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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
 Posted - 12/30/2008 : 09:36:42 AM
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December 30, 2008
Humility
Indeed, the attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of A.A.’s Twelve Steps. For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. Nearly all A.A.’s have found, too, that unless they develop much more of this precious quality than may be required just for sobriety, they still haven’t much chance of becoming truly happy. Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency.
© Thirty-Eighth Printing, June 1988, TWELVE STEPS and TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 70, With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
"Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."
"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
966 Posts |
Posted - 12/31/2008 : 10:35:48 PM
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AA Thought for the Day
. 2008
A Logical Idea
People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about.
Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever.
We used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual belief and practices
when we might have observed that many spiritual-minded persons
of all races, colors, and creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability,
happiness and usefulness which we should have sought ourselves.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p.49
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Hold your face up to the Light,
even though for the moment you do not see.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Finding Answers In The Heart.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 11:33:15 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
Promises
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development,
we will be amazed before we are half way through.
We 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.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone,
we will see how our experience can benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
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.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-84
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Happiness and peace of mind are always here, open and free to anyone.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2009 : 09:07:58 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 2, 2009
The "If" Trap
Alcoholism respects no ifs. It does not go away, not for a week, for a day,
or even for an hour, leaving us nonalcoholic and able to drink again
on some special occasion or for some extraordinary reason --
not even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, or if a big sorrow hits us,
or if it rains in Spain or the stars fall on Alabama.
Alcoholism is for us unconditional, with no dispensations available at any price.
© 1998 AAWS, Living Sober, p.63
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
The first drink has the last say.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Absolute Abstinence.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2009 : 09:04:46 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 3, 2009
An Inner Voice
Long before nagging and pressures from others
concerning my excessive use of alcohol made any impression on me,
the nagging voice of conscience -- my own inner voice of truth and right --
apprised me of the irrevocable fact that I had lost control of alcohol,
that I was powerless.
I know now that the inner voice was God, as I understand Him, speaking.
For, as I had been taught from earliest memory and as AA has emphasized,
God -- or good -- emanates from within each of us.
© 1973 AAWS, Came To Believe . . ., p.83
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
God enters us through our wounds.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Always Awesome.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 11:57:19 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 4, 2009
Rescued
We are like the passengers of a great liner
the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness
and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captain's Table.
Unlike the feelings of the ship's passengers, however,
our joy in escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways.
The feeling of having shared in a common peril
is one element in the powerful cement which binds us.
But that in itself would never have held us together as we are now joined.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p.17
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
When all seems lost, hanging on a little longer
never fails to bring mysterious help.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Comforting And Reassuring Each other.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 12:45:24 PM
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January 4, 2009....................Surrender
One aspect of our addiction was our inability to deal with life on life’s terms. We tried drugs and combinations of drugs to cope with a seemingly hostile world. We dreamed of finding a magic formula that would solve our ultimate problem - ourselves. The fact was that we could not use any mind-altering or mood-changing substance, including marijuana and alcohol, successfully. Drugs ceased to make us feel good.
At times, we were defensive about our addiction and justified our right to use, especially when we had legal prescriptions. We were proud of the sometimes illegal and often bizarre behavior that typified our using. We “forgot” about the times when we sat alone and were consumed by fear and self-pity. We fell into a pattern of selective thinking. We only remembered the good drug experiences. We justified and rationalized the things that we did to keep from being sick or going crazy. We ignored the times when life seemed to be a nightmare. We avoided the reality of our addiction.
Higher mental and emotional functions, such as conscience and the ability to love, were sharply affected by our use of drugs. Living skills were reduced to the animal level. Our spirit was broken. The capacity to feel human was lost. This seems extreme, but many of us have been in this state of mind.
We were constantly searching for the answer - that person, place or thing that would make everything all right. We lacked the ability to cope with daily living. As our addiction progressed, many of us found ourselves in and out of institutions.
These experiences indicated that there was something wrong with our lives. We wanted an easy way out. Some of us thought of suicide. Our attempts were usually feeble and only helped to contribute to our feelings of worthlessness. We were trapped in the illusion of “what if,” “if only” and “just one more time.” When we did seek help, we were only looking for the absence of pain.
As addicts, we have an incurable disease called addiction. The disease is chronic, progressive and fatal. However, it is a treatable disease. We feel that each individual has to answer the question, “Am I an addict?” How we got the disease is of no immediate importance to us. We are concerned with recovery.
Like other incurable diseases, addiction can be arrested. We agree that there is nothing shameful about being an addict, provided we accept our dilemma honestly and take positive action. We are willing to admit without reservation that we are allergic to drugs. Common sense tells us that it would be insane to go back to the source of our allergy. Our experience indicates that medicine cannot cure our illness.
We begin to treat our addiction by not using. Many of us sought answers but failed to find any workable solution until we found each other. Once we identify ourselves as addicts, help becomes possible!
The only alternatives to recovery are jails, institutions, dereliction and death. Unfortunately, our disease makes us deny our addiction. If you are and addict, you can find a new way of life through the N. A. Program. We have become very grateful in the course of our recovery. Through abstinence and through working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous, our lives have become useful.
