinking; why
would we listen only to recovering alcoholics?
We can't answer that question, except to say that most human beings are
willing to listen only to certain people at certain times.  That's why business
organizations have to select sales people carefully; customers will respond to
some people, but not to others.
As we grow in sobriety, however, we develop the willingness to listen to people
we would have once avoided.  We can find wonderful ideas in all sorts of places
and from all types of people.  As we become more open-minded and willing, we
can listen more and learn more.
My prejudices and fears of the past kept me from listening to people who would
have helped me. I'll be more open-minded and willing today.

***********************************************************

Keep It Simple
 
To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.--- Will Durant
Sometimes we say bad things about others. When we do this, it makes us look
bad too.
Our friends worry what we might say about them behind their backs. They’re
afraid to trust us. We become known as gossips.
The things we say about other people tell a lot about us. We are kind or unkind.
We gossip or we don’t. This doesn’t mean we have to say everyone is wonderful
all the time. As we work our program to see ourselves better, we begin to see other
people more clearly too. We see their strong points and their weak points. But we
can know these things without gossiping about them.
Prayer for the Day:  Higher Power, help me see others clearly, and in their best
light. Let me bring out the good in others.
Action for the Day:  Today, I’ll list the people I’m closest to at work, school, and
home. I’ll think of how I talk about them to others. Am I kind?

***********************************************************

Each Day a New Beginning

Woman must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she
must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression.  --Margaret Sanger
Let us not stifle ourselves any longer. Let us dare to dream and realize those
dreams. Let us dare to take risks, having faith that to advance in any respect
implies taking risks. Fortunately, we have the support of the program and one
another to cushion the fall, if it should come. But more important, we have one
another's example to inspire us as we contemplate our own agenda for self-
expression.
Many of us for far too long passively watched others move forward. No
longer need we be passive observers, but the familiarity of no action, no
choice making, and irresponsibility, makes passivity attractive at times.
We must remember responsible choices, for only those make possible our
very special contributions.
Not every day do we awaken with the strength needed to "do our part."
But the strength will be available just as quickly as we call for it. Alone,
we are strugglers; however, we have a ready partnership, and it guarantees
us guidance, wisdom, and strength when we ask for it.
I have so much to offer other women. And I need another's example. Every
expression of my strength will boost another woman's strength. I will give.

***********************************************************

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

Fred is a partner in a well known accounting firm. His income is good, he has a fine home, is happily married and the father of promising children of college age. He has so attractive a personality that he makes friends with everyone. If ever there was a successful business man, it is Fred. To all appearance he is a stable, well balanced individual. Yet, he is alcoholic. We first saw Fred about a year ago in a hospital where he had gone to recover from a bad case of jitters. It was his first experience of this kind, and he was much ashamed of it. Far from admitting he was an alcoholic , he told himself he came to the hospital to rest his nerves. The doctor intimated strongly that he might be worse than he realized. For a few days he was depressed about his condition. He made up his mind to quit drinking altogether. It never occurred to him that perhaps he could not do so, in spite of his character and standing. Fred would not believe himself an alcoholic, much less accept a spiritual remedy for his problem. We told him what we knew about alcoholism. He was interested and conceded that he had some of the symptoms, but he was a long way from admitting that he could do nothing about it himself. He was positive that this humiliating experience, plus the knowledge he had acquired, would keep him sober the rest of his life. Self-knowledge would fix it.

pp. 39-40

***********************************************************

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition - Stories

VII - THE TWELVE CONCEPTS (SHORT FORM)

A.A.'s Twelve Steps are principles for personal recovery.  The Twelve Traditions ensure the unity of the Fellowship.  Written by co-founder Bill W. in 1962, The Twelve Concepts for World Service provide a group of related principles to help ensure that various elements of A.A.'s service structure remain responsive and responsible to those they serve.

p. 574

*****************************

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Foreword

There is, too, a rising interest in the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. Students of human relations are beginning to wonder how and why A.A. functions as a society. Why is it, they ask, that in A.A. no member can be set in personal authority over another, that nothing like a central government can anywhere be seen? How can a set of traditional principles, having no legal force at all, hold the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous in unity and effectiveness? The second section of this volume, though designed for A.A.'s membership, will give such inquirers an inside view of A.A. never before possible.

