~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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Happiness
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"I feel myself a useful
member of the human race at last. I have something to contribute to humanity,
since I am peculiarly
qualified, as a fellow-sufferer, to give aid and comfort to those who have
stumbled and fallen over
this business of meeting life. I get my greatest thrill of accomplishment
from the knowledge that
I have played a part in the new happiness achieved by countless others like
myself."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 229
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Thought to Consider . . .
The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B
E S T =
Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Fairness
From
"We Agnostics":
"We used to amuse
ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and practices when we might
have observed that many spiritually-minded persons of all races, colors, and
creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability, happiness and usefulness which
we should have sought ourselves. "Instead,
we looked at the human defects of these people, and sometimes used their
shortcomings as a basis of wholesale condemnation. We talked of intolerance,
while we were intolerant ourselves. We missed the reality and the beauty of the
forest because we were diverted by the ugliness of some of its trees. We never
gave the spiritual side of life a fair hearing."
2001 AAWS,
Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pgs. 49-50
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE UPWARD PATH
Here are the steps we took . . .
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59
These are the words that lead into the Twelve Steps.
In their direct
simplicity they sweep
aside all psychological and philosophical
considerations about the
rightness of the Steps. They describe what I did:
I took the Steps and
sobriety was the result. These words do not imply that
I should walk the
well-trodden path of those who went before, but rather that
there is a way for me to
become sober and that it is a way I shall have to
find. It is
a new path, one that leads to infinite light at the top of the
mountain.
The Steps advise me about the footholds that are safe and about
chasms to
avoid. They provide me with the tools I need during the many
parts of the solitary
journey of my soul. When I speak of this journey, I
share my experience,
strength and hope with others.
©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Without Anger
Suppose A.A. falls under sharp public attack or heavy ridicule,
having little
or no justification in
fact. Our best defense in these situations would be no
defense
whatever--namely, complete silence at the public level. If in good
humor we let
unreasonable critics alone, they are apt to subside the more
quickly. If their
attacks persist and it is plain that they are misinformed,
it may be wise to
communicate with them privately in a temperate and
informative way.
If, however, a given
criticism of A.A. is partly or wholly justified, it may
be well to acknowledge
this privately to the critics, together with our
thanks.
But under no conditions
should we exhibit anger or any punitive intent.
<<<>>>
What we must recognize
is that we exult in some of our defects.
Self-righteous anger can
be very enjoyable. In a perverse way we can actually take
satisfaction from the
fact that many people annoy us; it brings a
comfortable feeling of
superiority.
1. TWELVE CONCEPTS, P. 74
2. TWELVE AND TWELVE,
PP. 66-67
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"Most alcoholics owe money. We do not dodge our creditors.
Telling
them what we are trying
to do, we make no bones about our drinking;
they usually know it
anyway, whether we think so or not. Nor are we
afraid of disclosing our
alcoholism on the theory it may cause
financial harm.
Approached in this way, the most ruthless creditor
will sometimes surprise
us. Arranging the best deal we can we let
these people know we are
sorry. Our drinking has made us slow to
pay. We must lose our fear of creditors no
matter how far we have to go,
for we are liable to
drink if we are afraid to face them."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 78~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
Some
more things I do not miss since becoming dry: wondering if the car is in the
garage and how I got home; struggling to remember where I was and what I did
since my last conscious moment; trying to delay getting off to work, and
wondering how I will look when I get there; dreading the day ahead of me. I'm
quite sure that I don't miss these things, am I not?
Meditation
for the Day
You cannot believe in
God and keep your selfish ways. The old self shrivels
up and dies, and upon
the reborn soul God's image becomes stamped. The
gradual elimination of
selfishness in the growth of love for God and your
fellow human beings is
the goal of life. At first, you have only a faint
likeness to the Divine,
but the picture grows and takes on more and more of
the likeness of God
until those who see you can see in you some of the power of God's grace at work
in a human life.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may
develop that faint likeness I have to the Divine.
I pray that others may see in me some of the
power of God's grace at work.