Thoughts For The Day~*~Anonymity ^*^*^*^*^ May 9, 2007

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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Anonymity

"We have denied ourselves personal government,
professionalism, and the right to say
who our members shall be.
We have abandoned do-goodism,
reform, and paternalism.
We refuse charitable money and prefer
to pay our own way.
We will cooperate with practically everybody,
yet we decline to marry our Society to anyone.
We abstain from public controversy and will not
quarrel among ourselves about
those things that so rip society asunder--
religion, politics, and reform.
We have but one purpose;
to carry the AA message
to the sick alcoholic who wants it."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 211

Thought to Consider . . .

AA is not something you join, it's a way of life.


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ANONYMOUS
Actions Not Our Names Yield Maintenance Of Unity & Service

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

 

Beginning

From "Tightrope":

"My sponsor was a living damper on my intolerance. But even more, he told me that it would be all right for me to doubt God, that A.A. was not a religious program and, to belong, I did not have to adhere to any set of beliefs.

"He suggested that for me a good starting point would simply be recognition of the fact that I had failed in running the world—in short, acceptance of the fact that I was not God. He also suggested that I might try occasionally to act as if I believed. Somewhere I had heard that it is easier to act yourself into a new way of thinking than to think yourself into a new way of acting, and this made sense in the context of 'acting as if.'"

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 366

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
WALKING THROUGH FEAR

If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  76

When I had taken my Fifth Step, I became aware that all my defects of character stemmed from my need to feel secure and loved.  To use my will alone to work on them would have been trying obsessively to solve the problem.  In the Sixth Step I intensified the action I had taken in the first three Steps -- meditating on the Step by saying it over and over, going to meetings, following my sponsor's suggestions, reading and searching within myself.  During the first three years of sobriety I had a fear of entering an elevator alone.  One day I decided I must walk through this fear.  I asked for God's help, entered the elevator, and there in the corner was a lady crying.  She said that since her husband had died she was deathly afraid of elevators.  I forgot my fear and comforted her.  This spiritual experience helped me to see how willingness was the key to working the rest of the Twelve Steps to recovery.  God helps those who help themselves.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
The Way of Strength

We need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the Creator. We have good reason to disbelieve those who think spirituality is the way of weakness. For us, it is the way of strength.
The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack courage. They trust their God. So we never apologize for our belief in Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 68

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for
the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his
spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could
not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not
work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely
die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~

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

We alcoholics used so little self-control when we were drinking, we were so absolutely selfish, that it does us good to give up something once in a while. Using self-discipline and denying ourselves a few things is good for us. At first, giving up liquor is a big enough job for all of us, even with God's help. But later on, we can practice self-discipline in other ways to keep a firm grip on our minds so that we don't start any wishful thinking. If we daydream too much, we'll be in danger of slipping. Am I practicing enough self-discipline?

Meditation for the Day

In material things, you must rely on your own wisdom and that of others. In spiritual things, you cannot rely so much on your own wisdom as on God's guidance. In dealing with personalities, it is a mistake to step out too much m your own. You must try to be guided by God in all human relationships. You cannot accomplish much of value in dealing with people until God knows you are ready. You alone do not have the power or wisdom to put things right between people. You must rely on God to help you in these vital matters.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may rely on God in dealing with people's problems. I pray that I may try to follow His guidance in all personal relationships.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Friendship ^*^*^*^*^ May 8, 2007

 ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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  /AA\
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Friendship

"We commenced to make many fast friends
and a fellowship has grown up among us
of which it is a wonderful thing to feel a part of.
The joy of living we really have,
even under pressure and difficulty.
I have seen hundreds of families set their feet
in the path that really goes somewhere;
have seen the most impossible
domestic situations righted;
feuds and bitterness of all sorts wiped out.
I have seen men come out of asylums
and resume a vital place in the lives
of their families and communities.
Business and professional men
have regained their standing.
There is scarcely any form of trouble and misery
which has not been overcome among us."
Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 15

Thought to Consider . . .

"Most of us feel we need look no further for Utopia.
We have it with us right here and now."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 16

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
EGO
Easing God Out

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

Honesty

STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

"More realism and therefore more honesty about ourselves are the great gains we make under the influence of Step Five. As we took inventory, we began to suspect how much trouble self-delusion had been causing us. This had brought a disturbing reflection. If all our lives we had more or less fooled ourselves, how could we now be so sure that we weren't still self-deceived? How could we be certain that we had made a true catalog of our defects and had really admitted them, even to ourselves? Because we were still bothered by fear, self-pity, and hurt feelings, it was probable we couldn't appraise ourselves fairly at all. Too much guilt and remorse might cause us to dramatize and exaggerate our shortcomings. Or anger and hurt pride might be the smoke screen under which we were hiding some of our defects while we blamed others for them. Possibly, too, we were still handicapped by many liabilities, great and small, we never knew we had.

