IT'S OKAY TO BE ME

Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain
facts about their lives. . . . they have turned to easier methods. . . .
But they had not learned enough humility. . . .
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 72-73

Humility sounds so much like humiliation, but it really is the ability to
look at myself -- and honestly accept what I find. I no longer need to
be the "smartest" or "dumbest" or any other "est." Finally, it is okay
to be me. It is easier for me to accept myself if I share my whole life.
If I cannot share in meetings, then I had better have a sponsor --
someone with whom I can share those "certain facts" that could lead
me back to a drunk, to death. I need to take all the Steps. I need the
Fifth Step to learn true humility. Easier methods do not work.
***********************************************************

As Bill Sees It

The Individual's Rights, p. 134

We believe that there isn't a fellowship on earth which devotes more
care to its individual members; surely there is none which more
jealously guards the individual's right to think, talk, and act as he
wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do anything; nobody can be
punished or expelled.

Our Twelve Steps to recovery are suggestions; the Twelve
Traditions which guarantee A.A.'s unity contain not a single
"Don't." They repeatedly say, "We ought . . ." but never "You
must!"

<< << << >> >> >>

"Though it is traditional that our Fellowship may not coerce anyone,
let us not suppose even for an instant that we are not under
constraint. Indeed, we are under enormous coercion--the kind that
comes in bottle. Our former tyrant, King Alcohol, always stands
ready again to clutch us to him.

"Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great 'must' that has to be
achieved, else we go mad or die."

1. 12 & 12, p. 129
2. Letter, 1966

***********************************************************

Walk in Dry Places
 
Making Laws For Ourselves
Attaining Freedom
Being human means that we're subject to all the laws and limitations that apply to human beings.  We should not, however, put more limitations on ourselves than might be required by our situation.
Recovering People should be able to do anything within their capabilities.  It's usually a mistake to think that our problem means forfeiture of opportunities.  One person, for example, often told his friends that he could not return to his former profession in sales because "nobody want to hire an alcoholic salesman."
But it is not written anywhere that firms will not gladly welcome a capable sales associate who is recovering.  Many alcoholics do return to their former employment upon recovery.  Our friend was simply making a law for himself by believing he was blocked from this field.
Let's always remember that recovery is freedom, not bondage.  And let's see ourselves doing anything that's reasonable and proper for others.
Having rejoined the human race, I'll enthusiastically accept all the advantages and opportunities others have.

***********************************************************

Keep It Simple

Make yourself an honest [person], and then you may be sure that there is one rascal less in the world. ---Thomas Carlyle
Honesty does not mean saying all we think or feel. Many of our thoughts and feelings are only with us for a minute. They are not always the truth. For example, saying to someone you love, "I hate you!" in the middle of an argument can destroy things.
Honesty means living by what is true to us. Then we choose when and how to say things to others.
Think of honesty as the air we breathe; it's what keeps us alive, but it can get polluted and kill. It must be treated with respect and care.
Prayer for the Day:  Higher Power, help me know the power of honesty. Help me speak it with care and respect.
Action for the Day:  Before I speak today I'll ask myself: "Is this true? Am I speaking because this needs to be said?"

***********************************************************

Each Day a New Beginning

Miracles are instantaneous, they cannot be summoned, but come of themselves, usually at unlikely moments and to those who least expect them.  --Katherine Anne Porter
Each of us has miraculously been summoned to the road to recovery. We no doubt felt hopeless many times. We no doubt pleaded, aimlessly and to no one in particular, for help. And then it came. Many of us probably do not know just how. But we can look around at one another and appreciate the miracle in our lives.
We still have days when the going is rough. Days when we feel twelve years old, unable to handle the responsibility of our lives, in need of a mother to nurture us and assure us that the pain will pass. We can look to a sponsor on those days. We can look for someone else to help. We can also reflect on how far we've come. Gratitude, in the midst of distress, for all the gifts of recovery eases the pain, the fear, the stress of the moment.
The miracles continue in my life. Every day offers me a miracle. Thankfulness today will help me see the miracles at work in my life and in the lives of other women on the road to recovery.

***********************************************************

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Chapter 5 - HOW IT WORKS

Referring to our list again. Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely our fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other man’s. When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to set these matters straight.

p. 67

***********************************************************

Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition Stories

ME AN ALCOHOLIC? - Alcohol's wringer squeezed this author--but he escaped quite whole.

