Thoughts For The Day~*~Meetings ^*^*^*^*^ March 3, 2012

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

"We have also found that going to meetings is not something to

be done only when we feel the temptation to drink.  We often

get more good from the meetings by attending them when we

feel fine and haven't so much as thought of drinking. And

even a meeting which is not totally, instantly satisfying, is

better than no meeting at all.

"Living Sober,  p. 81
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
ALCOHOLICS

A Life Centered On Helping Others Live In Complete Sobriety

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B E S T  =  Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?

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

From "Bill's Story":

"No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self-pity. Quicksand stretched around me in all directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol was my master."

2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 8 

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
OVERCOMING SELF-WILL

So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making.  They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so.  Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness.  We must, or it kills us!

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  62

For so many years my life revolved solely around myself I was consumed with self in all forms -- self-centeredness, self-pity, self-seeking, all of which stemmed from pride.  Today I have been given the gift, through the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, of practicing the Steps and Traditions in my daily life, of my group and sponsor, and the capacity -- if I so choose -- to put my pride aside in all situations which arise in my life.

Until I could honestly look at myself and see that I was the problem in many situations and react appropriately inside and out; until I could discard my expectations and understand that my serenity was directly proportional to them, I could not experience serenity and sound sobriety.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
A Different Swinging Door

When a drunk shows up among us and says that he doesn't like the A.A. principles, people, or service management, when he declares that he can do better elsewhere - we are not worried. We simply say, "Maybe your case really is different. Why don't you try something else?"
If an A.A. member says he doesn't like his own group, we are not disturbed. We simply say, "Why don't you try another one? Or start one of your own." To those who wish to secede from A.A. altogether, we extend a cheerful invitation to do just that. If they can do better by other means, we are glad. If after a trial they cannot do better, we know they face a choice: They can go mad or die or they can return to A.A. The decision is wholly theirs. ( As a matter of fact, most of them do come back. )

TWELVE CONCEPTS, pp. 72 - 73
Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
*~*~*~*~*^ 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

After we've made a surrender, the drink problem is out of our hands and in the hands of God. The thing we have to do is to be sure that we never reach out and take the problem back into our own hands. Leave it in God's hands. Whenever I'm tempted to take a drink, I must say to myself: "I can't do that. I've made a bargain with God not to drink. I know God doesn't want me to drink and so I won't do it." At the same time I say a little prayer to God for the strength needed to keep the bargain with Him. Am I going to keep my bargain with God?

Meditation for the Day

I will try to grow in this new life. I will think of spiritual things often and unconsciously I will grow. The nearer I get to the new life, the more I will see my unfitness. My sense of failure is a sure sign that I am growing in the new life. It is only struggle that hurts. in sloth---physical, mental, or spiritual---there is no sense of failure or discomfort. With struggle and effort, I am conscious not of strength but of weakness until I am really living the new life. But in the struggle, I can always rely on the power of God to help me.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may see signs of my growth in the new life. I pray that I may always keep trying to grow.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Why Worry? ^*^*^*^*^ March 2, 2012

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\  ~~~ /)
(   \(AA)/  )
(_   /AA\ _)
   /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Why Worry?
^*^*^
"There are many short phrases and expressions in AA
which make sound sense.
'First Things First':  solving our immediate problems
before we try to solve all the others . . .
'Easy Does it.'  Relax a little.
Try for inner contentment.  No one individual
can carry all the burdens of the world.
Everyone has problems.  Getting drunk won't solve them.
'Twenty-four hours a day.'
Today is the day.  Doing our best,
living each day to the fullest is the art of living.
Yesterday is gone, and we don't know whether
we will be here tomorrow.
If we do a good job of living today,
and if tomorrow comes for us,
then the chances are we will do a good job when it arrives -
so why worry about it?"
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 382
^*^*^*^*^*

Thought to Consider . . .

