| Author |
 Topic  |
| 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. |
|
Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
 Posted - 08/06/2008 : 10:21:02 PM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 6, 2008
Paradox 4
We DIE TO LIVE.
That is a beautiful paradox straight out of the Biblical idea
of being "born again"
or "in losing one's life to find it." When we work at our Twelve Steps,
the old life of guzzling and fuzzy thinking, and all that goes with it,
gradually dies, and we acquire a different and better way of life.
As our shortcomings are removed, one life of us dies,
and another life of us lives. We in AA die to live.
© 2003 AAWS, Experience, Strength and Hope, p.156
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
We surrender to win; we give away to keep;
we suffer to get well; we die to live.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Work the Steps Or Die.
Day by Day is the only way....
Posted by Tim |
Report to Moderator  |
|
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2008 : 08:23:08 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 7, 2008
Acceptance
And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.
When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing,
or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me,
and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation
as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake.
Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy.
I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world
as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Acceptance, Belief, Change.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2008 : 11:11:20 AM
|
August 7........................We Do Recover
Basic Text, p 84
Although "Politics makes strange bedfellows," as the old saying goes, addiction makes us one of a kind. Our personal stories may vary in individual pattern but in the end we all have the same thing in common. This common illness or disorder is addiction. We know well the two things that make up true addiction: obsession and compulsion. Obsession - that fixed idea that takes us back time and time again to our particular drug, or some substitute, to recapture the ease and comfort we once knew.
Compulsion - once having started the process with one fix, one pill, or one drink we cannot stop through our own power of will. Because of our physical sensitivity to drugs, we are completely in the grip of a destructive power greater than ourselves.
When at the end of the road we find that we can no longer function as a human being, either with or without drugs, we all face the same dilemma. What is there left to do? There seems to be this alternative: either go on as best we can to the bitter ends -- jails, institutions or death -- or find a new way to live. In years gone by, very few addicts ever had this last choice. Those who are addicted today are more fortunate. For the first time in man's entire history, a simple way has been proving itself in the lives of may addicts. It is available to us all. This is a simple spiritual - not religious - program, known as Narcotics Anonymous.
From the Basic Text of Narcotis Anonymous, Fifth Edition,
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Chatsworth, California
"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!
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2008 : 05:58:59 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 8, 2008
Family Matters
But eventually the alcoholic, now fully understanding how much
he did hurt his wife and children,
now takes up his marriage responsibilities
with a willingness to repair what he can and accept what he can't.
He persistently tries all of AA's Twelve Steps in his home, often with fine results.
He firmly but lovingly commences to behave like a partner
instead of like a bad boy.
© 1967 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 292
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
It's never too late to be what you might have been.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
The Happiness I Never Knew.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2008 : 1:14:37 PM
|
08/08/08............................Recovery And Relapse(Chapter Seven)
Basic Text, P's. 74 and 75
Many people think that recovery is simply a matter of not using drugs. They consider a relapse a sign of complete failure, and long periods of abstinence a sign of complete success. We in the recovery program of Narcotics Anonymous have found that this perception is too simplistic. After a member has had some involvement in our Fellowship, a relapse may be the jarring experience that brings about a more rigorous application of the program. By the same token we have observed some members who remain abstinent for long periods of time whose dishonesty and self-deceit still prevent them from enjoying complete recovery and acceptance within society. Complete and continuous abstinence, however, in close association and identification with others in N.A. groups, is still the best ground for growth.
Although all addicts are basically the same in kind, we do, as individuals, differ in degree of sickness and rate of recovery. There may be times when a relapse lays the groundwork for complete freedom. At other times that freedom can only be achieved by a grim and obstinate willfulness to hang on to abstinence come hell or high water until a crisis passes. An addict, who by any means can lose, even for a time, the need or desire to use, and has free choice over impulsive thinking and compulsive action, has reached a turning point that may be the decisive factor in his recovery. The feeling of true independence and freedoms hangs here at times in the balance. To step out alone and run our own lives again draws us, yet we seem to know that what we have has come from dependence on a Power greater than ourselves and from the giving and receiving of help from others in acts of empathy. Many times in our recovery the old bugaboos will hunt us. Life may again become meaningless, monotonous and boring. We may tire mentally in repeating our new ideas and tire physically in our new activities, yet we know that if we fail to repeat them we will surely take up our old practices. We suspect that if we do not use what we have, we will lose what we have. These times are often the periods of our greatest growth. Our minds and bodies seem tired of it all, yet the dynamic forces of change or true conversion, deep within, my be working to give us the answers that alter our inner motivations and change our lives.
