AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 29, 2023Accepting Our ProblemsWe have been talking about problems because we are problem people who have found a way up and out, and who wish to share our knowledge of that way with all who can use it. For it is only by accepting and solving our problems that we can begin to get right with ourselves and with the world about us, and with Him who presides over us all.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 125Thought to Ponder . . .The Three A's .. Aware ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 28, 2023Phenomenon of CravingAll these, and many others, have one symptom in common: they cannot start drinking without developing the phenomenon of craving. This phenomenon, as we have suggested, may be the manifestation of an allergy which differentiates these people, and sets them apart as a distinct entity. It has never been, by any treatment with which we are familiar, permanently eradicated. The only relief we have to suggest is entire abstinence.- Alcoholics A ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 27, 2023Tradition Eleven"Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films." This Tradition is a constant and practical reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A. In it, each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Tradition Eleven) p. 182Thought to Ponder . . .True ambition is not what we th ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)November 26, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Troubles"Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings. Indeed, that was the essence of A.A. itself: trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage, trouble lessened and often transcended. This was the A.A. story, and we became a part of it. Such demonstration became our stock in trade for the next sufferer."- As Bill Sees It, (Trouble: Constructive or D ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 25, 2023Vital Spiritual Experiences"Here and there, once in a while, alcoholics have had what are called vital spiritual experiences. To me these occurrences are phenomena. They appear to be in the nature of huge emotional displacements and rearrangements. Ideas, emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces of the lives of these men are suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to dominate them."- Alc ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 24, 2023BelongingI wanted to feel at peace with myself and comfortable with other people. I never found it in drinking. The belonging I always wanted I have found in A.A. and in sobriety. I don’t think about drinking. God is there. My sponsor is there. All the credit belongs to God. On my own I could not have quit. I know, I tried it.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Building a New Life) p. 485Thought to Ponder . . .We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we co ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 23, 2023Daily PlanOn awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives. ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 22, 2023Day By DayBoth you and the new man must walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen. When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned. Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 21, 2023Fearless and ThoroughIf you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it—then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 58Thought to Ponder . . .Sobriety without action is fantasy.AA-related 'A ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 20, 2023SecurityAfter we come into A.A., if we go on growing, our attitudes and actions toward security—emotional security and financial security—commence to change profoundly. Our demand for emotional security, for our own way, had constantly thrown us into unworkable relations with other people. Though we were sometimes quite unconscious of this, the result always had been the same. Either we had tried to play God and dominate those about us, or we had insisted on ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)November 19, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~"Selfish?""I can see why you are disturbed to hear some A.A. speakers say, "A.A. is a selfish program.' The word 'selfish' ordinarily implies that one is acquisitive, demanding, and thoughtless of the welfare of others. Of course, the A.A. way of life does not at all imply such undesirable traits. We are of no value to anyone, including ourselves, until we find salvation from alcohol. Therefore, our own recovery an ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 18, 2023More Satisfying"Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems. I have since been brought into a way of living infinitely more satisfying and, I hope, more useful than the life I lived before. My old manner of life was by no means a bad one, but I would not exchange its best moments for the worst I have now. I would not go back to it even if I could."- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) pp. 42 - ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 17, 2023A Spot-Check InventoryAnger, that occasional luxury of more balanced people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely. These emotional "dry benders" often led straight to the bottle. Other kinds of disturbances—jealousy, envy, self-pity, or hurt pride—did the same thing. A spot-check inventory taken in the midst of such disturbances can be of very great help in quieting stormy emotions.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 90Thou ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 16, 2023Quality of WillingnessBut now it appears that there are certain things which only the individual can do. All by himself, and in the light of his own circumstances, he needs to develop the quality of willingness. When he acquires willingness, he is the only one who can make the decision to exert himself. Trying to do this is an act of his own will. All of the Twelve Steps require sustained and personal exertion to conform to their principles and so, we trust, ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 15, 2023Failed to PracticeLet him see that you are not there to instruct him in religion. Admit that he probably knows more about it than you do, but call to his attention the fact that however deep his faith and knowledge, he could not have applied it or he would not drink. Perhaps your story will help him see where he has failed to practice the very precepts he knows so well.