Thoughts For The Day~*~Self-will ^*^*^ July 24, 2012

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Self-will
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"The first requirement is that we be convinced
that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success.  
On that basis we are almost always
in collision with something or somebody,
even though our motives are good. 
Most people try to live by self-propulsion. 
Each person is like an actor who wants
to run the whole show;
is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet,
the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way. 
If his arrangements would only stay put,
if only people would do as he wished,
the show would be great. 
Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. 
Life would be wonderful."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 60-1
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Thought to Consider . . .

It's not making a mistake that will kill me. 
It's defending it that does the damage.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
N U T S  =  Not Using The Steps

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

Orderly Transfer

From: "When AA Came of Age" 

The full attendance of thousands of A.A.s at St. Louis, representing an accurate cross-section of A.A. opinion, now sat in convention before us. On the auditorium stage was the Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous, about a hundred men and women who were the named and chosen representatives of the whole fellowship. The Conference, having completed the fifth year of its experimental period with a record of high success, was no longer an experiment. It was the instrument destined to become the heart of A.A.'s Third Legacy of Service and the whole of A.A.'s conscience, world-wide.

In the simple ceremony that followed, I offered a resolution to the effect that our society should now take its affairs into its own hands and that its Conference ought to become the permanent successor to the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

Amid a roar of acclamation from the floor, the Convention carried that resolution. There was silence, and then we heard chairman Smith offer the resolution to the Conference for its confirmation. A simple show of hands expressed the consent of the Conference and marked the exact moment when A.A. came of age. It was four o'clock. [July 3, 1955] 

1985, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, page 47

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
HELPING OTHERS

Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our
constant thought of others and how we may help meet their
needs.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 20

Self-centeredness was my problem. All my life people had
been doing things for me and I not only expected it but I
was ungrateful and resentful they didn't do more. Why
should I help others, when they were supposed to help me?
If others had troubles, didn't they deserve them? I was
filled with self-pity, anger and resentment. Then I
learned that by helping others, with no thought of return,
I could overcome this obsession with selfishness, and if
I understood humility, I would know peace and serenity.
No longer do I need to drink.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Virtue and Self-Deception

I used to take comfort from an exaggerated belief in my own honesty. My New England kinfolk had taught me the sanctity of all business commitments and contracts, saying, "A man's word is his bond." After this rigorous conditioning, business honesty always came easy; I never flim-flammed anyone. However, this small fragment of readily won virtue did produce some interesting liabilities. I never failed to whip up a fine contempt for those of my fellow Wall Streeters who were prone to shortchange their customers. This was arrogant enough, but the ensuing self-deception proved even worse. My prized business honesty was presently converted into a comfortable cloak under which I could hide the many serious flaws that beset other departments of my life. Being certain of this one virtue, it was easy to conclude that I had them all. For years on end, this prevented me from taking a good look at myself.

GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

"The Great Fact"

"We realize we know only a little.
God will constantly disclose more to you
and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation
what you can do each day for
the man who is still sick.
The answers will come, if you own house is in order.
"But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got.
See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will
come to pass for you and countless others.
This is the great fact for us."

- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 164
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man,
woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God. It may be obscured
by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or
other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and
miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as
old as man himself."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 55

"We have three little mottoes which are apropos.
Here they are:

First Things First
Live and Let Live
Easy Does It."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 135~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

A.A. is like a dike, holding back the ocean of liquor. If
we take one glass of liquor, it is like making a small hole
in the dike and once such a hole has been made, the whole
ocean of alcohol may rush in upon us. By practicing the A.A.
principles we keep the dike strong and in repair. We spot
any weakness or crack in that dike and make the necessary
repairs before any damage is done. Outside the dike is
the whole ocean of alcohol, waiting to engulf us again in
despair. Am I keeping the dike strong?

Meditation for the Day

Keep as close as you can to the Higher Power. Try to think,
act, live as though you were always in God's presence. Keeping
close to a Power greater than your-self is the solution to
most of the earth's problems. Try to practice the presence of
God in the things you think and do. That is the secret of
personal power. It is the thing that influences the lives of
others for good. Abide in the Lord and rejoice in His love.
Keep close to the Divine Spirit in the universe. Keep God
close behind your thoughts.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may keep close to the Mind of God. I pray that
I may live with Him in my heart and mind.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Obedience ^*^*^ June 23, 2012

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Obedience
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"We of AA obey spiritual principles,
at first because we must,
then because we ought to,
and ultimately because we love the kind of life
such obedience brings.
Great suffering and great love
are AA's disciplinarians;
we need no others."
1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 27
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Thought to Consider . . .

