AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 12, 2024  Understanding and EffectivenessThis thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Actio ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 11, 2024  Amends to FamilyAt this first sitting, it is necessary only that we make a general admission of our defects. It may be unwise at this stage to rehash certain harrowing episodes. Good judgment will suggest that we ought to take our time. While we may be quite willing to reveal the very worst, we must be sure to remember that we cannot buy our own peace of mind at the expense of others.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Nine) p. 84  Thought to ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 10, 2024  A Subtle FoeIt 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 is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done."- Alcoholics An ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 9, 2024  The New PrinciplesWhen your prospect has made such reparation as he can to his family, and has thoroughly explained to them the new principles by which he is living, he should proceed to put those principles into action at home. That is, if he is lucky enough to have a home. Though his family be at fault in many respects, he should not be concerned about that. He should concentrate on his own spiritual demonstration.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Oth ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 8, 2024  Our FearsWe reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them. We asked ourselves why we had them. Wasn’t it because self-reliance failed us? Self-reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn’t go far enough. Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn’t fully solve the fear problem, or any other.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 68  Thought to Ponder . . .Situations I f ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)July 7, 2024~ Scroll Down for Share ~Change OurselvesWe 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 PonderGod grant that AA may ever stay simple.  AA-r ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 6, 2024  Transformed By HumilityUntil now, our lives have been largely devoted to running from pain and problems. We fled from them as from a plague. We never wanted to deal with the fact of suffering. Escape via the bottle was always our solution. Character-building through suffering might be all right for saints, but it certainly didn't appeal to us. Then, in A.A., we looked and listened. Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 5, 2024  Perfect IdealsOnly Step One, where we made the 100 percent admission we were powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with absolute perfection. The remaining eleven Steps state perfect ideals. They are goals toward which we look, and the measuring sticks by which we estimate our progress.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Six) p. 68  Thought to Ponder . . .Give me the courage to be imperfect.  AA-related 'Alconym'H U M A N  =   ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 4, 2024  Tradition FourThis meant, of course, that we had been given the courage to declare each A.A. group an individual entity, strictly reliant on its own conscience as a guide to action. In charting this enormous expanse of freedom, we found it necessary to post only two storm signals: A group ought not do anything which would greatly injure A.A. as a whole, nor ought it affiliate itself with anything or anybody else.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Traditi ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 3, 2024  Spiritual Principles"Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems. I have since been brought into a way of living infinitely more satisfying and, I hope, more useful than the life I lived before. My old manner of life was by no means a bad one, but I would not exchange its best moments for the worst I have now. I would not go back to it even if I could."- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 2, 2024  Emotional InsecurityThe 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.- T ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 1, 2024  Sane and Sound IdealWe reviewed our own conduct over the years past. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate? Whom had we hurt? Did we unjustifiably arouse jealousy, suspicion or bitterness? Where were we at fault, what should we have done instead? We got this all down on paper and looked at it. In this way we tried to shape a sane and sound ideal for our future sex life. We subjected each relation to this test—was it selfish or not?- Alcohol ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 30, 2024  A Regular HabitMore 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 . . .It's not ma ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 29, 2024  Hundreds of ExperiencesWhy does he behave like this? If hundreds of experiences have shown him that one drink means another debacle with all its attendant suffering and humiliation, why is it he takes that one drink? Why can’t he stay on the water wagon? What has become of the common sense and will power that he still sometimes displays with respect to other matters?- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 22  Thought to Ponder . . .The first ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 28, 2024  Source of PowerThus we grow. And so can you, though you be but one man with this book in your hand. We believe and hope it contains all you will need to begin. We know what you are thinking. You are saying to yourself: “I’m jittery and alone. I couldn’t do that.” But you can. You forget that you have just now tapped a source of power much greater than yourself.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (A Vision For You) p. 163  Thought to Ponder . . .The task ahead of ...Continue Reading