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 93Thought to Ponder . . .Faith is mighty. ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 14, 2023The Quick InventoryThe quick inventory is aimed at our daily ups and downs, especially those where people or new events throw us off balance and tempt us to make mistakes. In all these situations we need self-restraint, honest analysis of what is involved, a willingness to admit when the fault is ours, and an equal willingness to forgive when the fault is elsewhere.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 91Thought to Ponder . . .Nothing pays off l ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 13, 2023Fundamental InquiriesDid these perplexities beset me because of selfishness or unreasonable demands? Or, if my disturbance was seemingly caused by the behavior of others, why do I lack the ability to accept conditions I cannot change? These are the sort of fundamental inquiries that can disclose the source of my discomfort and indicate whether I may be able to alter my own conduct and so adjust myself serenely to self-discipline.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Trad ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)November 12, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Powerful CementThe feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us. But that in itself would never have held us together as we are now joined. The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 17Thought to PonderThe solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.AA-related 'Alconym'F R O G  =  Fu ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 11, 2023It Engulfs AllBut not so with the alcoholic illness, for with it there goes annihilation of all the things worth while in life. It engulfs all whose lives touch the sufferer's. It brings misunderstanding, fierce resentment, financial insecurity, disgusted friends and employers, warped lives of blameless children, sad wives and parents—anyone can increase the list.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 18Thought to Ponder . . .Alcoholic drinking's th ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 10, 2023Morning MeditationIf circumstances warrant, we ask our wives or friends to join us in morning meditation. If we belong to a religious denomination which requires a definite morning devotion, we attend to that also. If not members of religious bodies, we sometimes select and memorize a few set prayers which emphasize the principles we have been discussing.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 87Thought to Ponder . . .If you want to stay protected, you have ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 9, 2023A Total LiabilityWhen first challenged to admit defeat, most of us revolted. We had approached A.A. expecting to be taught self-confidence. Then we had been told that so far as alcohol is concerned, self-confidence was no good whatever; in fact, it was a total liability.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step One) p. 22Thought to Ponder . . .Avoidance is not the key; surrender opens the door. AA-related 'Alconym'D E A D  =   Don't Ever Admit Defe ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 8, 2023Thinking, Honesty, HumilityWe'd have to have outside help if we were surely to know and admit the truth about ourselves—the help of God and another human being. Only by discussing ourselves, holding back nothing, only by being willing to take advice and accept direction could we set foot on the road to straight thinking, solid honesty, and genuine humility.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Five) p. 59Thought to Ponder . . .We need to share our proble ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 7, 2023Profound AlterationMost of our experiences are what the psychologist William James calls the "educational variety" because they develop slowly over a period of time. Quite often friends of the newcomer are aware of the difference long before he is himself. He finally realizes that he has undergone a profound alteration in his reaction to life; that such a change could hardly have been brought about by himself alone.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Appendix I ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 6, 2023AmendsAlthough these reparations take innumerable forms, there are some general principles which we find guiding. Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go to any lengths to find a spiritual experience, we ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right thing, no matter what the personal consequences may be.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 79Thought to Ponder . . .The Three A's .. Awareness, Acceptance, Action.AA-related 'Alconym'A G O ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)November 5, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Step SixIf we would gain any real advantage in the use of this Step on problems other than alcohol, we shall need to make a brand new venture into open-mindedness. We shall need to raise our eyes toward perfection, and be ready to walk in that direction. It will seldom matter how haltingly we walk. The only question will be “Are we ready?”- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Six) p. 68Thought to PonderWe will suddenly realize th ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 4, 2023Program of ActionOutline the program of action, explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him. It is important for him to realize that your attempt to pass this on to him plays a vital part in your own recovery. Actually, he may be helping you more than you are helping him.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 94Thought to Ponder . . .Service made me feel useful. Twe ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 3, 2023DelightedWe pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 75T ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 2, 2023Wider MeaningBut when we have taken a square look at some of these defects, have discussed them with another, and have become willing to have them removed, our thinking about humility commences to have a wider meaning. By this time in all probability we have gained some measure of release from our more devastating handicaps. We enjoy moments in which there is something like real peace of mind.