The spiritual approach to recovery
is not about relinquishing responsibility for our lives
to some Cosmic Butler.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H A L T  =  Hope, Acceptance, Love, Tolerance

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

Before

From "The Family Afterward":

"This painful past may be of infinite value to other families still struggling with their problem. We think each family which has been relieved owes something to those who have not, and when the occasion requires, each member of it should be only too willing to bring former mistakes, no matter how grievous out of their hiding places. Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 124

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
TRUSTING OTHERS

But does trust require that we be blind to other people's motives or, indeed, to our own?  Not at all; this would be folly.  Most certainly, we should assess the capacity for harm as well as the capability for good in every person that we would trust.  Such a private inventory can reveal the degree of confidence we should extend in any given situation.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 144

I am not a victim of others, but rather a victim of my expectations, choices and dishonesty.  When I expect others to be what I want them to be and not who they are, when they fail to meet my expectations, I am hurt.  When my choices are based on self-centeredness, I find I am lonely and distrustful.  I gain confidence in myself, however, when I practice honesty in all my affairs.  When I search my motives and am honest and trusting, I am aware of the capacity for harm in situations and can avoid those that are harmful.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Constructive Forces

Mine was exactly the kind of deep-seated block we so often see today in new people who say they are atheistic or agnostic. Their will to disbelieve is so powerful that apparently they prefer a date with the undertaker to an open-minded and experimental quest for God.
Happily for me, and for most of my kind who have since come along in A.A., the constructive forces brought to bear in our Fellowship have nearly always overcome this colossal obstinacy. Beaten into complete defeat by alcohol, confronted by the living proof of release, and surrounded by those who can speak to us from the heart, we have finally surrendered. And then, paradoxically, we have found ourselves in a new dimension, the real world of spirit and faith. Enough willingness, enough open-mindedness--and there it is!

A.A. TODAY, P. 9
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"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 worth while."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66

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

No chain is stronger than its weakest link. Likewise, if
you fail in the day-by-day program, in all probability it
will be at your weakest point. Great-faith and constant
contact with God's power can help you discover, guard, and
undergird your weakest point with a strength not your own.
Intelligent faith in God's power can be counted on to help
you master your emotions, help you to think kindly of
others, and help you with any task that you undertake, no
matter how difficult. Am I master of my emotions?

Meditation for the Day

You need to be constantly recharged by the power of the
spirit of God. Commune with God in quiet times until the
life from God, the Divine life, by that very contact, flows
into your being and revives your fainting spirit. When weary,
take time out and rest. Rest and gain power and strength
from God, and then you will be ready to meet whatever
opportunities come your way. Rest until every care and worry
and fear have gone and then the tide of peace and serenity,
love and joy, will flow into your consciousness.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may rest and become recharged. I pray that I
may pause and wait for the renewing of my strength.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Spirituality ^*^*^ June 22, 2012

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Spirituality
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"Do not let any prejudice you may have
against spiritual terms deter you
from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you.
At the start, this was all we needed
to commence spiritual growth,
to effect our first conscious relation with God
as we understood Him.
Afterward, we found ourselves accepting many things
which then seemed entirely out of reach.
That was growth, but if we wished to grow
we had to begin somewhere.
So we used our own conception, however limited it was."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 47
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Thought to Consider . . .

The solution is simple.
The solution is spiritual.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S O B E R  =  Spiritually On Beam; Everything's Right

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

Realization

From "An Open Heart":

"Suddenly, the words on the page hit me: 'The number of times that you win or lose is not important. The only thing that matters is the number of times that you try.' For several years I had tried to get someone else to solve my problem for me, but I had not realized I was doing so until that moment of insight. '... That you try.' I was exhilarated. Now I knew that I was an alcoholic and that I had the only qualification for membership in A.A., a desire to stop drinking , New York, New York"

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 50

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*^*~*~*~*~*
TODAY, I'M FREE

This brought me to the good healthy realization that there
were plenty of situations left in the world over which I
had no personal power- that if I was so ready to admit that
to be the case with alcohol, so I must make the same
admission with respect to much else. I would have to be
still and know that He, not I, was God.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 114

I am learning to practice acceptance in all circumstances
of my life, so that I may enjoy peace of mind. At one time
life was a constant battle because I felt I had to go through
each day fighting myself, and everyone else. Eventually, this
became a losing battle. I ended up getting drunk and crying
over my misery. When I began to let go and let God take over
my life I began to have peace of mind. Today, I am free. I
do not have to fight anybody or anything anymore.

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

We started upon a personal inventory, Step Four. A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock in trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. We has to do exactly the same thing with our lives. We had to take stock honestly.
<<<>>>
"Moments of perception can build into a lifetime of spiritual serenity, as I have excellent reason to know. Roots of reality, supplanting the neurotic underbrush, will hold fast despite the high winds of the forces which would destroy us, or which we would use to destroy ourselves."

