Thoughts For The Day~*~Guidance^*^*^*^*^ December 31, 2011

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

Walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress.
If you persist, remarkable things will happen.
When we look back, we realize the things which came to us
when we put ourselves in God's hands,
were better than anything we could have planned.
Follow the dictates of a Higher Power
and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world,
no matter what your present circumstances!   
1976, 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 100
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Thought to Consider . . .

Look for the Good.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A  =  Adventurers Anonymous

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

Diagnosis

From "More About Alcoholism":

"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can quickly diagnose yourself. Step over to the nearest barroom and try some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters if you get a full knowledge of your condition."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 31-32
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
DAILY RESOLUTIONS

The idea of "twenty-four-hour living" applies primarily to the emotional life of the individual.   Emotionally speaking, we must not live in yesterday, nor in tomorrow.

AS BILL SEES IT, p.  284

A New Year: 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes -- a time to consider directions, goals, and actions.  I must make some plans to live a normal life, but also I must live emotionally within a twenty-four-hour frame, for if I do, I don't have to make New Year's resolutions!  I can make every day a New Year's day!  I can decide, "Today I will do this ...  Today I will do that."  Each day I can measure my life by trying to do a little better, by deciding to follow God's will and by making an effort to put the principles of our A.A. program into action.

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 ^*~*~*~*~*

"Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we burst into merriment over a
seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn't we
laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

I shall be loyal in my attendance, generous in my giving, kind in my criticism, creative in my suggestions, loving in my attitudes. I shall give A.A. my interest, my enthusiasm, my devotion, and most of all, myself. The Lord's Prayer has become part of my A.A. thoughts for each day: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom comes. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil." Have I given myself?

Meditation for the Day

As we look back over the year just gone, it has been a good year to the extent that we have put good thoughts, good words, and good deeds into it. None of what we have thought, said, or done need be wasted. Both the good and the bad experiences can be profited by. In a sense, the past is not entirely gone. The result of it, for good or evil, is with us at the present moment. We can only learn by experience and none of our experience is completely wasted. We can humbly think God for the good things of the year that has gone.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may carry good things into the year ahead. I pray that I may carry on with faith, with prayer, and with hope.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Slip^*^*^*^*^ December 30, 2011

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

"I had commenced to drink
as though the cocktails were ginger ale.
I now remembered what my alcoholic friends had told me,
how they prophesied that if I had an alcoholic mind,
the time and place would come --
I would drink again. . .
I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind.
I saw that will power and self-knowledge
would not help in those strange mental blank spots. . .
I had never been able to understand people
who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated.
I knew then.  It was a crushing blow."  
c. 1976, 2001AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 41-2
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Thought to Consider . . .

I have learned it's the first drink that gets me drunk.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S L I P =  Sobriety Loses Its Priority

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

Action

From "Daily Resolutions:"

 

"A New Year: 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days,
8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes -- a time to consider
directions, goals, and actions.  I must make some plans
to live a normal life, but also I must live emotionally
within a twenty-four-hour frame, for if I do, I don't
have to make New Year's resolutions!  I can make
every day a New Year's day!   I can decide, 'Today
I will do this....Today I will do that.'  Each day I can
measure my life by trying to do a little better, by
deciding to follow God's will and by making an
effort to put the principles of our A.A. program into
action."

 

c. 1990, Daily Reflections, page 374

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
ANONYMITY

Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  564

Tradition Twelve became important early in my sobriety and, along with the Twelve Steps, it continues to be a must in my recovery.  I became aware after I joined the Fellowship that I had personality problems, so that when I first heard it, the Tradition's message was very clear: there exists an immediate way for me to face, with others, my alcoholism and attendant anger, defensiveness, offensiveness.  I saw Tradition Twelve as being a great ego-deflator; it relieved my anger and gave me a chance to utilize the principles of the program.  All of the Steps, and this particular Tradition, have guided me over decades of continuous sobriety.  I am grateful to those who were here when I needed them.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Sense of Belonging

Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation and prayer is the sense of belonging that comes to us. We no longer live in a completely hostile world. We are no longer lost and frightened and purposeless.
The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs. We know that God lovingly watches over us. We know that when we turn to Him, all will be well with us, here and hereafter.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 105
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time
to outgrow that serious handicap."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

To the extent that I fail in my responsibilities, A.A. fails. To the extent that I succeed, A.A. succeeds. Every failure of mine will set back A.A. work to that extent. Every success of mine will put A.A. ahead to that extent. I shall not wait to be drafted for service to others, but I shall volunteer. I shall accept every opportunity to work for A.A. as a challenge, and I shall do my best to accept every challenge and perform my task as best I can. Will I accept every challenge gladly?

Meditation for the Day

People are failures in the deepest sense when they seek to live without God's sustaining power. Many people try to be self-sufficient and seek selfish pleasure and find that it does not work too well. No matter how much material wealth they acquire, no matter how much fame and material power, the time of disillusionment and futility usually comes. Death is ahead, and they cannot take any material thing with them when they go. What does it matter if I have gained the whole world, but lost my own soul?