Every day is a gift.
That is why we call it the present.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S  I  T   =   Stay In Today

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

Within

From "Inner Voice":

"Long before nagging and pressures from others concerning my excessive use of alcohol made any impression on me, the nagging voice of conscience  my own inner voice of truth and right  apprised me of the irrevocable fact that I had lost control of alcohol, that I was powerless. I know now that the inner voice was God, as I understand Him, speaking. For, as I had been taught from earliest memory and as A.A. has emphasized, God  or good  emanates from within each of us.  Lakewood, Ohio, USA

1973 AAWS, Inc.; 30^th Printing 2004, Came to Believe, pg. 83
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
HOPE

        Do not be discouraged.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  60

Few experiences are of less value to me than fast sobriety.  Too many times discouragement has been the bonus for unrealistic expectations, not to mention self-pity or fatigue from my wanting to change the world by the weekend.  Discouragement is a warning signal that I may have wandered across the God line.  The secret of fulfilling my potential is in acknowledging my limitations and believing that time is a gift, not a threat.

Hope is the key that unlocks the door of discouragement.  The program promises me that if I do not pick up the first drink today, I will always have hope.  Having come to believe that I keep what I share, every time I encourage, I receive courage.  It is with others that, with the grace of God and the Fellowship of A.A., I trudge the road of happy destiny.  May I always remember that the power within me is far greater than any fear before me.  May I always have patience, for I am on the right road.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Resolving Fear

Fear somehow touched about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it. It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn't deserve. But did not we often set the ball rolling ourselves?

<<<>>>

The problem of resolving fear has two aspects. We shall have to try for all the freedom from fear that is possible for us to attain. Then we shall need to find both the courage and the grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain.

1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 67-68 - 2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962
Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we found
we could not place money first. For us, material well-being always
followed spiritual progress; it never preceded."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

Over a period of drinking years, we've proved to ourselves and to everybody else that we can't stop drinking by our own willpower. We have been proved helpless before the power of alcohol. So the only way we could stop drinking was by turning to a Power greater than ourselves. We call that Power God. The time that you really get this program is when you get down on your knees and surrender yourself to God, as you understand Him. Surrender means putting your life into God's hands. Have I made a promise to God that I will try to live the way He wants me to live?

Meditation for the Day

Spirit-power comes from communication with God in prayer and times of quiet meditation. I must constantly seek spirit-communication with God. This is a matter directly between me and God. Those who seek it through the medium of the church do not always get the joy and the wonder of spirit communication with God. From this communication comes life, joy, peace, and healing. Many people do not realize the power that can come to them from direct spirit-communication.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may feel that God's power is mine. I pray that I may be able to face anything through that power.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Selfishness ^*^*^*^*^ March 1, 2012

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\  ~~~ /)
(   \(AA)/  )
(_   /AA\ _)
   /AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Selfishness
Selfishness, self-centeredness!
That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Driven by a hundred forms of fear,
self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity,
we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.
Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation,
but we invariably find that at some time in the past
we have made decisions based on self
which later placed us in a position to be hurt.
c. 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Swallowing your pride will not get you drunk.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A  = Altered Attitudes

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

Opinion

From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"As by some deep instinct, we have known from the very beginning that, no matter what the provocation, we must never publicly take sides, as A.A.s, in any fight, even a worthy one. All history affords us the spectacle of striving nations and groups finally torn asunder because they were designed for, or tempted into, controversy. Others fell apart because of sheer self-righteousness while trying to force upon the rest of mankind some millennium of their own specification. In our own times we have seen millions die in political and economic wars often spurred by religious and racial differences."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 123

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*

IT WORKS

        It works -- it really does.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.  88

When I got sober I initially had faith only in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Desperation and fear kept me sober (and maybe a caring and/or tough sponsor helped!).  Faith in a Higher Power came much later.  This faith came slowly at first, after I began listening to others share at meetings about their experiences -- experiences that I had never faced sober, but that they were facing with strength from a Higher Power.  Out of their sharing came hope that I too would -- and could -- "get" a Higher Power.  In time, I learned that a Higher power -- a faith that works under all conditions -- is possible.  Today this faith, plus the honesty, openmindedness and willingness to work the Steps of the program, gives me the serenity that I seek.  It works -- it really does.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Brain Power Alone?

To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman, many A.A.'s can say, "Yes, we were like you - far too smart for our own good. We loved to have people call us precocious. We used our education to blow ourselves up into prideful balloons, though we were careful to hide this from others. Secretly, we felt we could float above the rest of the folks on our brain power alone.
"Scientific progress told Us there was nothing man couldn't do. Knowledge was all powerful. Intellect could conquer nature. Since we were brighter than most folks (so we thought), the spoils of victory would be ours for the thinking. The god of intellect displaced the God of our fathers.
"But John Barleycorn had other ideas. We who had won so handsomely in a walk turned into alltime losers. We saw that we had to reconsider or die."

