AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 28, 2023Fellowship of the SpiritAbandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you—until then.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (A Vision For You) p. 164Thought to Ponder . . .Faith is our greatest gif ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 27, 2023Trials and Low SpotsFaith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill's Story) pp ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 26, 2023Our ChoiceWhen we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn’t. What was our choice to be?- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 53Thought to Ponder . . .No God, no peace --- know God, know peace.AA-related 'Alconym'W I L L I N G  =   When I Live Life, I Need God.To Unsubscribe - Click Here_S ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 25, 2023Magnificent RealityNow, what about the rest of the Twelfth Step? The wonderful energy it releases and the eager action by which it carries our message to the next suffering alcoholic and which finally translates the Twelve Steps into action upon all our affairs is the payoff, the magnificent reality, of Alcoholics Anonymous.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 109Thought to Ponder . . .Sobriety is not a destination, but an everlasting journey.AA ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 24, 2023Working FaithThis lack of anchorage to any permanent values, this blindness to the true purpose of our lives, produced another bad result. For just so long as we were convinced that we could live exclusively by our own individual strength and intelligence, for just that long was a working faith in a Higher Power impossible. This was true even when we believed that God existed.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 72Thought to Ponder . . .I ca ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)July 23, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~ForgivenessWe've repeatedly strained the patience of our best friends to a snapping point, and have brought out the very worst in those who didn't think much of us to begin with. In many instances we are really dealing with fellow sufferers, people whose woes we have increased. If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eight) ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 22, 2023Ghosts of YesterdayIf we have swept the searchlight of Step Four back and forth over our careers, and it has revealed in stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember, if we have come to know how wrong thinking and action have hurt us and others, then the need to quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts of yesterday gets more urgent than ever. We have to talk to somebody about them.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Five) p. 55 &nb ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 21, 2023Entire Psychic ChangeAfter they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well-known stages of a spree, emerging remorseful, with a firm resolution not to drink again. This is repeated over and over, and unless this person can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of his recovery.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Doctors Opinion,) p. xxixThought to Ponder . . .Insanity - Doi ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 20, 2023Looking BackWhen we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned. Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 100Thought to Ponder . . .Perhaps stop trying so hard to understand God and just accept that God is.AA-related 'Alconym ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 19, 2023Carry This MessagePractical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry this message to other alcoholics! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 89Thought to Ponder . . .All of AA's suggestions are free. The ones I don't take ar ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 18, 2023No DefenseOnce more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few 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. 43Thought to Ponder . . .The ultimate defense against the first drink is a spiritual one.AA-related 'Alconym'G I F T  =   God Is Forever There.Thank you for shari ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 17, 2023HarmonyCourtesy, kindness, justice, and love are the keynotes by which we may come into harmony with practically anybody. When in doubt we can always pause, saying, "Not my will, but Thine, be done." And we can often ask ourselves, "Am I doing to others as I would have them do to me—today?"- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) p. 93Thought to Ponder . . .I’m not what I think or feel, I am what I do.AA-related 'Alconym'L O V E   ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)July 16, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Willingness to BelieveLet us make haste to reassure you. We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 46Thought to PonderI came, I came to, I came to believe.AA-related 'Alconym'W ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 15, 2023Four HorsemenSome of us sought out sordid places, hoping to find understanding companionship and approval. Momentarily we did—then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen—Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (A Vision For You) p. 151Thought to Ponder . . .When I share my story and remember the last days of my drinking, I remember the desperation of selling the last pieces of my soul.AA-related 'A ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 14, 2023Step EightA quiet, objective view will be our steadfast aim. Whenever our pencil falters, we can fortify and cheer ourselves by remembering what A.A. experience in this Step has meant to others. It is the beginning of the end of isolation from our fellows and from God.