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I will not come empty to the end of my life. I pray that I may so live that I will not be afraid to die.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Motives^*^*^*^*^ December 29, 2011

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

We were depressed and complained we felt bad,
when in fact we were mainly asking
for sympathy and attention.
This odd trait of mind and emotion,
this perverse wish to hide a bad motive
underneath a good one,
permeates human affairs from top to bottom.
This subtle and elusive kind of self-righteousness
can underlie the smallest act or thought.
Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws
is the essence of character building and good living.
An honest regret for harms done,
a genuine gratitude for blessings received,
and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow
will be the permanent assets we shall seek.
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 94-5
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Thought to Consider . . .

The best things in life aren't things.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P U T  =  Patience, Understanding, Tolerance

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Pleasure

From "The Joy of Living":

"A.A. *is* a joyful program! Even so, I occasionally balk at taking the necessary steps to move ahead, and find myself resisting the very actions that could bring about the joy I want. I would not resist if those actions did not touch some vulnerable area of my life, an area that needs hope and fulfillment. Repeated exposure to joyfulness has a way of softening the hard, outer edges of my ego. Therein lies the power of joyfulness to help all members of A.A."

1990 AAWS, Inc. Daily Reflections, pg. 372
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE JOY OF LIVING

.  .  .  therefore the joy of good living is the theme of A.A.'s Twelfth Step.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  125

A.A. is a joyful program!  Even so, I occasionally balk at taking the necessary steps to move ahead, and find myself resisting the very actions that could bring about the joy I want.  I would not resist if those actions did not touch some vulnerable area of my life, an area that needs hope and fulfillment.  Repeated exposure to joyfulness has a way of softening the hard, outer edges of my ego.  Therein lies the power of joyfulness to help all members of A.A.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Only God Is Unchanging

"Change is the characteristic of all growth. From drinking to sobriety, from dishonesty to honesty, from conflict to serenity, from hate to love, from childish dependence to adult responsibility - all this and infinitely more represent change for the better.
"Such changes are accomplished by a belief in and a practice of sound principles. Here we must needs discard bad or ineffective principles in favor of good ones that work. Even good principles can sometimes be displaced by the discovery of still better ones.
"Only God is unchanging; only He has all the truth there is.

LETTER, 1966
Copyright®1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Suppose we fall short of the chosen ideal and stumble? Does this
mean we are going to get drunk. Some people tell us so. But this is
only a half-truth. It depends on us and on our motives."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 70~

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

Participating in the privileges of the movement, I shall share in the responsibilities, taking it upon myself to carry my fair share of the load, not grudgingly but joyfully. I am deeply grateful for the privileges I enjoy because of my membership in this great movement. They put an obligation upon me which I will not shirk. I will gladly carry my fair share of the burdens. Because of the joy of doing them, they will no longer be burdens, but opportunities. Will I accept every opportunity gladly?

Meditation for the Day

Work and prayer are the two forces that are gradually making a better world. We must work for the betterment of ourselves and other people. Faith without works is dead. But all work with people should be based on prayer. If we say a little prayer before we speak or try to help, it win make us more effective. Prayer is the force behind the work. Prayer is based on faith that God is working with us and through us. We can believe that nothing is impossible in human relationships, if we depend on the help of God.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that my life may be balanced between prayer and work. I pray that I may not work without prayer or pray without work.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

(no subject)

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

We can try to stop making unreasonable demands
upon those we love.
We can show kindness where we had shown none.
With those we dislike we can begin to practice
justice and courtesy,
perhaps going out of our way to understand and help them.
Whenever we fail any of these people,
we can promptly admit it -- to ourselves always,
and to them also, when the admission would be helpful.
Courtesy, kindness, justice, and love
are the keynotes by which we may come into harmony
with practically anybody. 
c. 1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 93
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Thought to Consider . . .

Let us always love the best in others --
and never fear their worst.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E L P  =  Hope, Encouragement, Love, Patience

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

Apology

From "Our Side of the Street":

I made amends to my dad soon after I quit drinking. My words fell on deaf ears since I had blamed him for my troubles. Several months later I made amends to my dad again. This time I wrote a letter in which I did not blame him or mention his faults. It worked, and at last I understood! My side of the street is all that I'm responsible for and  thanks to God and A.A.  it's clean for today."

