~*~Step Eleven Group~*~: 10/27/24

Saturday, November 02, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~~Recovery ^^*^ November 3

Click Here For
our List of Online
Recovery Resources

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

"Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he does not close his mind to spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial. We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable"
c. 1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 570

Thought to Consider . . .

The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

D R Y
Doing Recovery Yourself

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

Undertaker or the Asylum

From: "Bill's Story"

It relieved me somewhat to learn that in alcoholics the will is amazingly weakened when it comes to combating liquor, though it often remains strong in other respects. My incredible behavior in the face of a desperate desire to stop was explained. Understanding myself now, I fared forth in high hope. For three or four months the goose hung high. I went to town regularly and even made a little money. Surely this was the answer - self-knowledge.

But it was not, for the frightful day came when I drank once more. The curve of my declining moral and bodily health fell off like a ski-jump. After a time I returned to the hospital. This was the finish, the curtain, it seemed to me. My weary and despairing wife was informed that it would all end with heart failure during delirium tremens, or I would develop a wet brain, perhaps within a year. She would soon have to give me over to the undertaker or the asylum.
2001 AAWS Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous, page 7

*^Daily Reflections^*

FOCUSING AND LISTENING

There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98

If I do my self-examination first, then surely, I'll have enough humility to pray and meditate - because I'll see and feel my need for them. Some wish to begin and end with prayer, leaving the self-examination and meditation to take place in between, whereas others start with meditation, listening for advice from God about their still hidden or unacknowledged defects. Still others engage in written and verbal work on their defects, ending with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. These three - self-examination, meditation and prayer - form a circle, without a beginning or an end. No matter where, or how, I start, I eventually arrive at my destination: a better life.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

Circle and Triangle

"Above us, at the International Convention at St. Louis in 1955, floated a banner on which was inscribed the then new symbol for A.A., a circle enclosing a triangle. The circle stands for the whole world of A.A., and the triangle stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies: Recovery, Unity, and Service. It is perhaps no accident that priests and seers of antiquity regarded this symbol as a means of warding off spirits of evil."
<<< >>>
"When, in 1955, we oldtimers turned over our Three Legacies to the whole movement, nostalgia for the old days blended with gratitude for the great day in which I was now living. No more would it be necessary for me to act for, decide for, or protect A.A. For a moment, I dreaded the coming change. But this mood quickly passed. The conscience of A.A. as moved by the guidance of God could be depended upon to insure A.A.'s future. Clearly my job henceforth was to let go and let God."
A.A. COMES OF AGE
1. p. 139 - 2. pp. 46, 48

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Actually we were fooling ourselves, for 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."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
We Agnostics, pg. 55

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have charity, another word for love. That right kind of love which is not selfish passion but an unselfish, outgoing desire to help other people. To do what is best for the other person, to put what is best for him or her above my own desires. To put God first, the other person second, and myself last. Charity is gentle, kind, understanding, long-suffering, and full of desire to serve. A.A. has given me this. What I do for myself is lost; what I do for others may be written somewhere in eternity. Have I charity?

Meditation for the Day

"Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." God has unlimited power. There is no limit to what His power can do in human hearts. But we must will to have God's power and we must ask God for it. God's power is blocked off from us by our indifference to it. We can go along our own selfish way without calling on God's help and we get no power. But when we trust in God, we can will to have the power we need. When we sincerely ask God for it, we get it abundantly.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may will to have God's power. I pray that I may keep praying for the strength I need.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

If you were forwarded this email
click here to join.

You have 2 Other Ways to
Participate in Transitions Daily:

1. Join the Transitions Daily Private Facebook Group: Search for Transitions Daily on Facebook and request to join, or click
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransitionsDaily/. Every day the topic email is posted for discussion. Members can also post recovery related content to share and discuss with other members.

2. 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'll need to investigate yourself or ask a friend who listens to podcasts to explain the process.

For iPhone:
For the iPhone, most use iTunes. Search "how to sign up for podcasts on an iPhone" in your favorite search engine or go to iTunes for more information.

For Android:
Android is more complex. There are several different podcast app options. We know several who use the free version of the Pocket Casts app. Search "how to sign up for podcasts on Android" in your favorite search engine.

