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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
 Posted - 09/24/2008 : 08:17:01 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
September 24, 2008
Responsibility
I realized that as a practicing alcoholic, I had no rights.
Society can do anything it chooses to do with me when I am drunk,
and I can't lift a finger to stop it, for I forfeit my rights
through the simple expedient of becoming a menace to myself
and to the people around me.
With deep shame came the knowledge too that I had lived
with no sense of social obligation
nor had I known the meaning of moral responsibility to my fellow men.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 549
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
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 I am not.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Accountable Actions.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2008 : 09:55:07 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
September 25, 2008
Time
Now is the time, the only time there is.
And if we are not kind to ourselves right now,
we cannot rightfully expect respect or consideration from others.
We have found we can enjoy, sober, every good thing we enjoyed while drinking
-- and many, many more.
It takes a little practice, but the rewards more than make up for the effort.
To do so is not selfish, but self-protective.
Unless we cherish our own recovery, we cannot survive
to become unselfish, ethical, and socially responsible people.
© 1998 AAWS, Living Sober, p. 42
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Give Time time.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
No Othere Way.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2008 : 10:26:44 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
September 26, 2008
Mystery
In complete defeat, with no hope or faith whatever,
I had made an appeal to a Higher Power.
I had taken Step One of today's program --
"Admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable."
I'd also taken Step Three --
"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God
as we understood him."
Thus was I set free. It was just as simple, yet just as mysterious, as that.
- Bill W., July 1953
© 1998 The AA Grapevine, Inc, The Language Of The Heart, p. 198
Thought to Ponder . . .
Take the first step in faith.
You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Found Always In Trusting Him.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2008 : 12:06:08 PM
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Friday, September 26, 2008.................Why Are We Here? - Chapter Three
Page 13, Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text
Before coming to the Fellowship of N.A., we could not manage our own lives. We could not live and enjoy life as other people do. We had to have something different and we thought we had found it in drugs. We placed their use ahead of the welfare of our families, our wives, husbands, and our children. We had to have drugs at all costs. We did many people great harm, but most of all we harmed ourselves. Through our inability to accept personal responsibilities we were actually creating our own problems. We seemed to be incapable of facing life on its own terms.
Most of us realized that in our addiction we were slowly committing suicide, but addiction is such a cunning enemy of life that we had lost the power to do anything about it. Many of us ended up in jail, or sought help through medicine, religion and psychiatry. None of these methods was sufficient for us. Our disease always resurfaced or continued to progress until in desperation, we sought help from each other in Narcotics Anonymous.
After coming to N.A. we realized we were sick people. We suffered from a disease from which there is no known cure. It can, however, be arrested at some point, and recovery is then possible.
From the Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous, Fifth Edition,
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Chatsworth, California
(I will write more on chapter 3 later)
"Reach for the stars...You will at least end up among the clouds"
Share your experience, strength, and hope with another and see the miracles transform your life!
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Edited by - Pamela7030 on 09/29/2008 9:22:06 PM |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2008 : 08:18:20 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
September 27, 2008
Happiness
Happiness happens when results exceed expectations.
Maybe this is working after all.
Deep down, there is also a warm, small ball of faith, never dimmed,
unexplainable, asking nothing, but giving much.
To try to define it or try to bounce it would distort or destroy it.
It just is, that's all.
© 1985 The AA Grapevine, Inc, The Best Of the Grapevine [Vol. 1], pp. 187-188
Thought to Ponder . . .
Happiness is part of the journey, not some distant destination.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Happy, Joyous, Free.
As Always
Sending angels,
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2008 : 08:42:29 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
September 28, 2008
Self-restraint
Much of the political, economic, and religious life of the world
is dependent upon publicized leadership.
People who symbolize causes and ideas fill a deep human need.
We of AA do not question that.
But we do have to soberly face the fact that being in the public eye
is hazardous, especially for us.
By temperament, nearly every one of us had been an irrepressible promoter,
and the prospect of a society composed almost entirely of promoters
was frightening.
Considering this explosive factor, we knew we had to exercise self-restraint.
© 1953 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 181
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
RULE #62: "Don't take yourself too damn seriously."
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
When Into Self, Discover Our Motives.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2008 : 08:10:15 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
September 29, 2008
Fantasy
Above all, we reject fantasizing and accept reality.
The more I drank, the more I fantasized everything.
I imagined getting even for hurts and rejections.
