Thoughts For The Day~*~Solution ^*^*^*^*^October 19, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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  /AA\
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Solution
^*^*^*^*^
"The tremendous fact for every one of us
is that we have discovered a common solution.
We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree,
and upon which we can join in brotherly
and harmonious action.
This is the great news this book carries
to those who suffer from alcoholism."
  c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 17
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S T E P S =  Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

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

Healing

From "A Lifetime Process":

"I have more problems than alcohol . . . alcohol is only a symptom of a more pervasive disease. When I stopped drinking I began a lifetime process of recovery from unruly emotions, painful relationships, and unmanageable situations. This process is too much for most of us without help from a Higher Power and our friends in the Fellowship. . . . One day at a time, almost imperceptibly, I healed."

1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 105

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A.A.'s "MAIN TAPROOT"

The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole Society has sprung and flowered.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 21-22

Defeated, and knowing it, I arrived at the doors of A.A., alone and afraid of the unknown.  A power outside of myself had picked me up off my bed, guided me to the phone book, then to the bus stop, and through the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Once inside A.A. I experienced a sense of being loved and accepted, something I had not felt since early childhood.  May I never lose the sense of wonder I experienced on that first evening with A.A., the greatest event of my entire life.

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

When the distortion of family life through alcohol has been great, a long period of patient striving may be necessary. After the husband joins A.A., the wife may become discontented, even highly resentful that A.A. has done the very thing that all her years of devotion had failed to do. Her husband may become so wrapped up in A.A. and his new friends that he is inconsiderately away from home more than when he drank. Each then blames the other.
But eventually the alcoholic, now fully understanding how much he did to hurt his wife and children, nearly always takes up his marriage responsibilities with a willingness to repair what he can and accept what he can't. He persistently tries all of A.A.'s Twelve Steps in his home, often with fine results. He firmly but lovingly commences to behave like a partner instead of like a bad boy.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 118-119
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration,
and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have
carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of
His Spirit into us. To some extent we have become God-conscious. We
have begun to develop this vital sixth sense. But we must go further
and that means more action."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

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

Do I realize that I do not know how much time I have left? It may
be later than I think. Am I going to do the things that I know I
should do before my time runs out? By the way, what is my purpose
for the rest of my life? Do I realize all I have to make up for
in my past wasted life? Do I know that I am living on borrowed
time and that I would not have even this much time left without
A.A. and the grace of God? Am I going to make what time I have
left count for A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

We can believe that somehow the cry of the human soul is never
unheard by God. It may be that God hears the cry, even if we fail
to notice God's response to it. The human cry for help must
always evoke a response of some sort from God. it may be that
our failure to discern properly keeps us unaware of the response.
But one thing we can believe is that the grace of God is always
available for every human being who sincerely calls for help.
Many changed lives are living proofs of this fact.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may trust God to answer my prayer as He sees fit.
I pray that I may be content with whatever form that answer may
take.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Touchy ^*^*^*^*^October 18, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Touchy
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"Many of us have been so touchy
that even casual reference to spiritual things
make us bristle with antagonism.
This sort of thinking had to be abandoned.
Though some of us resisted,
we found no great difficulty in casting aside such feelings.
Faced with alcoholic destruction,
we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters
as we had tried to be on other questions.
In this respect alcohol was a great persuader.
It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness.
Sometimes this was a tedious process;
we hope no one else will prejudiced for as long as
some of us were."
  c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 48
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Thought to Consider . . .

The solution is simple.
The solution is spiritual.

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

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

Inspiration

From "When A.A. Came of Age":

"There came next to the lectern [at the 1955 Convention] a figure that not many A.A.'s had seen before, the Episcopal clergyman Sam Shoemaker. It was from him that Dr. Bob and I [Bill W.] in the beginning had absorbed most of the principles that were afterward embodied in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, steps that express the heart of A.A.'s way of life. Dr. Silkworth gave us the needed knowledge of our illness, but Sam Shoemaker had given us the concrete knowledge of what we could do about it. One showed us the mysteries of the lock that held us in prison; the other passed on the spiritual keys by which we were liberated."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 38-39

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
AN OPEN MIND

True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith . . .

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33
     
My alcoholic thinking led me to believe that I could control my drinking, but I couldn't.  When I came to A.A., I realized that God was speaking to me through my group.  My mind was open just enough to know that I needed His help.  A real, honest acceptance of A.A. took more time, but with it came humility.  I know how insane I was, and I am extremely grateful to have my sanity restored to me and to be a sober alcoholic.  The new, sober me is a much better person than I ever could have been without A.A.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
"It is evident that the harmony,
security, and future effectiveness of A.A.
will depend largely upon our maintenance
of a thoroughly nonaggressive and pacific
attitude in all our public relations...
Even though we are now sober, the old
patterns of behavior are to a degree still
with us, always threatening to explode on
any good excuse.  But we KNOW this, and
therefore I feel confident that in the
conduct of our public affairs we shall
always find the grace to exert an effective
restraint."  --  Bill W.

c. 1962, Twelve Concepts for World Service,page 68
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Doubtless you are curious to discover how and why, in the face of
expert opinion to the contrary, we have recovered from a hopeless
condition of mind and body. If you are an alcoholic who wants to get
over it, you may already be asking What do I have to do?"

It is the purpose of this book to answer such questions specifically.
We shall tell you what we have done.

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, Page 20~
*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Have I got over most of my sensitiveness, my feelings that are too easily hurt, and my just plain laziness and self-satisfaction? Am I willing to go all out for A.A. at no matter what cost to my precious self. Is my own comfort more important to me than doing the things that need to be done? Have I got to the point where what happens to me is not so important? Can I face up to things that are embarrassing or uncomfortable if they are the right things to do for the good of A.A.? Have I given A.A. just a small piece of myself. Am I willing to give all of myself whenever necessary?

Meditation for the Day

Not until you have failed can you learn true humility. Humility arises from a deep sense of gratitude to God for giving you the strength to rise above past failures. Humility is not inconsistent with self respect. The true person has self-respect and the respect of others and yet is humble. The humble person is tolerant of others' failings, and does not have a critical attitude toward the foibles of others. Humble people are hard on themselves and easy on others.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be truly humble and yet have self respect. I pray that I may see the good in myself as we'll as the bad.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Debits ^*^*^*^*^ October 17, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Debits
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"As we glance down the debit side of the day's ledger,
we should carefully examine our motives
in each thought or act that appears to be wrong.
In most cases our motives won't be hard to see and understand.
When prideful, angry, jealous, anxious, or fearful,
we acted accordingly, and that was that.
Here we need only recognize that we did act or think badly,
try to visualize how we might have done better,
and resolve with God's help to carry these lessons over into tomorrow,
making, of course, any amends still neglected."
  c.1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 94
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Thought to Consider . . .

Life is too short to be small.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O W   N O W  =  Honest, Open-minded, Willing.   No Other Way!

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

Forgive Myself

From: "Those Other People"  

Just like you, I have often thought myself the victim of what other people say and do. Yet every time I confessed the sins of such people, especially those whose sins did not correspond exactly with my own, I found that I only increased the total damage. My own resentment, my self-pity would often render me well-nigh useless to anybody.  

So, nowadays, if anyone talks of me so as to hurt, I first ask myself if there is any truth at all in what they say. If there is none, I try to remember that I too have had my periods of speaking bitterly of others; that hurtful gossip is but a symptom of our remaining emotional illness; and consequently that I must never be angry at the unreasonableness of sick people.  

Under very trying conditions I have had, again and again, to forgive others - also myself. Have you recently tried this?

Letter, 1946  

1967, AAWS, Inc., As Bill Sees It, page 268

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A DAILY TUNE-UP

Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will
into all of our activities.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85

How do I maintain my spiritual condition? For me it's quite simple:
on adaily basis I ask my Higher Power to grant me the gift of
sobriety for that day! I have talked to many alcoholics who have
gone back to drinking and I always ask them: "Did you pray for
sobriety the day you took your first drink?" Not one of them said
yes. As I practice Step Ten and try to keep my house in order on
a daily basis, I have the knowledge that if I ask for a daily
reprieve, it will be granted.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*

~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Time Versus Money

Our attitude toward the giving of time when compared with our attitude toward giving money presents an interesting contrast. We give a lot of our time to A.A. activities for our own protection and growth, but also for the sake of our groups, our areas, A.A. as a whole, and, above all, the newcomer. Translated into terms of money, these collective sacrifices would add up to a huge sum.
But when it comes to the actual spending of cash, particularly for A.A. service overhead, many of us are apt to turn a bit reluctant. We think of the loss of all that earning power in our drinking years, of those sums we might have laid by for emergencies or for education of the kids.
In recent years, this attitude is everywhere on the decline; it quickly disappears when the real need for a given A.A. service becomes clear. Donors can seldom see what the exact result has been. They well know, however, that countless thousands of other alcoholics and their families are being helped.

TWELVE CONCEPTS, pp. 64-65

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics. No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death."

