Thoughts For The Day~*~Anonymity ^*^*^ August 18, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\    ~~  /)
(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
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Anonymity
^*^*^
"And finally, we of Alcoholics Anonymous believe
that the principle of anonymity
has an immense spiritual significance. 
It reminds us that we are to place
principles before personalities;
that we are actually to practice a genuine humility.
This to the end that our great blessings may never spoil us;
that we shall forever live in thankful contemplation
of Him who presides over us all."
Tradition Twelve - the Long Form
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 567-8
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Walk softly and carry a Big Book.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A N O N Y M O U S  = 
.    Actions, Not Our Names, Yield Maintenance Of Unity and Service.

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

Exemplar

From "AA  the Lodestar":

"Every one of the pioneers in the total field of alcoholism will generously say that had it not been for the living proof of recovery in A.A., they could not have gone on. A.A. was the lodestar of hope and help that kept them at it."  (The Lodestar is literally Polaris, the North Star, but also means a model or guiding principle.)

 1990 AAWS, Inc.; As Bill Sees It; pg. 147

 *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
GETTING WELL

Very deep, sometimes quite forgotten, damaging emotional conflicts persist
below the level of consciousness.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 79 - 80

Only through positive action can I remove the remains of guilt and shame
brought on by alcohol. Throughout my misadventures when I drank, my friends would say, "Why are you doing this? You're only hurting yourself." Little did I know behavior caused grave wounds to my soul.
Step Eight provides me with a way of forgiving myself.
I alleviate much of the hidden damage when I made my list of those I have
hurt. In making amens, I free myself of burdens, thus contributing to my
healing.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Love Everybody?

Not many people can truthfully assert that they love everybody.
Most of us must admit that we have loved but a few;
that we have been quite indifferent to the many.
As for the remainder - well, we have really disliked or hated them.
We A.A.'s find we need something much better than this
in order to keep our balance.
The idea that we can be possessively loving of a few,
can ignore the many, and can continue to
fear or hate anybody at all,
has to be abandoned, if only a little at a time.
We can try to stop making unreasonable demands
upon those we love.
We can show kindness where we had formerly shown none.
With those we dislike we can at least begin to
practice justice and courtesy,
perhaps going out of our way at times
to understand and help them.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 92-93

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them
help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up
about you, to have a host of friendsâ€"this is an experience you
must not miss."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 89~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

"We of agnostic temperament have found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express a willingness to believe in a Power greater than our selves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which we call God. As soon as you can say that you do believe or are willing to believe, you are on your way. Upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built." Am I willing to depend on a Power that I cannot fully define or comprehend?

Meditation for the Day

We seek God's presence and "they who seek shall find." It is not a question
of searching so much as an inner consciousness of the Divine spirit in your
heart. To realize God's presence you must surrender to His will in the small
as well as in the big things of life. This makes God's guidance possible. Some things separate you from God-a false word, a fear-inspired failure, a harsh criticism, a stubborn resentment. These are the things that put a distance between your mind and God. A word of love, a selfless reconciliation, a kind act of helpfulness-these bring God closer.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may think and say and do the things that bring God
closer to me. I pray that I may find Him in a sincere prayer, a
kind word, or an unselfish deed.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Paradox ^*^*^ August 17, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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  /AA\
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Paradox
^*^*^
"2. We GIVE AWAY TO KEEP.
That seems absurd and untrue.
How can you keep anything if you give it away?
But in order to keep whatever it is we get in AA,
we must go about giving it away to others,
for no fees or rewards of any kind.
When we cannot afford to give away
what we have received so freely in AA,
we had better get ready for our next 'drunk.'
It will happen every time.
We've got to continue to give it away in order to keep it."
The Professor and the Paradox.
©1955AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, Second Edition, p. 341
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

I keep my sobriety by giving it away.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*

            H O P E  =  Helping Other People Every day.

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

 

Simple Beauty

From "A Prayer for All Seasons:"

 

"The power of [The Serenity Prayer] is overwhelming in that its simple beauty parallels the A.A. Fellowship.  There are times when I get stuck while reciting it, but if I examine the section which is troubling me, I find the answer to my problem....By accepting life as it is, I gain serenity.  By taking action, I gain courage and I thank God for the ability
to distinguish between those situations I can work on, and those I must turn over.  All that I have now is a gift from God: my life, my usefulness, my contentment, and this program.

 

"Alcoholics Anonymous IS the easier, softer way."

