Thoughts For The Day~*~Disease ^*^*^*^*^ May 13, 2012

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

"Some strongly object to the AA position
that alcoholism is an illness.
This concept, they feel, removes
moral responsibility from alcoholics.
As any AA knows, this is far from true.
We do not use the concept of sickness
to absolve our members from responsibility.
On the contrary, we use the fact of fatal illness
to clamp the heaviest kind of moral obligation
onto the sufferer,
the obligation to use AA's Twelve Steps to get well."
Bill W., Talk, 1960 As Bill Sees It, p. 32

Thought to Consider . . .

The road to recovery is always under construction.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
STEPS
Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

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

Candor

STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

"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."

1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 57

 *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE EASIER, SOFTER WAY

If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  72

I certainly didn't leap at the opportunity to face who I was, especially when the pains of my drinking days hung over me like a dark cloud.  But I soon heard at the meetings about the fellow member who just didn't want to take Step Five and kept coming back to meetings, trembling from the horrors of reliving his past.  The easier, softer way is to take these Steps to freedom from our fatal disease, and to put our faith in the Fellowship and our Higher Power.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Seeking Fool's Gold

Pride is the basic breeder of most human difficulties, the chief block to true progress. Pride lures us into making demands upon ourselves or upon others which cannot be met without perverting or misusing our God-given instincts. When the satisfaction of our instincts for sex, security, and a place in society becomes the primary object of our lives, then pride steps in to justify our excesses.

***  ***

I may attain "humility for today" only to the extent that I am able to avoid the bog of guilt and rebellion on one hand and, on the other hand, that fair but deceiving land which is strewn with the fool's-gold coins of pride. This is how I can find and stay on the highroad to humility, which lies between these extremes. Therefore, a constant inventory which can reveal when I am off the road is always in order.

1.TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 48-49
2. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no
middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was
becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives:
One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of
our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept
spiritual help. This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were
willing to make the effort."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

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

In A.A. we find fellowship and release and strength. And having found these things, the real reasons for our drinking are taken away. Then drinking has no more justification in our minds. We no longer need to fight against drink. Drink just naturally leaves us. At first, we are sorry that we can't drink, but we get so that we are glad that we don't have to drink. Am I glad that I don't have to drink?

Meditation for the Day

Try never to judge. The human mind is so delicate and so complex that only its Maker can know it wholly. Each mind is so different, actuated by such different motives, controlled by such different circumstances, influenced by such different sufferings, you cannot know all the influences that have gone to make up a personality. Therefore, it is impossible for you to judge wholly that personality. But God knows that person wholly and He can change it. Leave to God the unraveling of the puzzles of personality. And leave it to God to teach you the proper understanding.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not judge other people. I pray that I may be certain that God can set right what is wrong in every personality.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Forgiveness^*^*^*^*^ May 12, 2012

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

"The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship
with another person,
our emotions go on the defensive.
To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another,
we resentfully focus
on the wrong he has done us.
This is especially true if he has, in fact,
behaved badly at all.
Triumphantly, we seize upon his misbehavior
as the perfect excuse for minimizing
or forgetting our own.
If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves,
why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?"
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 78

Thought to Consider . . .

We are prisoners of our own resentments.
Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
KISS
Keep It Simple, Surrender

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

Reborn

From "Bill's Story":

"Trembling, I stepped from the hospital a broken man. Fear sobered me for a bit. Then came the insidious insanity of that first drink, and on Armistice Day 1934, I was off again. Everyone became resigned to the certainty that I would have to be shut up somewhere, or would stumble along to a miserable end. How dark it is before the dawn! In reality that was the beginning of my last debauch. I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. I was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 8

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE PAST IS OVER

A.A. experience has taught us we cannot live alone with our pressing problems and the character defects which cause or aggravate them.  If . . . Step Four . . . has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember . . . then the need to quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday gets more urgent than ever.  We have to talk to somebody about them.
                               
