AA Thought For Today - July

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 1

Challenges
There is no easier, softer way.
To bring the great escape act into sobriety is to travel with a companion that led me to despair long ago.
The teaching I receive in Alcoholics Anonymous about courage and love
helps me to continue to grapple with the challenges of life as they are given to me, one day at a time.
- The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 3], p. 320

Thought to Ponder . . .
The peaks and valleys of my life have become gentle rolling hills.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A R T = Always Remain Teachable.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Puzzle
"By nature touchy and suspicious,
the alcoholic likes to be left alone to work out his puzzle,
and he has a convenient way of ignoring the tragedy
which he inflicts meanwhile upon those
who are close to him.
He holds desperately to a conviction that,
although he has not been able to handle alcohol in the past,
he will ultimately succeed in becoming a controlled drinker.
One of medicine's queerest animals,
he is, as often as not, an acutely intelligent person.
He fences with professional men and relatives
who attempt to aid him and he gets a perverse satisfaction
out of tripping them up in argument."
The Jack Alexander Article
>From the March 1941 issue of The Saturday Evening Post

Thought to Consider . . .
There is no such thing as being 'a little bit alcoholic.'

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
D E N I A L = Don't Even Notice I Am Lying.

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Blindness
Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
"This 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."
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 72

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"As devastatingly difficult as they have been, the last two years have been a giant Seventh Tradition workshop. Never in my married life or in any time before it had I truly understood what being self-supporting meant. I had relied on others to take care of me, not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually, too, and I let my life go to hell if they didn't."
Los Angeles, California, July 2007
"Self-Support,"
No Matter What: Dealing with Adversity in Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"The greatest enemies of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy,
envy, frustration, and fear."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Employers, pg. 145~

"Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more
alcoholics than anything else."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

"Opinions vary considerably as to why the alcoholic reacts
differently from normal people. We are not sure why, once a certain
point is reached, little can be done for him. We cannot answer the
riddle."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 22~

“You will awaken to a new sense of responsibility for others.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p.120 (To Wives)

“When by devoted service to family, friends, business, or community we attract widespread affection and are sometimes singled out for posts of greater responsibility and trust, we try to be humbly grateful and exert ourselves the more in a spirit of love and service.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.124 (Step Twelve)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Perhaps you raise the question of hallucination verses the divine imagery of a genuine spiritual experience. I doubt if anyone has authoritatively defined what an hallucination really is. However, it is certain that all recipients of spiritual experiences declare for their reality. The best evidence of that reality is in the subsequent fruits. Those who receive these gifts of grace are very much changed people, almost invariably for the better. This can scarcely be said of those who hallucinate.
'Some might think me presumptuous when I say that my own experience is real. Nevertheless, I can surely report that in my own life and in the lives of countless others, the fruits of that experience have been real, and the benefactions beyond reckoning.

Prayer for the Day: My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good & bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character Which stands in the way of my usefulness to you & my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here to do your bidding.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 2

Self-esteem
In most cases it was found that our self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions,
our personal relationships (including sex) were hurt or threatened.
So we were "burned up." . . . Was it our self-esteem, our security, our ambitions,
our personal, or sex relations, which had been interfered with? . . .
We went back through our lives. Nothing counted but thoroughness and honesty.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 64-65

Thought to Ponder . . .
Self-esteem doesn't need an audience.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Prayer
"All of us, without exception,
pass through times when we can pray
only with the greatest exertion of will.
Occasionally we go even further than this.
We are seized with a rebellion so sickening
that we simply won't pray.
When these things happen we should not think
too ill of ourselves.
We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can,
doing what we know to be good for us."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 105

Thought to Consider . . .
Trying to pray is praying.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Hang On; Pray Every day

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Alike
>From "Because I'm an Alcoholic":
"That sense of being different, which had long plagued me, disappeared when I saw the threads that run through all of us. Sharing our stories, our feelings, it is the areas where we are the same that impress me. The differences are but delightful flourishes on the surface, like different-colored costumes, and I enjoy them. But the basic ways we are human, the basic ways we simply are, stand out to me now. I came to see that we all are really one, and I no longer feel alone."
2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 347

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Today I think I can trace a clear linkage between my guilt and my pride. Both of them were certainly attention-getters. In pride I could say, 'Look at me, I am wonderful.' In guilt I would moan, 'I'm awful.' Therefore guilt is really the reverse of the coin of pride. Guilt aims at self-destruction, and pride aims at the destruction of others."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., November 1960
"Freedom Under God: The Choice Is Ours"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can
laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness.
Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The 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, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~

"In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we could not do for ourselves."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 70 (How it Works)

"It is hoped that this volume will afford all who read it a close-up view of the principles and forces which have made Alcoholics Anonymous what it is."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 18 (ForeWord)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

