AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 13, 2024  Program of ActionThough I had been only a nominal churchman, their proposals were not, intellectually, hard to swallow. But the program of action, though entirely sensible, was pretty drastic. It meant I would have to throw several lifelong conceptions out of the window. That was not easy. But the moment I made up my mind to go through with the process, I had the curious feeling that my alcoholic condition was relieved, as in fact it proved to be.- Alc ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 12, 2024  Are We Ready?If we would gain any real advantage in the use of this Step on problems other than alcohol, we shall need to make a brand new venture into open- mindedness. We shall need to raise our eyes toward perfection, and be ready to walk in that direction. It will seldom matter how haltingly we walk. The only question will be "Are we ready?"- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Six) p. 68  Thought to Ponder . . .What have I bee ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)November 11, 2024  True KinshipWe thought the isolation problem had been solved. But we soon discovered that while we weren't alone any more in a social sense, we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn't belong. Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and God.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)November 10, 2024~ Scroll Down for Share ~  Our Own ConceptionMuch to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another’s conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with Him. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and direction, provided we to ...Continue Reading

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