AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)
January 13, 2013
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AcceptanceAnd acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation
-- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity
until I accept that person, place, thing or situation
exactly as its supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417
Thought to Ponder . . .
Unless I accept life completely on life's terms,
I cannot be happy.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change.
A Member Shares:
Hi, I'm Michael and I'm a sober alcoholic. When I drank, I did it to numb life. If anything, I kept adding to my misery. There were resentments and other issues I needed to let go of. The more I held on, the more I drank; the more I drank, the more I kept adding unnecessary crap to my life. Prior to AA, I haphazardly justified my drinking with each and every item on that list. Once I started getting these things out into the open and started to clear them, I was able to start working on accepting life on life’s terms. If I wasn't proactive in my recovery, I would only be adding more aggravation, upset and anxiety to the major list I hoped to put behind me. I would never get rid of my desire to stop drinking. When all is said and done, not accepting life on life’s terms was my biggest obstacle. I was tired of my life of drinking and resentments. I needed to start taking it seriously. Not taking a drink was actually a very small part of my recovery work. The rest centered on past resentments and how I live in my world today. I don't even care to worry about tomorrow. I often use the Serenity Prayer to help me accept things in my life as they are. Most of the beneficial prayers for AA recovery are nestled within the Big Book. I don't have to look too far outside the 164 pages in order to have a good chance at recovery. I can still fail in my recovery and sobriety. I can ruin my chances if I choose not to connect with these things and keep my commitment to my sobriety a priority. With all of these great tools, I still need to put forth the effort. AA and the Big Book are not going to come looking for me. I need to reach beyond and outside of myself. I know me. I can sabotage my recovery if I don't accept life on life’s terms. Not everything is going to go my way, and I'd be a fool to expect otherwise. I accept that I don't know what I don't know. Life on life's terms. Thanks for reading my share.To respond to the sharer, please email DailyThought@verizon.net and it will be forwarded to them.
(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)
Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
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