Recovery as experienced through our Twelve Steps is our goal, not mere physical abstinence. To improve ourselves takes effort, and since there is no way in the world to graft a new idea on a closed mind, an opening must be made somehow. Since we can do this only for ourselves, we need to recongnize two of our seemingly inherent enemies, apathy and procrastination. Our resistance to change seems built in and only a nuclear blast of some kind will bring about any alteration or initiate another course of action. A relapse, if we survive it, may provide the charge for the demolition process. A relapse and sometimes subsequent death of someone close to us can do the job of awakening us to the necessity for vigorous personal action.
From the Basic Text of Narcotis Anonymous, Fifth Edition,
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Chatsworth, California
(I will continue this chapter in my next post)
"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!
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
| 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. |
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2008 : 07:48:43 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 9, 2008
Pause
Whatever problems confront me, large or small, they can be solved wisely.
Or they can be solved my way. The choice is mine.
If I want to know God's will, I must pause and ask:
"What would God have me do?"
Why, then, is it so difficult for me just to pause, to meditate,
and to allow God to guide me? The reason is my ego.
I know -- though sometimes I forget -- that by myself
my capabilities are nil.
© 1973 AAWS, Came To Believe . . ., pp. 60-61
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
I asked from the heart, and I received.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Edging God Out.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2008 : 08:28:26 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 10, 2008
Today's the Day
Everyone has problems. Getting drunk won't solve them.
"Twenty-four hours a day." Today is the day.
Doing our best, living each day to the fullest is the art of living.
Yesterday is gone, and we don't know whether we will be here tomorrow.
If we do a good job of living today, and if tomorrow comes for us,
then the chances are we will do a good job when it arrives
-- so why worry about it?
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 357
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
What have I been given today? Am I willing to reach out and grasp it?
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Just For Today.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2008 : 09:37:09 AM
|
August 11............................Recovery And Relapse(Chapter Seven, Continued)
Basic Text, P's. 74 through 77
We have seen addicts come to our Fellowship, try our program and stay clean for a period of time. Over time some addicts lost contact with other recovering addicts and eventually returned to active addiction. They forgot that it is really the first drug that starts the deadly cycle all over again. They tried to control it, to use in moderation, or to use just certain drugs. None of these methods works for addicts.
Relapse is a reality. It can and does happen. Experience shows that those who do not work our program of recovery on a daily basis may relapse. We see them come back seeking recovery. Maybe they were clean for years before their relapse. If they are lucky enough to make it back, they are shaken badly. They tell us that the relapse was more horrible than earlier use. We have never seen a person who lives the Narcotics Anonymous Program relapse.
Relapses are often fatal. We have attended funerals of loved ones who died from a relapse. They died in various ways. Often we see relapsers lost for years, living in misery. Those who make it to jail or institutions may survive and perhaps have a reintroduction to N.A.
In our daily lives, we are subject to emotional and spiritual lapses, causing us to become defenseless against the physical relapse of drug use. Because addiction is an incurable disease, addicts are subject to relapse.
We are never forced into relapse. We are given a choice. Relapse is never an accident. Relapse is a sign that we have a reservation in our program. We begin to slight our program and leave loopholes in our daily lives. Unaware of the pitfalls ahead, we stumble blindly in the belief that we can make it on our own. Sooner or later we fall into the illusion that drugs make life easier. We believe that drugs can change us, and we forget that these changes are lethal. When we believe that drugs will solve our problems and forget what they can do to us, we are in real trouble. Unless the illusions that we can continue to use or stop using on our own are shattered, we most certainly sign our own death warrant. For some reason, not taking care of our personal affairs lowers our self-esteem and establishes a pattern that repeats itself in all areas of our lives. If we begin to avoid our new responsibilities by missing meetings, neglecting Twelfth Step work, or not getting involved, or program stops. These are the kinds of things that lead to relapse. We may sense a change coming over us. Our ability to remain open-minded disappears. We may become angry and resentful toward anyone or anything. We may begin to reject those who were close to us. We isolate ourselves. We become sick of ourselves in a short time. We revert back to our sickest behavior patterns without even having to use drugs.