 

c. 1990, Daily Reflections, page 221

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
RIGHTING THE HARM

In many instances we shall find that though the harm done others has
not been great, the emotional harm we have done ourselves has.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 79

Have you ever thought that the harm you did a business associate,
or perhaps a family member, was so slight that it really didn't
deserve an apology because they probably wouldn't remember it anyway?
If that person, and the wrong done to him, keeps coming to mind,
time and again, causing an uneasy or perhaps guilty feeling, then I
put that person's name at the top of my "amends list," and become
willing to make a sincere apology, knowing I will feel calm and
relaxed about that person once this very important part of my
recovery is accomplished.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Day of Homecoming

"As sobriety means long life and happiness for the individual, so does unity
mean exactly the same thing to our Society as a whole. Unified we live;
disunited we shall perish."

<<<>>>

"We must think deeply of all those sick ones still to come to A.A. As they
try to 5make their return to faith and to life, we want them to find
everything in A.A. that we have found, and yet more, if that be possible. No
care, no vigilance, no effort to preserve A.A.'s constant effectiveness and
spiritual strength will ever be too great to hold us in full readiness for
the day of their homecoming."

1. LETTER, 1949 - 2. TALK, 1959

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"'My old manner of life was by no means a bad one, but I would not
exchange its best moments for the worst I have now. I would not go
back to it even if I could.'"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~

*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

"To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic, a spiritual
experience seems impossible, but to continue as he is means
disaster. To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a
spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face. But
we have to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of
life-or else. Lack of power is our dilemma. We have to find a
power by which we can live, and it has to be a power greater than
ourselves." Have I found that power by which I can live?

Meditation for the Day

Sunshine is the laughter of nature. Live out in the sunshine.
The sun and air are good medicine. Nature is a good nurse for
tired bodies. Let her have her way with you. God's grace is like
the sunshine. Let your whole being be enwrapped in the Divine
spirit. Faith is the soul's breathing in of the Divine spirit.
It makes glad the hearts of human beings. The Divine spirit heals
and cures the mind. Let it have its way and A will be well.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live in the sunshine of God's spirit. I pray
that my mind and soul may be energized by it.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Friends ^*^*^ August 16, 2007

 ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
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Friends
^*^*^
"You are going to meet these new friends
in your own community. 
Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly
like people in a sinking ship. 
If you live in a large place, there are hundreds. 
High and low, rich and poor,
these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous.  
Among them you will make lifelong friends. 
You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties,
for you will escape disaster together and you will
commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. 
Then you will know what it means to give of yourself
that others may survive and rediscover life. 
You will learn a full meaning of
'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' "
©1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-3
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

When we love,
we see in others what we wish to have in ourselves.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B O G G L E  =  Bad Or Good, God Loves Everyone

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

Equals

From "What is sponsorship?"

 

"Alcoholics Anonymous began with sponsorship.  When Bill W., only a few months sober, was stricken with a powerful urge to drink, this thought came to him: 'You need another alcoholic to talk to.  You need another alcoholic just as much as he needs you!'
"He found Dr. Bob, who had been trying desperately and unsuccessfully to stop drinking, and out of their common need A.A. was born.  The word 'sponsor' was not used then; the Twelve Steps had not been written; but Bill carried the message to Dr. Bob, who in turn safeguarded his own sobriety by sponsoring countless other alcoholics."
"In A.A., sponsor and sponsored meet as equals, just as Bill and Dr. Bob did."

 

c. 1983, Questions & Answers on Sponsorship (A.A. Pamphlet P-15), page 7

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"I HAD DROPPED OUT"

We might next ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have "harmed" other people.  What kinds of "harm" do people do one another, anyway?  To define the word "harm" in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to people.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 80

I had been to Eighth Step meetings, always thinking, "I really haven't harmed many people, mostly myself." But the time came when I wrote my list out and it was not as short as I thought it would be. I either liked you, disliked you, or needed something  from you - it was that simple. People hadn't done what I wanted them to do and intimate relationships were out of hand because of my partners' unreasonable demands. Were these "sins of omission"?  Because of my drinking, I had "dropped out" - never sending cards, returning calls, being there for other people, or taking part in their lives. What a grace it has been to look at these relationships, to make my inventories in quiet, alone with the God of my understanding, and to go forth daily, with a willingness to be honest and forthright in my relationships.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Beginning of True Kinship