I went through several fruitless years in a state called viewing with alarm for the good of the movement. I thought it was up to me to be always correcting conditions. Seldom has anybody been able to tell me what I ought to do, and nobody had ever succeeded in effectively telling me what I must do. I had to learn the hard way out of my own experience.
'When setting out to check others, I found myself often motivated by fear of what they were doing, self-righteousness, and even downright intolerance. Consequently, I seldom succeeded in correcting anything. I just raised barriers of resentment that cut off any suggestion, example, understanding, or love.'
'A.A.s often say, Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they lead by example. If we would favorably affect others, we ourselves need to practice what we preachand forget the preaching, too. The quiet good example speaks for itself.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank you for the gift of reading. Today I will read attentively.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 3

Choice
Like so many, I do not always surrender completely;
I allow the cares and worries of the day to distort my thinking.
But as soon as I get back on the right track, I realize I have everything I need.
Whatever problems confront me, large or small, they can be solved wisely.
Or they can be solved my way. The choice is mine.
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 60

Thought to Ponder . . .
The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Discovery
"I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind.
I saw that will power and self-knowledge
would not help in those strange mental blank spots.
I had never been able to understand people
who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated.
I knew then. It was a crushing blow."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 42

Thought to Consider . . .
Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, and Trust

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Egoism
>From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous":
"The fact of hitting bottom to produce a surrender which cut the ego to size was evident fairly soon. In time two additional facts manifested themselves. The first was that a reduced ego has marvelous recuperative powers. The second was that surrender is an essential disciplinary function and experience.
"It is common knowledge that a return of the full-fledged ego can happen at any time. Years of sobriety are no insurance against its resurgence. No A.A., regardless of his veteran status, can ever relax his guard against the encroachments of a reviving ego. Recently one A.A., writing to another, reported that he was suffering, he feared, from 'halo-tosis,' a reference to the smugness and self-complacency which so easily can creep into the individual with years of sobriety behind him. Dr. Harry Tiebout, M.D."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 249

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"On a daily basis I choose not to drink - or to fear, hate, be angry, or indulge in any other defect that's raising its ugly head. They're all there waiting, and when given a chance they charge into the center of my life and try to take over. But when I work Step Seven I find that my life is filled with good, and people actually like to be around me - something they never did in my drinking days."
July 1995, Kathmandu, Nepal
"A Lifetime Supply,"
Step By Step: Real AAs, Real Recovery

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Do not be discouraged if your prospect does not respond at once.
Search out another alcoholic and try again. You are sure to find
someone desperate enough to accept with eagerness what you offer. We
find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not
work with you. If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become
convinced that he cannot recover by himself. To spend too much time
on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity
to live and be happy."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 96~

"Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will
into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee—Thy will
(not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us
constantly."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

“We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 19

“We can further add that a beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 35

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and setbacks. If you will bear this in mind, I think that your slip will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down.
We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him teach us.'
'Now and then all of us fall under heavy criticism. When we are angered and hurt, it's difficult not to retaliate in kind. Yet we can restrain ourselves and then probe ourselves, asking whether our critics were really right. If so, we can admit our defects to them. This usually clears the air for mutual understanding.
'Suppose our critics are being unfair. Then we can try calm persuasion. If they continue to rant, it is still possible for us--in our hearts--to forgive them. Maybe a sense of humor can be our saving grace--thus we can both forgive and forget.

Prayer for the Day: Take my will & my life, Guide me in my recovery, Show me how to live.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 4

Gratitude
I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits.
When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love,
the finest emotion we can ever know.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 37

Thought to Ponder . . .
I have learned how a heart full of gratitude feels.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Freedom
"Looking back we see that our freedom to choose badly
was not, after all, a very real freedom.
When we chose because we 'must,'
this was not a free choice either.
But it got us started in the right direction.
When we chose because we 'ought to'
we were really doing better.
This time we were earning some freedom,
making ourselves ready for more.
But when, now and then, we could gladly make
right choices without rebellion, holdout, or conflict,
then we had our first view of what
perfect freedom under God's will could be like."
Bill W., May 1960
1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 302

Thought to Consider . . .
Within our wonderful new world,
we have found freedom from our fatal obsession.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F I N E = Free, Independent, New and Energetic

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Acceptance
>From "Happiness":
"Accept the things you cannot change. So simple. If the problem cannot be solved today why, simply drop it. I grant that this is not always easy; it takes self-discipline, a faculty infrequently found in newly sober alcoholics. " New Hartford, New York, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 111

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The simple word 'we' stands at the entrance to the Steps, reminding me that my power is limited."
West Henrietta, New York, July 2007
"Food for the Journey,"
Step by Step

