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

"Though the variations were many, my main theme was always 'How godawful I am!'
Just as I often exaggerated my modest attainments by pride, so I exaggerated my defects through guilt.
I would race about, confessing all (and a great deal more) to whoever would listen.
Believe it or not, I took this widespread exposure of my sins to be great humility on my part,
and considered it a great spiritual asset and consolation! But later on I realized at depth that
the great harms I had done others were not truly regretted. These episodes were merely the basis for
storytelling and exhibitionism."


Bill W., AAGrapevine, June 1961
c. 1967AAWS, As
Bill Sees It, p. 311

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Thought to Consider . . .

Don't mess up an amends with an excuse.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
W H O   M E ? =
Willingness, Honesty, Open-mindedness, Must Exist

 

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

Lightening Up

From "The Gift of Laughter:"

 

"Before my recovery from alcoholism began, laughter
was one of the most painful sounds I knew....When my
A.A. sponsor began to laugh and point out my self-pity
and ego-feeding deceptions, I was annoyed and hurt,
but it taught me to lighten up and focus on my recovery. 
I soon learned to laugh at myself and eventually I taught
those I sponsor to laugh also.  Every day I ask God
to help me stop taking myself too seriously."

 

c. 1990, Daily Reflections, page 59

*~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~*
SELF-ACCEPTANCE

We know that God lovingly watches over us.  We know that when we turn to Him, all will be well with us, here and hereafter.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 105

I pray for the willingness to remember that I am a child of God, a divine soul in human form, and that my most basic and urgent life-task is to accept, know, love and nurture myself.  As I accept myself, I am accepting God's will.  As I know and love myself, I am knowing and loving God.  As I nurture myself I am acting on God's guidance.

I pray for the willingness to let go of my arrogant self-criticism, and to praise God by humbly accepting and caring for myself.


©Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.©
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~*~*~*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*~*~*~*
Greater than Ourselves

If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the power needed for change wasn't there. Our human resources, as marshaled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly.
Lack of power: That was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live - and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 44-45
*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to
let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and
will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct
continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. We are not
theorizing. These are facts out of our experience."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 70~
*~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*~*
A.A. Thought for the Day

When I think of all who have gone before me, I realize that I am only one, not very important, person. What happens to me is not so very important after all. And A.A. has taught me to be more outgoing, to seek friendship by going at least halfway, to have a sincere desire to help. I have more self-respect now that I have less sensitiveness. I have found that the only way to live comfortably with myself is to take a real interest in others. Do I realize that I am not so important after all?

Meditation for the Day

As you look back over your life, it is not too difficult to believe that what you went through was for a purpose, to prepare you for some valuable work in life. Everything in your life may well have been planned by God to make you of some use in the world. Each person's life is like the pattern of a mosaic. Each thing that happened to you is like one tiny stone in the mosaic, and each tiny stone fits into the perfected pattern of the mosaic of your life, which has been designed by God.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not need to see the whole design of my life.

 I pray that I may trust the Designer.