TWELVE AND TWELVE, pp. 29-30
Copyright1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can
quickly diagnose yourself, Step over to the nearest barroom and try
some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it
more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are
honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters
if you get a full knowledge of your condition."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg.31

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

When I find myself thinking about taking a drink, I say to myself. "Don't reach out and take that problem back. You've given it to God and there's nothing you can do about it." So I forget about the drink. One of the most important parts of the A.A. program is to give our drink problem to God honestly and fully and never to reach out and take the problem back to ourselves. If we let God have it and keep it for good and then cooperate with Him, we'll stay sober. Have I determined not to take the drink problem back to myself?

Meditation for the Day

Constant effort is necessary if I am to grow spiritually and develop my spiritual life. I must keep the spiritual rules persistently, perseveringly, lovingly, patiently, and hopefully. By keeping them, every mountain of difficulty shall be laid low, the rough places of poverty of spirit shall be made smooth, and all who know me shall know that God is the Lord of all my ways. To get close to the spirit of God is to find life and healing and strength.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that God's spirit may be everything to my soul. I pray that God's spirit may grow within me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

Thoughts For The Day~*~Self-appraisal ^*^*^ February 29, 2012

~*~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 AA and to its future."
Bill W., June 1961
1988 AAGrapevine, 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  =  Altered Attitudes

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

Renewed

From "An Open Heart":

"I had nothing to do with this gift coming to me, so my gratitude is beyond description. It did not take me back to the person I was before drinking.  It gave me a new life rather, life itself, because I had attempted suicide and had been hospitalized in private and state mental hospitals. It must have been spiritual; it was neither intellectual nor physical, that's for sure. I believe it was God as I understand Him, working through the love and understanding available in A.A. May I keep my heart open. The joy which can come to an open heart is unlimited.--New York, New York, USA"

1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30^th printing 2004, pg. 51

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
 ONE A.A. MIRACLE

Save for a few brief moments of temptation the thought of drink has never returned; and at such times a great revulsion has risen up in him. Seemingly he could not drink even if he would. God had restored his sanity.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 57

        The word "God" was frightening to me when I first saw it associated with A.A.'s Twelve Steps. Having tried all the means I could to stop drinking, I found that it was not possible for me to sustain that desire over a period of time.  Yet, how could I believe in a "God" that had allowed me to sink to the deep despair that engulfed me -- whether drinking or dry?

        The answer was in finally admitting that it might be possible for me to know the mercy of a Power greater than myself who could grant me sobriety contingent on my willingness to "come to believe."  By finally admitting that I was one among many, and by following the example of my sponsor and other A.A. members in practicing faith I did not have, my life has been given meaning, direction and purpose.

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 ^*~*~*~*~*

"Without knowing it, had we not been brought to where we stood by a
certain kind of faith? For did we not believe in our own reasoning?
Did we not have confidence in our ability to think? What was that
but a sort of faith? Yes, we had been faithful, abjectly faithful to
the God of Reason. So, in one way or another, we discovered that
faith had been involved all the time!"

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~

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

Getting sober was a long and painful journey, but we can truthfully say it was worth it. We know now that all we've been through led us to A.A. and were part of our spiritual journey. We found in A.A. what we had been vainly seeking in the bottle. We've learned that our journey goes on as we continue to deal with our shortcomings and the human problems everybody must face. And when we reach a crossroads or a roadblock, we know that our Higher Power will come to our aid in making the right choices and surmounting all obstacles. Do I turn to my Higher Power to sustain me as I continue the spiritual journey that brought me to A.A.?

Meditation for the Day

Happiness cannot be sought directly; it is a byproduct of love and service.

As I continue on my spiritual journey, I will seek and follow Divine Guidance and know there is always a place prepared for me. Nothing but my own pride and fear can keep me from my dwelling place with God. I need not strain or struggle to obtain that which God wants me to have. My only responsibility is to accept God's guidance and follow the highest principles in all my affairs.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I'll continue to seek guidance as my spiritual journey continues today. I pray to trust that I am always doing the right thing and am in the right place when my Higher Power is leading me.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012