p. 16

***********************************************************

"Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host."
--Maya Angelou

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in
other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people
interested in you."
--Dale Carnegie

"Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince
a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give
lifting that person your best shot, but don't hang around long
enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround
yourself with optimistic people."
--Zig Ziglar

"He who asks a question is a fool for a minute; he who does not
remains a fool forever."
--Chinese Proverb

"It takes time to build a corporate work of art. It takes time to build a
life. And it takes time to develop and grow. So give yourself, your
enterprise, and your family the time they deserve and the time they
require."
--Jim Rohn

***********************************************

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

GOD

"God is not a cosmic bellboy."
-- Harry Emerson Fosdick

My understanding of God is within the context of freedom. God is
involved in His world but He allows it an autonomy. We are not
puppets on a string. When things begin to go wrong, God does not
interfere and make changes (usually) without our cooperation. God
reveals the extent of His love by allowing us a creative responsibility
in our lives.

For years I did not understand this. I thought that if I prayed enough,
He would answer all my prayers and come to my rescue. When He
didn't, I grew confused, angry and resentful. What was I doing wrong?
Where was God in my life? He didn't love me. Why wasn't God my
cosmic co-dependent?

Today I love his detachment. Today I grow in my freedom. Today I
cooperate with His miracle.

Lord, thank You for allowing me the freedom to fail.

***********************************************************

"The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives
me life."
Job 33:4

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of
Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I
have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes
from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the
righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Philippians 3:7-9

***********************************************************

Daily Inspiration

Each of us has important gifts to share and things to do. Lord, may I be
valuable to those that need my value and do what I can to make a joyful difference.

Prayer may not always change a situation, but it will always change us.
Lord, I accept Your answers to my prayers because I know that they will
always be right and, in Your wisdom, best for me.

***********************************************************

NA Just For Today

A Growing Concept Of God

"The only suggested guidelines are that this Power be loving, caring, and greater than ourselves. We don't have to be religious to accept this idea. The point is that we open our minds to believe."
Basic Text, p.24

In a lifelong process of coming to believe, our understanding of God will change. The understanding we have when new ill recovery will not be the same when we have a few months clean, nor will that understanding be the same when we have a few years clean.

Our initial understanding of a Power greater than ourselves will most likely be limited. That Power will keep us clean but, we may think, nothing more. We may hesitate to pray because we have placed conditions on what we will ask our Higher Power to do for us. "Oh, this stuff is so awful, even God couldn't do anything," we might say, or "God's got a lot of people to take care of. There's no time for me!"

But, as we grow in recovery, so will our understanding. We'll begin to see that the only limits to God's love and grace are those we impose by refusing to step out of the way. The loving God we come to believe in is infinite, and the power and love we find in our belief is shared by nearly every recovering addict around the world.

Just for today: The God I am coming to understand has a limitless capacity for love and care. I will trust that my God is bigger than any problem I may have.
pg. 278