"Hence it was most evident that a solitary self-appraisal, and the admission of our defects based upon that alone, wouldn't be nearly enough. We'd have to have outside help if we were surely to know and admit the truth about ourselves—the help of God and another human being."

© 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pgs. 58-59

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
A RESTING PLACE

All of A.A.'s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural desires . . . they all deflate our egos.  When it comes to ego deflation, few Steps are harder to take than Five.  But scarcely any Step is more necessary to longtime sobriety and peace of mind than this one.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  55

After writing down my character defects, I was unwilling to talk about them, and decided it was time to stop carrying this burden alone, I needed to confess those defects to someone else.  I had read -- and been told -- I could not stay sober unless I did.  Step Five provided me with a feeling of belonging, with humility and serenity when I practiced it in my daily living.  It was important to admit my defects of character in the order presented in Step Five: "to God, to ourselves and to another human being."  Admitting to God first paved the way for admission to myself and to another person.  As the taking of the Step is described, a feeling of being at one with God and my fellow man brought me to a resting place where I could prepare myself for the remaining Steps toward a full and meaningful sobriety.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Back To Work

It is possible for us to use the alleged dishonesty of other people as a plausible excuse for not meeting our own obligations.
Once, some prejudiced friends exhorted me never to go back to Wall Street. They were sure that the rampant materialism and double-dealing down there would stunt my spiritual growth. Because this sounded so high-minded, I continued to stay away from the only business that I knew.
When, finally, my household went broke, I realized I hadn't been able to face the prospect of going back to work. So I returned to Wall Street, and I have ever since been glad that I did. I needed to rediscover that there are many fine people in New York's financial district. Then, too, I needed the experience of staying sober in the very surroundings where alcohol had cut me down.
A Wall Street business trip to Akron, Ohio, first brought me face to face with Dr. Bob. So the birth of A.A. hinged on my effort to meet my bread-and-butter responsibilities.

GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society,
from life itself. As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering
denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness
settled down. It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some of us
sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding companionship
and approval. Momentarily we did—then would come oblivion and
the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen—Terror,
Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 151~
~

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

I'm grateful that I found a program in A.A. that could keep me sober. I'm grateful that A.A. has shown me the way to faith in a Higher Power, because the renewing of that faith has changed my way of life. And I've found a happiness and contentment that I had forgotten existed, by simply believing in God and trying to live the kind of a life that I know He wants me to live. As long as I stay grateful, I'll stay sober. Am I in a grateful frame of mind?

Meditation for the Day

God can work through you better when you are not hurrying. Go very slowly, very quietly, from one duty to the next, taking time to rest and pray between. Do not be too busy. Take everything in order. Venture often into the rest of God and you will find peace. At work that results from resting with God is good work. Claim the power to work miracles in human lives. Know that you can do many things through the Higher Power. Know that you can do good things through God who rests you and gives you strength. Partake regularly of rest and prayer.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not be in too much of a hurry. I pray that I may take time out often to rest with God.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Tornado ^*^*^*^*^ May 7, 2007

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

"The alcoholic is like a tornado
roaring his way through the lives of others.
Hearts are broken.
Sweet relationships are dead.
Affections have been uprooted.
Selfish and inconsiderate habits
have kept the home in turmoil.
We feel a man is unthinking
when he says that sobriety is enough.
He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar
to find his home ruined.
To his wife, he remarked,
'Don't see anything the matter here, Ma.
Ain't it grand the wind stopped blowin'?'"
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 82

Thought to Consider . . .

"We alcoholics are undisciplined.
So we let God discipline us..."

Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 88

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
BUT
Being Unconvinced Totally

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

Open

From "A Vision for You":

"But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending gatherings and visiting hospitals. Cleaning up old scrapes, helping to settle family differences, explaining the disinherited son to his irate parents, lending money and securing jobs for each other, when justified—these are everyday occurrences. No one is too discredited or has sunk too low to be welcomed cordially—if he means business. Social distinctions, petty rivalries and jealousies—these are laughed out of countenance. Being wrecked in the same vessel, being restored and united under one God, with hearts and minds attuned to the welfare of others, the things which matter so much to some people no longer signify much to them. How could they?"

© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 161

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
RESPECT FOR OTHERS

Such parts of our story we tell to someone who will understand, yet be unaffected.  The rule is we must be hard on our self, but always considerate of others.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  74

Respect for others is the lesson that I take out of this passage.  I must go to any lengths to free myself if I wish to find that peace of mind that I have sought for so long.  However, none of this must be done at another's expense.  Selfishness has no place in the A.A. way of life.

When I take the Fifth Step it's wiser to choose a person with whom I share common aims because if that person does not understand me, my spiritual progress may be delayed and I could be in danger of a relapse.  So I ask for divine guidance before choosing the man or woman whom I take into my confidence.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Persistence in Prayer

We often tend to slight serious meditation and prayer as something not really necessary. To be sure, we feel it is something that might help us to meet an occasional emergency, but at first many of us are apt to regard it as a somewhat mysterious skill of clergymen, from which we may hope to get a secondhand benefit.
<<<>>>
In A.A. we have found that the actual good results of prayer are beyond question. They are matters of knowledge and experience. All those who have persisted have found strength not ordinarily their own. They have found wisdom beyond their usual capability. And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand in the face of difficult circumstances.

TWELVE AND TWELVE
1. P. 96     2. P. 104

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family
back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife will never come
back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his
recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his
relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came back too soon."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~

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

It's very important to keep in a grateful frame of mind, if we want to stay sober. We should be grateful that we're living in a day and age when alcoholics aren't treated as they often used to be treated before Alcoholics Anonymous was started. In the old days, every town had its town drunk who was regarded with scorn and ridiculed by the rest of the townspeople. We have come into A.A. and found all the sympathy, understanding, and fellowship that we could ask for. There's no other group like A.A. in the world. Am I grateful?

Meditation for the Day

God takes our efforts for good and blesses them. God needs our efforts. We need God's blessing. Together, they mean spiritual success. Our efforts are necessary. We cannot merely relax and drift with the tide. We must often direct our efforts against the tide of materialism around us. When difficulties come, our efforts are needed to surmount them. But God directs our efforts into the right channels and God's power is necessary to help us choose the right.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may choose the right. I pray that I may have God's blessing and direction in all my efforts for good.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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Thoughts For The Day~*~Control ^*^*^*^*^ May 6, 2007

 ~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
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Control

"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, p. 30

Thought to Consider . . .

When a person tries to control their drinking
they have already lost control.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
STEPS
Solutions To Every Problem in Sobriety

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

Honesty 

From "Our Survival:"

 

"The HONESTY expressed by the members of A.A. in meetings has the power to open my mind.  Nothing can block the flow of energy that HONESTY carries with it.  The only obstacle to this flow of energy is inebriation, but even then, no one will find a closed door if he or she has left and chooses to return.  Once he or she has received the gift of sobriety, each A.A. member is challenged on a daily basis to accept a program of HONESTY."

 

c. 1990, Daily Reflections, page 311

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
"HOLD BACK NOTHING"

The real tests of the situation are your own willingness to confide and your full confidence in the one with whom you share your first accurate self-survey.  .  .  .  Provided you hold back nothing, your sense of relief will mount from minute to minute.  The dammed-up emotions of years break out of their confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed.  As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.  61-62

A tiny kernel of locked-in feelings began to unfold when I first attended A.A. meetings and self-knowledge then became a learning task for me.  This new self-understanding brought about a change in my responses to life's situations.  I realized I had the right to make choices in my life, and the inner dictatorship of habits slowly lost its grip.

I believe that if I seek God I can find a better way to live and I ask Him daily to assist me in living a sober life.

©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
"Admitted to God . . . "

Provided you hold back nothing in taking the Fifth Step, your sense of relief will mount from minute to minute. The dammed-up emotions of years break out of their confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed. As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place. And when humility and serenity are so combined, something else of great moment is apt to occur.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 62

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and
express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than
ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

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

I've noticed that the ones who do the most for A.A. are not in the habit of boasting about it. The danger of building myself up too much is that, if I do, I'm in danger of having a fall. That pattern of thought goes with drinking. If one side of a boat gets too far up out of the water, it's liable to tip over. Building myself up and drinking go together. One leads to the other. So if I'm going to stay sober, I've got to keep small. Have I got the right perspective on myself?

Meditation for the Day

The way sometimes seems long and weary. So many people today are weary. The weariness of others must often be shared by me. The weary and the heavy laden, when they come to me, should be helped to find the rest that I have found. There is only one sure cure for world-weariness and that is turning to spiritual things. In order to help bring about the turning of the weary world to God, I must dare to suffer, dare to conquer selfishness in myself, and dare to be filled with spiritual peace in the face of all the weariness of the world.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be a help to discouraged people. I pray that I may have the courage to help bring about what the weary world needs but does not know how to get.

©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©

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