~*~Step Eleven Group~*~: 10/4/20

Saturday, October 10, 2020

During the Pandemic

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

"In A.A., 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 A.A. itself: trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage, trouble lessened and often transcended. This was the A.A. 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*~*

HOPE
Hang On! Peace Exists . . .

*~*^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. 186-187

*^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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Friday, October 09, 2020

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

Click Here For
Recovery Resources
During the Pandemic

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
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 A.A.'s message to the next alcoholic."
c.1952 AAWS
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*~*

H E A R T
Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering, Together

*~*^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 A.A. 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 A.A.'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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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, October 08, 2020

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

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\
^*^*^*^*^
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., AA Grapevine, January 1958
c.1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 288

Thought to Consider . . .

We live life in the moment but understand
it looking back with the tool of gratitude.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

D E T A C H
Don't Even Think About Changing Him/Her

*~*^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 every 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

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!

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Saturday, October 10, 2020

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

Friday, October 09, 2020

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

Thursday, October 08, 2020

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

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~*~Step Eleven Group~*~

Saturday, October 10, 2020

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

Friday, October 09, 2020

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

Thursday, October 08, 2020

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

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~~Step Eleven Group~~

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

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

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