***********************************************************

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself, I have failed three times, and what happens when he says, I'm a failure. --S. I. Hayakawa
What happens to us when we call ourselves names like "failure" or "dummy"? We feel we're no good and never will be. We want to stop trying because we think we'll flub up again.
But what if we begin to use different words to describe the same results? It won't change the results, but it will change us. And it will change the way we see our actions and ourselves.
Just by changing the words we use we can feel better about ourselves. Saying, "I've failed three times," means we'll try again and again and again until we succeed. It means we know God doesn't make any failures or dummies. It means God is always with us, loving us and helping us, even when trying seems difficult.
What can I change my thinking about today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum. --Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
As we go about our activities, we will have a richer day when we think of ourselves as painting a picture instead of keeping score. Rather than woodenly completing a task, we might approach it as something that can be made interesting. Instead of driving to work or riding the bus only to reach our destination, we might think of this routine as part of the picture we paint today. When a friend makes a comment, we might think of it as another brush stroke in our painting and join in with him, rather than making a game or contest, which we must try to win.
Many of us men were taught that success means having the highest score. So we have become compulsively competitive - always trying to be right, always striving for more financial security, or always pushing ourselves for some new achievement. Success may not be coming out on top. When our lives are lived as rich and interesting pictures, we find our rewards are far deeper and more lasting.
May the picture I paint today be one I will carry with me and appreciate.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Woman must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression. --Margaret Sanger
Let us not stifle ourselves any longer. Let us dare to dream and realize those dreams. Let us dare to take risks, having faith that to advance in any respect implies taking risks. Fortunately, we have the support of the program and one another to cushion the fall, if it should come. But more important, we have one another's example to inspire us as we contemplate our own agenda for self-expression.
Many of us for far too long passively watched others move forward. No longer need we be passive observers, but the familiarity of no action, no choice making, and irresponsibility, makes passivity attractive at times. We must remember responsible choices, for only those make possible our very special contributions.
Not every day do we awaken with the strength needed to "do our part." But the strength will be available just as quickly as we call for it. Alone, we are strugglers; however, we have a ready partnership, and it guarantees us guidance, wisdom, and strength when we ask for it.
I have so much to offer other women. And I need another's example. Every expression of my strength will boost another woman's strength. I will give.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Allowing Ourselves to be Needy
We can accept ourselves as people who have needs - the need for comfort, love, understanding, friendship, and healthy touch. We need positive reinforcement, someone to listen to us, someone to give to us. We are not weak for needing these things. These needs make us human and healthy. Getting our needs met - believing we deserve to have them met - makes us happy.
There are times, too, when in addition to our regular needs, we become particularly needy. At these times, we need more than we have to give out. That is okay too.
We can accept and incorporate our needs, and our needy side, into the whole of us. We can take responsibility for our needs. That doesn't make us weak or deficient. It doesn't mean we are not properly recovering, nor does it mean we're being dependent in an unhealthy way. It makes our needs, and our needy side, manageable. Our needs stop controlling us, and we gain control.
And, our needs begin to get met.
Today, I will accept my needs and my needy side. I believe I deserve to get my needs met, and I will allow that to happen.


Today I choose to do things for me that make me feel good about myself. Today is a perfect day to do something that I have been putting off. --Ruth Fishel

******************************

Journey To The Heart

Your Healers Will Come to You

The people, the ideas, the resources you need to heal will come. They’ll appear on your path. Sometimes you’ll think it’s almost magical. Sometimes you’ll resist, saying, That can’t be right. It’s too easy. But your healers will come when you need them, when you’re ready.

You can trust the universe to send healers to you, but also trust yourself. Some of the healers and resources you encounter may not be right for you. Trust yourself to know what’s right. And remember, healers aren’t your source of power, they merely assist you in claiming your power. They come to help, to bring their gifts to you so that you can find yours.

Just as your healers will come to you, the people you are to bring healing to will appear in your path when it’s time, when it’s right. Trust yourself to make decisions regarding those with whom you share your gifts. Your heart will guide you if you listen.

Let yourself receive the healing you need. Let yourself share your healing gift with others. Find the balance that’s right for you. Trust yourself and the wisdom of your body, mind, and heart about what feels right, who feels right, and when it works for you.

*****

more language of letting go
Make conscious contact

God must become an activity in our consciousness.
--Joel S. Goldsmith

God is not separate from this beautiful world that he created. He is the creative force behind everything we do. He is the sunrise, the moonrise, the tides, and the eclipse. He created us from nothing, and we are special for no other reason than that we are.

When we let go of our separateness and welcome the fact that we are part of the universe, an amazing thing happens: we see we are part of the glory of the universe.

God is more than a great father standing judgementally above looking down with a mix of love and anger at his creation. We were created in God's image. We are a part of God, and a part of God's spirit resides in each of us.

We are a part of universal consciousness.

Today, whether you are feeling down and sad or joyous and free, take a moment and get in touch with the part of God that resides within you. You're a part of something bigger than all the petty victories and losses in your life. Enjoy your uniqueness; embrace your universality,too. Find comfort and humility in all that is.

See God in your life and in the world. Pray. Meditate.

Make conscious contact with your God.

God, help me make conscious contact with you today.

*****

Spreading Your Light
How You Affect Others Daily by Madisyn Taylor

We have the potential to affect others through all of our actions during our day whether we are aware of it or not.

As the pace and fullness of modern life serve to isolate us from one another, the contact we do share becomes vastly more significant. We unconsciously absorb each other’s energy, adopting the temperament of those with whom we share close quarters, and find ourselves changed after the briefest encounters. Everything we do or say has the potential to affect not only the individuals we live, work, and play with but also those we’ve just met. Though we may never know the impact we have had or the scope of our influence, accepting and understanding that our attitudes and choices will affect others can help us remember to conduct ourselves with grace at all times. When we seek always to be friendly, helpful, and responsive, we effortlessly create an atmosphere around ourselves that is both uplifting and inspiring.

