^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
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Wants or Needs?
^*^*^
"We are taught to differentiate between our wants
(which are never satisfied)
and our needs (which are always provided for).
We cast off the burdens of the past
and the anxieties of the future,
as we begin to live in the present, one day at a time.
We are granted
'the serenity to accept the things we cannot change'
- and thus lose our quickness to anger
and our sensitivity to criticism."
1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 560
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Thought to consider ...
Don't give up before the miracle happens.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S T E P S = Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
"Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem. That means we have written a book which we believe to be spiritual as well as moral. And it means, of course, that we are going to talk about God. Here difficulty arises with agnostics. Many times we talk to a new man and watch his hope rise as we discuss his alcoholic problems and explain our fellowship. But his face falls when we speak of spiritual matters, especially when we mention God, for we have re-opened a subject which our man thought he had neatly evaded or entirely ignored. "We know how he feels. We have shared his honest doubt and prejudice."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 44
LIVING IN THE NOW
First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober -- and it works. Once the idea has become a part of our thinking, we find that living life in 24 hour segments is an effective and satisfying way to handle many other matters as well.
LIVING SOBER, p. 7
"One Day At A. Time." To a newcomer this and other one-liners of A.A. may seem ridiculous. The passwords of the A.A. Fellowship can become lifelines in moments of stress. Each day can be like a rose unfurling according to the plan of a Power greater than myself. My program should be planted in the right location, just as it will need to be groomed, nourished, and protected from disease. My planting will require patience, and my realizing that some flowers will be more perfect than others. Each stage of the petals' unfolding can bring wonder and delight if I do not interfere or let my
expectations override my acceptance -- and this brings serenity.
Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Rationalizers and the Self-Effacing
We alcoholics are the biggest rationalizers in the world. Fortified with the excuse that we are doing great things for A.A., we can, through broken anonymity, resume our old and disastrous pursuit of personal power and prestige, public honors, and money--the same implacable urges that, when frustrated, once caused us to drink.
<<<>>>
Dr. Bob was essentially a far more humble person than I, and anonymity came rather easily to him. When it was sure that he was mortally afflicted, some of his friends suggested that there should be a monument erected in honor of him and his wife, Anne--befitting a founder and his lady. Telling me about this, Dr. Bob grinned broadly and said, "God bless 'em. They mean well. But let's you and me get buried just like other folks."
In the Akron cemetery where Dr. Bob and Anne lie, the simple stone says not a word about A.A. This final example of self-effacement is of more permanent worth to A.A. than any amount of public attention or any great monument.
A.A. COMES OF AGE
1. PP. 292-293
2. PP. 136-137
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and
express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than
ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible
for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
We finally came to the bottom. We did not have to be financially broke,
although many of us were. But we were spiritually bankrupt. We had a
soul-sickness, a revulsion against ourselves and against our way of living. Life had become impossible for us. We had to end it all or do something about it. Am I glad I did something about it?
Meditation for the Day
Faith is not seeing, but believing. I am in a box of space and time and
cannot see spacelessness or eternity. But God is not within the shell of time and space. He is timeless and spaceless. He cannot be fully comprehended by our finite minds. But we must try to make a union between our purposes and the purposes of God. By trying to merge our minds with the mind of God, a oneness of purpose results. This oneness of purpose puts us in harmony with God and others. Evil comes from being in disharmony with God and good comes from being in harmony with Him.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be in harmony with God. I pray that I may get into the
stream of goodness in the universe.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012
