Thoughts For The Day~*~Open Mind^*^*^*^*^ April 3, 2010

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

"To get sober and to stay sober,
all you really need is a truly open mind.
Just resign from the debating society and
quit bothering yourself with such deep questions
as whether it was the hen or the egg that came first.
Again I say, all you need is the open mind."
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 26

Thought to Consider . . .

Minds are like parachutes -
they won't work unless they're open.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ABC
Acceptance, Belief, Change

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

Publicity

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"Meanwhile, a great tide of public approval, stimulated by A.A.'s friends of press, radio, and in recent times television, began to sweep in upon us and it has never ceased. Each month a clipping service feeds our Headquarters scrapbooks with a very large amount of material. Writers constantly ask Headquarters to check their manuscripts. A.A. members are helped to appear anonymously on radio and TV programs. The making of arrangements for publicity has become a constantly increasing activity of our A.A. office. How many lives have been saved, how many years of misery have thus been averted for thousands of alcoholics and their families, only God knows."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 206-07

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
ACCEPTING OUR HUMANNESS

We finally saw that the inventory should be ours, not the other man's.  So we admitted our wrongs honestly and became willing to set these matters straight.

AS BILL SEES IT, p.  222

Why is it that the alcoholic is so unwilling to accept responsibility?  I used to drink because of the things that other people did to me.  Once I came to A.A. I was told to look at where I had been wrong.  What did I have to do with all these different matters?  When I simply accepted that I had a part in them, I was able to put it on paper and see it for what it was -- humanness.  I am not expected to be perfect!  I have made errors before and I will make them again.  To be honest about them allows me to accept them -- and myself -- and those with whom I had the differences; from there, recovery is just a short distance ahead.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Atmosphere of Grace

Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support.
As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul. We all need the light of God's reality, the nourishment of His strength, and the atmosphere of His grace. To and amazing extent the facts of A.A. life confirm this ageless truth.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 97-98
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We, in our turn, sought the same escape with all the desperation of
drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be
the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us
or, if you prefer, "a design for living" that really works."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~

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

When I was drinking, I was absolutely selfish, I thought of myself first, last, and always. The universe revolved around me at the center. When I woke up in the morning with a hangover, my only thought was how terrible I felt and about what I could do to make myself feel better. And the only thing I could think of was more liquor. To quit was impossible. I couldn't see beyond myself and my own need for another drink. Can I now look out and beyond my own selfishness?

Meditation for the Day

Remember that the first quality of greatness is service. In a way, God is the greatest servant of all, because He is always waiting for us to call on Him to help us in a good endeavors. His strength is always available to us, but we must ask it of Him through our own free will. It is a free gift, but we must sincerely seek for it. A life of service is the finest life we can live. We are here on earth to serve others. That is the beginning and the end of our real worth.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may cooperate with God in all good things. I pray that I may serve God and others and so lead a useful and happy life.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Humility^*^*^*^*^ April 2, 2010

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

"Our AA program is spiritually centered.
Most of us have found enough humility
to believe in and depend upon God.
We have found that humility by facing the fact
that alcoholism is a fatal malady
over which we are individually powerless."
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, September 1945
The Language of the Heart, p. 7

Thought to Consider . . .

Humility is not thinking less of yourself,
but thinking of yourself less.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*

YET
You'll End UpThere

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

Powerless

From "The Vicious Cycle":

"When I finally got Hank on the telephone he fired me right then. This was when I really took my first good look at myself. My loneliness was worse than it had ever been before, for now even my own kind had turned against me. This time it really hurt, more than any hangover ever had. My brilliant agnosticism vanished, and I saw for the first time that those who really believed, or at least honestly tried to find a Power greater than themselves, were much more composed and contented than I had ever been, and they seemed to have a degree of happiness I had never known."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 228-29

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
CHARACTER BUILDING

Demands made upon other people for too much attention, protection, and love can only invite domination or revulsion.  .  .  .

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  44

When I uncovered my need for approval in the Fourth Step, I didn't think it should rank as a character defect.  I wanted to think of it more as an asset (that is, the desire to please people).  It was quickly pointed out to me that this "need" can be very crippling.  Today I still enjoy getting the approval of others, but I am not willing to pay the price I used to pay to get it.  I will not bend myself into a pretzel to get others to like me.  If I get your approval, that's fine; but if I don't, I will survive without it.  I am responsible for speaking what I perceive to be the truth, not what I think others may want to hear.