"There's nothing I can do," he said, "and nothing medicine can do.  However, I've heard of an organization called Alcoholics Anonymous that has had some success with people like you.  They make no guarantees and are not always successful.  But if you want to, you're free to try them. It might work."

p. 386

***********************************************************

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Twelve - "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

A.A.'s manner of making ready to receive this gift lies in the practice of the Twelve Steps in our program. So let's consider briefly what we have been trying to do up to this point:
Step One showed us an amazing paradox: We found that we were totally unable to be rid of the alcohol obsession until we first admitted that we were powerless over it. In Step Two we saw that since we could not restore ourselves to sanity, some Higher Power must necessarily do so if we were to survive. Consequently, in Step Three we turned our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. For the time being, we who were atheist or agnostic discovered that our own group, or A.A. as a whole, would suffice as a higher power. Beginning with Step Four, we commenced to search out the things in ourselves which had brought us to physical, moral, and spiritual bankruptcy. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory. Looking at Step Five, we decided that an inventory, taken alone, wouldn't be enough. We knew we would have to quit the deadly business of living alone with our conflicts, and in honesty confide these to God and another human being. At Step Six, many of us balked--for the practical reason that we did not wish to have all our defects of character removed, because we still loved some of them too much. Yet we knew we had to make a settlement with the fundamental principle of Step Six. So we decided that while we still had some flaws of character that we could not yet relinquish, we ought nevertheless to quit our stubborn, rebellious hanging on to them. We said to ourselves, "This I cannot do today, perhaps, but I can stop crying out `No, never!' " Then, in Step Seven, we humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings such as He could or would under the conditions of the day we asked.

pp. 107-108

***********************************************************

Birds sing after a storm, why shouldn't we?
--Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (1890 - 1995)

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first
or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory."
--Betty Smith

"AA may or may not get me to heaven, but it surely got me out of
he!!."
--unknown

There is more to life than increasing its speed.
--Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)

When our faith is weak, God is still strong and present with us.
--Elaine S. Massey

***********************************************************

Father Leo's Daily Meditation

SEX

"A little theory makes sex more
interesting, more comprehensive
and less scary. Too much is a
put-down especially as you're
likely to get it out of perspective
and become a spectator of your
own performance."
--Dr. Alex Comfort

We make too much of sex because we are afraid of it. We abuse God's
gift of sex by placing it out of context, removing it from the other
things that make it meaningful, e.g., gentleness, trust, sensitivity,
communication and commitment.

The performance becomes more important than the expression. The
meaning gets lost in the event. God's precious gift of sex is abused by
the sex act itself and it then begins to feed on itself. Compulsive sex is
only demonstrated loneliness!

Spirituality teaches me to see all things as part of God's gift of
"wholeness" and sex is an important part of this - but only a part.

God, in the awareness of my sexuality, may I discover a relationship
with myself, others and You.

***********************************************************

"He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a
God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He."
Deuteronomy 32:4

For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us
into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over
our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a
place of abundance.
Psalm 66:10-12

The LORD says, "Do not fear, for I am with you . . . I will strengthen you, I will help you."
Isaiah 41:10

***********************************************************

Daily Inspiration

Fill your time with that which is important to you and you will feel accomplished. Lord, help me to know my priorities and to be focused enough to avoid distraction.

When we have to justify our actions, it may be that our actions are not just. Lord, Your will is goodness. May I always have the strength and courage to choose Your way so that I can simplify my life and enjoy the peace of Your presence.

***********************************************************

NA Just For Today

Oops!

"Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results."
Basic Text, p. 23

Mistakes! We all know how it feels to make them. Many of us feel that our entire lives have been a mistake. We often regard our mistakes with shame or guilt—at the very least, with frustration and impatience. We tend to see mistakes as evidence that we are still sick, crazy, stupid, or too damaged to recover.

In truth, mistakes are a very vital and important part of being human. For particularly stubborn people (such as addicts), mistakes are often our best teachers. There is no shame in making mistakes. In fact, making new mistakes often shows our willingness to take risks and grow.

