*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 10, 2014* *Fear of Rejection* *Almost without exception, my AA friends admitted that they had struggled with the same feelings. Some claimed that their fear of rejection stemmed from a lack of self-worth; some of the men laid the difficulty to feelings of inadequacy stimulated by years of drinking. It was also asserted that we couldn't stand the responsibility of being loved and so sought rejection in subtle ways.  About the only thing that everyone agreed ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 9, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Prayer We finally did experiment, and when unexpected results followed, we felt different; in fact, we /knew/ different; and so we were sold on meditation and prayer. And that, we have found, can happen to anybody who tries. It has been well said that "almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough."* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 97 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Trying to pray is p ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 8, 2014* *Reprieve* *It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism.  What we really have is a daily reprieve, contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous,/ p. 85 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *AA is spiritual, is the ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 7, 2014* *Joy* *I have had my share of problems, heartaches, and disappointments, because that is life, but also I have known a great deal of joy and a peace that is the handmaiden of an inner freedom. I have a wealth of friends and, with my AA friends, an unusual quality of fellowship. For, to these people, I am truly related.  First, through mutual pain and despair, and later through mutual objectives and newfound faith and hope.* /- Alcoholics Anonymous ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 6, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Emotional Sobriety How to translate a right mental conviction into a right emotional result, and so into easy, happy, and good living -- well, that's not only the neurotic's problem, it's the problem of life itself for all of us who have got to the point of real willingness to hew to right principles in all our affairs. Even then, as we hew away, peace and joy may still elude us. That's the place so many of us AA oldsters have ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 5, 2014* *This Precious Gift* *None of us can ever fathom the glories and the uncharted regions of the universe. But we /can/ live on earth and love one another. We can let in the beginnings of /concern, compassion, consideration,/ and watch ourselves grow. With the tools and guideposts of Alcoholics Anonymous, we can learn a little of this precious gift -- our gateway to human spirituality.* /- Came To Believe . . .,/ p. 120 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The Thr ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 4, 2014* *Change* *It never occurred to us that we needed to change ourselves to meet conditions, whatever they were. But in AA we slowly learned that something had to be done about our vengeful resentments, self-pity, and unwarranted pride. . . We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our /first/ need was to quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 47 *Thought to Ponder . . .* * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 3, 2014* *Seeking Approval* *Today I still enjoy getting the approval of others, but I am not willing to pay the price I used to pay to get it. I will not bend myself into a pretzel to get others to like me. If I get your approval, that's fine; but if I don't, I will survive without it. I am responsible for speaking for what I perceive to be the truth, not what I think others may want to hear.* /- Daily Reflections,/ p. 101 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *The privi ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 2, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ Willingness All we need is a key, and the decision to swing the door open. There is only one key, and it is called willingness. Once unlocked by willingness, the door opens almost of itself, and looking through it, we shall see an inscription. It reads:  "This is the way to a faith that works."* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 34 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *So often times it happens that we live our l ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *April 1, 2014* *Self-worth* *I know that I am not a total loss, even when I think I am. I know that freedom, and usefulness, love, outgoingness and sharing are the important things in life. But even more important, I have to care for me and achieve a sense of self-worth. So I continue to listen.  I am still open to suggestions. I continue on my way.  And I am on my way up.* /- The Best of the Grapevine/ [Vol. 1], p. 24 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Learn to l ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 31, 2014* *Independence* *Over and over, we have found we cannot stay sober long just for the sake of wife, husband, children, lover, parents, other relative, or friend, nor for the sake of a job, nor to please a boss (or doctor, or judge, or creditor) -- not for /anyone/ other than ourselves. . . Independent, unaffiliated with anything else, our sobriety can grow strong enough to cope with anything -- and everybody.* /- Living Sober,/ p. 64 *Thought to Ponder ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 30, 2014 ~ Scroll Down for Share ~ The Gift To those of us who have hitherto known only excitement, depression, or anxiety -- in other words, to all of us -- this newfound peace is a priceless gift.* /- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,/ p. 74 *Thought to Ponder . . .* *Sobriety is a gift, the price of which is eternal vigilance.* *AA-related 'Alconym' . . .* **A A** = **A**ltered **A**ttitudes. ** *A Member Shares: Mab here, alcoholic.  The program h ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 29, 2014* *Surrender* *At one time the admission that I was and am an alcoholic meant shame, defeat, and failure to me. But in the light of the new understanding that I have found in AA, I have been able to interpret that defeat and that failure as seeds of victory. Because it was only through feeling defeat and failure, the inability to cope with my life and with alcohol, that I was able to surrender and accept the fact that I had this disease and that I had t ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 28, 2014* *Pickles* *We are also convinced, after the countless attempts we made to prove otherwise, that alcoholism is incurable -- just like some other illnesses.  It cannot be "cured" in this sense: We cannot change our body chemistry and go back to being the normal, moderate social drinkers lots of us seemed to be in our youth. . . we can no more make that change than a pickle can change itself back into a cucumber.* /- Living Sober,/ p. 8 * ...Continue Reading

*AA Thought for the Day* (courtesy AA-Alive.net) *March 27, 2014* *Uniqueness* *I just did not believe that AA would work for me as a black drunk. I genuinely believed I was different until much later, when I had what I now know to be my first spiritual awakening: that I was an alcoholic and I didn't have to drink! I also learned that alcoholism, as an equal opportunity illness, does not discriminate -- is not restricted to race, creed, or geography. At last I was released from the bondage of my uniqueness.* /- Alco ...Continue Reading