~*~Step Eleven Group~*~: 8/23/20

Saturday, August 29, 2020

During the Pandemic

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

"When, with God's help, we calmly accepted our lot, then we found we could live at peace with ourselves and show others who still suffered the same fears that they could get over them, too. We found that freedom from fear was more important than freedom from want."
1952 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 122

Thought to Consider . . .

Courage is the willingness to accept fear and act anyway.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

F E A R
Face Everything And Recover

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

Others

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"A group of laymen whose combined religious training and experience had been small indeed had produced a volume which described release from alcoholism by spiritual means. What would our Catholic friends think? We had not the slightest inkling.

Then the good news came. By messenger we had sent the book Alcoholics Anonymous to the Catholic Committee on Publications in the New York Archdiocese. Our messenger was Morgan R., released only a few weeks before from Greystone asylum and himself the first Catholic to put in an appearance in New York [A.A.]. Not long after he returned with wonderful things to tell us.

The Committee, he said, had nothing but the best to say of our efforts. From their point of view the book was perfectly all right "
2001 AAWS Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 168-69

*^Daily Reflections^*

THE ONLY REQUIREMENT . . .

"At one time . . . every A.A. group had many membership rules. Everybody was scared witless that something or somebody would capsize the boat . . . The total list was a mile long. If all those rules had been in effect everywhere, nobody could have possibly joined A.A. at all . . ."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS p. 139-140

I'm grateful that the Third Tradition only requires of me a desire to stop drinking. I had been breaking promises for years. In the Fellowship I didn't have to make promises, I didn't have to concentrate. It only required my attending one meeting, in a foggy condition, to know I was home. I didn't have to pledge undying love. Here, strangers hugged me. "It gets better," they said, and "One day at a time, you can do it." They were no longer strangers, but caring friends. I ask God to help me to reach out to people desiring sobriety, and to, please keep me grateful!
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*

Let Go Absolutely

"After failure on my part to dry up any drunks, Dr. Silkworth reminded me of Professor William James's observation that truly transforming spiritual experiences are nearly always rounded on calamity and collapse. 'Stop preaching at them,' Dr. Silkworth said, 'and give them the hard medical facts first. This may soften them up at depth so that they will be willing to do anything to get well. Then they may accept those spiritual ideas of yours, and even a Higher Power.'"
<<< >>>
"We beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas, and the result was nil - until we let go absolutely."
1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 13
2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 58

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

". . . I humbly offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch."
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
Bill's Story, pg. 13

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

"Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure immunity from drinking as extensive work with other alcoholics. Carry the message to other alcoholics. You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Life will take on a new meaning for you. To watch people recover, to see them help others in turn, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow about you, to have a host of friends, this is an experience you must not miss." Am I always ready and willing to help other alcoholics?

Meditation for the Day

One secret of abundant living is the art of giving. The paradox of life is that the more you give, the more you have. If you lose your life in the service of others, you will save it. You can give abundantly and so live abundantly. You are rich in one respect - you have a spirit that is inexhaustible. Let no mean or selfish thought keep you from sharing this spirit. Of love, of help, of understanding, and of sympathy, give and keep giving. Give your personal ease and comfort, your time, your money, and most of all, yourself. And you will be living abundantly.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live to give. I pray that I may learn this secret of abundant living.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

You have 3 Options to Participate in Transitions Daily:

1. Receive a daily email from Transitions Daily: send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with "Join" in the subject line. You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.

The members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members. You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.

2. Join the Transitions Daily Private Facebook Group: Search for Transitions Daily in Facebook and request to join or click here https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransitionsDaily/. Every day the topic email is also posted in the private Facebook group. It is suggested that you turn on your notifications to be reminded of new posts.

3. Subscribe to the Transitions Daily Podcast: We cannot sign you up for a podcast. Depending on your phone, you will need to pick a podcast provider. There are many free options. You will have to investigate yourself or ask a friend that listens to podcasts to explain the process.

For iPhone

For the iPhone, most use iTunes. You should have a podcast icon on your phone. It is recommended searching "how to sign up for podcasts on an iPhone" in your favorite search engine or in iTunes for more information.

For Android

Android is not that simple. There are several different podcast apps. We know several who use the free version of the Stitcher app. It is recommended searching "how to sign up for podcasts on android" in your favorite search engine.

Regardless of what service you use, search for "Transitions Daily" and subscribe. We also list a number of recovery podcasts at the bottom of www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Topics are posted Daily via Podcast, Email, and Facebook!