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 74Thought to P ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 1, 2023We SearchedIf the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. We did exactly the same thing with our lives. We took stock honestly. First, we searched out the flaws in our make-up which caused our failure. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 64Thought to Ponder . . .Each day, I can ask God to remove ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 31, 2023"Justifiable" AngerIt is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong also. But are there no exceptions to this rule? What about "justifiable" anger? . . . We have found that justified anger ought to be left to those better qualified to handle it.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 90Thought to Ponder ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 30, 2023Acceptance and ExpectationsI must keep my magic magnifying mind on my acceptance and off my expectations, for my serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance. When I remember this, I can see I’ve never had it so good. Thank God for A.A.!- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Acceptance Was The Answer) p. 420Thought to Ponder . . .The road to resentment is paved with expectations.AA-related 'Alconym'A B C  =   Acceptance, Belief, ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)October 29, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~A PrayerJust saying it over and over will often enable us to clear a channel choked up with anger, fear, frustration, or misunderstanding, and permit us to return to the surest help of all—our search for God’s will, not our own, in the moment of stress.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) p. 103Thought to Ponder"God save me from being angry. Thy will be done."AA-related 'Alconym'C A L M  =  Cause Ange ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 28, 2023AmendsUnder no condition do we criticize such a person or argue. Simply we tell him that we will never get over drinking until we have done our utmost to straighten out the past. We are there to sweep off our side of the street, realizing that nothing worth while can be accomplished until we do so, never trying to tell him what he should do. His faults are not discussed. We stick to our own.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) pp. 77 - 78Thought to Ponder . . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 27, 2023A SymbolAfter all, our problems were of our own making. Bottles were only a symbol. Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything. We have to! - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 103Thought to Ponder . . .We need to share our problems to find our solutions.AA-related 'Alconym'A A  =   Altered Attitudes.To Unsubscribe - Click Here_Subscription Reminder_   You're Subscribed to:     Daily Thought Using ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 26, 2023Save the DayI was not too well at the time, and was plagued by waves of self-pity and resentment.This sometimes nearly drove me back to drink, but I soon found that when all other measures failed, work with another alcoholic would save the day. Many times I have gone to my old hospital in despair. On talking to a man there, I would be amazingly lifted up and set on my feet. It is a design for living that works in rough going.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Sto ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 25, 2023State of ReasonablenessFaced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness. Sometimes this was a tedious process; we hope no one else will be prejudiced for as long as some of us were.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 48Thought to Ponder . . .Open your mind, your brain won't fall out ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 24, 2023One MissionFor us, if we neglect those who are still sick, there is unremitting danger to our own lives and sanity. Under these compulsions of self-preservation, duty, and love, it is not strange that our Society has concluded that it has but one high mission—to carry the A.A. message to those who don’t know there’s a way out.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Tradition Five) p. 151Thought to Ponder . . .In AA, we discover that it is impossible to give wit ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 23, 2023Serenity PrayerWith each passing day of our lives, may every one of us sense more deeply the inner meaning of A.A.'s simple prayer: God grant us the serenity to Accept the things we cannot change, Courage to change the things we can. And wisdom to know the difference.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 125Thought to Ponder . . .Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm.AA-related 'Alconym'P A U S E  =   Pr ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)October 22, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~No Middle Of The Road SolutionIf you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 21, 2023Criticism or RidiculeAnother principle we observe carefully is that we do not relate intimate experiences of another person unless we are sure he would approve. We find it better, when possible, to stick to our own stories. A man may criticize or laugh at himself and it will affect others favorably, but criticism or ridicule coming from another often produces the contrary effect.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) p. 125Thought to Ponder . . .To be ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 20, 2023MotivesThis odd trait of mind and emotion, this perverse wish to hide a bad motive underneath a good one, permeates human affairs from top to bottom. This subtle and elusive kind of self-righteousness can underlie the smallest act or thought. Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) pp. 94 - 95Thought to Ponder . . .Self-righteousness is a loud d ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 19, 2023To Be HelpfulMinisters and doctors are competent and you can learn much from them if you wish, but it happens that because of your own drinking experience you can be uniquely useful to other alcoholics. So cooperate; never criticize. To be helpful is our only aim.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 89Thought to Ponder . . .You can help when no one else can.AA-related 'Alconym'S P O N S O R  =   Sober Person Offering Newcomers Suggestions ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 18, 2023People of FaithPeople of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about. Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever. 