When we reached A.A., and for the first time in our lives stood among people
who seemed to understand, the sense of belonging was tremendously exciting. We thought the isolation problem had been solved.
But we soon discovered that, while we weren't alone any more in a social
sense, we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't belong.
Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and
God.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 57
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Opinions vary considerably as to why the alcoholic reacts
differently from normal people. We are not sure why, once a certain
point is reached, little can be done for him. We cannot answer the
riddle."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 22~

*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

"The alcoholic is absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of
self-knowledge. We must admit we can do nothing about it ourselves.
Willpower and self-knowledge will never help in the strange mental
blank spots when we are tempted to drink. An alcoholic mentally is
in a very sick condition. The last flicker of conviction that we can
do the job ourselves must be snuffed out. The spiritual answer and
the program of action are the only hope. Only spiritual principles
will solve our problems. We are completely helpless apart from Divine
help. Our defense against drinking must come from a Higher Power."
Have I accepted the spiritual answer and the program of action?

Meditation for the Day

Rest now until life, eternal life, flowing through your veins and
heart and mind, bids you to bestir yourself. Then glad work will
follow. Tired work is never effective. The strength of God's spirit
is always available to the tired mind and body. He is your physician
and your healer. Look to these quiet times of communion with God for
rest, for peace, for cure. Then rise refreshed in spirit and go out
to work, knowing that your strength is able to meet any problems
because it is reinforced by God's power.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that the peace I have found will make me effective. I pray
that I may be relieved of all strain during this day.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Defiance ^*^*^ August 15, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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Defiance
^*^*^
" 'As psychiatrists have often observed,
defiance is the outstanding characteristic
of many an alcoholic. . . 
When we encountered AA,
the fallacy of our defiance was revealed. 
At no time had we asked what God's will was for us;
instead we had been telling Him what it ought to be. 
No man, we saw, could believe in God and defy Him, too. 
Belief meant reliance, not defiance. 
In AA we saw the fruits of this belief:
men and women spared from alcohol's final catastrophe.' "
©1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 31
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B I G   B O O K  =  Believing In God Beats Our Old Knowledge

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

 

Endurance

From "Building a New Life:"

 

"What I've learned is that it doesn't matter what hardships and losses I've endured in sobriety, I have not had to go back to drinking.  As long as I work the program, keep being of service, go to meetings, and keep my spiritual life together, I can live a decent life."

 

c. 2001, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 485

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
DIDN'T WE HURT ANYBODY?

Some of us, though, tripped over a very different snag. We clung to the claim that when drinking we never hurt anybody but ourselves.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 79

This Step seemed so simple. I identified several people whom I had harmed, but they were no longer available. Still, I was uneasy about the Step and avoided conversations dealing with it. In time I learned to investigate those Steps and areas of my life which made me uncomfortable. My search revealed my parents who had been deeply hurt by my isolation from them; my employer, who worried about my absences, my memory lapses, my temper; and the friends I had shunned, without explanation. As I faced the reality of the harm I had done, Step Eight took on new meaning.  I am no longer uncomfortable and I feel clean and light.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Is Sobriety Enough?

The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others.
Hearts are broken. Sweet relationships are dead. Affections have been
uprooted. Selfish and inconsiderate habits have kept the home in turmoil.
We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough. He is like
the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined. To
his wife, he remarked, "Don't see anything the matter here, Ma. Ain't it
grand the wind stopped blowin'?"

<<<>>>

We ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have "harmed" other people. What kinds of "harm" do people do one another, anyway? To define the word "harm" in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in
collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to
those about us.

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 82 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 80
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and
attitude. We all had to place recovery above everything, for without
recovery we would have lost both home and business."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 143~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

"Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Commencing to drink after
a period of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever. If we
have admitted we are alcoholics, we must have no reservations of any
kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to
alcohol. What sort of thinking dominates an alcoholic who repeats
time after time the desperate experiment of the first drink?
Parallel with sound reasoning, there inevitably runs some insanely
trivial excuse for taking the first drink. There is little thought
of what the terrific consequences may be." Have I given up all
excuses for taking a drink?

Meditation for the Day

"Where two or three are banded together, I will be there in the
midst of them." When God finds two or three people in union, who
only want His will to be done, who want only to serve Him, He has
a plan that can be revealed to them. The grace of God can come to
people who are together in one place with one accord. A union like
this is miracle-working. God is able to use such people. Only good
can come through such consecrated people, brought together in
unified groups for a single purpose and of a single mind.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be part of a unified group. I pray that I may
contribute my share to its consecrated purpose.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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