--
TransitionsDaily.org is an Open A.A. Online Meeting Service #000720350.

Did someone forward this message to you? For more Information and to join go to http://www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Feel free to share http://www.DailyAAEmails.com in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery!

You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://www.transitionsdaily.org/images/Transitions-Daily.pdf to use in your service work!

To Donate Go to: http://www.Transitionsdaily.org/Donate.htm

To unsubscribe, it is best to email us at TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with your request.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TransitionsDaily" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to transitionsdaily+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/2b158d7a-30b9-1119-f16d-26c2e743ce73%40gmail.com.

Friday, August 28, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Step One ^^*^ August 29

Click Here For

Recovery Resources

During the Pandemic

~A.A. Thought For The Day~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Step One

"No other kind of bankruptcy is like this one. Alcohol, now becomes the rapacious creditor, bleeds us all of self-sufficiency and all will to resist its demands. Once this stark fact is accepted, our bankruptcy as going human concerns is complete. But upon entering A.A. we soon take quite another view of this absolute humiliation. We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built."
1952 AAWS
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 21

Thought to Consider . . .

Once we clear a hurdle, it doesn't seem so high.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

S T E P S
Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

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

Reality I Had Feared

From: "No Man Is An Island"

I was spiritually bankrupt long before A.A. entered my life and long before alcoholism took over like a parasite under my skin. I had nothing, no faith at all to cling to. I had no faith in man, because along with my drinking I had lost faith in myself. I trusted no one, for others were but a mere reflection of my own self, and I could not trust me.

I got sober in A.A., and, like a miracle, the warm flood of reality I had feared for so long flowed over me, and I was no longer afraid. I began to wonder why. Along with sobriety, something new had come into my life.

I began to have concern for others. This word concern, along with its sister consideration, was an alien thing to me. I had believed myself capable of falling in love; I had thought myself a loving mother; but these emotions, I now perceive, had been reflections of my own self-interest. Nothing penetrated beyond my self. I began, in early sobriety, to feel compassion for other drunks, then for my children, then for my ex-husband. This compassion, a feeling accompanied later by love, opened the door to a huge fortress within me which had been forever locked.
1973 AAWS Inc.
Came to Believe, pages 118-119.

*^Daily Reflections^*

I CHOOSE ANONYMITY

We are sure that humility, expressed by anonymity, is the greatest safeguard that Alcoholics Anonymous can ever have.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 187

Since there are no rules in A.A. I place myself where I want to be, and so I choose anonymity. I want my God to use me, humbly, as one of His tools in this program. Sacrifice is the art of giving of myself freely, allowing humility to replace my ego. With sobriety, I suppress that urge to cry out to the world, "I am a member of A.A." and I experience inner joy and peace. I let people see the changes in me and hope they will ask what happened to me. I place the principles of spirituality ahead of judging, fault-finding, and criticism. I want love and caring in my group, so I can grow.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*

Middle of the Road

"In some sections of A.A., anonymity is carried to the point of real absurdity. Members are on such a poor basis of communication that they don't even know each other's last names or where each lives. It's like the cell of an underground. In other sections, we see exactly the reverse. It is difficult to restrain A.A.'s from shouting too much before the whole public, by going on spectacular 'lecture tours' to play the big shot. However, I know that from these extremes we slowly pull ourselves onto a middle ground. Most lecture-giving members do not last too long, and the super anonymous people are apt to come out of hiding respecting their A.A. friends, business associates, and the like. I think the long-time trend is toward the middle of the road - which is probably where we should be."
LETTER, 1959

*~*^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

"We cannot get along without prayer and meditation. On awakening, let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking. Our thought lives will be placed on a much higher plane when we start the day with prayer and meditation. We conclude this period of meditation with a prayer that we will be shown through the day what our next step is to be. The basis of all our prayers is: Thy will be done in me and through me today." Am I sincere in my desire to do God's will today?

Meditation for the Day

Breathe in the inspiration of goodness and truth. It is the spirit of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. It is readily available if we are willing to accept it wholeheartedly. God has given us two things - His spirit and the power of choice - to accept or not, as we will. We have the gift of free will. When we choose the path of selfishness and greed and pride, we are refusing to accept God's spirit. When we choose the path of love and service, we accept God's spirit and it flows into us and makes all things new.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may choose the right way. I pray that I may try to follow it to the end.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

You have 3 Options to Participate in Transitions Daily:

For iPhone

For Android

Regardless of what service you use, search for "Transitions Daily" and subscribe. We also list a number of recovery podcasts at the bottom of www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Topics are posted Daily via Podcast, Email, and Facebook!