Similarly, my false pride always kept me overly concerned about my reputation.  Since being enlightened in the A.A. program, my aim is to improve my character.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
"When I was tired and couldn't concentrate, I used to fall back on an affirmation toward life that took the form of simple walking and deep breathing. I sometimes told myself that I couldn't do even this--that I was too weak. But I learned that this was the point at which I could not give in without becoming still more depressed.
"So I would set myself a small stint. I would determine to walk a quarter of a mile. And I would concentrate by counting my breathing--say, six steps to each slow inhalation and four to each exhalation. Having done the quarter-mile, I found that I could go on, maybe a half-mile more. Then another half-mile, and maybe another.
"This was encouraging. The false sense of physical weakness would leave me (this feeling being so characteristic of depressions). The walking and especially the breathing were powerful affirmations toward life and living and away from failure and death. The counting represented a minimum discipline in concentration, to get some rest from the wear and tear of fear and guilt.

LETTER, 1960
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They
arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of
self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~

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

Since I've been in A.A., have I made a start toward becoming more loving to my family and friends? Do I visit my parents? Am I more appreciative of my spouse than I was before? Am I grateful to my family for having put up with me? Have I found real understanding with my children? Do I feel that the friends I've found in A.A. are real friends? Do I believe that they are al- ways ready to help me and do I want to help them if I can? Do I really care now about other people?

Meditation for the Day

Not what you do so much as what you are, that is the miracle-working power. You can be a force for good, with the help of God. God is here to help you and to bless you, here to company with you. You can be a worker with God. Changed by God's grace, you shed one garment of the spirit for a better one. In time, you throw that one aside for a yet finer one. And so from character to character, you are gradually transformed.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may accept every challenge. I pray that each acceptance of a challenge may make me grow into a better person.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Prayer^*^*^*^*^ April 1, 2010

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

"In AA we have found that the actual
good results of prayer are beyond question.
They are matters of knowledge and experience.
All those who have persisted have found
strength not ordinarily their own.
They have found wisdom beyond their
usual capability.
And they have increasingly found a peace of mind
which can stand firm in the face of
difficult circumstances."

Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 104
As Bill Sees It, p. 127

Thought to Consider . . .

Trying to pray is praying.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
PUSH
Pray Until Something Happens

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

Depression

Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

"If temperamentally we are on the depressive side, we are apt to be swamped with guilt and self-loathing. We wallow in this messy bog, often getting a misshapen and painful pleasure out of it. As we morbidly pursue this melancholy activity, we may sink to such a point of despair that nothing but oblivion looks possible as a solution. Here, of course, we have lost all perspective, and therefore all genuine humility. For this is pride in reverse. This is not a moral inventory at all; it is the very process by which the depressive has so often been led to the bottle and extinction."

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 45

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
LOOKING WITHIN

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  42

Step Four is the vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what the liabilities in each of us have been, and are.  I want to find exactly how, when, and where my natural desires have warped me.  I wish to look squarely at the unhappiness this has caused others and myself.  By discovering what my emotional deformities are, I can move toward their correction.  Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for me.

To resolve ambivalent feelings, I need to feel a strong and helpful sense of myself.  Such an awareness doesn't happen overnight, and no one's self-awareness is permanent.  Everyone has the capacity for growth, and for self-awareness, through an honest encounter with reality.  When I don't avoid issues but meet them directly, always trying to resolve them, they become fewer and fewer.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Courage and Prudence

When fear persisted, we knew it for what it was and we became able to handle it. We began to see each adversity as a God-given opportunity to develop the kind of courage which is born of humility, rather than of bravado.
<<<>>>
Prudence is a workable middle ground, a channel of clear sailing between the obstacles of fear on the one side and of recklessness on the other. Prudence in practice creates a definite climate, the only climate in which harmony, effectiveness, and consistent spiritual progress can be achieved.
<<<>>>
"Prudence is rational concern without worry."