In my mind's eye I played and replayed scenes in which
I was plucked magically from the bar where I stood nursing a drink
and was instantly exalted to some position of power and prestige.
I lived in a dream world.
AA led me gently from this fantasizing to endorse reality with open arms.
And I found it beautiful! For, at last, I was at peace with myself.
And with others. And with God.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 559
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
The hardest thing in life, is letting go of what you thought was real.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Acceptance, Belief, Change.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2008 : 10:05:11 PM
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Monday, September 29, 2008.................Why Are We Here? - Chapter Three (Continued)
Pages 13-15, Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text
We are addicts seeking recovery. We used drugs to cover our feelings and did whatever was necessary to get drugs. Many of us woke up sick, unable to make it to work or went to work loaded. Many of us stole to support our habit. We hurt the ones we loved. We did all these things and told ourselves, “I can handle it.” We were looking for a way out. We couldn’t face life on life’s terms. In the beginning, using was fun. For us using became a habit and finally was necessary for survival. The progression of the disease was not apparent to us. We continued on the path of destruction, unaware of where it was leading us. We were addicts and did not know it. Through drugs, we tried to avoid reality, pain and misery. When the drugs wore off, we realized that we still had the same problems, and they were becoming worse. We sought relief by using again and again - more drugs, more often.
We sought help and found none. Often doctors didn’t understand our dilemma. They tried to help by giving us medication. Our husbands, wives and loved ones gave us what they had and drained themselves in the hope that we would stop using or would get better. We tried substituting one drug for another but this only prolonged our pain. We tried limiting our usage to social amounts without success. There is no such thing as a social addict. Some of us sought an answer through churches, religions or cultism. Some sought a cure by geographic change. We blamed our surroundings and living situations for our problems. This attempt to cure our problems by moving gave us a chance to take advantage of new people. Some of us sought approval through sex or change of friends. This approval-seeking behavior carried us further into our addiction. Some of us tried marriage, divorce or desertion. Regardless of what we tried, we could not escape from our disease.
We reached a point in our lives where we felt like a lost cause. We had little worth to family, friends or on the job. Many of us were unemployed or unemployable. Any form of success was frightening and unfamiliar. We didn’t know what to do. As the feeling of self-loathing grew, we needed to use more and more to mask our feelings. We were sick and tired of pain and trouble. We were frightened and ran from the fear. No matter how far we ran, we always carried fear with us. We were hopeless, useless and lost. Failure had become our way of life and self-esteem was non-existent. Perhaps the most painful feeling of all was the desperation. Isolation and denial of our addiction kept us moving along this downhill path. Any hope of getting better disappeared. Helplessness, emptiness and fear became our way of life. We were complete failures. Personality change was what we really needed. Change from self-destructive patterns of life became necessary. When we lied, cheated or stole, we degraded ourselves in our own eyes. We had had enough of self-destruction. We experienced our powerlessness. When nothing relieved our paranoia and fear, we hit bottom and became ready to ask for help.
We were searching for an answer when we reached out and found Narcotics Anonymous. We came to our first N.A, Meeting in defeat and didn’t know what to expect. After sitting in a meeting, or several meetings, we began to feel that people cared and were willing to help. Although our minds told us that we would never make it, the people in the Fellowship gave us hope by insisting that we could recover. We found that no matter what our past thoughts or actions were, others had felt and done the same. Surrounded by fellow addicts, we realized that we were not alone anymore. Recovery is what happens in our meetings. Our lives are at stake. We found that by putting recovery first, the program works. We faced three disturbing realizations:
1. We are powerless over addiction and our lives are unmanageable;
2. Although we are not responsible for our disease, we are responsible for our recovery;
3. We can no longer blame people, places and things for our addiction. We must face our problems and our feelings.
From the Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous, Fifth Edition,
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Chatsworth, California
(chapter 3 will continue)
"Reach for the stars...You will at least end up among the clouds"
Share your experience, strength, and hope with another and see the miracles transform your life!
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Edited by - Pamela7030 on 09/29/2008 10:07:33 PM |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2008 : 09:05:52 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
September 30, 2008
Blessings
I am grateful not only for sobriety,
but for the quality of life my sobriety has brought.
God has been gracious enough to give me sober days
and a life blessed with peace and contentment, as well as the ability to give
and receive love, and the opportunity to serve others --
in our Fellowship, my family and my community.