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Sometimes we hear an alcoholic say that the only thing he needs to
do is to keep sober. Certainly he must keep sober, for there will be
no home if he doesn't. But he is yet a long way from making good to
the wife or parents whom for years he has so shockingly treated."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 82~

"These men had found something brand new in life. Though they knew
they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that
motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they
found in giving themselves for others."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 159~

“But the actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly an exception, will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 39

“Refusing to place God first, we had deprived ourselves of His help.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

When I was ten, I was tall and gawky, and smaller kids could push me around in quarrels. I remember being very depressed for a year or more, and then I began to develop a fierce resolve to win.
One day, my grandfather came along with a book about Australia and told me, 'This book says that nobody but an Australian bushman knows how to make and throw the boomerang.'
'Here's my chance,' I thought. 'I will be the first man in America to make and throw a boomerang.' Well, any kid could have had a notion like that. It might have lasted two days or two weeks. But mine was a power drive that kept on for six months, till I made a boomerang that swung around the church yard in front of the house and almost hit my grandfather in the head when it came back.
Emotionally, I had begun the fashioning of another sort of boomerang, one that almost killed me later on.

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, I've learned to trust your guidance, yet I still have my own ideas about how I want to live my life. Let me share those ideas with you, and then let me clearly understand your will for me. In the end, let your will, not mine, be done."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 5

Character-building
Whenever we had to choose between character and comfort,
the character-building was lost in the dust of our chase after what we thought was happiness.
Seldom did we look at character-building as something desirable in itself,
something we would like to strive for whether our instinctual needs were met or not.
We never thought of making honesty, tolerance, and true love of man and God the daily basis of living.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 72

Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty isn't an event -- it's a process.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Simplicity

"A willingness to do whatever I was told to do
simplified the program for me.
Study the AA book - don't just read it.
They told me to go to meetings,
and I still do at every available opportunity,
whether I am at home or in some other city.
Attending meetings has never been a chore for me.
Nor have I attended them with a feeling
of just doing my duty.
Meetings are both relaxing and refreshing to me
after a hard day.
They said 'Get active," so I helped whenever I could,
and still do."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 381

Thought to Consider . . .
The ankle-biters of everyday struggles will eat away at me
unless I go to meetings and share.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A C T I O N = Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Steps
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"It might be a long time before readers of the book in distant places and lands could be personally contacted. Therefore
our literature would have to be as clear and comprehensive as possible. Our steps would have to be more explicit.
There must not be a single loophole through which the rationalizing alcoholic could wiggle out.
"Finally I started to write. I set out to draft more than six steps; how many more I did not know. I relaxed and
asked for guidance. With a speed that was astonishing, considering my jangling emotions, I completed the first draft. It
took perhaps half an hour. The words kept right on coming. When I reached a stopping point, I numbered the new
steps. They added up to twelve."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 161

[B]*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"If you sponsor people, you'll never need a mirror."
August 2001
"The Mouth That Roared,"
Emotional Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Those having religious affiliations will find here nothing
disturbing to their beliefs or ceremonies. There is no friction
among us over such matters."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, Page 28~

"It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on
our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a
subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is
a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual
condition."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

"I was to share generously in the profits."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 5 (Bill's Story)

"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 p. 93 (Step Ten)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

In Tradition Three, A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, 'You are an A.A. member if you say so. You can declare yourself in; nobody can keep you out. No matter how low you've gone, no matter how grave your emotional complications--even your crimes--we don't want to keep you out. We just want to be sure that you get the same chance for sobriety that we've had.'
We do not wish to deny anyone his chance to recover from alcoholism. We wish to be just as inclusive as we can. never exclusive.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, direct my thoughts away from myself, and allow me to extend compassion and love toward the world today.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 6

Higher Power
Walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen.
When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands
were better that 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 your present circumstances.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 100

Thought to Ponder . . .
The Twelve Steps -- a manuscript for rational living.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Restraint
"It is evident that the harmony, security, and
future effectiveness of AA will depend largely upon
our maintenance of a thoroughly nonagressive
and pacific attitude in all our public relations.
This is an exacting assignment,
because in our drinking days we were prone to anger,
hostility, rebellion and aggression.
And even though we are now sober,
the old patterns of behavior are to a degree still with us,
always threatening to explode on any good excuse.
But we know this,
and therefore I feel confident that in the conduct
of our public affairs we shall always find the grace
to exert an effective restraint."
Bill W.
1962AAWS, Twelve Concepts for World Service, p. 68

Thought to Consider . . .
Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen.
1953AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p, 91

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A C T I O N = Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Prayer
>From "'Ask God for Strength'":
"I went to the filthy bathroom and got down on my knees. 'God, teach me to pray,' I begged. I remained there a long time, and when I arose and left the room, I knew I never had to drink again. I came to believe, that day, that God would help me maintain my sobriety. Since then, I've come to believe that He will help me with any problem. "Birmingham, Alabama, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 36