It's helpful, though, if we learn from our mistakes; repeating the same ones may be a sign that we're stuck. And expecting different results from the same old mistakes—well, that's what we call "insanity!" It just doesn't work.

Just for today: Mistakes aren't tragedies. But please, Higher Power, help me learn from them!

***********************************************************

You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith. --Henry Ward Beecher
Once there was a boy who always looked on the bright side and always expected the best. He expected to like brussels sprouts before he had ever tasted them, for instance, and to like his teacher on the first day of school. Because he had such a sunny outlook on things, he was rarely disappointed.
But the boy's father thought he wasn't realistic, so one Christmas he decided to test him. On Christmas morning there were many presents, all but one small one were for the boy's brother. The brother opened his gifts with glee--a train set, a toy robot, a cowboy outfit, even his own TV.
Through all this, the boy smiled expectantly, confident the contents of his small box would equal the splendor of his brother's gifts. When it was his turn he ripped the box open to find only a pile of hay and some very smelly animal droppings.
To his father's astonishment, the boy clapped his hands with joy and ran immediately to the backyard. "Yippee!" he cried. "There must be a pony here somewhere!"
If I expect the best, just for today, what wondrous things might happen?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
Often the wisdom of the body clarifies the despair of the spirit. --Marion Woodman
The unity of body and spirit becomes more real for us as we learn to listen to the messages our bodies give. Perhaps if we are frequently ill with a cold we are hiding from the fact that we are discouraged and in need of something for our spirit. We all face the problems at times of sleeplessness or backaches or allergies. These are not moral problems but problems that go with being human. When we are open to the spirit dimension, we look for the part that may express a message from our spiritual selves.
As we notice our physical selves today, we perhaps feel a tension in a muscle or a sensation somewhere that can speak to us about our deeper feelings. The message may not be clear at first. Spiritual messages are not quick answers, but if we listen to our questions a while, the answers may gradually become clear. Simply being open to the messages strengthens us for our tasks and deepens our spiritual self-awareness.
Today, I am learning to listen to the wisdom of my own body.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
Miracles are instantaneous, they cannot be summoned, but come of themselves, usually at unlikely moments and to those who least expect them. --Katherine Anne Porter
Each of us has miraculously been summoned to the road to recovery. We no doubt felt hopeless many times. We no doubt pleaded, aimlessly and to no one in particular, for help. And then it came. Many of us probably do not know just how. But we can look around at one another and appreciate the miracle in our lives.
We still have days when the going is rough. Days when we feel twelve years old, unable to handle the responsibility of our lives, in need of a mother to nurture us and assure us that the pain will pass. We can look to a sponsor on those days. We can look for someone else to help. We can also reflect on how far we've come. Gratitude, in the midst of distress, for all the gifts of recovery eases the pain, the fear, the stress of the moment.
The miracles continue in my life. Every day offers me a miracle. Thankfulness today will help me see the miracles at work in my life and in the lives of other women on the road to recovery.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Honesty
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. --Step Five of Al-Anon
Talking openly and honestly to another person about ourselves, in an attitude that reflects self responsibility, is critical to recovery.
Its important to admit what we have done wrong to others and to ourselves. Verbalize our beliefs and our behaviors. Get our resentments and fears out in the open.
That's how we release our pain. That's how we release old beliefs and feelings. That's how we are set free. The more clear and specific we can be with our Higher Power, ourselves, and another person, the more quickly we will experience that freedom.
Step Five is an important part of the recovery process. For those of us who have learned to keep secrets from others, and ourselves it is not just a step - it is a leap toward becoming healthy.
Today I will remember that its okay to talk about the issues that bother me. It is by sharing my issues that I will grow beyond them. I will also remember that its okay to be selective about those in whom I confide. I can trust my instincts and choose someone who will not use my disclosures against me, and who will give me healthy feedback.


I have all the power I need today to say no to negative choices. The personal choices I make today are positive and healthy. I take responsibility for my life today. --Ruth Fishel

**************************************************

Journey to the Heart

Stay Open to Surprise

On my journey, I have often been surprised. Sometimes, pleasantly surprised.

Some of the places I was told to visit, places I was told would bring me joy,didn’t. Occasionally, they left me cold and confused. I would reach out to grasp something from an experience, only to find it wasn’t there, at least not for me. I was left wondering why it didn’t work, why it didn’t feel right for me, or why it didn’t do for me what others said it did for them.

