AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 11, 2022 Step Eight There were cases, too, where we had damaged others who were still happily unaware of being hurt. Why, we cried, shouldn't bygones be bygones? Why do we have to think of these people at all? These were some of the ways in which fear conspired with pride to hinder our making a list of all the people we had harmed. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eight) p. 78 Thought to Ponder A fear faced is a fear erased. AA-related 'Alconym' F E ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 11, 2022 The Actor Most people try to live by self-propulsion. Each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show; is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way. If his arrangements would only stay put, if only people would do as he wished, the show would be great. Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. Life would be wonderful. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 60 - 61 Thou ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 10, 2022 Gratitude I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know. - As Bill Sees It, (Into Action) p. 37 Thought to Ponder When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. AA-related 'Alconym' H E L P  =   Hope, Encouragement, Love, Patience. Thanks to all of y ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 9, 2022 The Spiritual Life The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it. Unless one’s family expresses a desire to live upon spiritual principles we think we ought not to urge them. We should not talk incessantly to them about spiritual matters. They will change in time. Our behavior will convince them more than our words. We must remember that ten or twenty years of drunken- ness would make a skeptic out of anyone. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 8, 2022 Stark and Ugly Facts "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 mo ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 7, 2022 The Closed Mind It wasn't A.A, that had the closed mind, it was me. The minute I stopped arguing, I could begin to see and feel. Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of A.A.'s program as enthusiastically as I could. - ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 6, 2022 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ They Believe The unselfishness of these men as we have come to know them, the entire absence of profit motive, and their community spirit, is indeed inspiring to one who has labored long and wearily in this alcoholic field. They believe in themselves, and still more in the Power which pulls chronic alcoholics back from the gates of death. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Doctor's Opinion) p. xxvii  Thought to Ponder The Twelve ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 5, 2022 Twelfth Step Work We sit in A.A. meetings and listen, not only to receive something ourselves, but to give the reassurance and support which our presence can bring. If our turn comes to speak at a meeting, we again try to carry A.A.'s message. Whether our audience is one or many, it is still Twelfth Step work. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 110 Thought to Ponder Only in giving do we receive in full measure. AA-related 'Alconym' ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 4, 2022 Review Our Day When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? . . . After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 86 ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 3, 2022 Spiritual Approach "As to two of you men, whose stories I have heard, there is no doubt in my mind that you were 100% hopeless, apart from divine help. Had you offered yourselves as patients at this hospital, I would not have taken you, if I had been able to avoid it. People like you are too heartbreaking. Though not a religious person, I have profound respect for the spiritual approach in such cases as yours. For most cases, there is virtually no o ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 2, 2022 Tormenting Ghosts If we have swept the searchlight of Step Four back and forth over our careers, and it has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember, if we have come to know how wrong thinking and action have hurt us and others, 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, (Step Five) ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) February 1, 2022 Conditions We thought "conditions" drove us to drink, and when we tried to correct these conditions and found that we couldn't to our entire satisfaction, our drinking went out of hand and we became alcoholics. It never occurred to us that we needed to change ourselves to meet conditions, whatever they were. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Four) p. 47 Thought to Ponder If you want to change who you are, change what you do. AA-rela ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 31, 2022 Only You Can Decide Consider your drinking carefully in the light of what you may learn from these pages. Determine, for yourself, whether or not alcohol has truly become a problem for you. And remember that you will always be most welcome to join the thousands of men and women in A.A. who have put their drinking problems behind them and now lead "normal" lives of constructive, day-by-day sobriety. - This Is A.A. An introduction to the A.A. Rec ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 30, 2022 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Rigorous Honesty Who 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. ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 29, 2022 Entirely Ready So Step Six—"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character"—is A.A.'s way of stating the best possible attitude one can take in order to make a beginning on this lifetime job. This does not mean that we expect all our character defects to be lifted out of us as the drive to drink was. A few of them may be, but with most of them we shall have to be content with patient improvement. The key words "entir ...Continue Reading