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  55

Whatever is done is over.  It cannot be changed.  But my attitude about it can be changed through talking with those who have gone before and with sponsors.  I can wish the past never was, but if I change my actions in regard to what I have done, my attitude will change.  I won't have to wish the past away.  I can change my feelings and attitudes, but only through my actions and the help of my fellow alcoholics.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
To Be Fair-Minded

Too often, I think, we have deprecated and even derided projects of our friends in the field of alcoholism just because we do not always see eye to eye with them.
We should very seriously ask ourselves how many alcoholics have gone on drinking simply because we have failed to cooperate in good spirit with these many agencies--whether they be good, bad, or indifferent. No alcoholic should go mad or die merely because he did not come straight to A.A. at the
beginning.
<<<>>>
Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint. This carries a top-priority rating. When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.

1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965
2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 91

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

"We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show,
humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done." We
are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-
pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do
not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we
did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 87~

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

When we come into A.A., looking for a way out of drinking, we really need a lot more than that. We need fellowship. We need to get the things that are troubling us out into the open. We need a new outlet for our energies and we need a new strength beyond ourselves that will help us face life instead of running away from it. In A.A. we find these things that we need. Have I found the things that I need?

Meditation for the Day

Turn out all thoughts of doubt and fear and resentment. Never tolerate them if you can help it. Bar the windows and doors of your mind against them, as you would bar your home against a thief who would steal in to take away your treasures. What greater treasures can you have than faith and courage and love? All these are stolen from you by doubt and fear and resentment. Face each day with peace and hope. They are results of true faith in God. Faith gives you a feeling of protection and safety that you can get in no other way.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may feel protected and safe, but not only when I am in the harbor. I pray that I may have protection and safety even in the midst of the storms of life.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Maturity ^*^*^*^*^ May 11, 2012

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

"Many oldsters who have put our AA 'booze cure'
to severe but successful tests
still find they often lack emotional sobriety.
To attain this,
we must develop a real maturity and balance
(which is to say humility)
in our relations with ourselves,
with our fellows,
and with God."

Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, January 1958
As Bill Sees It, p. 244

Thought to Consider . . .

"We must find a spiritual basis of life -- or else."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 44

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
AA
Attitude Adjustment

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

Inspiration

From "This Spirit Touch":

"At some time, perhaps in a more moderate way, nearly everyone has experienced this spirit touch of God" the fleeting feeling of insight, love, joy, and 'The world is right.' Once, I thought that only unusual circumstances made these moments possible. Actually, I now think, they are forecasts of what one can have if one is willing to take the time and make the effort. Peace, love, and joy can be sought through quiet thinking and honest prayer. The wholeness, the new awareness, that is produced affects one's relationship with God and man to a degree greater than would seem possible in ordinary life."

AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 65

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A NEW SENSE OF BELONGING

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.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  57

After four years in A.A. I was able to discover the freedom from the burden of buried emotions that had caused me so much pain.  With the help of A.A., and extra counseling, the pain was released and I felt a complete sense of belonging and peace.  I also felt a joy and a love of God that I had never experienced before.  I am in awe of the power of Step Five.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Two-Way Tolerance

"Your point of view was once mine. Fortunately, A.A. is constructed so that we need not debate the existence of God; but for best results, most of us must depend upon a Higher Power. You say the group is your Higher Power, and no right-minded A.A. would challenge your privilege to believe precisely that way. We should all be glad that good recoveries can be made even on this limited basis.
"But turnabout is fair play. If you would expect tolerance for your point of view, I am sure you would be willing to reciprocate. I try to remember that, down through the centuries, lots of brighter people than 1 have been found on both sides of this debate about belief. For myself, of late years, I am finding it much easier to believe that God made man, than that man made God."

LETTER, 1950
Copyright1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc

*~*~*~*~*^ 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

We can depend on those members of any group who have gone all out for the program. They come to meetings. They work with other alcoholics. We don't have to worry about their slipping. They're loyal members of the group. I'm trying to be a loyal member of the group. When I'm tempted to take a drink, I tell myself that if I did I'd be letting down the other members who are the best friends I have. Am I going to let them down, if I can help it?

