~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Humility
"Our
AA program is spiritually centered. Most
of us have found enough humility
to believe in and depend
upon God. We
have found that humility by facing the fact
that alcoholism is a
fatal malady over
which we are individually powerless."
Bill W.,
The Language of the
Heart, p. 7
Thought to Consider . . .
Humility
is not thinking less of yourself,
but thinking of yourself
less.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
YET
You'll End UpThere
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Powerless
From
"The Vicious Cycle":
"When I finally got Hank
on the telephone he fired me right then. This was when I really took my first
good look at myself. My loneliness was worse than it had ever been before, for
now even my own kind had turned against me. This time it really hurt, more than
any hangover ever had. My brilliant agnosticism vanished, and I saw for the
first time that those who really believed, or at least honestly tried to find a
Power greater than themselves, were much more composed and contented than I had
ever been, and they seemed to have a degree of happiness I had never
known."
© 2001
AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 228-29
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
CHARACTER BUILDING
Demands
made upon other people for too much attention, protection, and love can only
invite domination or revulsion. . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE
TRADITIONS, p. 44
When
I uncovered my need for approval in the Fourth Step, I didn't think it should
rank as a character defect. I wanted to think of it more as an asset
(that is, the desire to please people). It was quickly pointed out to me
that this "need" can be very crippling. Today I still enjoy
getting the approval of others, but I am not willing to pay the price I used to
pay to get it. I will not bend myself into a pretzel to get others to
like me. If I get your approval, that's fine; but if I don't, I will
survive without it. I am responsible for speaking what I perceive to be
the truth, not what I think others may want to hear.
Similarly, my false
pride always kept me overly concerned about my reputation.
Since being enlightened in the A.A. program, my aim is to improve my character.
©Copyright
1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
"When I was tired and couldn't concentrate, I used to fall
back on an affirmation toward life that took the form of simple walking and
deep breathing. I sometimes told myself that I couldn't do even this--that I
was too weak. But I learned that this was the point at which I could not give
in without becoming still more depressed. "So I would set myself a small
stint. I would determine to walk a quarter of a mile. And I would concentrate
by counting my breathing--say, six steps to each slow inhalation and four to each
exhalation. Having done the quarter-mile, I found that I could go on, maybe a
half-mile more. Then another half-mile, and maybe another.
"This was
encouraging. The false sense of physical weakness would leave me (this feeling
being so characteristic of depressions). The walking and especially the
breathing were powerful affirmations toward life and living and away from
failure and death. The counting represented a minimum discipline in
concentration, to get some rest from the wear and tear of fear and guilt.
LETTER, 1960
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"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."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 62~
*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
Since I've been in A.A., have I made a start toward becoming
more loving to my family and friends? Do I visit my parents? Am I more
appreciative of my spouse than I was before? Am I grateful to my family for
having put up with me? Have I found real understanding with my children? Do I
feel that the friends I've found in A.A. are real friends? Do I believe that
they are al- ways ready to help me and do I want to help them if I can? Do I
really care now about other people?
Meditation for the Day
Not what you do so much as what you are, that is the
miracle-working power. You can be a force for good, with the help of God. God
is here to help you and to bless you, here to company with you. You can be a
worker with God. Changed by God's grace, you shed one garment of the spirit for
a better one. In time, you throw that one aside for a yet finer one. And so
from character to character, you are gradually transformed.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may accept every challenge.
I pray that each acceptance of a challenge may make me grow into a better person