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Let us AAs no longer be takers from society. Instead, let us be givers."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., June 1946
"Policy on Gift Funds"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed
people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked
ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our
self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal
relationships,(including sex) were hurt or threatened."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

"In dealing with resentments, we set them on paper. We listed
people, institutions or principles with whom we were angry. We asked
ourselves why we were angry. In most cases it was found that our
self-esteem, our pocketbooks, our ambitions, our personal
relationships,(including sex) were hurt or threatened."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 64~

“Never forget that resentment is a deadly hazard to an alcoholic.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 117

“It mattered little whether our resentments were justified or not. “
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 90

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

In making amends, it is seldom wise to approach an individual who still smarts from our injustice to him, and announce that we have gone religious. This might be called leading with the chin. Why lay ourselves open to being branded fanatics or religious bores? If we do this, we may kill a future opportunity to carry a beneficial message.
But the man who hears our amends is sue to be impressed with our sincere desire to set right a wrong. He is going to be more interested in a demonstration of good will than in talk of spiritual discoveries.

Prayer for the Day: "GOD, grant us knowledge that we may Serve according to Your Divine precepts. Instill in us a sense of Your purpose. Make us servants of Your will and grant us a bond of selflessness, that this may truly be Your work, not ours-in order that no addict, anywhere, need die from the horrors of addiction."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 7

"If"
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.
- Living Sober, p. 63

Thought to Ponder . . .
Nothing is so bad that a drink won't make worse.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Absolute Abstinence.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Ready?
"We shall need to make a brand new venture
into open-mindedness.
We shall need to raise our eyes toward perfection,
and be ready to walk in that direction.
It will seldom matter how haltingly we walk.
The only question will be
'Are we ready?' "
Bill W.
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 68

Thought to Consider . . .
Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H = Facing All In Trusting Him

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^^*~*~*~*~*

Perspectives
From: "Preface"
"If you have a drinking problem, we hope that you may pause in reading one of the forty-two personal stories and think: "Yes, that happened to me; or, more important, Yes, I've felt like that, or most important, "Yes, I believe this program can work for me too."
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page xii

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Many of us think today the main problem of Alcoholics Anonymous is this: How, as a movement, shall we maintain our humility -- and so our unity -- in the face of what the world calls a great triumph? Perhaps we need not look far afield for an answer. We need only adapt and apply to our group life those principles upon which each of us has founded his own recovery."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., October 1947
"Traditions Stressed in Memphis Talk"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful!
Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all
power that One is God. May you find Him now!"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, Page 58~

"Let 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. We have seen men get well whose families have
not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came
back too soon."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 99~

“We do talk about each other a great deal, but we almost invariably temper such talk by a spirit of love and tolerance. “
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 125

“We sit in A.A. meetings and listen, not only to receive something ourselves, but to give the reassurance and support which our presence can bring.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 110

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

In our belief, any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes wholly to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may success for a time, but he usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed. Release from alcohol, and not flight from it, is our answer.
'Faith without works is dead.' How appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic fails to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he cannot survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he does not work, he will surely drink again, and if he drinks, he will surely die. Then faith will be dead indeed.

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, grant me the wisdom to know the difference between what can be changed and what I must accept. Please help me gratefully accept the life I've been given."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 8

Humility
On his desk, Dr. Bob had a plaque defining humility:
"Perpetual quietness of heart.
It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore;
to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me.
It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised,
it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door
and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness,
when all around and about is seeming trouble."
- Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, p. 222

Thought to Ponder . . .
Humility comes before honor.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Resentment
"It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment
leads only to futility and unhappiness.
To the precise extent that we permit these,
do we squander the hours
that might have been worth while.
But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance
and growth of a spiritual experience,
this business of resentment is infinitely grave.
We found that it is fatal.
For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off
from the sunlight of the Spirit.
The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again.
And with us, to drink is to die."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 66

Thought to Consider . . .
We are prisoners of our own resentments.
Forgiveness unlocks the door and sets us free.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E A R = Frustration, Ego, Anxiety, Resentment

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Humility at Work
Tradition Twelve: "Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities."
"As this tide offering top public approval swept in, we realized that it could do us incalculable good or great harm.
Everything would depend upon how it was channeled. We simply couldn't afford to take the chance of letting self-
appointed members present themselves as messiahs representing A.A. before the whole public. The promoter instinct
in us might be our undoing. If even one publicly got drunk, or was lured into using A.A.'s name for his own purposes,
the damage might be irreparable. At this altitude (press, radio, films, and television), anonymity - 100 percent
anonymity - was the only possible answer. Here, principles would have to come before personalities, without
exception. "These experiences taught us that anonymity is real humility at work. It is an all-pervading spiritual quality
which today keynotes A.A. life everywhere."
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 187