Alcoholics Anonymous 3rd Edition More About Alcoholism Page 30
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

What am I going to do today for A.A.? Is there someone I should
call up on the telephone or someone I should go to see? Is there
a letter I should write? Is there an opportunity somewhere to
advance the work of A.A. which I have been putting off or
neglecting? If so, will I do it today? Will I be done with
procrastination and do what I have to do today? Tomorrow may
be too late. How do I know there will be a tomorrow for me?
How about getting out of my easy chair and getting going? Do I
feel that A.A. depends partly on me today?

Meditation for the Day

Today look upward toward God, not downward toward yourself. Look
away from unpleasant surroundings, from lack of beauty, from the
imperfections in yourself and in those around you. In your
unrest, behold God's calmness; in your impatience, God's
patience; in your limitations, God's perfection. Looking upward
toward God, your spirit will begin to grow. Then others will
see something in you that they also want. As you grow in the
spiritual life, you will be enabled to do many things that
seemed too hard for you before.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may keep my eyes trained above the horizon of
myself. I pray that I may see infinite possibilities for
spiritual growth.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Great Reality ^*^*^*^*^ October 16, 2014

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~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Great Reality
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"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.
 We finally saw that faith in some kind of God
was a part of our make-up,
just as much as the feeling we have for a friend.
Sometimes we had to search fearlessly,
but He was there.
He was as much a fact as we were.
We found the Great Reality deep down within us.
In the last analysis it is only there that He may be found.
It was so with us."
  c.1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 55
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Thought to Consider . . . 

God seldom becomes a reality until God becomes a necessity.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M =  People Relying On God Relay A Message

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

Services

From: "AA's Legacy of Service"  

Our Twelfth Step - carrying the message - is the basic service that the A.A. Fellowship gives; this is our principal aim and the main reason for our existence. Therefore, A.A. is more than a set of principles; it is a society of alcoholics in action. We must carry the message, else we ourselves can wither and those who haven't been given the truth may die.  

Hence, an A.A. service is anything whatever that helps us to reach a fellow sufferer - ranging all the way from the Twelfth Step itself to a ten-cent phone call and a cup of coffee, and to A.A.'s General Service Office for national and international action. The sum total of all these services is our Third Legacy of Service.  

Services include meeting places, hospital cooperation, and intergroup offices; they mean pamphlets, books, and good publicity of almost every description. They call for committees, delegates, trustees, and conferences. And, not to be forgotten, they need voluntary money contributions from within the Fellowship.

[Bill W., 1951]  

2007, AAWS, Inc., AA Service Manual, page S1

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THROUGHOUT EACH DAY

This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84

During my early years in A.A. I saw Step Ten as a suggestion that
I periodically look at my behavior and reactions. If there was
something wrong, I should admit it; if an apology was necessary,
I should give one. After a few years of sobriety I felt I should
undertake a self-examination more frequently. Not until several
more years of sobriety had elapsed did I realize the full meaning
of Step Ten, and the word "continued." "Continued" does not mean
occasionally, or frequently. It means throughout each day.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
When Conflicts Mount

Sometimes I would be forced to look at situations where I was doing badly. Right away, the search for excuses would become frantic.
"These," I would exclaim, "are really a good man's faults." When that pet gadget broke apart, I would think, "Well, if those people would only treat me right, I wouldn't have to behave the way I do." Next was this: "God well knows that I do have awful compulsions. 1 just can't get over this one. So He will have to release me." At last came the time when I would shout, "This, I positively will not do! I won't even try."
Of course, my conflicts went right on mounting, because I was simply loaded with excuses, refusals, and outright rebellion.

<<<>>>

In self-appraisal, what comes to us alone may be garbled by our own rationalization and wishful thinking. The benefit of talking to another person is that we can get his direct comment and counsel on our situation.

1. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961 - 2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 60
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much
more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our
respective homes, occupations and affairs."

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

How seriously do I take my obligations to A.A.? Have I taken all
the good I can get out of it and then let my obligations slide? Or
do I constantly feel a deep sense of loyalty to the whole A.A.
movement? Am I not only grateful but also proud to be a part of
such a wonderful fellowship, which is doing such marvelous work
among alcoholics? Am I glad to be a part of the great work that
A.A. is doing and do I feel a deep obligation to carry on that
work at every opportunity? Do I feel that I owe A.A. my loyalty
and devotion?

Meditation for the Day

If your heart is right, your world will be right. The beginning of
all reform must be in yourself. It's not what happens to you, it's
how you take it. However restricted your circumstances, however
little you may be able to remedy financial affairs, you can always
turn to your inward self and, seeing something not in order there,
seek to right it. And as all reform is from within outward, you will
always find that the outward is improved as the inward is improved. 
As you improve yourself, your outward circumstances will change for
the better. The power released from within yourself will change your
outward life.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that the hidden power within me may be released. I pray that
I may not imprison the spirit that is within me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

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