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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
 Posted - 06/23/2008 : 07:22:26 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
June 23, 2008
Isolating
If I feel isolated in AA, it is not something for which others are responsible.
It is something I've created by feeling I'm "different" in some way.
Today I practice being just another alcoholic in the worldwide
Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.
© 1990 AAWS, Daily Reflections, p. 58
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
I'm not alone anymore.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Fellowship
Faith, Empathy, Learning, Love, Openness, Wisdom,
Self-worth, Hope, Identification, People.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2008 : 09:25:16 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
June 24, 2008
The Language of the Heart
From the beginning, communication in AA
has been no ordinary transmission
of helpful ideas and attitudes.
Because of our kinship in suffering,
and because our common means of deliverance are effective for ourselves
only when constantly carried to others,
our channels of contact have always been charged
with the language of the heart.
- Bill W., July 1960
© 1988 The AA Grapevine, Inc., The Language of the Heart, p. 243
Thought to Ponder . . .
It works - it really does.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering Together.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2008 : 5:46:37 PM
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From the book "As Bill Sees It", pages 149 and 311
Guide to a Better Way
Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the
leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings
which the Steps require. But we saw that the program
really worked in others, and we had come to believe in
the hopelessness of life as we had been living it.
When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom
the problem has been solved, there was nothing left
for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools
laid at our feet.
Telling the Worst
Though the variations were many, my main theme was
always, "How godawful I am?" Just as I often
exaggerated my modest attainments by pride, so I
exaggerated my defects through guilt. I would race
about, confessing all (and a great deal more) to
whoever would listen. Believe it or not, I took
this widespread exposure of my sins to be great
humility on my part, and considered it a great
spiritual asset and consolation!
But later on I realized at depth that the great
harms I had done others were not truly regretted.
These episodes were merely the basis for story-telling
and exhibitionism. With this realization came the
beginning of a certain amount of humility.
1. Alcoholics anonymous, p. 25
2. Grapevine, June 1961
The AA Way of Life....selected writings of AA's co-founder
AA World Services Inc. New York, NY.
"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 - 06/25/2008 : 07:56:26 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
June 25, 2008
A New Attitude
Gradually, in a manner I cannot explain,
I began to examine the beliefs I had thought beyond criticism.
Almost imperceptibly my whole attitude toward life underwent a silent revolution.
I lost many worries and gained confidence.
I found myself saying and thinking things that a short time ago
I would have condemned as platitudes!
A belief in the basic spirituality of life has grown
and with it belief in a supreme and guiding power for good.
© 2003 AAWS, Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 107
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Altered Attitudes.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2008 : 06:54:17 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
June 26, 2008
An Open Heart
Prior to this gift of insight, I had not known that my heart was closed.
Now I knew -- because it was opened. I could now ask and receive help,
and I hoped that some day I would have something to give.
I felt free and light and good.
I would no longer block out love if I kept my heart open.
The next evening, I went to an AA meeting with an open heart
and a desire to be sober -- life's two greatest and most valuable gifts to me.
© 1973 AAWS, Came To Believe . . ., p. 50
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
I asked from the heart, and I received.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2008 : 06:47:23 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
June 28, 2008
A Lot of AA
They told me that giving was living,
and living was loving, and loving was God.
And you don't have to worry about God,
because He's sitting right in front of your eyes.
You get just a little sobriety, and you get just a little humility.
Not much, just a little.
Not the humility of sackcloth and ashes, but the humility of a man
who's glad he's alive and can serve.
You get just a little tolerance, not too much,
but just enough to sit and listen to the other guy. . .
And you realize that if you put all this together, you get a little humility,
a little tolerance, a little honesty, a little serenity, a little prayer
-- and a lot of AA.
©.2003 AAWS, Experience, Strength and Hope, pp. 201-202
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
I had to get sober to be amazed.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Always Awesome.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2008 : 5:40:11 PM
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From the book "As Bill Sees It", pages 47 and 227
Seeing Is Believing
The Wright brothers' almost childish faith that
they could build a machine which would fly was
the mainspring of their accomplishment. Without
that, nothing could have happened.