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.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 17, 2023Our SufferingWhen we habitually try to manipulate others to our own willful desires, they revolt, and resist us heavily. Then we develop hurt feelings, a sense of persecution, and a desire to retaliate. As we redouble our efforts at control, and continue to fail, our suffering becomes acute and constant. We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friend among friends, to be a worker among workers, to be a useful member of society.- Twelve Steps and ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 16, 2023What We Have DoneDoubtless you are curious to discover how and why, in the face of expert opinion to the contrary, we have recovered from a hopeless condition of mind and body. If you are an alcoholic who wants to get over it, you may already be asking—"What do I have to do?" It is the purpose of this book to answer such questions specifically. We shall tell you what we have done.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 20Thought to Ponder . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)October 15, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~A Spiritual Awakening"It was only when I came fully to believe I was powerless over alcohol, only when I appealed to a God who just might exist, that I experienced a spiritual awakening. This freedom-giving experience came first, and then faith followed afterward -- a gift indeed!"- As Bill Sees It, (Miraculous Power) no. 152Thought to PonderHope leads to faith if you let it.AA-related 'Alconym'A A  =  Amazing Awake ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 14, 2023Happiness, Peace and UsefulnessHow 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.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Story) p. 8Thought to Ponder . . .Happiness and peace of mind are always here, open and free to anyone.AA-related ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 13, 2023Power Of Our InstinctsEven then the best of us will discover to our dismay that there is always a sticking point, a point at which we say, "No, I can't give this up yet." And we shall often tread on even more dangerous ground when we cry, "This I will never give up!" Such is the power of our instincts to overreach themselves. No matter how far we have progressed, desires will always be found which oppose the grace of God.- Twelve Steps and ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 12, 2023A Genuine RelianceWe could actually have earnest religious beliefs which remained barren because we were still trying to play God ourselves. As long as we placed self-reliance first, a genuine reliance upon a Higher Power was out of the question. That basic ingredient of all humility, a desire to seek and do God's will, was missing.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 72Thought to Ponder . . .I can't do His will my way.AA-related 'Alconym'E G ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 11, 2023A Continuous LookBut when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions? A continuous look at our assets and liabilities, and a real desire to learn and grow by this means, are necessities for us.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 88Thought to Ponder . . .I ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 10, 2023A Psychic Change Has OccurredOn the other hand—and strange as this may seem to those who do not understand—once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person who seemed doomed, who had so many problems he despaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds himself easily able to control his desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow a few simple rules.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Doctor's Opinion) p. xxix Thought to Ponder . . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 9, 2023The Right ThingAt this stage of our progress we are under heavy pressure to do the right thing. We are obliged to choose between the pains of trying and the certain penalties of failing to do so. These initial steps along the road are taken grudgingly, yet we do take them. We may still have no very high opinion of humility as a desirable personal virtue, but we do recognize it as a necessary aid to our survival.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)October 8, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~FaithIt works—it really does. We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined. But this is not all. There is action and more action. "Faith without works is dead."- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 88Thought to PonderIf faith without works is dead; then willingness without action is fantasy.AA-related 'Alconym'F A I T H  =  For All I Trust Him.A Member Shares ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 7, 2023Rigorous HonestyWho wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wants to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? . . . No, the average alcoholic, self-centered in the extreme, doesn't care for this prospect—unless he has to do these things in order to stay alive himself.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step One) p. 24 Thought to Ponder . . .Honesty is the absence of the intent to deceive.AA-related 'Alconym'C H A N G E D &nb ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 6, 2023*True Ambition*That we need no longer be square pegs in round holes but can fit and belong in God's scheme of things—these are the permanent and legitimate satisfactions of right living for which no amount of pomp and circumstance, no heap of material possessions, could possibly be substitutes. True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grace of God.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Tradition ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 5, 2023The DebrisNow we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the past. We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we haven’t the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember it was agreed at the beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 76Thought to Ponder . . .It is the highest form of self-respect to adm ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 4, 2023Unnatural ActWhen men and women pour so much alcohol into themselves that they destroy their lives, they commit a most unnatural act. Defying their instinctive desire for self-preservation, they seem bent upon self-destruction. They work against their own deepest instinct. As they are humbled by the terrific beating administered by alcohol, the grace of God can enter them and expel their obsession.