AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 30, 2021 Self-restraint We must avoid quick-tempered criticism and furious, power-driven argument. The same goes for sulking or silent scorn. These are emotional booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness. Our first job is to sidestep the traps. When we are tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think. For we can neither think nor act to good purpose until the habit of self-restraint has become automatic. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Tra ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 29, 2021 Self-searching More experienced people, of course, in all times and places have practiced unsparing self-survey and criticism. For the wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 88 Thought to Ponder I can’t fix someth ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 28, 2021 Tradition Twelve And finally, we of Alcoholics Anonymous believe that the principle of anonymity has an immense spiritual significance. It reminds us that we are to place principles before personalities; that we are to practice a genuine humility. This to the end that our great blessings may never spoil us; that we shall forever live in thankful contemplation of Him who presides over us all. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Appendice 1, Long Form) p. 565 - 566 ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 27, 2021 Emotional Jag Anger, 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. 90 Thou ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 26, 2021 Alcoholic Mind They had said that though I did raise a defense, it would one day give way before some trivial reason for having a drink. Well, just that did happen and more, for what I had learned of alcoholism did not occur to me at all. I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental blank spots. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 42 Thought to Ponde ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 25, 2021 In God's Hands 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 Others) p. 100 Thought to Ponder Take a walk with God. He will meet you at the Steps. AA-related 'Alconym' A R T &n ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 24, 2021 Foundation for Life There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) p. 98 Thought to Ponder Today I pray over the things that I used to drink over. AA-related 'Alconym' P U S H  =   Pray Until Somet ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 23, 2021 Sanity "Sanity" is defined as "soundness of mind." Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior, whether the destruction fell on the dining-room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim "soundness of mind" for himself. Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step. - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Two) p ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 22, 2021 Spiritual Tools There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pi ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 21, 2021 This Solution But the ex-problem drinker who has found this solution, who is properly armed with facts about himself, can generally win the entire confidence of another alcoholic in a few hours. Until such an understanding is reached, little or nothing can be accomplished. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 18 Thought to Ponder Together we can do what we could never do alone. AA-related 'Alconym' A L C O H O L I C S  =   A Life ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 20, 2021 Cheerfulness and Laughter So we think cheerfulness and laughter make for usefulness. Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we bust into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past. But why shouldn’t we laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) p. 132 Thought to Ponder Laughter is the sound of recovery. AA-related 'Alconym' H J F  =   Happy, Joyous, Fr ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 19, 2021 Discipline It 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. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 88 Thought to Ponder Motivation may get you going, but discipline keeps you growing. AA-related 'Alconym' A B C  =   Accept, Begin, Continue. Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, str ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 18, 2021 Character and Comfort But whenever we had to choose between character and comfort, the character-building was lost in the dust of our chase after what we thought was happiness. Seldom did we look at character-building as something desirable in itself, something we would like to strive for whether our instinctual needs were met or not. We never thought of making honesty, tolerance, and true love of man and God the daily basis of living. - Twelve Steps and ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 17, 2021 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Reconstruction Ahead We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough. He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined. To his wife, he remarked, "Don’t see anything the matter here, Ma. Ain’t it grand the wind stopped blowin'?" Yes, there is a long period of reconstruction ahead. We must take the lead. A remorseful mumbling that we are sorry won’t fill the bill at a ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) January 16, 2021 Step Five We have admitted certain defects; we have ascertained in a rough way what the trouble is; we have put our finger on the weak items in our personal inventory. Now these are about to be cast out. This requires action on our part, which, when completed, will mean that we have admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our defects. - Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 72 Thought to Ponder We need to share ou ...Continue Reading