1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962 - 2. TWELVE CONCEPTS, P. 65 - 3.TALK, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"In a few seconds he was overwhelmed by a conviction of the Presence
of God. It poured over and through him with the certainty and
majesty of a great tide at flood. The barriers he had built through
the years were swept away. He stood in the Presence of Infinite
Power and Love. He had stepped from bridge to shore. For the first
time, he lived in conscious companionship with his Creator."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 56~

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

Since I've been in A.A., have I made a start toward be- coming more honest? Do I no longer have to lie to my loved ones? Do I try to have meals on time, and do I try to earn what I make at work? Am I trying to be honest? Have I faced myself as I really am and have I admitted to myself that I'm no good by myself, but have to rely on God to help me do the right thing? Am I beginning to find out what it means to be alive and to face the world honestly and without fear?

Meditation for the Day

God is all around us. His spirit pervades the universe. And yet we often do not let His spirit in. We try to get along without His help and we make a mess of our lives. We can do nothing of any value without God's help. All our human relationships depend on this. When we let God's spirit rule our lives, we learn how to get along with others and how to help them.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may let God run my life. I pray that I will never again make a mess of my life through trying to run it myself.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Give Thanks^*^*^*^*^ March 31, 2010

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

"Though I still find it difficult
to accept today's pain and anxiety
with any degree of serenity-
as those more advanced in the spiritual life
seem able to do-
I can give thanks for present pain nevertheless.
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."
Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, March 1962
As Bill Sees It, p. 266
Thought to Consider . . .

Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
HOPE
Hearing Other Peoples' Experience

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

 

Enlightenment

From "Bill's Story":

"These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric. There was a sense of victory, followed by such a peace and serenity as I had never known. 

"For a moment I was alarmed, and called my friend, the doctor, to ask if I were still sane. He listened in wonder as I talked.

"Finally he shook his head saying, "Something has happened to you I don't understand. But you had better hang on to it. Anything is better than the way you were." The good doctor now sees many men who have such experiences. He knows that they are real."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 14

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
NO ONE DENIED ME LOVE

On the A.A.  calendar it was Year Two .  .  .  .  A newcomer appeared at one of these groups .  .  .  .  He soon proved that his was a desperate case, and that above all he wanted to get well.  .  .  .  [He said], "Since I am the victim of another addiction even worse stigmatized than alcoholism, you may not want me among you."

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 141-42

I came to you -- a wife, mother, woman who had walked out on her husband, children, family.  I was a drunk, a pill-head, a nothing.  Yet no one denied me love, caring, a sense of belonging.  Today, by God's grace and the love of a good sponsor and a home group, I can say that -- through you in Alcoholics Anonymous -- I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a woman.  Sober.  Free of pills.  Responsible.

Without a Higher Power I found in the Fellowship, my life would be meaningless.  I am full of gratitude to be a member of good standing in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
To Watch Loneliness Vanish

Almost without exception, alcoholics are tortured by loneliness. Even before our drinking got bad and people began to cut us off, nearly all of us suffered the feeling that we didn't quite belong. ? Either we were shy, and dared not draw near others, or we were noisy good fellows constantly craving attention and companionship, but rarely getting it. There was always that mysterious barrier we could neither surmount nor understand.
That's one reason we loved alcohol too well. But even Bacchus betrayed us; we were finally struck down and left in terrified isolation.
<<< >>>
Life takes on new meaning in A.A. 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 friends--this is an experience not to be missed.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 57
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 89
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"'There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which
is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in
everlasting ignorance that principle is contempt prior to
investigation.'"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Appendice II, Spiritual
Experience, pg. 568~

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

Since I've been in A.A., have I made a start toward being more unselfish? Do I no longer want my own way in everything? When things go wrong and I can't have what I want, do I no longer sulk? Am I trying not to waste money on myself? And does it make me happy to see my family and my home have enough attention from me? Am I trying not to be all "get" and no "give"?

Meditation for the Day

Each day is a day of progress, steady progress forward, if you make it so. You may not see it, but God does. God does not judge by outward appearance. He judges by the heart. Let Him see in your heart a simple desire always to do His will. Though you may feel that your work has been spoiled or tarnished, God sees it as an offering for Him. When climbing a steep hill, people are often more conscious of the weakness of their stumbling feet than of the view, the grandeur, or even of the upward progress.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may persevere in all good things. I pray that I may advance each day in spite of my stumbling feet.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012