Meditation for the Day

Wherever there is true fellowship and love between people, God's spirit is always there as the Divine Third. In all human relationships, the Divine Spirit is what brings them together. When a life is changed through the channel of another person, it is God, the Divine Third, who always makes the change, using the person as a means. The moving power behind all spiritual things, all personal relationships between people is God, the Divine Third, who is always there. No personal relationships can be entirely right without the presence of God's spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be used as a channel by God's spirit. I pray that I may feel that the Divine Third is always there to help me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Sunlight^*^*^*^*^ May 10, 2012

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

"It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment
leads only to futility and unhappiness.
To the precise extent that we permit these,
do we squander the hours that might have been worthwhile.
This business of resentment is infinitely grave.
We found that it is fatal.
For when harboring such feelings
we shut ourselves off from
the sunlight of the Spirit.
The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again.
And with us, to drink is to die."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 66

Thought to Consider . . .

"I have been given a quiet place in bright sunshine."

Bill W., Box 1980: The AA Grapevine, Jan. 1958.
The Language of the Heart, p. 238

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
CALM
Can Anger Leave Me

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

Book

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"But at one of these [Trustee] meetings in the early fall of 1938, Frank Amos popped up with an idea which opened the door upon our real future. Frank said, 'One of my friends, Eugene Exman, is Religious Editor of Harper. Perhaps he would be interested in your [Bill W.'s] new book. Why don't you go down there and show him the few chapters you have done? I'll fix it up for you.'

"So down I went to meet Gene Exman, another wonderful friend-to-be of our society. I related the tale of our struggles and handed over to him my first attempt at authorship. While I waited Gene thoughtfully scanned the two chapters. Then he asked, 'Could you do a whole book in this style? And how many months would it take you?' I was shaking, but I had an answer ready: 'I believe I can do it. It will probably take nine or ten months.' Thereupon he made a proposal that was surprising. 'If it would help things along,' he said, 'I think Harper might be willing to advance you $1,500 in royalties. This amount would be deducted from your account when the book is finished in 1939.'

"Again in the clouds, I left Harper to break the great news to the gang."

 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 153-54

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
FREE AT LAST

Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility -- a word often misunderstood... it amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be. 

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  58

I knew deep inside that if I were ever to be joyous, happy and free, I had to share my past life with some other individual.  The joy and relief I experienced after doing so were beyond description.  Almost immediately after taking the Fifth Step, I felt free from the bondage of self and the bondage of alcohol.  That freedom remains after 36 years, a day at a time.  I found that God could do for me what I couldn't do for myself.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Our Problem Centers in the Mind

We know as long as the alcoholic keeps away from drink, he usually reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, in both the bodily and the mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this.
These observations would be academic and pointless if our friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible cycle in motion. Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 22-23

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

"Many of us felt that we had plenty of character. There was a
tremendous urge to cease forever. Yet we found it impossible. This
is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it this utter
inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or the
wish."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 34~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

One thing that keeps me sober is a feeling of loyalty to the other members of the group. I know I'd be letting them down if I ever took a drink. When I was drinking, I wasn't loyal to anybody. I should have been loyal to my family, but I wasn't. I let them down by my drinking. When I came into A.A., I found a group of people who were not only helping each other to stay sober, but who were loyal to each other by staying sober themselves. Am I loyal to my group?

Meditation for the Day

Calmness is constructive of good. Agitation is destructive of good. I should not rush into action. I should first "be still and know that He is God." Then I should act only as God directs me through my conscience. Only trust, perfect trust in God, can keep me calm when all around me are agitated. Calmness is trust in action. I should seek all things that can help me to cultivate calmness. To attain material things, the world learns to attain speed. To attain spiritual things, I have to learn to attain a state of calm.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may learn how to have inner peace. I pray that I may be calm, so that God can work through me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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