Thoughts For The Day~*~Acceptance ^*^*^*^*^ October 13, 2013

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 ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Acceptance
"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed,
it is because I find some person, place, thing, situation --
some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me,
and I can find no serenity until I accept
that person, place, thing, or situation
as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake.
Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
unless I accept life completely on life's terms,
I cannot be happy.
I need to concentrate not so much
on what needs to be changed in the world
as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition p. 417
Copyright  1976 A.A.W.S. Inc.

Thought to Consider . . .

Acceptance is not submission;
it is acknowledgment of the facts of a situation,
then deciding what you're going to do about it.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change

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

All You Will Need

From: "A Vision for You"  

Thus we grow. And so can you, though you be but one man with this book in your hand. We believe and hope it contains all you will need to begin.  

We know what you are thinking. You are saying to yourself: "I'm jittery and alone. I couldn't do that." But you can. You forget that you have just now tapped a source of power much greater than yourself. To duplicate, with such backing, what we have accomplished is only a matter of willingness, patience and labor.  

2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 162-163

 *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
UNREMITTING INVENTORIES

Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and
fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We
discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if
we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to
someone we can help.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84

The immediate admission of wrong thoughts or actions is a tough
task for most human beings, but for recovering alcoholics like me
it is difficult because of my propensity toward ego, fear and
pride. The freedom the A.A. program offers me becomes more
abundant when, through unremitting inventories of myself, I
admit, acknowledge and accept responsibility for my wrong-doing.
It is possible then for me to grow into a deeper and better
understanding of humility. My willingness to admit when the
fault is mine facilitates the progression of my growth and
helps me to become more understanding and helpful to others.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*

~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Mastering Resentments

We began to see that the world and its people had really dominated us. Under that unhappy condition, the wrongdoing of others, fancied or real, had power to actually kill us, because we could be driven back to drink through resentment. We saw that these resentments must be mastered, but how? We could not wish them away.
This was our course: We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick. So we asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend.
Today, we avoid retaliation or argument. We cannot treat sick people that way. If we do, we destroy our chance of being helpful. We cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show us how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and every one.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 66-67

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

"...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone even alcohol."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought For The Day

A.A. work is one hundred percent voluntary. It depends on
each and every one of our members to volunteer to do his
or her share. Newcomers can sit on the sidelines until they
have got over their nervous- ness and confusion. They have
a right to be helped by all, until they can stand on their own
feet. But the time inevitably comes when they have to speak
up and volunteer to do their share in meetings and in
twelfth-step work. Until that time comes, they are not a
vital part of A.A. They are only in the process of being
assimilated. Has my time come to volunteer?

Meditation for the Day

God's kingdom on earth is growing slowly, like a seed in the
ground. In the growth of His kingdom, there is always
progress among the few who are out ahead of the crowd.
Keep striving for something better and there can be no
stagnation in your life. Eternal life, abundant life is yours
for the seeking. Do not misspend time over past failures.
Count the lessons learned from failures as rungs upon the
ladder of progress. Press onward toward the goal.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be willing to grow. I pray that I may 'keep
stepping up on the rungs of the ladder of life.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Helpfulness ^*^*^*^*^ October 12, 2013

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Helpfulness
"Your job now is to be at the place where you may be
of maximum helpfulness to others,
so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful.
You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid spot on earth
on such an errand.
Keep on the firing line of life with these motives
and God will keep you unharmed."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 102.
Thought to Consider . . .

We in AA don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message.

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

 

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

Basics

From "New Selves Unfolding":

"However, the First Step and I have always been great friends. I repeated it every five seconds and thanked God each day for my sobriety, the only grace, maybe, for that day.

"Gradually, I began to see another part of me emerging a grateful me, expecting nothing, but sure that another power was beginning to guide me, counsel me, and direct my ways.  Barberton, Ohio, USA"

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 45

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
CURBING RASHNESS

When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 91

Being fair-minded and tolerant is a goal toward which I must work daily.   I ask God, as I understand Him, to help me to be loving and tolerant to my loved ones, and to those with whom I am in close contact.   I ask for guidance to curb my speech when I am agitated, and I take a moment to reflect on the emotional upheaval my words may cause, not only to someone else, but also to myself.   Prayer, meditation and inventories are the key to sound thinking and positive action for me.

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

The alarming thing about pride-blindness is the ease with which it is justified. But we need not look far to see that self-justification is a universal destroyer of harmony and of love. It sets man against man, nation against nation. By it, every form of folly and violence can be made to look right, and even respectable.