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eight) p. 82Thought to Ponder . . .Life begins at the end of our comfort zone.AA-related 'Alconym'A A  =   Accountable Actions.Thank you fo ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 13, 2023Lost Faith"The here and now was good enough for us. The will to win would carry us through. But then alcohol began to have its way with us. Finally, when all our score cards read 'zero,' and we saw that one more strike would put us out of the game forever, we had to look for our lost faith. It was in A.A, that we rediscovered it. And so can you."- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Two) p. 29Thought to Ponder . . .Take the first step in faith. Yo ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 12, 2023Singlehanded CombatThe tyrant alcohol wielded a double-edged sword over us: first we were smitten by an insane urge that condemned us to go on drinking, and then by an allergy of the body that insured we would ultimately destroy ourselves in the process. Few indeed were those who, so assailed, had ever won through in singlehanded combat.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step One) p. 22Thought to Ponder . . .I can't. God can. I'll ask Him to.AA-related 'Alcon ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 11, 2023Humility and ResponsibilityAll A.A. progress can be reckoned in terms of just two words: humility and responsibility. Our whole spiritual development can be accurately measured by our degree of adherence to these magnificent standards. Ever deepening humility, accompanied by an ever greater willingness to accept and to act upon clear cut obligations—these are truly our touchstones for all growth in the life of the spirit. They hold up to us the very essence of ri ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 10, 2023Growing UpHere again we are presented with the temptation to overmanage things, and sometimes this results in rebuffs and other consequences which are hard to take. But in the longer run we clearly realize that these are only the pains of growing up, and nothing but good can come from them if we turn more and more to the entire Twelve Steps for the answers.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 111Thought to Ponder . . .A. A. is an education witho ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)July 9, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Miraculous DemonstrationsActually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as old as man himself.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) p. 55Thought to Pond ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 8, 2023Profound Personality Change"It has often been said of A.A. that we are interested only on alcoholism. That is not true. We have to get over drinking in order to stay alive. But anyone who knows the alcoholic personality by firsthand contact knows that no true alky ever stops drinking permanently without undergoing a profound personality change."- As Bill Sees It, (Personality Change) no. 1Thought to Ponder . . .If I don't change, my sobriety date will.AA ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 7, 2023PainSomeone who knew what he was talking about once remarked that pain was the touchstone of all spiritual progress. How heartily we A.A.'s can agree with him, for we know that the pains of alcoholism had to come before sobriety, and emotional turmoil before serenity.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) pp. 93 - 94Thought to Ponder . . .The gritty pain of alcoholism is the traction of recovery.AA-related 'Alconym'H O P E  =   Hold On, Pain En ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 6, 2023Worse RelapseWe are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones. Neither does there appear to be any kind of treatment which will make alcoholics of our kind like other men. We have tried every imaginable remedy. In some instances there has been brief recovery, followed always by a still worse relapse.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) pp. 30 - 31Thought to Ponder . . .Sobriety without action is fantasy.AA-related 'Alconym'I S M   ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 5, 2023My apologies for the lateness of today's thought. I changed the clock on my computer while I'm in the states and miscalculated the time difference with the Daily Thought server.Best Possible RelationsSteps 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 pas ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 4, 2023The High RoadUpon therapy for the alcoholic himself, we surely have no monopoly. Yet it is our great hope that all those who have as yet found no answer may begin to find one in the pages of this book and will presently join us on the high road to a new freedom.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Foreward to the Second Edition) p. xxiThought to Ponder . . .Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession.AA-related 'Alconym'H J F  =   ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 3, 2023Building CharacterIf we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that way without our cooperation. That is something we are supposed to be willing to work toward ourselves. He asks only that we try as best we know how to make progress in the building of character.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Six) p. 65Thought to Ponder . . .If I want God to remove my character defects, I'll have to ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)July 2, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Suddenly RealizeWe are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace... ...We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) pp. 83 - 84Thought to PonderGod is my only sou ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)July 2, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Suddenly RealizeWe are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace... ...We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) pp. 83 - 84Thought to PonderGod is my only sou ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)July 1, 2023Spirit of IntoleranceWe are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witchburners. A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 103Thought to Pond ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 30, 2023Willing to Believe?We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We Agnostics) ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 29, 2023ReparationWhen 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 Others) p. 98Thou ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 28, 2023Burn the IdeaBurn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 98Thought to Ponder . . .Who we are is not dependent upon someone else's opinion.AA-related 'Alconym'T R U S T  =   Try Relying Upon Steps and Traditions.Thank you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carryin ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 27, 2023Sense of ReliefPride says, “You need not pass this way,” and Fear says, “You dare not look!” But the testimony of A.A.'s who have really tried a moral inventory is that pride and fear of this sort turn out to be bogeymen, nothing else. Once we have a complete willingness to take inventory, and exert ourselves to do the job thoroughly, a wonderful light falls upon this foggy scene. As we persist, a brand-new kind of confidence is born, and the sense of relief at f ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 26, 2023MeditationBut its object is always the same: to improve our conscious contact with God, with His grace, wisdom, and love. And let's always remember that meditation is in reality intensely practical. One of its first fruits is emotional balance. With it we can broaden and deepen the channel between ourselves and God as we understand Him.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) pp. 101 - 102Thought to Ponder . . .Prayer asks the question. Meditation list ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)June 25, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~SponsoringIf he is sincerely interested and wants to see you again, ask him to read this book in the interval. After doing that, he must decide for himself whether he wants to go on. He should not be pushed or prodded by you, his wife, or his friends. If he is to find God, the desire must come from within.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) p. 95Thought to PonderAA is not for people who need it, it's not even for people who want ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 24, 2023Constructively ReviewWhen we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? . . . After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 86Though ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 23, 2023Great ObsessionTherefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 30Thought to Ponder . . .When ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 22, 2023Ceased FightingAnd we have ceased fighting anything or anyone—even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it.- Alcoholics Anonymou ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 21, 2023These BedevilmentsWe were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn’t control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn’t make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn’t seem to be of real help to other people—was not a basic solution of these bedevilments more important than whether we should see newsreels of lunar flight? Of course it was.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (We A ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 20, 2023Enjoying LifeWe have been speaking to you of serious, sometimes tragic things. We have been dealing with alcohol in its worst aspect. But we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) p. 132Thought to Ponder . . .As long as you can laugh at yourself, you will never cease to be amused.AA-related 'Alconym'H J F  =   Ha ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 19, 2023Relationship With GodLet no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn’t so. In some cases the wife will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Working With Others) pp. 99 - 100Thought to Ponder . . .Dependence on God is our chief source of strength.AA-related 'Alconym'G I F T  = &nb ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)June 18, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Dependence on GodWhen we developed still more, we discovered the best possible source of emotional stability to be God Himself. We found that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothing else would.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 116Thought to PonderWe will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.AA-related 'Alconym' ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 17, 2023To Try Repeatedly"This is the Step that separates the men from the boys." So declares a well-loved clergyman who happens to be one of A.A.'s greatest friends. He goes on to explain that any person capable of enough willingness and honesty to try repeatedly Step Six on all his faults—without any reservations whatever—has indeed come a long way spiritually, and is therefore entitled to be called a man who is sincerely trying to grow in the image and liken ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 16, 2023We Ask Each MorningWe ought to sit down with the family and frankly analyze the past as we now see it, being very careful not to criticize them. Their defects may be glaring, but the chances are that our own actions are partly responsible. So we clean house with the family, asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love. The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.- Alcoholics Anonymous, ( ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 15, 2023Step EightWe shall want to hold ourselves to the course of admitting the thingswe have done, meanwhile forgiving the wrongs done us, real or fancied. We should avoid extreme judgments, both of ourselves and of others involved. We must not exaggerate our defects or theirs. A quiet, objective view will be our steadfast aim.