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Six) p. 64Thought to ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 3, 2023His Sanity ReturnedMusic and gay chatter still floated to him from the bar. But what about his responsibilities—his family and the men who would die because they would not know how to get well, ah—yes, those other alcoholics? There must be many such in this town. He would phone a clergyman. His sanity returned and he thanked God.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (A Vision For You) pp. 154 - 155Thought to Ponder . . .Intensive work with other alcoholics works when other a ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 2, 2023Three Pertinent IdeasOur description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: (a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 60Thought to Ponder . . .If I can't and God can, am I willing to ask Him to?AA-re ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)October 1, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~AmazedIf we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) pp. 83 - 84Thought to PonderIn God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have.AA-related 'Alco ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 30, 2023No More AlonenessThere is no more aloneness, with that awful ache, so deep in the heart of every alcoholic that nothing, before, could ever reach it. That ache is gone and never need return again. Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Keys Of The Kingdom) p. 276Thought to Ponder . . .Together we can do what we coul ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 29, 2023Apples and OrangesI had my first awakening in A.A. The speaker said, "If you’re an apple, you can be the best apple you can be, but you can never be an orange." I was an apple all right, and for the first time I understood that I had spent my life trying to be an orange. I looked around at a room filled with apples and, if I was understanding the speaker, most of them were no longer trying to be oranges.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Window Of Opportunit ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 28, 2023But You CanThus we grow. And so can you, though you be but one man with this book in your hand. We believe and hope it contains all you will need to begin. We know what you are thinking. You are saying to yourself: “I’m jittery and alone. I couldn’t do that.” But you can. You forget that you have just now tapped a source of power much greater than yourself. To duplicate, with such backing, what we have accomplished is only a matter of willingness, patience a ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 27, 2023A Novel IdeaMy friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, "Why don’t you choose your own conception of God?" That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last. It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Story) p. ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 26, 2023Check OurselvesNow that we're in A.A. and sober, and winning back the esteem of our friends and business associates, we find that we still need to exercise special vigilance. As an insurance against "big-shot-ism" we can often check ourselves by remembering that we are today sober only by the grace of God and that any success we may be having is far more His success than ours.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 92Thought to Ponder . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 25, 2023Self RestraintOur 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. One unkind tirade or one willful snap judgment can ruin our relation with another person for a whole day, or maybe a whole year. Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 91Thought t ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)September 24, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Too Much TimeWe find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not work with you. If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become convinced that he cannot recover by himself. To spend too much time on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity to live and be happy.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 96Thought to PonderIf you want to drink, that's your business. If you want to ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 23, 2023Approach True ToleranceWe begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently wrong, and then we approach true tolerance and see what real love for our fellows actually means. It will become more and more evident as we go forward that it is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of growing up.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 92Th ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 22, 2023Personal ExperienceContinue to speak of alcoholism as an illness, a fatal malady. Talk about the conditions of body and mind which accompany it. Keep his attention focussed mainly on your personal experience. Explain that many are doomed who never realize their predicament.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 92Thought to Ponder . . .Trust God. Clean house. Help others.AA-related 'Alconym'H E A L  =   Helping Every Alcoholic Live.To Uns ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 21, 2023A Way Of LifeA.A.’s Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Foreward) p. 15Thought to Ponder . . .Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal malady.AA-related 'Alconym'S T E P S  =   Solutions Through Each Powerful Step.To Unsub ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 20, 2023Emotional InsecurityThe most common symptoms of emotional insecurity are worry, anger, self-pity, and depression. These stem from causes which sometimes seem to be within us, and at other times to come from without. To take inventory in this respect we ought to consider carefully all personal relationships which bring continuous or recurring trouble. It should be remembered that this kind of insecurity may arise in any area where instincts are threatened.- T ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 19, 2023A Way Of LifeA.A. is not a plan for recovery that can be finished and done with. It is a way of life, and the challenge contained in its principles is great enough to keep any human being striving for as long as he lives. We do not, cannot, outgrow this plan.