AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 9, 2024  ForgivenessOften it was while working on this Step with our sponsors or spiritual advisers that we first felt truly able to forgive others, no matter how deeply we felt they had wronged us. Our moral inventory had persuaded us that all-round forgiveness was desirable, but it was only when we resolutely tackled Step Five that we inwardly knew we'd be able to receive forgiveness and give it, too.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Five) p. 58 &nbs ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 8, 2024  Withholding NothingWe pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (In ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 7, 2024  Meditation and PrayerWe liked A.A. all right, and were quick to say that it had done miracles. But we recoiled from meditation and prayer as obstinately as the scientist who refused to perform a certain experiment lest it prove his pet theory wrong. Of course 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.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (St ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 6, 2024  To Outgrow FearThe verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 68  Thought to Ponder . . .Fear is not an admission of weakness; fear is an oppo ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 5, 2024  Tradition Three“The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.” The answer, now seen in Tradition Three, was simplicity itself. At last experience taught us that to take away any alcoholic’s full chance was sometimes to pronounce his death sentence, and often to condemn him to endless misery. Who dared to be judge, jury, and executioner of his own sick brother? - Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Tradition Three) p. 141   ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 4, 2024  One More AttemptThe old pleasures were gone. They were but memories. Never could we recapture the great moments of the past. There was an insistent yearning to enjoy life as we once did and a heartbreaking obsession that some new miracle of control would enable us to do it. There was always one more attempt—and one more failure.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (A Vision for You) p. 151  Thought to Ponder . . .When all else fails, try following directions in ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)November 3, 2024~ Scroll Down for Share ~  Tradition TenAlcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy. In this respect, we do not enter into public controversy, because we know that our Society will perish if it does. We conceive the survival and spread of Alcoholics Anonymous to be something of far greater importance than the weight we could collectively throw back of any other cause.- Twelve Step ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 2, 2024  Quick InventoryIn all these situations we need self-restraint, honest analysis of what is involved, a willingness to admit when the fault is ours, and an equal willingness to forgive when the fault is elsewhere. We need not be discouraged when we fall into the error of our old ways, for these disciplines are not easy. We shall look for progress, not for perfection.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 91  Thought to Ponder . . .Nothin ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 1, 2024  Character BuildingSeldom 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 Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 72  Thought to Ponder . . .Character is what I am; reputation is what people think I am.  AA-related 'Alconym'A A ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 31, 2024  HumilityHumility, as a word and as an ideal, has a very bad time of it in our world. Not only is the idea misunderstood; the word itself is often intensely disliked. Many people haven’t even a nodding acquaintance with humility as a way of life. Much of the everyday talk we hear, and a great deal of what we read, highlights man’s pride in his own achievements.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 70  Thought to Ponder . . .Humility ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 30, 2024  ResentmentsIn dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal relationships (including sex) were hurt or threatened. So we were sore. We were "burned up."- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) pp. 64 - 65  Thought to Ponder . . .The road t ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 29, 2024  ControlWe learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed. We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 30  Thought to Ponder . . .When we try to control ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 28, 2024  Personal RelationshipsSteps Eight and Nine are concerned with personal relationships. First, we take a look backward and try to discover where we have been at fault; next we make a vigorous attempt to repair the damage we have done; and third, having thus cleaned away the debris of the past, we consider how, with our newfound knowledge of ourselves, we may develop the best possible relations with every human being we know.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Tradi ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)October 27, 2024~ Scroll Down for Share ~  Absolute CertaintyThe central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 25  Thought to PonderNobody ever found recovery as a result of an intellectual awakening.  AA-related 'Alconym'A ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)October 26, 2024  Spot, Admit and CorrectLearning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 95  Thought to Ponder . . .The first step in overcoming mistakes is to admit them.  AA-rela ...Continue Reading