We also list many recovery resources
including recovery podcasts at
www.DailyAAEmails.com

--
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 https://transitionsdaily.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TDflyerrev012124QRadded.pdf to use in your service work!

To Donate Go to: https://transitionsdaily.org/support-transitions-daily

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 visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/transitionsdaily/f5c61db6-8d64-6e71-def3-8a7e6a21a554%40gmail.com.

Friday, November 01, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~~Oldtimers ^^*^ November 2

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~

^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Oldtimers

"Many oldsters who have put our A.A. 'booze cure' to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. To attain this, we must develop real maturity and balance (which is to say humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God."
Bill W., AA Grapevine, January 1958
c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 244

Thought to Consider . . .

Newcomers are the lifeblood of the program, but our oldtimers are the arteries.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

C H A N G E
Choosing Honesty Allows New Growth Every day

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

Spirituality

From "In His Own Individual Right":

"Spirituality is an awakening or is it all the loose ends woven together into a mellow fabric? It's understanding or is it all the knowledge one need ever know? It's freedom if you consider fear slavery. It's confidence or is it the belief that a higher power will see you through any storm or gale? It's adhering to the dictates of your conscience or is it a deep, genuine, living concern for the people and the planet? It's peace of mind in the face of adversity. It's a keen and sharpened desire for survival."
New York, New York, USA
1973 AAWS Inc.
Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 5

*^Daily Reflections^*

KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOAT

The other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehow functioning. But Step Eleven can keep us growing, . . .
THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240

A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimistic about life. Optimism is the natural result of my finding myself gradually able to make the best, rather than the worst, of each situation. As my physical sobriety continues, I come out of the fog, gain a clearer perspective and am better able to determine what courses of action to take. As vital as physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential for myself by developing an ever-increasing willingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction of a Higher Power. My ability to do so comes from my learning - and practicing - the principles of the A.A. program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobriety produces the substance of a more positive life.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

Is Happiness the Goal?

"I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How do we meet the problems we face? How do we best learn from them and transmit what we have learned to others, if they would receive the knowledge? In my view, we of this world are pupils in a great school of life. It is intended that we try to grow, and that we try to help our fellow travelers to grow in the kind of love that makes no demands. In short, we try to move toward the image and likeness of God as we understand Him. When pain comes, we are expected to learn from it willingly, and help others to learn. When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and thank God for it."
LETTER, 1950

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your existence lie ahead."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
A Vision For You, pg. 152

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have faith. That thing that makes the world seem right. That thing that makes sense at last. That awareness of the Divine Principle in the universe which holds it all together and gives it unity and purpose and goodness and meaning. Life is no longer ashes in my mouth or bitter to the taste. It is all one glorious whole, because God is holding it together. Faith - that leap into the unknown, the venture into what lies beyond our ken, that which brings untold rewards of peace and serenity. Have I faith?

Meditation for the Day

Keep yourself like an empty vessel for God to fill. Keep pouring yourself out to help others so that God can keep filling you up with His spirit. The more you give, the more you will have for yourself. God will see that you are kept filled as long as you are giving to others. But if you selfishly try to keep all for yourself, you are soon blocked off from God, your source of supply, and you will become stagnant. To be clear, a lake must have an inflow and an outflow.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may keep pouring out what I receive. I pray that I may keep the stream clear and flowing.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~~Principles ^^*^ October 30

To Drop a Dollar
in the Virtual Basket
Click Here

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

"Experience shows that few alcoholics will long stay away from a group just because they don't like the way it is run. Most return and adjust themselves to whatever conditions they must. Some go to a different group, or form a new one. In other words, once an alcoholic fully realizes that he cannot get well alone, he will somehow find a way to get well and stay well in the company of others."
Bill W., Letter, 1943
c.1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 312

Thought to Consider . . .