From the Basic Text of Narcotis Anonymous, Fifth Edition,
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Chatsworth, California
(I will continue this chapter in my next post)
"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!
|
Edited by - Pamela7030 on 08/11/2008 09:44:57 AM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2008 : 09:46:29 AM
|
August 11............................Recovery And Relapse(Chapter Seven, Continued)
Basic Text, P's. 74 through 78
When a resentment or any other emotional upheaval occurs, failure to practice the steps can result in a relapse.
Obsessive behavior is common denominator for addictive people. We have times when we try to fill ourselves up until we are satisfied, only to discover that there is no way to satisfy us. Part of our addictive pattern is that we can never get enough. Sometimes we forget, and we think that if we can just get enough food or enough sex, or enough money we'll be satisfied, and everything will be al right. Self-will still leads us to make decisions based on manipulation, ego, lust or false pride. We don't like to be wrong. Our egos tell us that we can do it on our own, but loneliness and paranoia quickly return. We find that we cannot really do it alone; when we try, things get worse. We need to be reminded of where we cam e from and that our disease will get progressively worse if we use. This is when we need the Fellowship.
We don't recover overnight. When we realize that we have made a bad decision or bad judgment, our inclination is to rationalize it. We often become extreme in our self-obsessive attempt to cover our tracks. We forget that we have a choice today. We get sicker.
There is something in our self-destructive personalities that cries for failure. Most of us feel that we do not deserve to succeed. This is a common theme with addicts. Self-pity is one of the most destructive of defects; it will drain us of all positive energy. We focus on anything that isn't going our way and ignore all the beauty in our lives. With no real desire to improve our lives, or even to live, we just keep going further and further down. Some of never make it back.
We must relearn many things that we have forgotten and develop a new approach to life if we are to survive. This is what Narcotics Anonymous is all about. It is about people who care about desperate, dying addicts and who can, in time, teach them how to live without drugs. Many of us had difficulty coming into the Fellowship, because we did not understand that we have the disease of addiction. We sometimes see our past behavior as part of ourselves and not part of our disease.
We take the First Step. We admit that we are powerless over our addiction, that our lives have become unmanageable. Slowly things get better, and we start getting our confidence back. Our ego tells us that we can do it on our own. Things are getting better, and we think we really don't need this program. Cockiness is a red light indicator. The loneliness and paranoia will come back. We find out that we can't do it on our own and things get worse. We really take the First Step, this time internally. There will be times, however, when we really feel like using. We want to run, and we feel lousy. We need to be reminded of where we came from and that it will be worse this time. This is when we need the program the most. We realize we must do something.
From the Basic Text of Narcotis Anonymous, Fifth Edition,
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Chatsworth, California
(I will continue this chapter in my next post)
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2008 : 09:47:17 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 11, 2008
Road To Sanity
I never felt that I had a choice in altering my life.
My decisions had been based on fear, pride, or ego.
As a result, those decisions led me down a path of self-destruction.
Today I try to allow my God to guide me on the road to sanity.
I am responsible for my action -- or inaction --
whatever the consequences may be.
© 1990 AAWS, Daily Reflections, p. 78
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
May the road always lead where you need to be.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2008 : 10:10:40 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 12, 2008
Amends
My job is to achieve enough humility to see myself in others
and to accept both myself and others, by identifying.
The willingness to make amends will grow from this act of love.
When I become "willing to make amends to them all"
I am saying to them, "your pain is my pain, when I hurt you, I hurt myself;
I will try not to hurt you anymore."
© 1986 The AA Grapevine, Inc., The Best Of The Grapevine [Vol. 2], pp. 162-3
Thought to Ponder . . .