Then other places, other experiences– the ones I had the least expectations of– surprised me. They riveted my soul, opened my heart, touched me, changed me in ways I didn’t expect. In a way that still surprise me.

To have certain expectations is natural. But stay open to surprise. Don’t let your dreams and expectations color what you know to be true for you. Trust your perceptions. Trust how a thing feels to you. If you expected something to work and it didn’t, trust that. If something has opened your heart and produced growth, love, and joy, trust that.

Don’t let your expectations or prejudices color and distort your experience. You may be pleasantly surprised to find joy where you least expected it.

**************************************************

More language of letting go

Say when it’s time for a change

Eventually, enough is enough. We have held on to our broken dream until it has become a weight on our back, held on to our broken relationships until we cannot find the strength to give it another go, and clung to expectations, fears, worries, and chains until we can’t stand the strain any longer.

We’re at a crossroads. One path leads further into familiar territory. The other path leads to a breakthrough. What lies on the other side, we can’t see.

It’s the void, the unknown, the unknowable.

This isn’t death. It’s a rebirth, am awakening as profound as that moment when sobriety first takes hold of the lifelong drunk. Or when the confused codependent takes those first steps of self-care.

Are you willing to risk it? Have you reached the point, yet where enough is enough? Or will you take the other, more familiar path back to continue rehashing what you’ve already been through? Sometimes it’s easier to stay with our limitations and with what doesn’t work. At least then we know what to expect.

Take a chance. Try something new. Go ahead. Step on that new path, even though you’re not certain where it will lead. See! Right around the bend is a glowing light. The new path may not be any easier to walk than the old path, but this new road will lead to joy.

For now it’s enough to be willing to change.

To do that, step into the void.

God, help me see the things that I need to let go of to continue my growth. Help me walk away from what’s comfortable and known into the unknown and what I can’t see or predict.

**************************************************

An Empowered Perspective
Importance of Forgiveness by Madisyn Taylor

Learning to forgive is the greatest gift you can give to yourself.

When someone has hurt us, consciously or unconsciously, one of the most difficult things we have to face in resolving the situation is the act of forgiveness. Sometimes it feels like it’s easier not to forgive and that the answer is to simply cut the person in question out of our lives. In some cases, ending the relationship may be the right thing to do, but even in that case, we will only be free if we have truly forgiven. If we harbor bitterness in our hearts against anyone, we only hurt ourselves because we are the ones harboring the bitterness. Choosing to forgive is choosing to alleviate ourselves of that burden, choosing to be free of the past, and choosing not to perceive ourselves as victims.

One of the reasons that forgiveness can be so challenging is that we feel we are condoning the actions of the person who caused our suffering, but this is a misunderstanding of what is required. In order to forgive, we simply need to get to a place where we are ready to stop identifying ourselves with the suffering that was caused us. Forgiveness is something we do for ourselves, and our forgiveness of others is an extension of our readiness to let go of our own pain. Getting to this point begins with fully accepting what has happened. Through this acceptance, we allow ourselves to feel and process our emotions.

It can be helpful to articulate our feelings in writing over a period of days or even weeks. As we allow ourselves to say what we need to say and ask for what we need to heal, we will find that this changes each day. It may be confusing, but it is a sign of progress. At times we may feel as if we are slogging uphill through dense mud and thick trees, getting nowhere. If we keep going, however, we will reach a summit and see clearly that we are finally free of the past. From here, we recognize that suffering comes from suffering, and compassion for those who have hurt us naturally arises, enhancing our new perspective. Published with permission from Daily OM

**************************************************

A Day At A Time

Reflection For The Day

“A very popular error — having the courage of one’s convictions; rather it is a matter of having the courage for an attack upon one’s convictions,” wrote Nietzsche. The Program is helping me to get rid of myh old ideas by sharing with others and working the Twelve Steps. Having made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself; having admitted too God, to myself, and to another human being the exact nature of my wrongs; and having become entirely ready to have God remove all my defects of character — I will humbly ask Him to remove my shortcomings. Am I trying to follow The Program just as it is?