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eight) pp. 81 - 82Thought to Ponder . . .The 3 A's -- Awareness, Acceptance, Action.AA-related 'Alco ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 14, 2023Defensive EmotionsThe moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. This is especially true if he has, in fact, behaved badly at all. Triumphantly we seize upon his misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own. Right here we need to fetch ourselves up sharply.- Twelve Steps and ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 13, 2023Realism and HonestyMore realism and therefore more honesty about ourselves are the great gains we make under the influence of Step Five. As we took inventory, we began to suspect how much trouble self- delusion had been causing us. This had brought a disturbing reflection. If all our lives we had more or less fooled ourselves, how could we now be so sure that we weren't still self-deceived?- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Five) pp. 58 - 59Thought to Po ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 12, 2023Better and HappierThe emphasis on inventory is heavy only because a great many of us have never really acquired the habit of accurate self-appraisal. Once this healthy practice has become grooved, it will be so interesting and profitable that the time it takes won't be missed. For these minutes and sometimes hours spent in self-examination are bound to make all the other hours of our day better and happier.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Ten) pp. 89 - ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)June 11, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Intends to StickEvery man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step Three. Isn't it true that in all matters touching upon alcohol, each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the care, protection, and guidance of Alcoholics Anonymous? Already a willingness has been achieved to cast out one's own will and one's own ideas about the alcohol problem in favor of those s ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 10, 2023Tremendous UrgeMany of us felt that we had plenty of character. There was a tremendous urge to cease forever. Yet we found it impossible. This is the baffling feature of alcoholism as we know it—this utter inability to leave it alone, no matter how great the necessity or the wish.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 34Thought to Ponder . . .Alcohol — cunning, baffling, powerful!AA-related 'Alconym'A A  =   Alcoholic's Answer.Thank you ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 9, 2023All Will Be WellThe moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs. We know that God lovingly watches over us. We know that when we turn to Him, all will be well with us, here and hereafter.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) p. 105Thought t ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 8, 2023My Creator . . ."My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen." We have then completed Step Seven.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 76Thought to Ponder . . .I don’t get to choose which defects God will remove.AA-related 'A ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 7, 2023Entirely ReadySo Step Six—"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character"—is A.A.'s way of stating the best possible attitude one can take in order to make a beginning on this lifetime job. This does not mean that we expect all our character defects to be lifted out of us as the drive to drink was. A few of them may be, but with most of them we shall have to be content with patient improvement. The key words "entirely ready&q ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 6, 2023A Good BeginningIn this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we could not do for ourselves. We hope you are convinced now that God can remove whatever self-will has blocked you off from Him. If you have already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser handicaps, you have made a good beginning.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) pp. 70 - 71Thought to Ponder . . .If I have the courage to begin, I have the courage to succeed.AA-related ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 5, 2023ReputationMore than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character. This is the one he likes his fellows to see. He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his heart he doesn't deserve it.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 73Thought to Ponder . . .Character is what I am; reputation is what people think I am.AA-related 'Alconym'F E A R  =   Fighting Ego Against ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)June 4, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Step TenLearning 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) pp. 94 - 95Thought to PonderLearning is the very essence of humility. The two walk hand in hand.AA-relate ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 3, 2023Inability to StopTo be gravely affected, one does not necessarily have to drink a long time nor take the quantities some of us have. This is particularly true of women. Potential female alcoholics often turn into the real thing and are gone beyond recall in a few years. Certain drinkers, who would be greatly insulted if called alcoholics, are astonished at their inability to stop.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 33Thought to Ponder . . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 2, 2023Harms to OthersWe might next ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have "harmed" other people. What kinds of "harm" do people do one another, anyway? To define the word "harm" in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to people.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eight) p. 80Thought to Ponder . . .It is the highest form of se ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)June 1, 2023Passing It OnI spend a great deal of time passing on what I learned to others who want and need it badly. I do it for four reasons: 1. Sense of duty. 2. It is a pleasure. 