© 1990 AAWS, Daily Reflections, p. 93
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
I have learned how a heart full of gratitude feels.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Always Alive.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2008 : 08:17:37 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
1, 2008
Day of Reckoning
No longer the party animal, I was broke and my rent was overdue.
I had dirty dishes piled in the sink and moldy pots on the stove.
Bags of garbage and bottles were lined up by the door and the toilet had stopped.
Piles of stolen junk were sitting on the floor.
I had been wearing my clothes much too long and,
except for a box of macaroni and cheese or a pot pie, I was not eating.
When a knock came at the door, I would run into the bathroom
and peep out the window to see who was coming to get me.
Not drinking wasn't an option, but drinking didn't help.
Such was my condition as I left the house to check myself into the hospital
for my day of reckoning.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 507
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Many things can be preserved with alcohol. Dignity is not one of them.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Keep It Simple, Surrender.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2008 : 08:27:02 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
October 2, 2008
Problem-solving
We try to put spiritual principles to work in every department of our lives.
When we do that, we find it solves our problems too;
the ensuing lack of fear, worry and hurt feelings is a wonderful thing. . .
But not all problems will be solved at once.
Seed has started to sprout in a new soil, but growth has only begun.
In spite of your new-found happiness, there will be ups and downs.
Many of the old problems will still be with you.
This is as it should be.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 116-117
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
The peaks and valleys of my life have become gentle rolling hills.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
One Day At A Time.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2008 : 07:09:50 AM
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And I meant it. And do you know what happened?
All of a sudden the craving to find serenity evaporated
-- and in its place there was serenity.
The trouble was the search ... looking out there for what was right here.
You know, we only have this given second. There's always now.
Once I realized that, serenity became mine.
© 1998 The AA Grapevine, Inc., The Best Of The Grapevine [Vol. 3], p. 142
Thought to Ponder . . .
I can find on the outside only what I possess on the inside.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Heart Open; Please Enter.
As Always
Sending angels,
Pray for our troops
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2008 : 10:42:36 AM
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Friday, October, 3, 2008.................Why Are We Here? - Chapter Three (Continued)
Pages 15 & 16, Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text
The ultimate weapon for recovery is the recovering addict. We concentrate on recovery and feelings, not what we have done in the past. Old friends, places and ideas are often a threat to our recovery. We need to change our playmates, play ground and playthings.
When we realize that we are not able to manage without drugs, some of us immediately begin experiencing depression, anxiety, hostility and resentment. Petty frustrations, minor setbacks and loneliness often make us feel that we are not getting any better. We find that we suffer from a disease, not a moral dilemma. We were critically ill, not hopelessly bad. Our disease can only be arrested through abstinence.
Today we experience a full range of feelings. Before coming into the Fellowship, we either felt elated or depressed. Our negative sense of self has been replaced by a positive concern for others. Answers are provided, and problems are solved. It is a great gift to feel human again.
What a change from the way that we used to be! We know that N.A. Program works. The program convinced us that we needed to change ourselves, instead of trying to change the people and situations around us. We discovered new opportunities. We found a sense of self-worth. We learned self-respect. This is a program for learning. By working the steps, we come to accept a Higher Power’s will. Acceptance leads to recovery. We lose our fear of the unknown. We are set free.
From the Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous, Fifth Edition,
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Chatsworth, California
(End of Chapter 3)
"Reach for the stars...You will at least end up among the clouds"
Share your experience, strength, and hope with another and see the miracles transform your life!
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2008 : 10:01:34 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
October 4, 2008
Hangovers
When a drunk has a terrific hangover, he cannot live well today.
But there is another kind of hangover which we all experience
whether we are drinking or not.
That is the emotional hangover, the direct result of yesterday's
and sometimes today's excesses of negative emotion
-- anger, fear, jealousy, and the like.
If we would live serenely today and tomorrow,
we certainly need to eliminate these hangovers.
© 1953 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 88
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
I never imagined that the greatest achievement of my life
would be peace of mind.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, Trust.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
964 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2008 : 09:28:46 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
October 5, 2008
Forgiveness
I must forgive injuries, not just in words, or as a matter of form, but in my heart.
I do this not for the other persons' sake, but for my own sake.
Resentment, anger, or a desire to see someone punished,
are things that rot my soul.
They tie me to other problems that have nothing to do with the original problem.
© 1990 AAWS, Daily Reflections, p. 88
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Forgiveness is the final form of love.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Thank God I'm Forgiven.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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