Thoughts For The Day~*~Intoxication ^*^*^*^*^ April 15, 2012

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

"As newcomers, many of us have indulged
in spiritual intoxication.
Like a prospector,
belt drawn in over the last ounce of food,
we saw our pick strike gold.
Joy at our release from a lifetime
of frustration knew no bounds.
The newcomer feels he has struck
something better than gold.
He may not see at once
that he has barely scratched a limitless lode
which will pay dividends
only if he mines it for the rest of his life
and insists on giving away
the entire product."

Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 128-9
As Bill Sees It, p. 57

Thought to Consider . . .

We give it away to keep it.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew

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

Excuses

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

"The majority of A.A. members have suffered severely from self-justification during their drinking days. For most of us, self-justification was the maker of excuses; excuses, of course, for drinking, and for all kinds of crazy and damaging conduct. We had made the invention of alibis a fine art. We had to drink because times were hard or times were good. We had to drink because at home we were smothered with love or got none at all. We had to drink because at work we were great successes or dismal failures. We had to drink because our nation had won a war or lost a peace. And so it went, ad infinitum."

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 46-47

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE BONDAGE OF RESENTMENTS

. . .  harboring resentment is infinitely grave.  For then we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit.

AS BILL SEES IT, p.  5

It has been said, "Anger is a luxury I cannot afford."  Does this suggest I ignore this human emotion?  I believe not.  Before I learned of the A.A. program, I was a slave to the behavior patterns of alcoholism.  I was chained to negativity, with no hope of cutting loose.

The Steps offered me an alternative.  Step Four was the beginning of the end of my bondage.  The process of "letting go" started with an inventory.  I needed not be frightened, for the previous Steps assured me I was not alone.  My Higher Power led me to this door and gave me the gift of choice.  Today I can choose to open the door to freedom and rejoice in the sunlight of the Steps, as they cleanse the spirit within me.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Move Ahead

To spend too much time on any one alcoholic is to deny some other an opportunity to live and be happy. One of our Fellowship failed entirely with his first half-dozen prospects. He often says that if he had continued to work on them, he might have deprived many others, who have since recovered, of their chance.
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"Our chief responsibility to the newcomer is an adequate presentation of the program. If he does nothing or argues, we do nothing but maintain our own sobriety. If he starts to move ahead, even a little, with an open mind, we then break our necks to help in every way we can."

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 96
2. LETTER, 1942
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"When we decide who is to hear our story, we waste no time. We have
a written inventory and we are prepared for a long talk. We explain
to our partner what we are about to do and why we have to do it. He
should realize that we are engaged upon a life-and-death errand.
Most people approached in this way will be glad to help; they will be
honored by our confidence."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 75

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

Terrible things could have happened to any one of us. We never will know what might have happened to us when we were drunk. We usually thought: "That couldn't happen to me." But any one of us could have killed somebody or have been killed ourselves, if we were drunk enough. But fear of these things never kept us from drinking. Do I believe that in A.A. we have something more effective than fear?

Meditation for the Day

I must keep calm and unmoved in the vicissitudes of life. I must go back into the silence of communion with God to recover this calm when it is lost even for one moment. I will accomplish more by this calmness than by all the activities of a long day. At all cost I will keep calm. I can solve nothing when I am agitated. I should keep away from things that are upsetting emotionally. I should run on an even keel and not get tipped over by emotional upsets. I should seek for things that are calm and good and true and stick to those things.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not argue nor contend, but merely state calmly what I believe to be true. I pray that I may keep myself in that state of calmness that comes from faith in God's purpose for the world.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Selfishness ^*^*^*^*^ April 14, 2012

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

"Selfishness - self-centeredness!
That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Driven by a hundred forms of fear,
self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity,
we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.
Sometimes they hurt us,
seemingly without provocation,
but we invariably find that at some time in the past
we have made decisions based on self
which later placed us in a position to be hurt.
So our troubles, we think,
are basically of our own making."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62

Thought to Consider . . .

Spirituality is the ability
to get our minds off ourselves.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
BUT
Being Unconvinced Totally

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

Health

From "The Family Afterward":

"A body badly burned by alcohol does not often recover overnight nor do twisted thinking and depression vanish in a twinkling. We are convinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most powerful health restorative. We, who have recovered from serious drinking, are miracles of mental health.  Hardly one of our crowd now shows any mark of dissipation.