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I'm becoming so secure in AA, I've even discarded the cute, funny, phony me my civilian friends used to know. I don't
have to dance with a rose in my teeth; I can just dance. And I don't have to be the only girl at the picnic who can swing
Tarzan-style from a rope into the river. I can swim calmly, like the forty-year-old mother of four I am."
Houston, Texas, June 1976
"Growth,"
Emotional Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us
a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is
indescribably wonderful."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 17~

"Let families realize, as they start their journey, that all will not
be fair weather. Each in his turn may be footsore and may straggle.
There will be alluring shortcuts and by-paths down which they may
wander and lose their way."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 122~

"But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 17 (There is a Solution)

"With clear understanding and right, grown-up attitudes, very happy results do follow."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 119 (Step Twelve)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

We agnostics liked A.A. all right, and were quick to say that it had done miracles. But we recoiled from meditation and prayer as obstinately as the scientist who refused to perform a certain experiment lest it prove his pet theory wrong.
When we finally did experiment, and unexpected results followed, we felt different; in fact, we knew different; and so we were sold on meditation and prayer. And that, we have found, can happen to anybody who tries. It has been well said that 'Almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank you for the desire to grow and understand myself and others.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 9

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.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 417

Thought to Ponder . . .
My serenity is directly proportional to my level of acceptance.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Attitude
" 'Then I woke up.
I had to admit that AA showed results, prodigious results.
I saw that my attitude regarding these
had been anything but scientific.
It wasn't AA that had the closed mind, it was me.
The minute I stopped arguing,
I could begin to see and feel.
Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually
began to infiltrate my life.
I can't say upon what occasion,
or upon what day I came to believe
in a Power greater than myself,
but I certainly have that belief now.
To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting
and practice the rest of AA's program
as enthusiastically as I could.' "
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 27

Thought to Consider . . .
Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A = Altered Attitudes

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

My Solution
From: "AA Taught Him to Handle Sobriety"
"Bewilderment, fear, and resentment moved into my life. And yet my ability to lie outwardly and to kid myself inwardly
grew with every drink I took. Indeed, I had to drink now to live, to cope with the demands of everyday existence. When I
encountered disappointments or frustrations - as I did more and more frequently - my solution was to drink. I had
always been oversensitive to criticism and was acutely so now. When I was criticized or reprimanded, the bottle was
my refuge and comfort."
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 555

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I saw that fear was a character defect, so I modified my Seventh Step Prayer. After 'remove every single defect of
character,' I added, 'and every unreasonable fear.'"
Brea, California, July 2010
"Unreasonable Fears,"
No Matter What: Dealing with Adversity in Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. A kindly
act once in a while isn't enough. You have to act the Good Samaritan
every day, if need be."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 97~

"We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by
which faith can be acquired. If what we have learned and felt and
seen means anything at all, it means that all of us, whatever our
race, creed, or color are the children of a living Creator with whom
we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as
soon as we are willing and honest enough to try."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28~

“Acceptance is the key to my relationship with God today. I never just sit and do nothing while waiting for Him to tell me
what to do. Rather, I do whatever is in front of me to be done, and I leave the results up to Him; however it turns out,
that’s God’s will for me.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 452 (3rd Edition)

“These conclusions did not require action; they required only acceptance.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 34

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Though an alcoholic does not respond, there is no reason why you should neglect his family. You should continue to be friendly to them, explaining A.A.s concept of alcoholism and its treatment. If they accept this and also apply our principles to their problems, there is a much better chance that the head of the family will recover. And even though he continues to drink, the family will find life more bearable.
Unless a new members family readily expresses a desire to live upon spiritual principles, we think he ought not to urge them. They will change in time. His better behavior will usually convince them far more than his words.
*Today, the initiation of the A.A. way of life in the home is the central purpose of the Al-Anon Family Groups, of which there are (as of 1980) about 16,000 throughout the world. These are composed of wives, husbands, and relatives of alcoholics. In restoring families to the good life, Al-Anons success has been enormous.

