~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Promises
"We are going to know a new freedom
and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past
nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity
and we will know peace.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone,
we will see how our experience can benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity
will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things
and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and of economic insecurity
will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle
situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us
what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not.
They are being fulfilled among us --
sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
They will always materialize if we work for them."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-4
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .
The Promises are a result not a right.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M = People Relying On God Relay A Message
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Promises
"We are going to know a new freedom
and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past
nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity
and we will know peace.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone,
we will see how our experience can benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity
will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things
and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and of economic insecurity
will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle
situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us
what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not.
They are being fulfilled among us --
sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
They will always materialize if we work for them."
c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-4
^*^*^*^*^
Thought to Consider . . .
The Promises are a result not a right.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M = People Relying On God Relay A Message
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Madness
From "Student of Life":
"The insanity of the disease had already manifested itself. I recall thinking, as I knelt retching in the stall, that this was fantastic. Life was great; I had finally found the answer—alcohol! Yes, I overdid it the night before, but I was new to this game. I only had to learn how to drink right and I was set."
© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 320
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
ATTRACTION, NOT PROMOTION
Through many painful experiences, we think we have arrived at what that policy ought to be. It is the opposite in many ways of usual promotional practice. We found that we had to rely upon the principle of attraction rather than of promotion.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 180-181
While I was drinking I reacted with anger, self-pity and defiance against anyone who wanted to change me. All I wanted then was to be accepted by another human simply as I was and, curiously, that is what I found in A.A. I became the custodian of this concept of attraction, which is the principle of our Fellowship's public relations. It is by attraction that I can best reach the alcoholic who still suffers.
I thank God for having given me the attraction of a well-planned and established program of Steps and Traditions. Through humility and the support of my fellow sober members, I have been able to practice the A.A. way of life through attraction, not promotion.
ATTRACTION, NOT PROMOTION
Through many painful experiences, we think we have arrived at what that policy ought to be. It is the opposite in many ways of usual promotional practice. We found that we had to rely upon the principle of attraction rather than of promotion.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 180-181
While I was drinking I reacted with anger, self-pity and defiance against anyone who wanted to change me. All I wanted then was to be accepted by another human simply as I was and, curiously, that is what I found in A.A. I became the custodian of this concept of attraction, which is the principle of our Fellowship's public relations. It is by attraction that I can best reach the alcoholic who still suffers.
I thank God for having given me the attraction of a well-planned and established program of Steps and Traditions. Through humility and the support of my fellow sober members, I have been able to practice the A.A. way of life through attraction, not promotion.
©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
I Am Responsible . . .
When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.
- DECLARATION OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY - INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, 1965
DEAR FRIENDS:
Since 1938, the greatest part of my A.A. life has been spent in helping to create, design, manage, and insure the solvency and effectiveness of A.A.'s world services - the office of which has enabled our Fellowship to function all over the globe, and as a unified whole.
It is no exaggeration to say that, under their trustees, these all important services have accounted for much of our present size and over-all effectiveness.
The A.A. General Service Office is by far the largest single carrier of the A.A. message. It has well related A.A. to the troubled world in which we live. It has fostered the spread of our Fellowship everywhere. A.A. World Services, Inc., stands ready to serve the special needs of any group or isolated individual, no matter the distance or language. Its many years of accumulated experience are available to us all.
The members of our trusteeship - the General Service Board of A.A .- will, in the future, be our primary leaders in all of our world affairs. This high responsibility has long since been delegated to them; they are the successors in world service to Dr. Bob and to me, and they are directly accountable to A.A. as a whole.
This is the legacy of world-service responsibility that we vanishing oldtimers are leaving to you, the A.A.'s of today and tomorrow. We know that you will guard, support, and cherish this world legacy as the greatest collective responsibility that A.A. has or ever can have.
Yours in trust, and in affection,
Bill
Bill W. died on January 24, 1971
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as
an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not
helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among
us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witch-burners.
A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could
have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
The A.A. way is the way of sobriety. A.A. is known everywhere as a method that has been successful with alcoholics. Doctors, psychiatrists, and the clergy have had some success. Some men and women have gotten sober all by themselves. We believe that A.A. is the most successful and happiest way to sobriety. And yet A.A. is, of course, not wholly successful. Some are unable to achieve sobriety and some slip back into alcoholism after they have had some measure of sobriety. Am I deeply grateful to have found A.A.?
Meditation for the Day
Gratitude to God is the theme of Thanksgiving Day. The pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their harvest which was pitifully small. When we look around at all the things we have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families, our homes, our friends, our A.A. fellowship: all these things are free gifts of God to us. "But for the grace of God," we would not have them.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be very grateful today. I pray that I may not forget where I might be but for the grace of God.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
I Am Responsible . . .
When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.
- DECLARATION OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY - INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, 1965
DEAR FRIENDS:
Since 1938, the greatest part of my A.A. life has been spent in helping to create, design, manage, and insure the solvency and effectiveness of A.A.'s world services - the office of which has enabled our Fellowship to function all over the globe, and as a unified whole.
It is no exaggeration to say that, under their trustees, these all important services have accounted for much of our present size and over-all effectiveness.
The A.A. General Service Office is by far the largest single carrier of the A.A. message. It has well related A.A. to the troubled world in which we live. It has fostered the spread of our Fellowship everywhere. A.A. World Services, Inc., stands ready to serve the special needs of any group or isolated individual, no matter the distance or language. Its many years of accumulated experience are available to us all.
The members of our trusteeship - the General Service Board of A.A .- will, in the future, be our primary leaders in all of our world affairs. This high responsibility has long since been delegated to them; they are the successors in world service to Dr. Bob and to me, and they are directly accountable to A.A. as a whole.
This is the legacy of world-service responsibility that we vanishing oldtimers are leaving to you, the A.A.'s of today and tomorrow. We know that you will guard, support, and cherish this world legacy as the greatest collective responsibility that A.A. has or ever can have.
Yours in trust, and in affection,
Bill
Bill W. died on January 24, 1971
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as
an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not
helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among
us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witch-burners.
A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could
have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 103~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
The A.A. way is the way of sobriety. A.A. is known everywhere as a method that has been successful with alcoholics. Doctors, psychiatrists, and the clergy have had some success. Some men and women have gotten sober all by themselves. We believe that A.A. is the most successful and happiest way to sobriety. And yet A.A. is, of course, not wholly successful. Some are unable to achieve sobriety and some slip back into alcoholism after they have had some measure of sobriety. Am I deeply grateful to have found A.A.?
Meditation for the Day
Gratitude to God is the theme of Thanksgiving Day. The pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their harvest which was pitifully small. When we look around at all the things we have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families, our homes, our friends, our A.A. fellowship: all these things are free gifts of God to us. "But for the grace of God," we would not have them.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may be very grateful today. I pray that I may not forget where I might be but for the grace of God.
©Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012©
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