© 2003 NA WSO, Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous, Fifth Edition, Pages, 4,5,7 and 8
with permission form Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 09:05:47 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 5, 2009
Rewards
Even the newest of newcomers finds undreamed rewards
as he tries to help his brother alcoholic, the one who is even blinder than he.
This is indeed the kind of giving that actually demands nothing.
He does not expect his brother sufferer to pay him, or even to love him.
And then he discovers that by the divine paradox of this kind of giving
he has found his own reward,
whether his brother has yet received anything or not.
© 1953 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p.109
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Give a lot.
Expect little.
Keep it simple.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 09:30:23 AM
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January 5, 2009
"God will never give you more than you can handle - but life will."
Before recovery, life was pretty overwhelming. It seemed that no sooner had I put out one fire that two more started. Without a Higher Power in my life, it was up to me alone to handle everything, and before long I become resentful at how unfair life was. This caused me to drink even more, and after a while my life was completely unmanageable.
When I got sober and started working the program, my life actually got more unmanageable at first. Still without a Higher Power, I tried to solve all the problems of my life and handle all the new emotions I felt. Doing this quickly brought me to a complete surrender, and this was when my sponsor taught me about the importance of working steps one, two and three.
He told me to get up each morning and say, "I can't; God can. Let Him." By doing this each day I was taking the first three steps, and that's when I began turning my will and my life over to a Higher Power. The miracle of this was that even though life continued to overwhelm me, I found that with God in my life I began to find ways to deal with it with courage and grace.
Today I know that life will still give me more than I can handle alone, but with God, I can handle it all.
From the web site Wisdom of The Rooms
www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com
"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
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 08:02:47 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 6, 2009
Happy, Joyous and Free
Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds.
The newcomer feels he has struck something better than gold.
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.
© 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 57
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Happy, Joyous, Free.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 11:11:00 AM
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January 6, 2009
"Directions to recovery: Just go straight to hell and make a U-turn."
When I was new to the program, I heard a word I didn't know the definition of. The word was perdition. As the fog began to clear, my sponsor recommended I look it up, and when I read its meaning I knew it accurately described my state of being - perdition means complete spiritual bankruptcy.
During the final dark months and days of my drinking and using, one by one, I abandoned my self-respect, my self-care, and ultimately the light of my spirit. I was on the way to a private hell where hope and life itself would soon disappear forever. In a desperate moment a part of me reached out for help, and I made the u-turn that led me to recovery.
The miracle that I found in recovery is the miracle that awaits us all - no matter how far down we have fallen, no matter the state of perdition or the depths of hell into which we have descended, we will recovery if we are willing to work the steps. And when we do, we will find that the very experience that nearly took our lives enables us, over time, to help and save another. This is the enduring miracle that is available to all who keep coming back.
No matter what, don't leave before the miracle happens for you, too.
From the web site Wisdom of The Rooms
www.theWisdomoftheRooms.com
"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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| Information in this forum is not monitored or provided by a medical professional. The information reflects member opinions only. Do not act on advice from these forums without first consulting a qualified medical professional. All content is copyrighted and protected by Aelius Group. |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2009 : 11:04:15 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 8, 2009
Change
Let us never fear needed change. . .
The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better
and then an unremitting willingness
to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.
©1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 115
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Learn to change, change to learn.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Acceptance, Belief, Change.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 08:20:30 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 9, 2009
Action
In shame and despair, I went to my first AA meeting.
By some minor miracle, I was able to suspend opinion, analysis, judgement,
and criticism, and instead to listen and hear.
I heard someone say that AA works for those who work for it,
those who put action into the program. . .
I tried it, and it worked.
The first step in the process of "coming to believe" had been taken.
©1973 AAWS, Came To Believe . . ., p. 42
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
I saw, I felt, I believed.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2009 : 10:00:06 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 10, 2009
The Gift
AA has filled my days with friends, laughter, growth,
and the feeling of worth that is rooted in constructive activity.
My faith in, and contact with, my Higher Power shines more brightly
than I dreamed it could.
Those promises I thought were impossible are a viable force in my life.
I am free to laugh all my laughter, free to trust and be trusted,
free to both give and receive help.
I am free from shame and regret, free to learn and grow and work.
I have left that lonely, frightening, painful express train through hell.
I have accepted the gift of a safer, happier journey through life.
©2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 543
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Sobriety is a gift.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Getting It From The Steps.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2009 : 08:22:58 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
January 11, 2009
A Plate of Fudge
I was born under the shadow of a mountain called Mount Aeolus.
An early recollection is one of looking up and seeing
that vast and mysterious mountain and wondering what it was
and whether I would ever climb that high,
But I was presently distracted by my aunt who, as a fourth birthday present,
made me a plate of fudge.
For the next thirty-five years I pursued the fudge of life
and quite forgot about the mountain.
- Bill W.
©1985 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pp.52-3
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
If I don't know where I'm going, I'll probably end up somewhere else.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Altered Attitudes.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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