"But this does not mean that we disregard human health measures. God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 133

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE "NUMBER ONE OFFENDER"

Resentment is the "number one" offender.  It destroys more alcoholics than anything else.  From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS,  p.  64

As I look at myself practicing the Fourth Step, it is easy to gloss over the wrong that I have done, because I can easily see it as a question of "getting even" for a wrong done to me.  If I continue to relive my old hurt, it is a resentment and resentment bars the sunlight from my soul.  If I continue to relive hurts and hates, I will hurt and hate myself.  After years in the dark of resentments, I have found the sunlight.  I must let go of resentments; I cannot afford them.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Our New Employer

We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well.
Established on such a footing, we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life.
As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow, or the hereafter. We were reborn.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 63

*~*~*~*~*^ 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

A police captain once told about certain cases he had come across in his police work. The cause of the tragedy in each case was drunkenness. He told his audience about a man who got into an argument with his wife while he was drunk and beat her to death. Then he went out and drank some more. The police captain also told about a woman who got too near the edge of an old quarry hole when she was drunk and fell one hundred and fifty feet to her death. When I read or hear these stories, do I think about our motto: "But for the grace of God"?

Meditation for the Day

I must keep balance by keeping spiritual things at the center of my life. God will give me this poise and balance if I pray for it. This poise will give me power in dealing with the lives of others. This balance will manifest itself more and more in my own life. I should keep material things in their proper place and keep spiritual things at the center of my life. Then I will be at peace amid the distractions of everyday living.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may dwell with God at the center of my life. I pray that I may keep that inner peace at the center of my being.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Amends ^*^*^*^*^ April 13, 2012

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

"Learning how to live in the greatest peace,
partnership, and brotherhood with all men and women,
of whatever description, is a moving
and fascinating adventure.
Every AA has found that he can make little headway
in this new adventure of living until he first backtracks
and really makes an accurate and unsparing survey
of the human wreckage he has left in his wake."
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 77
As Bill Sees It, p. 145

Thought to Consider . . .

We are as sick as our secrets.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
DENIAL
Don't Even Notice I Am Lying

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

Setback

From "Evidence of a Miracle":

"Now I see how monumental my self-deception was. During that first thirteen years, my sobriety was not of the high quality it seemed to be. During the two years that followed, I actually convinced myself that it was a privilege to be able to drink. When I returned to A.A., its precepts seemed entirely new to me, particularly the meaning of the First Step, the 'atom bomb of the program.' Instead of taking the Steps and forgetting them, this time I began living them daily, finding new meaning in each one."

 1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 96

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE FALSE COMFORT OF SELF-PITY

Self-pity is one of the most unhappy and consuming defects that we know.  It is a bar to all spiritual progress and can cut off all effective communication with our fellows because of its inordinate demands for attention and sympathy.  It is a maudlin form of martyrdom, which we can ill afford.

AS BILL SEES IT, p.  238

The false comfort of self-pity screens me from reality only momentarily and then demands, like a drug, that I take an ever bigger dose.  If I succumb to this it could lead to a relapse into drinking.  What can I do?  One certain antidote is to turn my attention, however slightly at first, toward others who are genuinely less fortunate than I, preferably other alcoholics.  In the same degree that I actively demonstrate my empathy with them, I will lessen my own exaggerated suffering.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Principle Before Expediency

Most of us thought good character was desirable. Obviously, good character was something one needed to get on with the business of being self-satisfied. With a proper display of honesty and morality, we'd stand a better chance of getting what we really wanted. But whenever we had to choose between character and comfort, character-building was lost in the dust of our chase after what we thought was happiness.
Seldom did we look at character-building as something desirable in itself. We never thought of making honesty, tolerance, and true love of man and God the daily basis of living.
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How to translate a right mental conviction into a right emotional result, and so into easy, happy, and good living, is the problem of life itself.

