~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
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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 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. If
we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves,
why shouldn't we start
out by forgiving them, one and all?"
Bill W., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 78
This
should include parents and all family members, Right??
Thought to Consider . . .
We
are prisoners of our own resentments.
Forgiveness unlocks the
door and sets us free.
*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
KISS
Keep It Simple, Surrender
*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*
Reborn
From
"Bill's Story":
"Trembling, I stepped
from the hospital a broken man. Fear sobered me for a bit. Then came the
insidious insanity of that first drink, and on Armistice Day 1934, I was off again.
Everyone became resigned to the certainty that I would have to be shut up somewhere,
or would stumble along to a miserable end. How dark it is before the dawn! In
reality that was the beginning of my last debauch. I was soon to be catapulted
into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. I was to know
happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more
wonderful as time passes."
© 2001
AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 8
*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
THE PAST IS OVER
A.A.
experience has taught us we cannot live alone with our pressing problems and
the character defects which cause or aggravate them. If . . . Step Four .
. . has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember . .
. then the need to quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts of
yesterday gets more urgent than ever. We have to talk to somebody about
them.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 55
Whatever
is done is over. It cannot be changed. But my attitude about it can
be changed through talking with those who have gone before and with
sponsors. I can wish the past never was, but if I change my actions in
regard to what I have done, my attitude will change. I won't have to wish
the past away. I can change my feelings and attitudes, but only through
my actions and the help of my fellow alcoholics.
©Copyright
1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
*~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
To Be Fair-Minded
Too
often, I think, we have deprecated and even derided projects of our friends in
the field of alcoholism just because we do not always see eye to eye with them. We should very seriously ask ourselves
how many alcoholics have gone on drinking simply because we have failed to
cooperate in good spirit with these many agencies--whether they be good, bad,
or indifferent. No alcoholic should go mad or die merely because he did not
come straight to A.A. at the beginning.
<<<>>>
Our first objective will
be the development of self-restraint. This carries a top-priority rating. When
we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant
evaporates on the spot.
1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 1965
2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P.
91
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"As each member of a resentful family begins to see his
shortcomings
and admits them to the
others, he lays a basis for helpful
discussion. These family
talks will be constructive if they can be
carried on without
heated argument, self-pity, self-justification or
resentful
criticism."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg.
127~
*~*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day
When we come into A.A., looking for a way out of drinking, we
really need a lot more than that. We need fellowship. We need to get the things
that are troubling us out into the open. We need a new outlet for our energies
and we need a new strength beyond ourselves that will help us face life instead
of running away from it. In A.A. we find these things that we need. Have I
found the things that I need?
Meditation for the Day
Turn out all thoughts of
doubt and fear and resentment. Never tolerate them if you can help it. Bar the
windows and doors of your mind against them, as you would bar your home against
a thief who would steal in to take away your treasures. What greater treasures
can you have than faith and courage and love? All these are stolen from you by
doubt and fear and resentment. Face each day with peace and hope. They are
results of true faith in God. Faith gives you a feeling of protection and
safety that you can get in no other way.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may feel
protected and safe, but not only when I am in the harbor.
I pray that I may have protection and safety even in the midst of the storms of life