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, help me live in accordance with spiritual principles. Only then can I approve of myself."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 10

Ego
I am still arrogant, egocentric, self-righteous, with no humility, even phony at times,
but I'm trying to be a better person and help my fellowman.
Guess I'll never be a saint, but whatever I am, I want to be sober and in AA.
The word "alcoholic" does not turn me off any more;
in fact, it is music to my ears when it applies to me.
- Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 382

Thought to Ponder . . .
The ego seeks the destination; the soul seeks the journey.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
P R I D E = Personal Recovery Involves Deflating Ego.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Inventory
"A few months after I made my original trip to Akron
I was feeling pretty cocky,
and I didn't think my wife was treating me with proper respect, now that I
was an outstanding citizen.
So I set out to get drunk deliberately,
just to teach her what she was missing.
A week later, I had to get an old friend from Akron
to spend two days sobering me up.
That was my lesson,
that one could not take the moral inventory
and then file it away;
that the alcoholic has to continue to take inventory every day
if he expects to get well and stay well."
1976, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 293-4

Thought to Consider . . .
In order to recover we have to uncover.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F A I T H = Facing All In Trusting Him

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Practice It
from: "His Spiritual Quest"
"As Dr. Bob himself said, I don't think we can do anything very well in this world unless we practice it. And I don't believe we do A.A. too well unless we practice it. We should practice acquiring the spirit of service. We should attempt to acquire some faith, which isn't easily done, especially for the person who has always been very materialistic, following the standards of society today. But I think faith can be acquired; it can be acquired slowly; it has to be cultivated. That was not easy for me, and I assume that it is difficult for everyone else"
1980, AAWS, Inc., Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, page 307-308

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"My spiritual awakening has involved three major leaps: Save Me, Help Me, and Use Me."
Essex Junction, Vermont, February 2000
"Save Me, Help Me, Use Me,"
AA Grapevine

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If 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, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

"If 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, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

"We know these suggestions are sometimes difficult to follow, but you will save many a heartbreak if you can succeed in observing them."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 111 (To Wives)

"All of its Twelve Steps are but suggestions."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 26 (Step Two)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

There are few absolutes inherent in the Twelve Steps. Most Steps are open to interpretation, based on the experience and outlook of the individual.
Consequently, the individual is free to start the /steps at whatever point he can, or will. God, as we understand Him, may be defined as a Power greater or the Higher Power. For thousands of members, the A.A. group itself has been a Higher Power in the beginning. This acknowledgment is easy to make if a newcomer knows that most of the members are sober and he isn't.
His admission is the beginning of humility at least the newcomer is willing to disclaim that he himself is God. That's all the start he needs. If, following this achievement, he will relax and practice as many of the Steps as he can, he is sure too grow spiritually.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, let me take the suggestions given to me to my heart. Allow me to set down my ego in order to follow them.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 11

Here-and-Now
The nondrinking alcoholic discovers in AA that you cannot Get Ahead until you learn to be Here.
We discover from our Serenity Prayer that one of the things we cannot change is time.
The Here-and-Now is the only reality, whereas in the unreal world of the drinking alcoholic
there was only yesterday-and-tomorrow.
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 113

Thought to Ponder . . .
Tomorrow, and all the tomorrows to come, are but extensions of right here, right now.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
N O W = No Other Way.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Anger
"It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed,
no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.
If somebody hurts us and we are sore,
we are in the wrong also.
But are there no exceptions to this rule?
What about 'justifiable' anger?
If somebody cheats us, aren't we entitled to be mad?
Can't we be properly angry with self-righteous folk?
For us in AA these are dangerous exceptions.
We have found that justifiable anger
ought to be left to those better qualified to handle it."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 90

Thought to Consider . . .
Anger is the hot wind that extinguishes the light of reason.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A N G E R = Any No Good Energy Rising

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Gifts
From: "The Opening to the Spiritual World"
"This is the crux of the program and the crux of living: acceptance and action.
"The gift of understanding has allowed the simple messages from my parents, my teachers, and my church to take on new meaning and soundness. With the gift of serenity, I am ready and willing to accept what God permits to happen to me; with the gift of courage, to take action to change the things I can for the good of myself and others. The gift of wisdom has been given to me so that in personal relationships I may act intelligently and with love or, as it has also been expressed, with competence and compassion."
1973, AAWS, Inc., Came to Believe, page 4

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"It should be the privilege, even the right, of each individual or group to handle anonymity as they wish ... Each individual will have to decide where he ought to draw the line -- how far he ought to carry the principle in his own affairs, how far he may go in dropping his own anonymity without injury to Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1946
"A Tradition Born of Our Anonymity"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum
helpfulness to others, so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can
be helpful. You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid spot on
earth on such an errand. Keep on the firing line of life with these
motives and God will keep you unharmed."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 102~

"Some drinkers have excuses with which they are satisfied part of the
time. But in their hearts they really do not know why they do it.
Once this malady has a real hold, they are a baffled lot. There is
the obsession that somehow, someday, they will beat the game. But
they often suspect they are down for the count."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 23~

"Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 164 (A Vision For You)