3. Because in so doing I am paying my debt to the man who took time to pass it on to me. 4. Because every time I do it I take out a little more insurance for myself against a possible slip.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Doctor Bob's Nightmare) pp. 180 - 181Thought to Ponder . . .Only in giving do we re ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 31, 2023A SymptomThough our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom. So we had to get down to causes and conditions. Therefore, we started upon a personal inventory. This was Step Four.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 64Thought to Ponder . . .I came for my drinking, and staye ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 30, 2023ForgivenessWe've repeatedly strained the patience of our best friends to a snapping point, and have brought out the very worst in those who didn't think much of us to begin with. In many instances we are really dealing with fellow sufferers, people whose woes we have increased. If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all?- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eight) p. 78Thought to Ponder . . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 29, 2023Fear and CourageThe 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. 68Thought to Ponder . . .Fear is not an admission of weakness; fear is an opportunity for coura ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)May 28, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Time After TimeWe will be more reconciled to discussing ourselves with another person when we see good reasons why we should do so. The best reason first: If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Trying to avoid this humbling experience, they have turned to easier methods. Almost invariably they got drunk.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (In ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 27, 2023A Sick ManThough we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, "This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done."- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 67Thought to Ponder . . .The Three &q ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 26, 2023Moments of TriumphTo conclude that others were wrong was as far as most of us ever got. The usual outcome was that people continued to wrong us and we stayed sore. Sometimes it was remorse and then we were sore at ourselves. But the more we fought and tried to have our own way, the worse matters got. As in war, the victor onlyseemed to win. Our moments of triumph were short-lived.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 66Thought to Ponder . . .Without change I a ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 25, 2023Recovery BeginsIn spite of the great increase in the size and the span of this Fellowship, at its core it remains simple and personal. Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Foreword to Third Edition,) p.xxiiThought to Ponder . . .Every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour.AA-related 'Alconym'H O P E  =   Hold On, Pain ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 24, 2023What Is This Power?What is this power that A.A. possesses? This curative power? I don’t know what it is. I suppose the doctor might say, "This is psychosomatic medicine." I suppose the psychiatrist might say, "This is benevolent interpersonal relations." I suppose others would say, "This is group psychotherapy." To me it is God.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Physician, Heal Thyself!) p. 308Thought to Ponder . . .We will suddenly realize tha ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 23, 2023Quick 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. 91Thought to Ponder . . .Forgiveness is another w ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 22, 2023Experience a Change...But A.A. has taught me I am the result of the way I reacted to what happened to me as a child. What is much more important to me, A.A. has taught me that through this simple program I may experience a change in this reaction pattern that will indeed allow me to "match calamity with serenity."- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Freedom From Bondage) p. 554Thought to Ponder . . .My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)May 21, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~PrayerOn awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 86Thought to PonderPrayer asks the question. Meditation listens for the answer.AA-related 'Alconym'F A I T H  =  For All I Trust Him.A Member Shares:M ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 20, 2023DisciplineIt works—it really does. We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined. But this is not all. There is action and more action. "Faith without works is dead."- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) p. 88Thought to Ponder . . .Motivation may get you going, but discipline keeps you growing.AA-related 'Alconym'T R U S T  =   Try Relying Upon Steps and Traditions.Thank you for sharin ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 19, 2023Remarkable and UnexpectedAlmost any experienced A.A. will tell how his affairs have taken remarkable and unexpected turns for the better as he tried to improve his conscious contact with God. He will also report that out of every season of grief or suffering, when the hand of God seemed heavy or even unjust, new lessons for living were learned, new resources of courage were uncovered, and that finally, inescapably, the conviction came that God does "move in a ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 18, 2023Self-centered FearThe chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear—primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing these demands. The difference between a demand and a simple request is plain to anyone.