Most people rarely give thought to the effect they have had or will have on others. When we take a few moments to contemplate how our individual modes of being affect the people we spend time with each day, we come one step closer to seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. By asking ourselves whether those we encounter walk away feeling appreciated, respected, and liked, we can heighten our awareness of the effect we ultimately have. Something as simple as a smile given freely can temporarily brighten a person’s entire world. Our value-driven conduct may inspire others to consider whether their own lives are reflective of their values. A word of advice can help others see life in an entirely new fashion. And small gestures of kindness can even prove to those embittered by the world that goodness still exists. By simply being ourselves, we influence other’s lives in both subtle and life-altering ways.

To ensure that the effect we have is positive, we must strive to stay true to ourselves while realizing that it is the demeanor we project and not the quality of our wondrous inner landscapes that people see. Thus, as we interact with others, how we behave can be as important as who we are. If we project our passion for life, our warmth, and our tolerance in our facial features, voice, and choice of words, every person who enters our circle of influence will leave our presence feeling at peace with themselves and with us. You never know whose life you are affecting, big or small. Try to remember this as you go out into the world each day. Published with permission from Daily OM

******************************

A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow.” Goethe.

I ask myself sometimes, as we all do; “Who am I?” “Where am I?” “Where am I going?” “What’s it all about?” The learning and growing process is usually slow. But eventually our seeking always brings a finding. What seem like great mysteries often turn out to be enshrined in complete simplicity. Have I accepted the fact that my willingness to grow is the essence of my spiritual development?

Today I Pray

God give me patience and the perseverance to keep on hoeing the long row, even when the end of it is out of sight. The principles of The Program are my almanac for growing, even more than the harvesting. The harvest will come, abundant enough to share, if I can stick to my gardentending.

Today I Will Remember

Getting there, not being there.

******************************

One More Day

To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming is the only end of life.
– Robert Louis Stevenson

Mountain climbers, river rafters, and marathon racers all face the “challenge of a lifetime.” We have heard that phrase before, but may not have realized that our challenge of a lifetime would take a different form.

We all face challenges as we move through adulthood. In some instances — pain or illness, for example — we must face the obstacles placed in our way. We cannot choose to ignore or avoid them. One of our biggest challenges is that struggle to maintain a positive mental attitude. This is easier said than done when altered health patterns change lifestyles, but we can be on guard to think about “wellness” before “illness” and to remember we have been facing challenges all along.

I face challenges every day — some public, but many private. I Will try to do my personal best.

************************************************** ****************

Food For Thought

Accepting Where We Are

Wherever we are when we come to this program is where we begin. Some of us have further to go along the road to self-actualization than others. No one of us ever arrives in this life. There is always more work to be done.

Believing that our Higher Power has a plan for each of us, we accept the place where He has put us right now. We do not expect to stay in this place, but it is a necessary part of our growth and development. We cannot move on until we understand where we are now and how we got here.

Our Fourth Step inventory gives us an opportunity to examine past actions, which have led to our current situation. We may not like what we discover, but an honest appraisal of our weaknesses and faults as well as our strengths is preparation for constructive change. Accepting where we are frees us from morbid obsession with the past and enables us to move on into the future.

May I accept where I am as the best place for me to be today.

*****************************************

One Day At A Time

~ The Future ~
When I look into the future, it's so bright it burns my eyes.
Oprah Winfrey

I receive the gift of abstinence one day at a time. I am relieved from the obsession to eat one day at a time. With the help of my Higher Power, I can live life on life's terms... one day at a time.

As my recovery builds and builds, I start to imagine all the possibilities for my life. Things I never had the confidence or emotional stability to pursue are options for me. Now that I am free from the despair and self-destruction of overeating, there is space to actualize new adventures. But before I become overwhelmed or grandiose in my thinking, the Program gently reminds me that it is STILL just one day a time.

One Day at a Time . . .
I will work my program so that I have a future.
~ Christine S. ~

*****************************************

AA 'Big Book' - Quote

When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did. - Pg. 52 - We Agnostics

Hour To Hour - Book - Quote

There is a fundamental unity that underlies the fellowship of our programs. It is this unity that can comfort us and help us hold on when we want a fix, pill, drink, smoke, or snort more than we want this new unfamiliar life.