We agnostics and atheists were sticking to the
idea that self-sufficency would solve our problems.
When others showed us that God-sufficiency worked
with them, we began to feel like those who had
insisted the Wrights would never fly. We were
seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual
liberation from this world, people who rose above
their problems.
Alcoholics anonymous, pp. 52-53, 55
Is Sobriety Enough?
The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way
through the lives of others. Hearts are broken.
Sweet relationships are dead. Affections have been
uprooted. Selfish and inconsiderate habits have
kept the home in turmoil.
We feel a man is unthinking when he says that
sobriety is enough. He is like the farmer who came
up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home
ruined. To his wife, he remarked, "Don't see
anything the matter here, Ma, Ain't it grand the
wind stopped blowin'?"
<< << << >> >> >>
We 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 those about us.
1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 82
2. Twelve and Twelve, p. 80
The AA Way of Life....selected writings of AA's co-founder
AA World Services Inc. New York, NY.
"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 - 06/29/2008 : 08:53:40 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
June 29, 2008
Hope
Hope is the key that unlocks the door of discouragement.
The program promises me that if I do not pick up the first drink today,
I will always have hope.
©.1990 AAWS, Daily Reflections, p. 70
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc..
Thought to Ponder . . .
Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Heart Open; Please Enter.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2008 : 06:24:34 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
June 30, 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 embrace 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 . . .
I cannot mend if I bend the truth.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
The Happiness I Never Knew.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2008 : 11:51:56 AM
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June 30, 2008
"Life is tough because you get the test first and then the lesson."
When I was in school we would spend weeks and sometimes even whole semesters preparing to take tests. We'd study lesson plans, read books, watch videos, all in preparation for midterms and finals. And how I did on the tests all depended on how well I studied the lessons.
In life it's quite a different story. In life, we get the test first and then it's up to us to learn the lesson. And while this may be tough, what's worse is that if we don't learn the lesson, we get another test - then another and another until we learn the lesson.
One of the things I love about recovery is that I've been taught to look for and learn the lesson. When I get a test, I immediately look for my part, examine my motives and look for how I can either make amends, and or act better the next time. This is called a daily 10th Step inventory, and it insures that I learn the lesson quickly.
Life may be tough, and the test may still come first, but now I know how to learn the lesson and avoid taking the test again!
___________________________________
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness that most frightens us.
Today's thought from Hazelden is:
The darkness was encumbering only because I relied upon my sight for everything I did, not knowing that another way was to let power be the guide.
--Carlos Castaneda
We don't need to be blind in order not to see. Remember how long it took for us to "see" our addictions? Remember how the blindfold of denial kept us from seeing the reality of our lives?
But it took a person or people to help us "see" our way into the program. And now that we are members, we still need others to guide us in our recovery. Sometimes pride gets in the way and tells us we can do it alone, yet those are the times when we stumble and fall. Perhaps today was a day when we refused the guidance of others. We may have felt we were strong enough to "go it alone." But we will feel the effects of such blind groupings if we don't remember that we need others.
Just as the blind person has a cane or a companion or an animal for guidance, so must we rely upon the power of the group and our Higher Power to help us "see" our way.
Have I been blind to the help offered by others? Can I ask for help to "see"?
____________________________________
From the web site "Wisdom of the Rooms"
www.wisdomoftherooms.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 - 07/01/2008 : 05:37:18 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
, 2008
Essentials
Any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems
in the light of our experience can recover,
provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts.
He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.
We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program.
Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery.
But these are indispensable.
©.2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 568
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
There is a principle which is a bar against all information,
which is proof against all arguments
and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance --
that principle is contempt prior to investigation.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Willingness, Honesty, Open-mindedness.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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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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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2008 : 4:06:57 PM
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July 1....................A Simple Program
"The program is simply sharing, working the
Twelve Steps, attending meetings, and practicing
the principles of the program."