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Keys Of The Kingdom) p. 275Thought to Ponder . . .AA is not for people who need it, it's not even for people who want it; it's for people who will work it.AA-related 'Alconym ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 18, 2023Hit BottomWhy all this insistence that every A.A. must hit bottom first? The answer is that few people will sincerely try to practice the A.A. program unless they have hit bottom. For practicing A.A.'s remaining eleven Steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) pp. 24 - 25Thought to Ponder . . .You know you have hit bottom when you stop dig ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)September 17, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Step ThreeEvery man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step Three. Isn’t it true that in all matters touching upon alcohol, each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the care, protection, and guidance of Alcoholics Anonymous? Already a willingness has been achieved to cast out one’s own will and one’s own ideas about the alcohol problem in favor of those su ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 16, 2023Beyond Human Aid"Well, I’ll stop with the sixth drink." Or "What’s the use anyhow?" When this sort of thinking is fully established in an individual with alcoholic tendencies, he has probably placed himself beyond human aid, and unless locked up, may die or go permanently insane. These stark and ugly facts have been confirmed by legions of alcoholics throughout history. But for the grace of God, there would have been thousands more convin ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 15, 2023The Desperate ExperimentWhat sort of thinking dominates an alcoholic who repeats time after time the desperate experiment of the first drink? Friends who have reasoned with him after a spree which has brought him to the point of divorce or bankruptcy are mystified when he walks directly into a saloon. Why does he? Of what is he thinking?- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 35Thought to Ponder . . .We are without defense against the first drink. ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 14, 2023Certain IdeasIn the course of his third treatment he acquired certain ideas concerning a possible means of recovery. As part of his rehabilitation he commenced to present his conceptions to other alcoholics, impressing upon them that they must do likewise with still others. This has become the basis of a rapidly growing fellowship of these men and their families. This man and over one hundred others appear to have recovered.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Docto ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 13, 2023The MaladyIf you are satisfied that he is a real alcoholic, begin to dwell on the hopeless feature of the malady. Show him, from your own experience, how the queer mental condition surrounding that first drink prevents normal functioning of the will power.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 92Thought to Ponder . . .Willpower ... our will-ingness to use a Higher Power.AA-related 'Alconym'H E A L  =   Helping Every Alcoholic Live.To Unsu ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 12, 2023Program of ActionThough I had been only a nominal churchman, their proposals were not, intellectually, hard to swallow. But the program of action, though entirely sensible, was pretty drastic. It meant I would have to throw several lifelong conceptions out of the window. That was not easy. But the moment I made up my mind to go through with the process, I had the curious feeling that my alcoholic condition was relieved, as in fact it proved to be.- Alcoholic ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 11, 2023IndecisionIn thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don’t struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 86Thought to Ponder . . .The Three "P's" -- Pause, Pray, Proceed.AA-related 'Alconym'A S A P &n ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)September 10, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Trust GodPerhaps there is a better way—we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 68Thought to PonderTake a ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 9, 2023JustificationIn some circumstances we have gone out deliberately to get drunk, feeling ourselves justified by nervousness, anger, worry, depression, jealousy or the like. But even in this type of beginning we are obliged to admit that our justification for a spree was insanely insufficient in the light of what always happened.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 37Thought to Ponder . . .When I choose the behavior, I choose the consequences.AA-re ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 8, 2023DisturbedWe had to see that when we harbored grudges and planned revenge for such defeats, we were really beating ourselves with the club of anger we had intended to use on others. We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our first need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Four) p. 47Thought to Ponder . . .The road to resentment is paved with expectations.AA-related 'A ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 7, 2023Accept RealityAbove all, we reject fantasizing and accept reality. . . I lived in a dream world. A.A. led me gently from this fantasizing to embrace reality with open arms. And I found it beautiful! For, at last, I was at peace with myself. And with others. And with God.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (To Handle Sobriety) p. 559Thought to Ponder . . .The Twelve Steps -- a manuscript for rational living.AA-related 'Alconym'A G O  =   Another Growth Opportuni ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 6, 2023Absolutely UnableBut the actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly an exception, will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge. This is a point we wish to emphasize and re-emphasize, to smash home upon our alcoholic readers as it has been revealed to us out of bitter experience.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 39Thought to Ponder . . .Pride in my intelligence blinded me to how much I did not know.AA-related 'Alco ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 5, 2023Quality or QuantityTo clergymen, doctors, friends, and families, the alcoholic who means well and tries hard is a heartbreaking riddle. To most A.A.'s, he is not. There are too many of us who have been just like him, and have found the riddle's answer. This answer has to do with the quality of faith rather than its quantity. This has been our blind spot.