Today I Pray

I pray that I may continue to practice the Twelve Steps, over and over again, if need be. The Program has worked for hundreds and hundreds of recovering chemically dependent people the world over. It can work for me. May I pause regularly and check to see if I am really practicing The Program, as it is set forth.

Today I Will Remember

Step By Step. Day By Day.

**************************************************

One More Day

A true friend is the most precious of all possessions and the one we take the least thought about acquiring.
– La Rouchefocauld

Even with honorable intentions we may, once in a while, threat those who care about us with less respect than they deserve. When a chronic illness has entered our life we can become obsessed with ourselves. It is difficult to be anything but self-centered at first because we are frightened and uncertain about the future.

It is then that we may alienate our closest friends with a boring daily litany of symptoms. Gradually we learn that illness is only one part of our lives and that dwelling on it serves no purpose and may damage our friendships. When our obsession with illness subsides, we become able once again to express concern and interest in others — the foundation of friendship.

My friendships are invaluable. I will let my friends know how much I cherish them.

************************************

Food For Thought

Abstinence Plus

Most of us find it impossible to maintain our abstinence and our weight loss if we do not continue to grow spiritually and emotionally. The Steps are not something we take once and for all and then put aside. We continue to work on ourselves.

It is possible to reach and maintain a weight goal, but the emotional and spiritual goals of the program are never fully attained. We keep striving for progress, in spite of temporary setbacks.

All of us need something to live for, something that captures our imagination and beckons us on to greater efforts. Achievement in the areas of study and work, commitments to family and community, development of talents and interests--all serve as motivation. Usually, though, we require something more to keep us going. When we become aware of the Spirit, which is constantly available to us through contact with our Higher Power, we are tuned in to the source of our abstinence and of our life.

May I remember to live by the Spirit.

*****************************************

One Day At A Time

FEARLESS
“As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind,
as we discovered we could face life successfully,
as we became conscious of His presence,
we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter.”
The Big Book

I refuse to be frightened to the point of missing the opportunities my Higher Power has provided for me. I will no longer hurt myself by avoiding being hurt. When I avoid risks because I'm afraid the outcome will be painful, I am stuck – not safe.

By working my program I have discovered that many times when I'm engulfed in fear, I am not trusting my Higher Power. The more I practice the Serenity Prayer, the more serene I become. From my new perspective I can see numerous occasions in which my Higher Power did things for me which I could not do by myself. Possibly a doomed relationship I couldn't end, and my Higher Power ended for me by having the other person walk away. Maybe a financial crisis that was suddenly alleviated from an unexpected source. How about the ability to detach from a loved one's issues without feeling responsible for "fixing" everything or taking their struggles personally. In order to surrender my control over these things, I choose to be fearless in trusting my Higher Power.

Today I will be grateful even for the painful times because sometimes they are the lesser of two hurts: the easiest being when God steps in to protect me, and the hardest being when my will prevents me from letting go of something that isn't good for me.

One day at a time...
I will trust my Higher Power and know that where I am today is right where I need to be. I don't have to have all the answers.
~ Sandee S.

*****************************************

AA 'Big Book' - Quote

See your man alone, if possible. At first engage in general conversation. After a while, turn the talk to some phase of drinking. Tell him enough about your drinking habits, symptoms, and experiences to encourage him to speak of himself. If he wishes to talk, let him do so. You will thus get a better idea of how you ought to proceed. If he is not communicative, give him a sketch of your drinking career up to the time you quit. But say nothing, for the moment, of how that was accomplished. If he is in a serious mood dwell on the troubles liquor has caused you, being careful not to moralize or lecture. If his mood is light, tell him humorous stories of your escapades. Get him to tell some of his.

When he sees you know all about the drinking game, commence to describe yourself as an alcoholic. - Pg. 91 - Working With Others

Hour To Hour - Book - Quote

We may be hearing a lot about acceptance right now, if not, we soon will. Acceptance does not mean we have to 'put up with all this ****.' Acceptance means facing of reality. 'This is how it is and I will do the best I can.'

Help me take an objective view of my current situation and not be resigned to some 'fate.' I will be an active part of this process of recovery.