God, as I understand You, show me how to take comfort from the unity of fellowship when drugs call me back.

Hope

Hope is on my horizon. I feel it in my bones, I sense it in my being, I know it to be part of who I am. I will never give up hope. Hope for a better world, a better life, a better me. Hope is that feeling that led explores to cross dangerous oceans in search of a new world. Hope is what keeps people who are imprisoned from giving up. Hope is what allows those who have all they hold dear taken from them to begin again. Hope is natural. It is a gift that I will allow myself to have.

- Tian Dayton PhD

Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote

Emotional pain is not a character defect. It is a part of life and must be attended to like all our feelings. Feelings are not facts. They are bio-feedback on how we are doing today and what needs attention inside. How are you doing today?

Feelings won't kill me, but killing my feelings will.

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

Refuse to attack yourself.

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

Today I choose to do things for me that make me feel good about myself.

Today is a perfect day to do something that I have been putting off.

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote

Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases. - Hippocrates.

*****************************************

AA Thought for the Day

September 24

"Dry Drunk"
A dry drunk is a period of temporary insanity for the sober alcoholic.
Step Two says: "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
A dry drunk is a self-imposed separation from others and from God.
We try to run on our own current, like a battery without a generator, which soon runs down and becomes quite dead.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], p. 19

Thought to Ponder . . .
Without change I am just a non-drinking drunk.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
D R Y = Doing Recovery Yourself.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Willingness
"My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea.
He said, 'Why don't you choose your own
conception of God?'
That statement hit me hard.
It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow
I had lived and shivered many years.
I stood in the sunlight at last.
It was only a matter of being willing to believe
in a Power greater than myself.
Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 12

Thought to Consider . . .
The peaks and valleys of my life
have become gentle rolling hills.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
W H O = Willingness, Honesty, Openmindedness

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Like a Crowbar
From: "Listening to the Wind"
The Twelve Steps worked like a crowbar, prying into my dishonesty and fear. I didn't like the things I learned about myself, but I didn't want to go back where I had come from. I found out that there was no substance on the planet that could help me get honest. I would do just about anything to avoid working on myself.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 467-468

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"While we readily share our views, perhaps one of the nicest things about the AA program is that we don't always have to agree with each other."
Brooklyn, N.Y., June 1975
"Self-Acceptance"
Emotional Sobriety II

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we
be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be
given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask
especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no
request for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if
others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own
selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it
doesn't work."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 87~

"Now we need more action, without which we find
that “Faith without works is dead.’’ Let’s look at
Steps Eight and Nine. We have a list of all persons we have
harmed and to whom we are willing to make amends.
We made it when we took inventory. We subjected
ourselves to a drastic self-appraisal. Now we go out to
our fellows and repair the damage done in the past.
We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accu*
mulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run
the show ourselves. If we haven’t the will to do this,
we ask until it comes. Remember it was agreed at the
beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over
alcohol."~Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 76, Into Action, 4th Edition~

Modem-to-modem or face-to-face, A.A.'s speak the language of the heart in all its power and simplicity.
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. xxiv (Foreword to the Fourth Edition)

The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous is the most cherished quality our Society has.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 129

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

As excuse-makers and rationalizers, we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to find the deeper causes for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a little time in A.A., see that our motives have not been what we thought they were, and that we have been motivated by forces previously unknown to us. Therefore we ought to look, with the deepest respect, interest, and profit, upon the example set us by psychiatry.
'Spiritual growth through the practice of A.A.'s Twelve Steps, plus the aid of a good sponsor, can usually reveal most of the deeper reasons for our character defects, at least to a degree that meets our practical needs. Nevertheless, we should be grateful that our friends in psychiatry have so strongly emphasized the necessity to search for false and often unconscious motivations.

Prayer for the Day: For Those Who Have Relapsed - O God of all mercies and comfort, Who helps us in time of need, we humbly ask You to behold, visit, and relieve those who have relapsed for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon them with the eyes of Your mercy; comfort them with a sense of Your goodness; preserve them from the temptations of their addiction; and give them patience under their affliction. In Your time, restore them to the Program and physical, mental, and spiritual health. And help them, we pray, to listen, believe and do Your will.