Basic Text, p.188
Our complicated lives can be made a lot less complicated
if we concentrate on a few simple things--sharing our
experience, strength, and hope with others, regular
meeting attendance, and practicing the principles of
the program in our daily lives.
By sharing our experience, strength, and hope with
other addicts, we provide a powerful example for
newcomers to follow. The effort we put into helping
others also helps keep self-centeredness, the core
of our disease, at bay.
Many of us pick one group, a "home group," whose
meetings we attend faithfully. This regularity gives
some routine to our lives, and lets others know where
they can find us if they need us.
Practicing the Twelve Steps in our daily lives makes the
difference between a balanced recovery and simply not using.
The steps give us some much-needed guidance in managing
our everyday affairs.
Yes, we are complex people. But the NA program simplifies
our lives, enabling us to live a life free from active
addiction. Our lives can be filled with serenity and hope
when we live by the guidance of the simple principles of
our program.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will remember that, while I am a
complex person, NA is the simplest way for me to make my
life less complicated.
From the book Just For Today, Daily Meditations for
Recovering Addicts, NA World Services, Inc. page 191
"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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Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2008 : 09:05:18 AM
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July 2..................Comparing
"Our personal stories may vary in individual pattern,
but in the end we all have the same thing in common."
Basic Text, p. 84
We addicts are a varied bunch, coming from different back-
grounds, having used different drugs, and recalling different ex-
periences. Our differences don't disappear in recovery; for some,
those differences become even more pronounced. Freedom from
active addiction gives us the freedom to be ourselves, as we all
necessarily have the same needs or goals. Each of us has our
own lessons to learn in recovery.
With so many differences from one addict to the next, how do
we help one another in recovery and how do we use each other's
experience? We come together to share our lives in light of the
principles of recovery. Though our lives are different, the
spiritual principles we apply are the same. It is by the light
of these principles, shining through our differences, that we
illuminate one another's way on our individual paths.
We all have two things in common: addiction and recovery. When
we listen carefully, we hear others tell of suffering from the
same disease we have suffered from, regardless of their specific
backgrounds. When we open our ears, we hear other addicts talk
of applying spiritual principles that promise hope to us as well,
regardless of our personal goals.
Just For Today: I have my own path to follow, yet I'm
grateful for the fellowship of others who've suffered from
addiction and who are learning to apply the priinciples of
recovery, just like me.
From the book Just For Today, Daily Meditations for
Recovering Addicts, NA World Services, Inc. page 192
"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 - 07/02/2008 : 09:44:22 AM
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AA Thought for the Day
July 2, 2008
Pocket Your Pride
The biggest question I get asked today is: "How does this deal work?"
And the answer is simple: "Rarely have we seen a person fail
who has thoroughly followed our path."
So, to the newcomer: pocket your pride, get a sponsor,
and learn how to follow this path.
And to the oldtimers: pocket your pride, pick up newcomers,
take them to meetings, and continue to share what was freely given to you.
That is how this deal worked in the beginning, and that's how it works today
-- one alcoholic helping another stay sober.
The AA Grapevine, July 2008, Vol. 65, No. 2, p. 29
Thought to Ponder . . .
That light at the end of the tunnel may be you.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Tears, Laughter, Caring.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 07:42:52 AM
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Thought for the Day
July 3, 2008
Change
The world is changing constantly, and I am no longer afraid of this change.
I want to be a part of it and its new developments.
I have been shown, and fully believe today, that faith can move mountains.
I once encountered many blind alleys, but today, as long as I have faith,
my path is clear. . .
Whatever problems confront me, large or small, they can be solved wisely.
Or they can be solved my way. The choice is mine.
©.1973 AAWS, Came To Believe . . ., p. 60
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
When I change what I believe, I change what I do.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Acceptance, Belief, Change.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
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