It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill - just add a little dirt.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

I S M
I, Self, Me

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

Grim Routine
From: "Chapter 7: Make it snappy"
During this 17-year period [1918-1935], Dr. Bob had worked out a grim routine that permitted him to drink and somehow still maintain his medical practice. Careful never to go near the hospital while he was drinking, he would stay sober until four o'clock in the afternoon. It was really a horrible nightmare, this earning money, getting liquor, smuggling it home, getting drunk, morning jitters, taking large doses of sedatives to make it possible for me to earn more money, and so on ad nauseum, he wrote. "I used to promise my wife, my friends, and my children that I would drink no more - promises which seldom kept me sober through the day, though I was very sincere when I made them."
1984 AAWS Inc.
"PASS IT ON", page 140

*^Daily Reflections^*

LIVE AND LET LIVE

Never since it began has Alcoholics Anonymous been divided by a major controversial issue. Nor has our Fellowship ever publicly taken sides on any question in an embattled world. This, however, has been no earned virtue. It could almost be said that we were born with it . . . "So long as we don't argue these matters privately, it's a cinch we never shall publicly."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 176

Do I remember that I have a right to my opinion but that others don't have to share it? That's the spirit of "Live and Let Live." The Serenity Prayer reminds me, with God's help, to "Accept the things I cannot change." Am I still trying to change others? When it comes to "Courage to change the things I can," do I remember that my opinions are mine, and yours are yours? Am I still afraid to be me? When it comes to "Wisdom to know the difference," do I remember that my opinions come from my experience? If I have a know-it-all attitude, aren't I being deliberately controversial?
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

Loving Advisers

"Had I not been blessed with wise and loving advisers, I might have cracked up long ago. A doctor once saved me from death by alcoholism because he obliged me to face up to the deadliness of that malady. Another doctor, a psychiatrist, later on helped me save my sanity because he led me to ferret out some of my deep-lying defects. From a clergyman I acquired the truthful principles by which we A.A.'s now try to live. But these precious friends did far more than supply me with their professional skills. I learned that I could go to them with any problem whatever. Their wisdom and their integrity were mine for the asking. Many of my dearest A.A. friends have stood with me in exactly this same relation. Oftentimes they could help where others could not, simply because they were A.A.'s."
GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
There Is A Solution, pg. 24

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

I have real friends where I had none before. My drinking companions could hardly be called my real friends, though when drunk we seemed to have the closest kind of friendship. My idea of friendship has changed. Friends are no longer people whom I can use for my own pleasure or profit. Friends are now people who understand me and I them, whom I can help and who can help me to live a better life. I have learned not to hold back and wait for friends to come to me, but to go halfway and to be met halfway, openly and freely. Does friendship have a new meaning for me?

Meditation for the Day

There is a time for everything. We should learn to wait patiently until the right time comes. Easy does it. We waste our energies in trying to get things before we are ready to have them, before we have earned the right to receive them. A great lesson we have to learn is how to wait with patience. We can believe that all our life is a preparation for something better to come when we have earned the right to it. We can believe that God has a plan for our lives and that this plan will work out in the fullness of time.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may learn the lesson of waiting patiently. I pray that I may not expect things until I have earned the right to have them.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

If you were forwarded this email
click here to join.

You have 2 Other Ways to
Participate in Transitions Daily:

1. Join the Transitions Daily Private Facebook Group: Search for Transitions Daily on Facebook and request to join, or click
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransitionsDaily/. Every day the topic email is posted for discussion. Members can also post recovery related content to share and discuss with other members.

2. 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'll need to investigate yourself or ask a friend who listens to podcasts to explain the process.

For iPhone:
For the iPhone, most use iTunes. Search "how to sign up for podcasts on an iPhone" in your favorite search engine or go to iTunes for more information.

For Android:
Android is more complex. There are several different podcast app options. We know several who use the free version of the Pocket Casts app. Search "how to sign up for podcasts on Android" in your favorite search engine.

We also list many recovery resources
including recovery podcasts at
www.DailyAAEmails.com

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~~Loneliness ^^*^ October 28

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~

^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \(AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Loneliness

"Almost without exception, alcoholics are tortured by loneliness. Even before our drinking got bad and people began to cut us off, nearly all of us suffered the feeling we didn't quite belong. Either we were shy, and dared not draw near others, or we were apt to be noisy good fellows craving attention and companionship, but never getting it - at least to our way of thinking. There was always that mysterious barrier we could neither surmount nor understand . . . That's one reason we loved alcohol too well. It did let us act extemporaneously. But even Bacchus boomeranged on us; we were finally struck down and left in terrified loneliness."
c.1952 AAWS Inc.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 57

Thought to Consider . . .