<<<>>>

It would be a product of false pride to claim that A.A. is a cure-all, even for alcoholism.

1. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961 - 2. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 232
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"If there be divorce or separation, there should be no undue haste
for the couple to get together. The man should be sure of his
recovery. The wife should fully understand his new way of life. If
their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis,
since the former did not work. This means a new attitude and spirit
all around. Sometimes it is to the best interests of all concerned
that a couple remain apart. Obviously, no rule can be laid down.
Let the alcoholic continue his program day by day. When the time for
living together has come, it will be apparent to both parties."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, Working With Others, Page 99
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought For The Day

Am I still on a "free ride" in A.A.?  Am I all get and no give?   Do I go to meetings and always sit in the back row and let others do all the work?   Do I think it's enough just because I'm sober and can rest on my laurels?   If so, I haven't gone very far in the program, nor am I getting nearly enough of what it has to offer.   I will be a weak member until I get in there and help carry the load.   I must eventually get off the bench and get into the game.   I'm not just a spectator; I'm supposed to be one of the team.   Do I go in there and carry the ball?

Meditation For The Day

Try to be thankful for whatever vision you have.   Try to perform, in the little things, faithful service to God and others.   Do your small part every day in a spirit of service to God.   Be a doer of God's word, not a hearer only.   In your daily life try to keep faith with God.   Every day brings a new opportunity to be of some use.   Even when you are tempted to rest or let things go or to evade the issue, make it a habit to meet the issue squarely as a challenge and not to hold back.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may perform each task faithfully.   I pray that I may meet each issue of life squarely and not hold back.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Trouble ^*^*^*^*^ October 11, 2013

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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(   \ (AA)/   )
(_   /AA\ _)
  /AA\
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Trouble
^*^*^*^*^

"In AA, we learned that trouble was really a fact of life for everybody--
a fact that had to be understood and dealt with.
Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could,
under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings.
Indeed, that was the essence of AA itself:
trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage,
trouble lessened and often transcended.
This was the AA story, and we became a part of it.
Such demonstrations became our stock in trade
for the next sufferer."
Bill W., Letter, 1966
As Bill Sees It, p. 110
Copyright 1967 A.A.W.S. Inc.
Thought to Consider . . .
God enters us through our wounds.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P A C E = Positive Attitudes Change Everything

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

Independent

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"Money-wise, Dr. Bob and I were still in a rather bad way. We were therefore allotted $30 a week [in 1940], and enough was on hand to keep this up for a year. Thereafter the [Rockefeller] dinner guests were solicited annually and the proceeds were always divided in the same way. Four years later we were able to write Mr. Rockefeller and his friends of the Union Club dinner that we needed no more funds. By then royalties from the book were giving Dr. Bob and me the help we needed, and the A.A. groups had begun to pick up the load of supporting the Headquarters office. At that point the A.A. Tradition of 'no outside contributions' went into full force and effect. Mr. Rockefeller and his friends had given us something more valuable than money. They had put A.A. on the map."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 186-88

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
SELF-RESTRAINT

Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 91

My drive to work provides me with an opportunity for self-examination. One day while making this trip, I began to review my progress in sobriety, and was not happy with what I saw. I hoped that, as the work day progressed, I would forget these troublesome thoughts, but as one disappointment after another kept coming, my discontent only increased, and the pressures within me kept mounting.

I retreated to an isolated table in the lounge, and asked myself how I could make the most of the rest of the day. In the past, when things went wrong, I instinctively wanted to fight back. But during the short time I had been trying to live the A.A. program I had learned to step back and take a look at myself. I recognized that, although I was not the person I wanted to be, I had learned to not react in my old ways. Those old patterns of behavior only brought sorrow and hurt, to me and to others. I returned to my work station, determined to make the day a productive one, thanking God for the chance to make progress that day.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Faith - a Blueprint - and Work

"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.
"But I have never been able to see that this means the individual, the group, or A.A. as a whole should give no thought whatever to how to function tomorrow or even in the more distant future. Faith alone never constructed the house you live in. There had to be a blueprint and a lot of work to bring it into reality.
"Nothing is truer for us of A.A. than the Biblical saying "Faith without works is dead." A.A.'s services, all designed to make more and better Twelfth Step work possible, are the "works" that insure our life and growth by preventing anarchy or stagnation."

