AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)
August 4, 2013
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Change
The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better
and then an unremitting willingness
to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 115
Thought to Ponder . . .
In order to change the way I feel, I need to change the way I act.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
F E E L = Feel, Experience, Express, Let go.
A Member Shares:
Hello. I'm Charlie J., and I have alcoholism. From the time I was young I thought well, you are who you are and there is no changing that. I felt I was in a kind of emotional caste system and I was on the bottom of it all. There were people in my life that for the most part did the right things all the time. So I had no real example of people working to overcome life's problems -- at least, that I knew of. So, here I am so broken emotionally and doomed to stay that way. And I did for what seems a lifetime, never knowing there was help. On my second trip to AA, I was too afraid of drinking again, and did everything I was told to. But it was only because of fear. So nothing changed at first. One thing that seems to have saved my butt was an abundance of willingness. There were three things I prayed that would not follow me into recovery: 1. That I would drink again as I had my first time to AA. So far, so good. 2. That depression would not follow me. It did. 3. That I would ever hurt others again. I did. One day, I finally told my sponsor, "I get these horrible thoughts that just pop into my mind." He looked at me and said, "Well I guess it's time you change your thinking." I cursed him out and said, "You can't change what comes into your mind!” He simply said, "You're right, but only you can say how long it stays there." I needed to change my thinking! Now, I can tell you it didn't happen overnight and I still work on it. But I started with asking myself simple, sober questions: Is this thinking going to lead me to a drink or away from one? And so on. That was the beginning of what turned into a lifetime process for me -- asking different questions of myself. Make no mistake about it, life still happens in the Johnson household and I don't always think the right thing at first. But I now take no action before first thinking and asking myself questions. Today, I lead a reasonably happy life. I am now grateful for what I have and no longer ungrateful for what I don't have. Thank you.
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(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
dailythought@aa-alive.org
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