"For us, if we neglect those who are still sick, there is unremitting danger to our own lives and sanity."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 151 (Tradition Five)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The wonderful energy the Twelfth Step releases, by which it carries our message to the next suffering alcoholic and finally translates the Twelve Steps into action upon all our affairs, is the payoff, the magnificent reality of A.A.
Never talk down to an alcoholic from any moral or spiritual hilltop; simply lay out the kit of spiritual tools for his inspection. Show him how they worked with you. Offer him friendship and fellowship.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, do not allow me to forget those who are still sick.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 12

Anonymity
It should be a privilege, even the right, of each member or group
to handle anonymity as they wish. . .
Each individual will have to decide where he ought to draw the line --
how far he ought to carry the principle in his own affairs,
how far he may go in dropping his own anonymity
without injury to Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole.
- The Language of the Heart, p. 15

Thought to Ponder . . .
Anonymity is real humility at work.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Adventurers Anonymous.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Belief
"Despite contrary indications,
I had little doubt that a mighty purpose and rhythm
underlay all.
How could there be so much of precise and immutable law,
and no intelligence?
I simply had to believe in a
Spirit of the Universe,
who knew neither time nor limitation."
- Bill W.
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 10

Thought to Consider . . .
Faith is not belief without proof;
it's trust without reservation.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Spirituality
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"The liberals were the largest contingent and they had no objection to the use of the word "God" throughout the
book, but they were dead set against any other theological proposition. They would have nothing to do with doctrinal
issues. Spirituality, yes. But religion, no, positively no. Most of our members, they pointed out, believed in some sort of
deity. But when it came to theology we could not possibly agree among ourselves, so how could we write a book that
contained any such matter? There was no such thing as group opinion in these areas and there never could be.
Alcoholics who had tried the missions were forever complaining about this very thing. The alcoholic's unreasoning
rebellion against the specifically religious approach had severely handicapped the missions. The liberals said they did
not intend to be critical; they only wanted us to remember the hard facts. Those contentions could not be denied. It
was true that we could not agree on a religious basis for our fellowship and that the straight religious approach had
worked in relatively few cases."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 162-63

[B]*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"It seems to me that one of the major purposes of the last three Steps is to keep us from complacency, to keep us
growing so that we don't fall back into our old, sick ways and perhaps even into active alcoholism."
West Henrietta, New York, October 2007
"Step Ten: Up Close and Personal,"
Emotional Sobriety II

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We represent no particular faith or denomination. We are dealing only
with general principles common to most denominations."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, Page 93~

"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, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

"We grow by our willingness to face and rectify errors and convert them into assets."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 124 (The Family Afterward)

"Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless assets."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75 (Step Seven)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Our first attempts at inventories are apt to prove very unrealistic. I used to be a champ at unrealistic self-appraisal. On certain occasion, I wanted to look at the part of my life which seemed good. Then I would greatly exaggerate whatever virtues I supposed I had attained. Next I would congratulate myself on the grand job I was doing in A.A.
Naturally this generated a terrible hankering for still more accomplishments, and still more approval. I was falling straight back into the pattern of my drinking days. Here were the same old goals, power, fame, and applause. Besides, I had the best alibi known the spiritual objective made this utter nonsense seem perfectly right.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank You for taking my greatest liabilities and transforming them into my greatest assets.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 13

Step Seven
"Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."
To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of being humble,
to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true freedom of the human spirit,
to be willing to work for humility as something to be desired for itself,
takes most of us a long, long time.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 73

Thought to Ponder . . .
Humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of myself less.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Triumph
"It is only at the moment when a member ceases to drink
that he asserts the right to
describe himself as an alcoholic. . .
What an unthinking world may look upon as defeat,
alcoholics in AA know as a triumph of the spirit,
a triumph of humility over false pride and self-centeredness. How few human beings ever have the courage
to stand up before their neighbors and, in humility,
describing themselves truthfully, to say:
'This is what I really am.' "
1985AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 278

Thought to Consider . . .
Veni, vidi, velcro ... I came, I saw, I stuck around.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A A = Adventurers Anonymous

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Inexplicable
>From "Why? I Don't Know":
"I don't attempt to explain with reason and logic why these things happen. When they happen, I just accept them. I feel perhaps that God, as I understand Him, found it necessary for me to suffer the pain and anguish of an addicted alcoholic and to go through the slow and, for me, difficult program of recovery in A.A. in order to be prepared and willing to do His will. I am grateful and thankful that God has given this to me. Perhaps it is because I take the Third Step every morning. My hopes and prayers are that each day I will be able to maintain this conscious contact with God. Kingsport, Tennessee, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 70

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Nowadays my brain no longer races compulsively in either elation, grandiosity, or depression. I have been given a quiet place in bright sunshine."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., January 1958
"The Next Frontier: Emotional Sobriety"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and
fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We
discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help. Love and tolerance of others is our code."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 84