- Twelve St ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 17, 2023InterwovenThere is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) p. 98Thought to Ponder . . .We can't grow without giving ourselves space for silence and the voice within.AA-related 'Alconym'F R E E  =   Fortunately, R ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 16, 2023Choice"As active alcoholics, we lost our ability to choose whether we would drink. We were the victims of a compulsion which seemed to decree that we must go on with our own destruction. Yet we finally did make choices that brought about recovery. We came to believe that alone we were powerless over alcohol. This was surely a choice, and a most difficult one. We came to believe that a Higher Power could restore us to sanity when we became willing to practice ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 15, 2023Step ThreeWe found it very desirable to take this spiritual step with an understanding person, such as our wife, best friend, or spiritual adviser. But it is better to meet God alone than with one who might misunderstand. The wording was, of course, quite optional so long as we expressed the idea, voicing it without reservation. This was only a beginning, though if honestly and humbly made, an effect, sometimes a very great one, was felt at once.- Alcoholics Anony ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)May 14, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~First Five ProposalsReturning home we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done. We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better. Taking this book down from our shelf we turn to the page which contains the twelve steps. Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we have omitted anything, for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last.- Alcoh ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 13, 2023Continuous ActionMore sobriety brought about by the admission of alcoholism and by attendance at a few meetings is very good indeed, but it is bound to be a far cry from permanent sobriety and a contented, useful life. That is just where the remaining Steps of the A.A. program come in. Nothing short of continuous action upon these as a way of life can bring the much-desired result.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Three) pp. 39 - 40Thought to Ponder . . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 12, 2023Deprived OurselvesThe notion that we would still live our own lives, God helping a little now and then, began to evaporate. Many of us who had thought ourselves religious awoke to the limitations of this attitude. Refusing to place God first, we had deprived ourselves of His help. But now the words “Of myself I am nothing, the Father doeth the works” began to carry bright promise and meaning.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Seven) p. 75Thought to Ponder ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 11, 2023UnityThus has it been with A.A. By faith and by works we have been able to build upon the lessons of an incredible experience. They live today in the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, which—God willing—shall sustain us in unity for so long as He may need us.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Tradition One) p. 131Thought to Ponder . . .There is no strength without unity.AA-related 'Alconym'A A's - R - U S  =   Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Un ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 10, 2023Persistent EffortBy discovering what our emotional deformities are, we can move toward their correction. Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for us. Without a searching and fearless moral inventory, most of us have found that the faith which really works in daily living is still out of reach.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Four) p. 43Thought to Ponder . . .Uncover. Discover. Discard.AA-related ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 9, 2023New TreasureJoy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. Father feels he has struck something better than gold. For a time he may try to hug the new treasure to himself. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) pp. 128 - 129Thought to Ponder . . .In A.A., w ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 8, 2023He Talked My LanguageHe gave me information about the subject of alcoholism which was undoubtedly helpful. Of far more importance was the fact that he was the first living human with whom I had ever talked, who knew what he was talking about in regard to alcoholism from actual experience. In other words, he talked my language. He knew all the answers, and certainly not because he had picked them up in his reading.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Doctor Bob's Nightmare) p. ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)May 7, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Prayer and MeditationStep Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. We shouldn’t be shy on this matter of prayer. Better men than we are using it constantly. It works, if we have the proper attitude and work at it.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (Into Action) pp. 85 - 86Thought to PonderPrayer asks the question. Meditation listens for the answer.AA-related 'Alconym'P A U S E  =  Pay Attention, Use Step Eleven.A Member Shares:Good morning. My ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 6, 2023Strenuous WorkBut when the broker gave him Dr. Silkworth’s description of alcoholism and its hopelessness, the physician began to pursue the spiritual remedy for his malady with a willingness he had never before been able to muster. He sobered, never to drink again up to the moment of his death in 1950. This seemed to prove that one alcoholic could affect another as no nonalcoholic could. It also indicated that strenuous work, one alcoholic with another, was vital ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 5, 2023A Vale of TearsWe are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free. We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn't do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) p. 133Thought to Ponder . . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 4, 2023Priceless AssetsUntil 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 assets.