AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 2, 2024  Around the WorldTaking advantage of technological advances, for example, A.A. members with computers can participate in meetings online, sharing with fellow alcoholics across the country or around the world. In any meeting, anywhere, A.A.'s share experience, strength, and hope with each other, in order to stay sober and help other alcoholics.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Foreward to the 4th Edition) p. xxiv  Thought to Ponder . . .Modem-to-modem or face-t ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)August 1, 2024  A Psychic ChangeOn the other hand—and strange as this may seem to those who do not understand—once a psychic change has occurred, the very same person who seemed doomed, who had so many problems he despaired of ever solving them, suddenly finds himself easily able to control his desire for alcohol, the only effort necessary being that required to follow a few simple rules.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Doctor's Opinion) p. xxix  Thought to Ponder . . . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 31, 2024  Our MotivesIn most cases our motives won't be hard to see and understand. When prideful, angry, jealous, anxious, or fearful, we acted accordingly, and that was that. Here we need only recognize that we did act or think badly, try to visualize how we might have done better, and resolve with God's help to carry these lessons over into tomorrow, making, of course, any amends still neglected.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 94  Thought ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 30, 2024  No Monopoly On GodIf he is to find God, the desire must come from within. If he thinks he can do the job in some other way, or prefers some other spiritual approach, encourage him to follow his own conscience. We have no monopoly on God; we merely have an approach that worked with us.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 95  Thought to Ponder . . .To thine own self be true.  AA-related 'Alconym'A R T  =   Always Remain Teacha ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 29, 2024  No Effective Mental DefenseOnce more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 43  Thought to Ponder . . .The ultimate defense against the first drink is a spiritual one.  AA-related 'Alconym'F R O G  =   Fu ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 28, 2024  Three Pertinent IdeasOur description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: (a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 60  Thought to Ponder . . .If I can't and God can, am I willing to ask ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 27, 2024  A New EmployerWe had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 63  Thought to Ponder . . .Life will take on new meaning.  AA-related 'Alconym'W I ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 26, 2024  Your Own ConceptionMy friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, “Why don’t you choose your own conception of God?’’ That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last. It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Story) p. ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 25, 2024  Taking InventoryIf the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. We did exactly the same thing with our lives. We took stock honestly. First, we searched out the flaws in our make-up which caused our failure. Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 64  Thought to Ponder . . .Each day, I can as ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 24, 2024  Dry BendersAnger, that occasional luxury of more balanced people, could keep us on an emotional jag indefinitely. These emotional "dry benders" often led straight to the bottle. Other kinds of disturbances—jealousy, envy, self-pity, or hurt pride—did the same thing. A spot-check inventory taken in the midst of such disturbances can be of very great help in quieting stormy emotions.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 90  Thoug ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 23, 2024  PowerIf a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn’t there.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) pp. 44 - 45  Thou ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 22, 2024  Self-DeceptionDespite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to the rule, therefore nonalcoholic..- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 31  Thought to Ponder . . .I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic; than go through life drunk, trying to convince myself that ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)July 21, 2024~ Scroll Down for Share ~AngerI know I would never have recovered from violence and alcoholism without A.A.’s 12 Steps, which are uniquely tailored for people like me. Just as importantly I believed I recovered through the grace of a Higher Power, despite the fact I was very angry and wanted nothing to do with God when I arrived in A.A. In fact I did not need to find God. I only needed to open my mind and the spirit found me.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Perpetual ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 20, 2024  Spiritual AwakeningMaybe there are as many definitions of spiritual awakening as there are people who have had them. But certainly each genuine one has something in common with all the others. And these things which they have in common are not too hard to understand. When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening, the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do before on his unaided stren ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 19, 2024  HelpfulnessWhile you were drinking, you were withdrawing from life little by little. Now you are getting back into the social life of this world. Don’t start to withdraw again just because your friends drink liquor. Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum helpfulness to others, so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 102  Thought to Ponder . . .We're not living just ...Continue Reading