Prayer

Prayer helps me to heal. Study after study scientifically prove that prayer is beneficial to my health. I will pray for my healing throughout my day when ever it occurs to me. I will accept and be grateful or the prayers of others knowing that they are being carried to me by unseen hands. Just as radio waves pulse through the air and become voices, prayers come to me in an inner voice. I will ask my body to hear the prayers that are coming toward me and to invite them into each and every cell.

I accept the power of prayer to heal

- Tian Dayton PhD

Pocket Sponsor - Book - Quote

If you don't deal with your feelings, they'll deal with you. Whatever you are thinking right now is creating how you feel. One of the best ways to deal with the way you feel is to create positive thoughts.

I create positive feelings by thinking positive thoughts.

"Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book" - Book

If your Higher Power can handle eternity, you can surely handle right now!

Time for Joy - Book - Quote

I have all the power I need today to say no to negative choices. The personal choices I make today are positive and healthy. I take responsibility for my life today.

Alkiespeak - Book - Quote

One foot in yesterday, one foot in tomorrow, peeing all over today. - Unknown origin.

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AA Thought for the Day

May 14

Challenges
Like most people, we have found we can take our big lumps as they come.
But also like others we often discover a greater challenge
in the lesser and more continuous problems of life.
Our answer is in still more spiritual development.
Only by this means can we improve our chances for really happy and useful living.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 144

Thought to Ponder . . .
Life is a steady drizzle of small things -- carry an umbrella.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Awesome.

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

Awakening
"Alcoholism is a grievous and often fatal malady
of the mind and body.
We have found that these awful conditions invariably
bring on the third phase of our malady.
This is the sickness of the spirit;
a sickness for which there must necessarily
be a spiritual remedy.
We AA's recognize this in the first five words
of Step Twelve.
Those words are:
'Having had a spiritual awakening...'
Here we name the remedy for our threefold sickness
of body, mind, and soul."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 297

Thought to Consider . .
"When the spiritual malady is overcome,
we straighten out mentally and physically."
Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 64
.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P R O G R A M
People Relying On God Relaying A Message.

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

Sabotage
"From "Tightrope":
"After a few years, I was a nightly blackout drinker. My lover drank heavily as well, and I began to compare my drinking
with his. I argued to myself that I could not have a problem because his drinking was worse than mine at times. In fact, I
suggested that he might try A.A. When he did try this Fellowship, I did all I could to undermine his efforts to get sober
his recovery would present an obvious, if unacknowledged, threat to my drinking. Eventually, the stress became too
much and we broke up, but not before I had succeeded in undermining his recovery."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 361

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Sometimes I wonder if this illness isn't a gift rather than a problem."
Kingston, Ontario, July 1980
"A Reason for Living,"
AA Grapevine

~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Everybody knows that those in bad health, and those who seldom play, do not laugh much. So let each family play
together or separately as much as their circumstances warrant. We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~

Those of us who have spent much time in the world of spiritual make-
believe have eventually seen the childishness of it. This dream
world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose, accompanied by a
growing consciousness of the power of God in our lives. We have come
to believe He would like us to keep our heads in the clouds with Him,
but that our feet ought to be firmly planted on earth. That is where
our fellow travelers are, and that is where our work must be done.
These are the realities for us. We have found nothing incompatible
between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 130~

All of A.A.’s Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to our natural desires . . . they all deflate our egos.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 55

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The Individual's Rights
We believe there isn't a fellowship on earth which devotes more care to its individual members; surely there is none
which more jealously guards the individual's right to think, talk, and act as he wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do
anything; nobody can be punished or expelled.
Our Twelve Steps to recovery are suggestions; the Twelve Traditions which guarantee A.A.'s unity contain not a single
'Don't.' They repeatedly say, 'We ought . . .' but never 'You must!
Though it is traditional that our Fellowship may not coerce anyone, let us not suppose even for an instant that we are
not under constraint. Indeed, we are under enormous coercion--the kind that comes in bottles. Our former tyrant, King
Alcohol, always stands ready again to clutch us to him.
'Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great 'must' that has to be achieved, else we go mad or die.'
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 129
2. LETTER, 1966

Prayer For The Day: Simple Thanks -
For our restful sleep at night,
for the rain and sunshine bright,
For the love that Thou dost send,
For our homes and for each friend,
For the day and all its pleasures,
Grateful thanks I render now.
May our lives pass on the blessings,
None can give to us, but Thou.
Amen.