LETTER, 1954
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: 'Once an
alcoholic, always an alcoholic.' Commencing to drink after a period
of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

How good a sponsor am I? When I bring new members to a meeting, do
I feel that my responsibility has ended? Or do I make it my job to
stay with them until they have either become good members of A.A.
or have found another sponsor? If they don't show up for a meeting,
do I say to myself. "Well, they've had it put up to them, so if
they don't want it, there's nothing more I can do"? Or do I look
them up and find out whether there is a reason for their absences
or that they don't want A.A.? Do I go out of my way to find out if
there is anything more I can do to help? Am I a good sponsor?

Meditation for the Day

"First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your
gift to God." First I must get right with other people and then I
can get right with God. if I hold a resentment against someone,
which I find it very difficult to overcome, I should try to put
something else constructive into my mind. I should pray for the
one against whom I hold the resentment. I should put that person
in God's hands and let God show him or her the way to live. "if a
man say: 'I love God' and hateth his brother, he is a liar, for he
that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God
whom he hath not seen?"

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may see something good in every person, even one I
dislike, and that I may let God develop the good in that person.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Sponsorship ^*^*^*^*^ October 10, 2013

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

"No satisfaction has been deeper and no joy greater
than in a Twelfth Step job well done.
To watch the eyes of men and women open with wonder
as they move from darkness into light,
to see their lives quickly fill with new purpose and meaning,
to see whole families reassembled,
to see the alcoholic outcast received back into his community
in full citizenship,
and above all to watch these people awaken to the
presence of a loving God in their lives --
these things are the substance of what we receive
as we carry AA's message to the next alcoholic."
c.1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 110
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

A recovering alcoholic without a sponsor
is much like a ship without a rudder.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S P O N S O R  =  Sober Person Offering Newcomer Support Of Recovery.

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

 

Under All Conditions

From: "The Acid Test"  

As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our AA way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions?

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 88

 I know the Promises are being fulfilled in my life, but I want to maintain and develop them by the daily application of Step Ten. I have learned through this Step that if I am disturbed, there is something wrong with me. The other person may be wrong too, but I can only deal with my feelings. When I am hurt or upset, I have to continually look for the cause in me, and then I have to admit and correct my mistakes. It isn't easy, but as long as I know I am progressing spiritually, I know that I can mark my effort up as a job well done. I have found that pain is a friend; it lets me know there is something wrong with my emotions, just as a physical pain lets me know there is something wrong with my body. When I take the appropriate action through the Twelve Steps, the pain gradually goes away.

1990, AAWS, Inc., Daily Reflections, page 284

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
~*
FIXING ME, NOT YOU

If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong also.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 90

What a freedom I felt when this passage was pointed out to me!
Suddenly I saw that I could do something about my anger, I could
fix me, instead of trying to fix them. I believe that there are
no exceptions to the axiom. When I am angry, my anger is always
self-centered. I must keep reminding myself that I am human, that
I am doing the best I can, even when that best is sometimes poor.
So I ask God to remove my anger and truly set me free.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
"Powerless Over Alcohol"

I had gone steadily downhill, and on that day in 1934 I lay upstairs in the hospital, knowing for the first time that I was utterly hopeless.
Lois was downstairs, and Dr. Silkworth was trying in his gentle way to tell her what was wrong with me and that I was hopeless. "But Bill has a tremendous amount of will power," she said. "He has tried desperately to get well. We have tried everything. Doctor, why can't he stop?"
He explained that my drinking, once a habit, had become an obsession, a true insanity that condemned me to drink against my will.

<<<>>>

"In the late stages of our drinking, the will to resist has fled. Yet when we admit complete defeat and when we become entirely ready to try A.A. principles, our obsession leaves us and we enter a new dimension - freedom under God as we understand Him."

1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 52 - 2. LETTER, 1966

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going
to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception
and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to
the rule, therefore nonalcoholic. If anyone who is showing inability
to control his drinking can do the right-about-face and drink like a
gentleman, our hats are off to him. Heaven knows, we have tried hard
enough and long enough to drink like other people!"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 31~

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

When new members come into my A.A. group, do I make a special
effort to make them feel at home? Do I put myself out to listen
to them, even if their ideas of A.A. are vague? Do I make it a
habit to talk to all new members myself, or do I often leave
that to someone else? I may not be able to help them, but then
again it may be something that I might say that would put them
on the right track. When I see any members sitting alone, do I
put myself out to be nice to them, or do I stay among my own
special group of friends and leave them out in the cold? Are
all new AA.'s my responsibility?