Isolation is a darkroom where we develop negatives.

*~*AACRONYMS*~*

H A L T
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired

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

Forgiveness

Step Eight: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

These obstacles, however, are very real. The first, and one of the most difficult has to do with forgiveness. The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong that he has done us. This is especially true if he has, in fact, behaved badly at all. Triumphantly we seize upon his misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own.
1981 AAWS Inc.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 78

*^Daily Reflections^*

AN UNBROKEN TRADITION

We conceive the survival and spread of Alcoholics Anonymous to be something of far greater importance than the weight we could collectively throw back of any other cause.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 177

How much it means to me that an unbroken tradition of more than half a century is a thread that connects me to Bill W. and Dr. Bob. How much more grounded I feel to be in a Fellowship whose aims are constant and unflagging. I am grateful that the energies of A.A. have never been scattered, but focused instead on our members and on individual sobriety.

My beliefs are what make me human; I am free to hold any opinion, but A.A.'s purpose - so clearly stated fifty years ago - is for me to keep sober. That purpose has promoted round-the-clock meeting schedules, and the thousands of inter-group and central service offices, with their thousands of volunteers. Like the sun focused through a magnifying glass, A.A.'s single vision has lit a fire of faith in sobriety in millions of hearts, including mine.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.

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

To Rebuild Security

"In our behavior respecting financial and emotional security, fear, greed, possessiveness, and pride have too often done their worst. Surveying his business or employment record, almost any alcoholic can ask questions like these: In addition to my drinking problem, what character defects contributed to my financial instability? Did fear and inferiority about my fitness for my job destroy my confidence and fill me with conflict? Or did I overvalue myself and play the big shot?

Businesswomen in A.A. will find that these questions often apply to them, too, and the alcoholic housewife can also make the family financially insecure. Indeed, all alcoholics need to cross-examine themselves ruthlessly to determine how their own personality defects have demolished their security."
TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 51-52

*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*

"Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go to any lengths to find a spiritual experience, we ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right thing, no matter what the personal consequences may be."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition
Into Action, pg. 79

*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*

A.A. Thought for the Day

What other rewards have come to me as a result of my new way of living? Each one of us can answer this question in many ways. My relationship with my spouse or companion is on an entirely new plane. The total selfishness is gone and more cooperation has taken its place. My home is a home again. Understanding has taken the place of misunderstanding, recriminations, bickering, and resentment. A new companionship has developed which bodes well for the future. "There are homes where fires burn and there is bread, lamps are lit and prayers are said. Though people falter through the dark and nations grope, with God Himself back of these little homes, we still can hope. Have I come home?

Meditation for the Day

We can bow to God's will in anticipation of the thing happening that will, in the long run, be the best for all concerned. It may not always seem the best thing at the present time, but we cannot see as far ahead as God can. We do not know how His plans are laid, we only need to believe that if we trust Him and accept whatever happens as His will in a spirit of faith, everything will work out for the best in the end.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not ask to see the distant scene. I pray that one step may be enough for me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Saturday, November 02, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~~Recovery ^^*^ November 3

Friday, November 01, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~~Oldtimers ^^*^ November 2

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~~Principles ^^*^ October 30

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~~Loneliness ^^*^ October 28

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~*~Step Eleven Group~*~

Saturday, November 02, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~*~Recovery ^*^*^ November 3

Friday, November 01, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~*~Oldtimers ^*^*^ November 2

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~*~Principles ^*^*^ October 30

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Thoughts For The Day~*~Loneliness ^*^*^ October 28

Followers

Blog Archive

Contributors

~~Step Eleven Group~~

Thoughts For The Day~~Recovery ^^*^ November 3

Thoughts For The Day~~Oldtimers ^^*^ November 2

Thoughts For The Day~~Principles ^^*^ October 30

Thoughts For The Day~~Loneliness ^^*^ October 28