- Twelve ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 3, 2023Beyond the PointAs we look back, we feel we had gone on drinking many years beyond the point where we could quit on our will power. If anyone questions whether he has entered this dangerous area, let him try leaving liquor alone for one year. If he is a real alcoholic and very far advanced, there is scant chance of success.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (More About Alcoholism) p. 34Thought to Ponder . . .Alcoholism - Cunning, Baffling, Powerful, Patient.AA-related 'Alcony ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 2, 2023Good Results of PrayerIn A.A. we have found that the actual good results of prayer are beyond question. They are matters of knowledge and experience. All those who have persisted have found strength not ordinarily their own. They have found wisdom beyond their usual capability. And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) p. 104Thought to Ponder . . . ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)May 1, 2023Spiritual Growth FirstWe have learned that the satisfaction of instincts cannot be the sole end and aim of our lives. If we place instincts first, we have got the cart before the horse; we shall be pulled backward into disillusionment. But when we are willing to place spiritual growth first—then and only then do we have a real chance.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Twelve) p. 114Thought to Ponder . . .A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift.AA-relate ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)April 30, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~Immense ExperienceWe know that little good can come to any alcoholic who joins A.A. unless he has first accepted his devastating weakness and all its consequences. Until he so humbles himself, his sobriety—if any—will be precarious. Of real happiness he will find none at all. Proved beyond doubt by an immense experience, this is one of the facts of A.A. life.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step One) p. 21Thought to PonderIf you wa ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)April 29, 2023PoisonIf we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 66Thought to Ponder . . ."God save me from being angry. Thy will be done."AA-related 'Alconym'C A L M  =   Cause Anger Left Me.Thank you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carry ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)April 28, 2023The Main ProblemTherefore, the main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind, rather than in his body. If you ask him why he started on that last bender, the chances are he will offer you any one of a hundred alibis. Sometimes these excuses have a certain plausibility, but none of them really makes sense in the light of the havoc an alcoholic’s drinking bout creates.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There Is A Solution) p. 23Thought to Ponder . . .I want the gift of ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)April 27, 2023Progress"Day by day, we try to move a little toward God's perfection. So we need not be consumed by maudlin guilt for failure to achieve His likeness and image by Thursday next. Progress is our aim, and His perfection is the beacon, light-years away, that draws us on."- As Bill Sees It, No. 15Thought to Ponder . . .Sobriety is not a destination, but an everlasting journey.AA-related 'Alconym'A A W O L  =   A A Way Of Life.Thank you for s ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)April 26, 2023PrayerThose of us who have come to make regular use of prayer would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul.- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)April 25, 2023The Right To Be WrongThe head promoter wrote the Foundation office. He said he wished he'd paid some attention to A.A. experience. Then he did something else that was to become an A.A. classic. It all went on a little card about golf-score size. The cover read: “Middleton Group #1. Rule #62.” Once the card was unfolded, a single pungent sentence leaped to the eye: “Don't take yourself too damn seriously.” Thus it was that under Tradition Four an A.A. group had e ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)April 24, 2023Our InventoryThough a situation had not been entirely our fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other man’s. When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to set these matters straight.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) p. 67Thought to Ponder . . .The first step in overcoming mistakes is to ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy AA-Alive.net)April 23, 2023~ Scroll Down for Share ~ToleranceMost of us sense that real tolerance of other people’s shortcomings and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which make us more useful to others. Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (There is a Solution) pp. 19 - 20  Thought to PonderLove and tolerance of others is our code.  AA-related 'Alco ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)April 22, 2023Spiritual Progress FirstThe head of the house ought to remember that he is mainly to blame for what befell his home. He can scarcely square the account in his lifetime. But he must see the danger of over-concentration on financial success. Although financial recovery is on the way for many of us, we found we could not place money first. For us, material well-being always followed spiritual progress; it never preceded.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) p ...Continue Reading

AA Thought for the Day(courtesy aa-alive.net)April 21, 2023Unselfishness and LoveSince the home has suffered more than anything else, it is well that a man exert himself there. He is not likely to get far in any direction if he fails to show unselfishness and love under his own roof. We know there are difficult wives and families, but the man who is getting over alcoholism must remember he did much to make them so.- Alcoholics Anonymous, (The Family Afterward) p. 127Thought to Ponder . . .Right actions for the future ar ...Continue Reading