Meditation for the Day

You are God's servant. Serve Him cheerfully and readily. Nobody
likes a servant who avoids extra work, who complains about being
called from one task to do one less enjoyable. A master would
feel ill served by such a servant. But is that not how you so
often serve God? View your day's work in this light. Try to do
your day's work the way you believe God wants you to do it, never
shirking any responsibility and often going out of your way to
be of service.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be a good servant. I pray that I may be willing
to go out of my way to be of service.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Emotional Sobriety ^*^*^*^*^ October 9, 2013

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Emotional Sobriety

"If we examine every disturbance we have, great or small,
we will find at the root of it some unhealthy dependency
and its consequent unhealthy demand.
Let us, with God's help,
continually surrender these hobbling liabilities.
Then we can be set free to live and love;
we may then be able to twelfth-step ourselves,
as well as others, into emotional sobriety."
Bill. W., AAGrapevine, January 1958
c.1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 288
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A  =  Altered Attitudes

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

 

No Matter What

From: "Using the 24-hour plan" 

Although we realize that alcoholism is a permanent, irreversible condition, our experience has taught us to make no long-term promises about staying sober. We have found it more realistic - and more successful - to say, "I am not taking a drink just for today."

Even if we drank yesterday, we can plan not to drink today. We may drink tomorrow "who knows whether we'll even be alive then?  but for this 24 hours, we decide not to drink. No matter what the temptation or provocation, we determine to go to any extremes necessary to avoid a drink today.

1998, AAWS, Inc., Living Sober, page 6

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A SPIRITUAL AXIOM

It is a spiritual axiom that very time we are disturbed, no matter
what the cause, there is something wrong with us.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 90

I never truly understood the Tenth Step's spiritual axiom until I
had the following experience. I was sitting in my bedroom, reading
into the wee hours, when suddenly I heard my dogs barking in the
back yard. My neighbors frown on this kind of disturbance so, with
mixed feelings of anger and shame, as well as fear of my
neighbor's disapproval, I immediately called in my dog's. Several
weeks later the exact situation repeated itself but this time,
because I was feeling more at peace with myself, I was able to
accept the situation--dogs will bark--and I calmly called in the
dogs. Both incidents taught me that when a person experiences
nearly identical events and reacts two different ways, then it
is not the event which is of prime importance, but the person's
spiritual condition. Feelings come from inside, not from outward
circumstances. When my spiritual condition is positive, I react
positively.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*

~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Instincts Run Wild

Every time a person imposes his instincts unreasonably upon others, unhappiness follows. If the pursuit of wealth tramples upon people who happen to be in the way, then anger, jealousy, and revenge are likely to be aroused. If sex runs riot, there is a similar uproar.
Demands made upon other people for too much attention, protection, and love can invite only domination or revulsion in the protectors themselves - two emotions quite as unhealthy as the demands which evoked them. When an individual's desire for prestige becomes uncontrollable, whether in the sewing circle or at the international conference table, other people suffer and often revolt. This collision of instincts can produce anything from a cold snub to a blazing revolution.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 44
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we
could not do for ourselves. We hope you are convinced now that God
can remove whatever self-will has blocked you off from Him. If you
have already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser
handicaps, you have made a good beginning. That being so you have
swallowed and digested some big chunks of truth about yourself."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 70~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Am I willing to be bored sometimes at meetings? Am I willing to
listen to much repetition of A.A. principles? Am I willing to hear
the same thing over and over again? Am I willing to listen to a
long blow-by-blow personal story, because it might help some new
member? Am I willing to sit quietly and listen to long-winded
members go into every detail of their past? Am I willing to take
it, because it is doing them good to get it off their chest? My
feelings are not too important. The good of A.A. comes first, even
if it is not always comfortable for me. Have I learned to take it?

Meditation for the Day

God would draw us all closer to Him in the bonds of the spirit.
He would have all people drawn closer to each other in the bonds
of the spirit. God, the great Spirit of the universe, of which
each of our own spirits is a small part, must want unity between
Himself and all His children. "Unity of the spirit in the bonds
of peace." Each experience of our life, of joy, of sorrow, of
danger, of safety, of difficulty, of success, of hardship, of
ease, each should be accepted as part of our common lot, in the
bonds of the spirit.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may welcome the bonds of true fellowship. I pray
that I may be brought closer to unity with God and other people.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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