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Self-appraisal ^^*^ August 28

Click Here For

Recovery Resources

During the Pandemic

To Drop a Dollar
in the Virtual Basket Click Here

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Self-appraisal

"I used to be a champ at unrealistic self-appraisal. I wanted to look only at the part of my life which seemed good. Then I would greatly exaggerate whatever virtues I supposed I had attained. Next I would congratulate myself on the grand job I was doing. So my unconscious self-deception never failed to turn my few good assets into serious liabilities. This astonishing process was always a pleasant one . . . I was falling straight back into the pattern of my drinking days . . . I shall forever regret the damage I did to people around me. Indeed, I still tremble when I realize what I might have done to A.A. and to its future."
Bill W., June 1961
1988 AA Grapevine, The Language of the Heart, pp. 256-7

Thought to Consider . . .

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

A. A.
Attitude Adjustment

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

Tornado Technique

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

Still another famous early itinerant was Irwin M., a Cleveland A.A. who had become a champion salesman of Venetian blinds to department stores in the deep South. He used to range a territory bounded by Atlanta and Jacksonville on one side and Indianapolis, Birmingham, and New Orleans on the other. Irwin weighed 250 pounds and was full of energy and gusto. The prospect of Irwin, as a missionary, scared us rather badly. At the New York Headquarters we had on file a long list of topers in many a Southern city and town, people who had not been personally visited. Irwin had long since broken all the rules of caution and discreet approach to newcomers, so it was with reluctance that we gave him the list. Then we waited - but not for long. Irwin ran them down, every single one, with his home-crashing tornado technique. Day and night, besides, he wrote letters to his prospects and got them to writing each other.

Stunned but happy Southerners began to send their thanks to Headquarters. As Irwin himself reported, many a first family of the South had been an easy pushover. He had cracked the territory wide open and had started or stimulated many an original group.
1985 AAWS Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, page 25

*^Daily Reflections^*

LIGHTENING THE BURDEN

Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now . . . the dark past is . . . the key to life and happiness for others.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 124

Since I have been sober, I have been healed of many pains: deceiving my partner, deserting my best friend, and spoiling my mother's hopes for my life. In each case someone in the program told me of a similar problem, and I was able to share what happened to me. When my story was told, both of us got up with lighter hearts.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*

Hard on Ourselves, Considerate of Others

"We cannot disclose anything to our wives or our parents which will hurt them and make them unhappy. We have no right to save our own skins at their expense. Such damaging parts of our story we tell to someone else who will understand, yet be unaffected. The rule is, we must be hard on ourselves, but always considerate of others."
<<< >>>
"Good judgment will suggest that we ought to take our time in making amends to our families. It may be unwise at first to rehash certain harrowing episodes. While we may be quite willing to reveal the very worst, we must be sure to remember that we cannot buy our own peace of mind at the expense of others."
1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS p. 74
2. TWELVE AND TWELVE p. 84

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Everybody knows that those in bad health, and those who seldom play, do not laugh much. So let each family play together or separately as much as their circumstances warrant. We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free."
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
The Family Afterward, pg. 132

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

"We must continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We should grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter; it should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We must not rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve, contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition." Am I checking my spiritual condition daily?

Meditation for the Day

Happiness cannot be sought directly; it is a byproduct of love and service. Service is a law of our being. With love in your heart, there is always some service to other people. A life of power and joy and satisfaction is built on love and service. Persons who hate or are selfish are going against the law of their own being. They are cutting themselves off from God and other people. Little acts of love and encouragement, of service and help, erase the rough places of life and help to make the path smooth. If we do these things, we cannot help having our share of happiness.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may give my share of love and service. I pray that I may not grow weary in my attempts to do the right thing.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

You have 3 Options to Participate in Transitions Daily:

For iPhone

For Android

Regardless of what service you use, search for "Transitions Daily" and subscribe. We also list a number of recovery podcasts at the bottom of www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Topics are posted Daily via Podcast, Email, and Facebook!

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Vision ^^*^ August 27

Click Here For
Recovery Resources
During the Pandemic

Click here now to check out
our list of Recovery Podcasts!