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 64
2. LETTER, 1949
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could
not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that
either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He
isn't."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~

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

If you have any doubt, just ask any of the older members of
the A.A. group, and they will readily tell you that since they
turned their lives over to the care of God as they understand
Him, many of their problems have been banished into the
forgotten yesterdays. When you allow yourself to be upset over
one thing, you succeed only in opening the door to the coming
of hundreds of other upsetting things. Am I allowing myself to
be upset over little things?

Meditation for the Day

I would do well not to think of the Red Sea of difficulties
that lies ahead. I am sure that when I come to that Red Sea,
the waters will part and I will be given all the power I need
to face and overcome many difficulties and meet what is in
store for me with courage. I believe that I will pass through
that Red Sea to the promised land, the land of the spirit where
many souls meet in perfect comradeship. I believe that when
that time comes, I will be freed of all the dross of material
things and find peace.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may face the future with courage. I pray that I
may be given strength to face both life and death fearlessly.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Change^*^*^June 21, 2012

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Change
^*^*^
"Let us never fear needed change.
Certainly we have to discriminate between
changes for worse and changes for better.
But once a need becomes clearly apparent
in an individual, in a group, or in AA as a whole,
it has long since been found out
that we cannot stand still and look the other way.
The essence of all growth is a willingness
to change for the better
and then an unremitting willingness
to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails."
Bill W., Grapevine, July 1965
1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It,  p. 115
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Thought to Consider . . .

God used two people to create me;
He used a whole Fellowship to change me.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A C T I O N  =  Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature.

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

Steps

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"Though subject to considerable variation, it all boiled down into a pretty consistent procedure which comprised six steps. These were approximately as follows: 

  1. "We admitted that we were licked, that we were powerless  over alcohol.

 

  2.  "We made a moral inventory of our defects or sins.

 

  3.   "We confessed or shared our shortcomings with another person in confidence.

 

  4.   "We made restitution to all those we have harmed by our drinking.

 

  5.  "We tried to help other alcoholics, with no thought of reward in money or prestige.

  6.    We prayed to whatever God we thought there was for power to practice these precepts.

"This was the substance of what, by the fall of 1938, we were telling newcomers. Several of the Oxford Groups other ideas and attitudes had been definitely rejected, including any which could involve us in theological controversy."

 2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 160

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^s^*~*~*~*~*
FEAR AND FAITH

The achievement of freedom from fear is a lifetime undertaking, one that can never be wholly completed.  When under heavy attack, acute illness, or in other conditions of serious insecurity, we shall all react to this emotion -- well or badly, as the case may be.  Only the self-deceived will claim perfect freedom from fear.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 263

Fear has caused suffering when I could have had more faith.  There are times when fear suddenly tears me apart, just when I'm experiencing feelings of joy, happiness and a lightness of heart.  Faith and a feeling of self-worth toward a Higher Power -- helps me endure tragedy and ecstasy.  When I choose to give all of my fears over to my Higher Power, I will be free.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
This Matter of Honesty

"Only God can fully know what absolute honesty is. Therefore, each of us has to conceive what this great ideal may be--to the best or our ability. "Fallible as we all are, and will be in this life, it would be presumption to suppose that we could ever really achieve absolute honesty. The best we can do is to strive for a better quality of honesty.
"Sometimes we need to place love ahead of indiscriminate 'factual honesty.' We cannot, under the guise of 'perfect honesty,' cruelly and unnecessarily hurt others. Always one must ask, 'What is the best and most loving thing I can do?' "

LETTER, 1966
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we found
we could not place money first. For us, material well-being always
followed spiritual progress; it never preceded."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Intelligent faith in that Power greater than ourselves can
be counted on to stabilize our emotions. It has an
incomparable capacity to help us look at life in balanced
perspective. We look up, around, and away from ourselves,
and we see that nine out of ten things that at the moment
upset us will shortly disappear. Problems solve themselves,
criticism and unkindness vanish as though they had never
been. Have I got the proper perspective toward life?

Meditation for the Day

A truly spiritual man or woman would like to have a serene
mind. The only way to keep calm in this troubled world is to
have a serene mind. The calm and sane mind sees spiritual
things as the true realities and material things as only
temporary and fleeting. That sort of mind you can never obtain
by reasoning, because your reasoning powers are limited by
space and time. That kind of a mind you can never obtain by
reading, because other minds are also limited in the same way.
You can only have that mind by an act of faith, by making the
venture of belief.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may have a calm and sane mind. I pray that I may
look up, around, and away from myself.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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