*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 30, 2015* *Insecurity* *The 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.* / ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 29, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Willingness Under the lash of alcoholism, we are driven to AA, and then we discover the fatal nature of our situation. Then, and only then, do we become as open-minded to conviction and as willing to listen as only the dying can be. We stand ready to do anything which will lift the merciless obsession from us.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 24 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Life will take on new meaning.* *AA-relate ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 28, 2015* *Patience* *Blindly rushing in to hack away at character defects will not speed recovery and may actually slow it down. My Higher Power knows the right time to reveal the life-producing parts of me, and if I have patience, I will know clearly what parts need to be cut away.* /- Thank You For Sharing,/ p. 191 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The Three P's -- Patience, Persistence, Peace.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *P A U S E* = **P**atience **A**nd **U** ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 27, 2015* *Unique* *A frequent problem for an alcoholic is that he may think he's unique. He can't believe others have had the same experiences, the same problems.  He thinks he's different. Not me!  I think there are many like me, but they don't get heard. Some of them may be listening for a sign that they, too, can belong. Well if I can do it, anyone can do it.  And I do belong.  AA is my life.  Why shouldn't it be? Before, I had only ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 26, 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Fear The practice of AA's Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in our personal lives brought incredible releases from fear of every description, despite the wide prevalence of formidable personal problems. When fear did persist, we knew it for what it was, and under God's grace we became able to handle it.* /- The Language of the Heart,/ p. 268 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.* ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 25, 2015* *Happiness* *So happiness to me is fulfillment, the satisfaction gained from knowing that you did the best your honestly evaluated limitations would permit -- in all phases of living. Happiness is gratitude for the miracle which granted another go-round at a life once abandoned. Happiness is growing up.  It is recognizing all the things you really have. Happiness is for experiencing, as well as remembering.* /- Came to Believe . . .,/ p. 112 *Tho ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 24, 2015* *Authorities* *Happily for us, we found we need no human authority whatever.  We have two authorities which are far more effective. One is benign, the other malign.  There is God, our Father, who very simply says, "I am waiting for you to do my will." The other authority is named John Barleycorn, and he says, "You had better do God's will or I will kill you."  And sometimes he does kill. So when the chips are down, we ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 23, 2015* *Self-restraint* *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. 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.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 91 *Thought to Ponder ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 22 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Keeping It Simple Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid.  It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 14 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *While it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, it works.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *K I S S* = **K**eep **I**t **S**erenely **S**imple. ** *A Member Shares: I'm Ravi, an alcoh ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 21, 2015* *Expectations* *Until I could honestly look at myself and see that I was the problem in many situations and react appropriately inside and out; until I could discard my expectations and understand that my serenity was directly proportional to them, I could not experience serenity and sound sobriety.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 71 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Expectations are resentments 'under construction.'* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* *A A* = **A**lt ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 20, 2015* *Discovery* *I figured why I'd been unsuccessful with sobriety in the past.  The answer was on page fifty-eight: "Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program . . ." My problem was not that I could not, because I knew I could; my problem was that I would not. After this discovery, I commenced to follow the program as outlined in the Big Book, and for the first time, I comple ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 19 2015 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Selfishness Selfishness -- self-centeredness!  That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. . . So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making . . . Above all, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us!  God makes that possible.* /- Alcoholics An ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 18, 2015* *Answers* *In 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,/ p. 86 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *I asked from the heart, and I received.* *AA-related 'Alco ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 18, 2015* *The First Step* *The First Step and I have always been great friends. I repeated it every five seconds and thanked God each day for my sobriety -- the only grace, maybe, for that day. Gradually, I began to see another part of me emerging -- a grateful me, expecting nothing, but sure that another power was beginning to guide me, counsel me, and direct my ways.  And I was not afraid. . . The adversities, loneliness, sickness, losses, and disappoint ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *July 16, 2015* *24-Hour Plan* *Getting away from the pull of the first drink is like putting a space vehicle in orbit. It takes a lot of thrust to overcome the initial pull of gravity and get the vehicle off the ground. But once it gets in orbit, all that's required is a small correction from time to time. That's how the 24-hour plan works -- a small daily checkup and corrections to keep us away from the pull of that first drink. The 24-hour plan is a discipline whos ...Continue Reading