1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 259

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
SUIT UP AND SHOW UP

In A.A.  we aim not only for sobriety -- we try again to become citizens of the world that we rejected, and of the world that once rejected us.  This is the ultimate demonstration toward which Twelfth Step work is the first but not the final step,

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 21

The old line says, "Suit up and show up."  That action is so important that I like to think of it as my motto.  I can choose each day to suit up and show up, or not.  Showing up at meetings starts me toward feeling a part of that meeting, for then I can do what I say I'll do at meetings.  I can talk with newcomers, and I can share my experience; that's what credibility, honesty, and courtesy really are.  Suiting up and showing up are the concrete actions I take in my ongoing return to normal living.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Back To Work

It is possible for us to use the alleged dishonesty of other people as a plausible excuse for not meeting our own obligations.
Once, some prejudiced friends exhorted me never to go back to Wall Street. They were sure that the rampant materialism and double-dealing down there would stunt my spiritual growth. Because this sounded so high-minded, I continued to stay away from the only business that I knew.
When, finally, my household went broke, I realized I hadn't been able to face the prospect of going back to work. So I returned to Wall Street, and I have ever since been glad that I did. I needed to rediscover that there are many fine people in New York's financial district. Then, too, I needed the experience of staying sober in the very surroundings where alcohol had cut me down.
A Wall Street business trip to Akron, Ohio, first brought me face to face with Dr. Bob. So the birth of A.A. hinged on my effort to meet my bread-and-butter responsibilities.

GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Sometimes we hear an alcoholic say that the only thing he needs to
do is to keep sober. Certainly he must keep sober, for there will be
no home if he doesn't. But he is yet a long way from making good to
the wife or parents whom for years he has so shockingly treated."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 82~

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

A.A. may be human in its organization, but it is divine in its purpose. The purpose is to point me toward God and the good life. My feet have been set upon the rot path. I feel it in the depths of my being. I am going in the right direction. The future can be safely left to God. Whatever the future holds, it cannot be too much for me to bear. I have the Divine Power with me to carry me through everything that may happen. Am I pointed toward God and the good life?

Meditation for the Day

Although unseen, the Lord is always near to those who believe in Him and trust Him and depend on Him for the strength to meet the challenges of life. Although veiled from mortal sight, the Higher Power is always available to us whenever we humbly ask for it. The feeling that God is with us should not depend on any passing mood of ours; we should try to be always conscious of His power and love in the background of our lives.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may feel that God is not too far away to depend on for help. I pray that I may feel confident of His readiness to give me the power that I need.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Surrender^*^*^*^*^ December 27, 2011

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

Such is the paradox of AA regeneration:
strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness,
the loss of one's old life
as a condition for finding a new one.
But we of AA do not have to understand that paradox;
we have only to be grateful for it.
Bill W.
c. 1957, 1985AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 46
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Thought to Consider . . . .

We surrender to win

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
K I S S  =  Keep It Simple, Surrender

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
 

Autonomy

From "When A.A. Came of Age":

"Some may think that we have carried the principle of group autonomy to extremes. . . .

"But this ultra-liberty is not so risky as it looks. In the end the innovators would have to adopt A.A. principles  "at least some of them"  in order to remain sober at all.  If, on the other hand, they found something better than A.A., or if they were able to improve on our methods, then in all probability we would adopt what they discovered for general use everywhere. This sort of liberty also prevents A.A. from becoming a frozen set of dogmatic principles that could not be changed even when obviously wrong."  Bill W., 1959

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 104-05
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
PROBLEM SOLVING

"Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems.  "

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  42

Through the recovery process described in the Big Book, I have come to realize that the same instructions that work on my alcoholism, work on much more.  Whenever I am angry or frustrated, I consider the matter a manifestation of the main problem within me, alcoholism.  As I "walk" through the Steps, my difficulty is usually dealt with long before I reach the Twelfth "suggestion," and those difficulties that persist are remedied when I make an effort to carry the message to someone else.  These principles do solve my problems!  I have not encountered an exception, and I have been brought to a way of living which is satisfying and useful.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Life Is Not a Dead End

When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening, the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do before on his unaided strength and resources alone. He has been granted a gift which amounts to a new state of consciousness and being.
He has been set on a path which tells him he is really going somewhere, that life is not a dead end, not something to be endured or mastered. In a very real sense he has been transformed, because he has laid hold of a source of strength which he had hitherto denied himself.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 106-107
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can
quickly diagnose yourself, Step over to the nearest barroom and try
some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it
more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are
honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters
if you get a full knowledge of your condition."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~
 
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

I need the A.A. principles for the development of the buried life within me, that good life, which I had misplaced, but which I found again in this fellowship. This life within me is developing slowly but surely, with many setbacks, many mistakes, many failures, but still developing. As long as I stick close to A.A., my life will go on developing, and I cannot yet know what it will be, but I know that it will be good. That's all I want to know. It will be good. Am I thanking God for A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

Build your life on the firm foundation of true gratitude to God for all His blessings and true humility because of your unworthiness of these blessings. Build the frame of your life out of self-discipline; never let yourself get selfish or lazy or contented with yourself. Build the walls of your life out of service to others, helping them to find the way to live. Build the roof of your life out of prayer and quiet times, waiting for God's guidance from above. Build a garden around your life out of peace of mind and serenity and a sure faith.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may build my life on A.A. principles. I pray that it may be a good building when my work is finished.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012