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Two) p. 32Thought to Ponder . . .Faith is mighty. Action with f ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 4, 2023Instinct Run WildAlcoholics especially should be able to see that instinct run wild in themselves is the underlying cause of their destructive drinking. We have drunk to drown feelings of fear, frustration, and depression. We have drunk to escape the guilt of passions, and then have drunk again to make more passions possible. We have drunk for vainglory—that we might the more enjoy foolish dreams of pomp and power. This perverse soul-sickness is not pleasant ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)September 3, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Higher PowerThey flatly declare that since they have come to believe in a Power greater than themselves, to take a certain attitude toward that Power, and to do certain simple things, there has been a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking. In the face of collapse and despair, in the face of the total failure of their human resources, they found that a new power, peace, happiness, and sense of direction flowed into t ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 2, 2023Avoiding an InventoryWe also clutch at another wonderful excuse for avoiding an inventory. Our present anxieties and troubles, we cry, are caused by the behavior of other people—people who really need a moral inventory. We firmly believe that if only they’d treat us better, we’d be all right. Therefore we think our indignation is justified and reasonable—that our resentments are the “right kind.” We aren’t the guilty ones. They are!- Twelve Steps and Twelve T ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)September 1, 2023The First DrinkOnce more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 43Thought to Ponder . . .The ultimate defense against the first drink is a spiritual one.AA-related 'Alconym'F A I T H  =   Found Always In Trusting Him. ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 31, 2023Self-seekerAdmitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure that other people are more to blame. He becomes angry, indignant, self-pitying. What is his basic trouble? Is he not really a self-seeker even when trying to be kind? Is he not a victim of the delusion that he can wrest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if he only manages well?- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 61Thought to Ponder . . .When I choose the behavior, I choose the consequ ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 30, 2023A Simple RelianceWhen we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 52Thought to Ponder . . .Hope leads to faith if you let it.AA-related 'Alconym'G R O W T H  =   God Reveals Other Ways To Heal.To Unsubscribe - Click Here_Subscription Reminder_   You're Subscribed to:&nbs ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 29, 2023If We Are PainstakingIf we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) pp. 83 - 84Thought to Ponder . . .We cannot find peace by avoiding life.AA-related 'Alconym'H J F  =   Happy, ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 28, 2023FellowshipWe are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful. We are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captain’s table. Unlike the feelings of the ship’s passengers, however, our joy in escape from disaster does not subside as we go our indivi ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)August 27, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~AcceptanceAcceptance is the key to my relationship with God today. I never just sit and do nothing while waiting for Him to tell me what to do. Rather, I do whatever is in front of me to be done, and I leave the results up to Him; however it turns out, that’s God’s will for me. I must keep my magic magnifying mind on my acceptance and off my expectations, for my serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance.- Alcoholics An ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 26, 2023Certain ConsequencesThe almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer do not crowd into the mind to deter us. If these thoughts occur, they are hazy and readily supplanted with the old threadbare idea that this time we shall handle ourselves like other people. There is a complete failure of the kind of defense that keeps one from putting his hand on a hot stove.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 24Thought to Ponder . . .Insan ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 25, 2023The Jumping-off PlaceInwardly he would give anything to take half a dozen drinks and get away with them. He will presently try the old game again, for he isn’t happy about his sobriety. He cannot picture life without alcohol. Some day he will be unable to imagine life either with alcohol or without it. Then he will know loneliness such as few do. He will be at the jumping-off place. He will wish for the end.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (A Vision For You) p. 152Thoug ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 24, 2023True KinshipBut we soon discovered that while we weren't alone any more in a social sense, we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't belong. Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and God. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Five) p. 57Thought to Ponder . . .To the world, you ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 23, 2023PridePride lures us into making demands upon ourselves or upon others which cannot be met without perverting or misusing our God-given instincts. When the satisfaction of our instincts for sex, security, and society becomes the sole object of our lives, then pride steps in to justify our excesses.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Four) p. 49Thought to Ponder . . .Swallowing my pride will not get me drunk.AA-related 'Alconym'J A D E  =   Just ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 22, 2023New MeaningLife will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends—this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 89Thought to Ponder . . .Get it - Give it - Grow in it.AA-related 'A ...Continue Reading