1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 71-72
2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"When working with a man and his family, you should take care not to
participate in their quarrels. You may spoil your chance of being
helpful if you do. But urge upon a man's family that he has been a
very sick person and should be treated accordingly. You should warn
against arousing resentment or jealousy. You should point out that
his defects of character are not going to disappear over night. Show
them that he has entered upon a period of growth. Ask them to
remember, when they are impatient, the blessed fact of his sobriety."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 100~

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

Having found my way into this new world by the grace of God and the help of A.A., am I going to take that first drink, when I know that just one drink will change my whole world? Am I deliberately going back to the suffering of that alcoholic world? Or am I going to hang onto the happiness of this sober world? Is there any doubt about the answer? With God's help, am I going to hang onto AA. with both hands?

Meditation for the Day

I will try to make the world better and happier by my presence in it. I will try to help other people find the way God wants them to live. I will try to be on the side of good, in the stream of righteousness, where all things work for good. I will do my duty persistently and faithfully, not sparing myself. I will be gentle with all people. I will try to see other people's difficulty and help them to correct it. I will always pray to God to act as interpreter between me and the other person.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live in the spirit of prayer. I pray that I may depend on God for the strength I need to help me to do my part in making the world a better place.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Sharing ^*^*^*^*^ April 12, 2012

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

"In spite of the great increase in the size
and the span of this Fellowship,
at its core it remains simple and personal.
Each day, somewhere in the world,
recovery begins when one alcoholic talks
with another alcoholic,
sharing experience, strength, and hope."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. xxii

Thought to Consider . . .

We need each other's experience, strength, and hope,
regardless of age or length of sobriety.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E
Help Open People's Eyes

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

 

Money

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

An aide "quickly took the glowing report to his friend, Mr. Rockefeller, who we thought would surely be interested. Here was medicine, here was religion, and here was a great good work, all in one package.  Mr. Rockefeller listened intently. He was tremendously impressed and said so. He has  repeatedly stated that his connection with Alcoholics Anonymous is numbered among the finest and most moving experiences of his life.

"Nevertheless, Mr. Rockefeller flatly turned down this plea for a large sum [$50,000], despite the fact that the project appealed to his every charitable inclination. After a rereading of  [the aide's] report, he said  'I am afraid that money will spoil this thing.' When he gave his reasons, they were identical with those advanced by the Akron group's minority [at an earlier meeting]. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was guided then and there to save the A.A. fellowship from itself and from unnecessary hazards of money, property, and professionalism. It was one of the turning points in A.A.'s history.

"[The aide then] described the desperate financial plight of Dr. Bob and myself. On hearing of this, Mr. Rockefeller said, 'I will place $5,000 for their use in the treasury of the Riverside Church [NYC, NY]. You may draw on this as you like. This will give these men some temporary assistance. But this fellowship should soon become self-supporting.'"  An account by Bill W. of events which took place in December, 1937

 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 150-51

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

GIVING UP INSANITY

. . . where alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  38

Alcoholism required me to drink, whether I wanted to or not.  Insanity dominated my life and was the essence of my disease.  It robbed me of the freedom of choice over drinking and, therefore, robbed me of all other choices.  When I drank, I was unable to make effective choices in any part of my life, and life became unmanageable.

I ask God to help me understand and accept the full meaning of the disease of alcoholism.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Healing Talk

When we consult an A.A. friend, we should not be reluctant to remind him of our need for full privacy. Intimate communication is normally so free and easy among us that an A.A. adviser may sometimes forget when we expect him to remain silent. The protective sanctity of this most healing of human relations ought never be violated.
Such privileged communications have priceless advantages. We find in them the perfect opportunity to be as honest as we know how to be. We do not have to think of the possibility of damage to other people, nor need we fear ridicule or condemnation. Here, too. we have the best possible chance of spotting self-deception.

GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961
*~*~*~*~*^ 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

This sober world is a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in. Once you've gotten out of your alcoholic fog, you find that the world looks good. You find real friends in A.A. You get a job. You feel good in the morning. You eat a good breakfast and you do a good day's work at home or outside. And your family loves you and welcomes you because you're sober. Am I convinced that this sober world is a pleasant place for an alcoholic to live in?

Meditation for the Day

Our need is God's opportunity. First we must recognize our need. Often this means helplessness before some weakness or sickness and an admission of our need for help. Next comes faith in the power of God's spirit, available to us to meet that need. Before any need can be met, our faith must find expression. That expression of faith is all God needs to manifest His power in our lives. Faith is the key that unlocks the storehouse of God's resources.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may first admit my needs. I pray that then I may have faith that God will meet those needs, in the way which is best for me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012