Many people haven't even a nodding acquaintance with humility as a way of life.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Bad Or Good, God Loves Everyone.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
| 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. |
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2008 : 07:44:49 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 13, 2008
Staying Sober
We have to stay sober no matter how life treats us,
no matter whether non alcoholics appreciate our sobriety or not.
We have to keep our sobriety independent of everything else,
not entangled with any people,
and not hedged in by any possible cop-outs or conditions.
© 1998 AAWS, Living Sober, p. 64
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Keep your sobriety first to make it last.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Always Aware.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2008 : 07:30:41 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 14, 2008
Setbacks
Some of us go back to drinking a time or so
before we get a real foothold on sobriety.
If that happens to you, don't despair. Many of us have done this
and have finally come through to successful sobriety.
Try to remember that alcoholism is an extremely serious human condition,
and that relapses are as possible in this ailment as in others.
Recovery can still follow.
© 1998 AAWS, Living Sober, p. 86
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Don't give up before the miracle happens.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
Sobriety Loses Its Priority.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Pamela7030
Moderator
800 Posts |
Posted - 08/15/2008 : 12:27:46 AM
|
August 15............................Recovery And Relapse(Chapter Seven, Continued)
Basic Text, P's. 78 through 79
When we forget the effort and the work that it took us to get a period of freedom in our lives, a lack of gratitude sinks in, and self-destruction begins again. Unless action is taken immediately, we run the risk of a relapse that threatens our very existence. Keeping our illusion of reality, rather than using the tools of the program, will return us to isolation. Loneliness will kill us inside and the drugs that almost always come next may do the job completely. The symptoms and the feelings that we experienced at the end of our using will come back even stronger than before. This impact is sure to destroy us if we don't surrender ourselves to the N.A. Program.
Relapse can be the destructive force that kills us or leads us to the realization of who and what we really are. The eventual misery of using is not worth the temporary escape it might give us. For us, to use is to die, often in more ways than one.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to recovery seems to be placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves or others. Relationships can be terribly painful area. We tend to fantasies and project what will happen. We get angry and resentful if our fantasies are not fulfilled. We forget that we are powerless over other people. The old thoughts and feelings of loneliness, despair, helplessness and self-pity creep in. Thoughts of sponsors, meetings, literature and all other positive input leave our consciousness. We have to keep our recovery first and our priorities in order.
Writing about what we want, what we are asking for, what we get, and sharing this with our sponsor or another trusted person helps us to work through negative feelings. Letting others share their experience with us gives us hope that it does get better. It seems that being powerless is a huge stumbling block. When a need arises for us to admit our powerlessness, we may first look for ways to exert power against it. After exhausting these ways, we begin sharing with others, and we find hope. Attending meetings daily, living a day at a time, and reading literature seems to send our mental attitude back toward the positive. Willingness to try what has worked for others is vital. Even when we feel that we don’t want to attend, meetings are a source of strength and hope for us.
It is important to share our feelings of wanting to use drugs. It is amazing how often newcomers think that it is really abnormal for a drug addict to want to use. When we feel the old urges come over us, we think there must be something wrong with us, and that other people in Narcotics Anonymous couldn’t possibly understand.
It is important to remember that the desire to use will pass. We never have to use again, no matter how we feel. All feelings will eventually pass.
The progression of recovery is a continuous, uphill journey. Without effort we start the downhill run again. The progression of the disease is an ongoing process, even during abstinence.
From the Basic Text of Narcotis Anonymous, Fifth Edition,
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Chatsworth, California
(I will continue this chapter in my next post)
"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!
|
Edited by - Pamela7030 on 08/15/2008 12:31:00 AM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Freefly
Administrator
966 Posts |
Posted - 08/15/2008 : 05:45:27 AM
|
AA Thought for the Day
August 15, 2008
Faith
When I was driven to my knees by alcohol,
I was made ready to ask for the gift of faith.
And all was changed.
Never again, my pains and problems notwithstanding,
would I experience my former desolation.
I saw the universe to be lighted by God's love; I was alone no more.
© 1967 AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 51
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Thought to Ponder . . .
Faith isn't believing that God can, but that He will.
AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
You Are Not Alone.
Day by Day is the only way.... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
All Forums
Thought for the Day
New Topic
Printer Friendly