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

"Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates, both for the immediate and for the more distant future. Some might feel this sort of striving to be a sort of heresy, because we A.A.'s are constantly telling ourselves, 'One day at a time.' But that valuable principle really refers to our mental and emotional lives and means chiefly that we are not foolishly to repine over the past nor wishfully to day-dream about the future . . . Vision is therefore the very essence of prudence, an essential virtue if ever there was one."
Bill W., 1962
1962 AAWS
Twelve Concepts for World Service, 26th Printing, p. 40

Thought to Consider . . .

The road to recovery is always under construction.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

O D A A T
One Day At A Time

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

All I Could Think Of

From: "A Vision of Recovery"

While in a juvenile detention center about 500 miles from my home, I received word that my mother was dying of cancer. I was able to get a pass and return home to spend time with her. One evening my family asked me if I would stay home with my mother and give her the medicine she was required to take. I had already had a few drinks and was anxious to get out and party with my friends, but I reluctantly agreed to stay. Self-pity set in, and all I could think of was the good time I could have been having. I got very impatient with my mother, and when she refused to take her medicine, I almost forced it into her mouth; then I left to join my friends. The next morning I woke up in county jail, about 100 miles from home. I had attempted a break-and-enter, and was caught by the police.

That very evening, as I sat in jail, my mother died.
2001 AAWS Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous, page 495-496

*^Daily Reflections^*

CENTERING OUR THOUGHTS

When World War II broke out, our A.A. dependence on a Higher Power had its first major test. A.A.'s entered the services and were scattered all over the world. Would they be able to take the discipline, stand up under fire, and endure . . . ?
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 200

I will center my thoughts on a Higher Power. I will surrender all to this power within me. I will become a soldier for this power, feeling the might of the spiritual army as it exists in my life today. I will allow a wave of spiritual union to connect me through my gratitude, obedience and discipline to this Higher Power. Let me allow this power to lead me through the orders of the day. May the steps I take today strengthen my words and deeds, may I know that the message I carry is mine to share, given freely by this power greater than myself.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*

When and How to Give

"Men who cry for money and shelter as a condition of their sobriety are on the wrong track. Yet we sometimes do provide a new prospect with these very things - when it becomes clear that he is willing to place his recovery first. It is not whether we shall give that is the question, but when and how to give. Whenever we put our work on a material plane, the alcoholic commences to rely upon alms rather than upon a Higher Power and the A.A. group. He continues to insist that he cannot master alcohol until his material needs are cared for. Nonsense! Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: that, job or no job, wife or no wife, we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place material dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God."
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 98

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only normal one. They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks, drinks which they see others taking with impunity."
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
The Doctor's Opinion, pg. xxviii

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

"We must be willing to make amends to all the people we have harmed. We must do the best we can to repair the damage done in the past. When we make amends, when we say: 'I'm sorry,' the person is sure at least to be impressed by our sincere desire to set right the wrong. Sometimes people we are making amends to admit their own fault, so feuds of long standing melt away. Our most ruthless creditors will sometimes surprise us. In general, we must be willing to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences may be for us." Have I made a sincere effort to make amends to the people I have harmed?

Meditation for the Day

The grace of God cures disharmony and disorder in human relationships. Directly you put your affairs, with their confusion and their difficulties, into God's hands. He begins to effect a cure of all the disharmony and disorder. You can believe that He will cause you no more pain in the doing of it than a physician who knows how to effect a cure would cause a patient. You can have faith that God will do all that is necessary as painlessly as possible. But you must be willing to submit to His treatment, even if you cannot now see the meaning or purpose of it.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may willingly submit to whatever spiritual discipline is necessary. I pray that I may accept whatever it takes to live a better me.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

You have 3 Options to Participate in Transitions Daily:

For iPhone

For Android

Regardless of what service you use, search for "Transitions Daily" and subscribe. We also list a number of recovery podcasts at the bottom of www.DailyAAEmails.com.

Topics are posted Daily via Podcast, Email, and Facebook!

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Fear ^^*^ August 30

Friday, August 28, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Step One ^^*^ August 29

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Self-appraisal ^^*^ August 28

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~~Vision ^^*^ August 27

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~*~Step Eleven Group~*~

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Fear ^*^*^ August 30

Friday, August 28, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Step One ^*^*^ August 29

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Self-appraisal ^*^*^ August 28

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Thoughts For The Day~*~Vision ^*^*^ August 27

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Thoughts For The Day~~Fear ^^*^ August 30

Thoughts For The Day~~Step One ^^*^ August 29

Thoughts For The Day~~Self-appraisal ^^*^ August 28

Thoughts For The Day~~Vision ^^*^ August 27