"Everybody knows that those in bad health, and those who seldom play,
do not laugh much. So let each family play together or separately as
much as their circumstances warrant. We are sure God wants us to be
happy, joyous, and free."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~

"Modem-to-modem or face-to-face, A.A.'s speak the language of the heart in all its power and simplicity."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. xxiv (Foreword to the Fourth Edition)

"Prayer is the raising of the heart and mind to God -- and in this sense it includes meditation."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 102 (Step Eleven)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The idea that somehow, some day, 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.
Alcoholism, not cancer, was my illness, but what was the difference? Was not Alcoholism took longer to do its killing, but the result was the same. So, I decided, if there was a great Physician who could cure the alcoholic sickness, I had better seek Him at once.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, allow me to open my heart to You and my fellows and feel the connection between us.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 14

Turning Points
Every day I stand at turning points.
My thoughts and actions can propel me toward growth or turn me down the road to old habits and to booze.
Sometimes turning points are beginnings,
as when I decide to start praising, instead of condemning someone. . .
At other times turning points are endings,
such as when I see clearly the need to stop festering resentments or crippling self-seeking.
- Daily Reflections, p. 15

Thought to Ponder . . .
May the road always lead where you need to be.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Attitude Adjustment.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Powerless
"I had no problem admitting I was powerless over alcohol,
and I certainly agreed that my life had become
unmanageable.
I had only to reflect on the contrast between the plans I made
so many years ago for my life with what really happened
to know I couldn't manage my life drunk or sober.
AA taught me that willingness to believe
was enough for a beginning."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 550

Thought to Consider . . .
Life didn't end when I got sober ... it started.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A C T I O N = Any Change To Improve Our Natures

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^^*~*~*~*~*

Like the Effect
from: "The Doctor's Opinion"
"Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only normal one. They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks - drinks which they see others taking with impunity. After 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."
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, pages xxviii-xxix

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"By our Twelve Steps we have recovered, by our Twelve Traditions we have unified, and through our Third Legacy -- Service -- we shall carry the AA message down through the corridors of time to come."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., November 1951
"Services Make AA Tick"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

He Sold Himself Short - But he found that there was a Higher Power which had more faith in him than he had in himself. Thus, A.A. was born in Chicago. The day before I was due to go back to Chicago, a Wednesday and Dr. Bob's afternoon off, he had me down to the office and we spent three or four hours formally going through the Six-Step program as it was at that time. The six steps were:
1. Complete deflation.
2. Dependence and guidance from a Higher Power.
3. Moral Inventory.
4. Confession.
5. Restitution.
6. Continued work with other alcoholics.
2001, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 266

"The less people tolerated us, the more we withdrew from society,
from life itself. As we became subjects of King Alcohol, shivering
denizens of his mad realm, the chilling vapor that is loneliness
settled down. It thickened, ever becoming blacker. Some 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, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 151~

“Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 68

“Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding on humble pie, it now begins to mean the nourishing ingredient which can give us serenity.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 74

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Why, at this particular point in history, has God chosen to communicate His healing grace to so many of us? Every aspect of this global unfoldment can be related to a single crucial word. The word is 'communication among ourselves, with the world around us, and with God.
>From the beginning, communication in A.A. 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.

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, help me discover what's most important in my life. Help me learn patience, so that I can devote my resources to the important things."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 15

Complacency
Following the principles laid out in the Big Book has not always been comfortable,
nor will I claim perfection.
I have yet to find a place in the Big Book that says,
"Now that you have completed the Steps; have a nice life."
The program is a plan for a lifetime of daily living.
There have been occasions when the temptation to slack off has won.
I view each of these as learning opportunities.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 317

Thought to Ponder . . .
There are no endings ... only new beginnings.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Paradox
"We Give Away to Keep.
That seems absurd and untrue.
How can you keep anything if you give it away?
But in order to keep whatever it is we get in AA,
we must go about giving it away to others,
for no fees or rewards of any kind.
When we cannot afford to give away what we have
received so freely in AA,
we had better get ready for our next 'drunk.'
It will happen every time.
We've got to continue to give it away in order to keep it."
- The Professor and the Paradox
1955AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous (2nd Ed.), pp. 341-2

Thought to Consider . . .
"We are not living just to be sober;
we are living to learn, to serve, and to love."
As Bill Sees It, p. 94

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E L P = Hope, Encouragement, Love, and Patience

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Attraction
Tradition Eleven: Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
"Let's see how these two contrasting ideas - attraction and promotion - work out. A political party wishes to win an election, so it advertises the virtues of its leadership to draw votes. A worthy charity wants to raise money; forthwith, its letterhead shows the name of every distinguished person whose support can be obtained. 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 A.A. 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."
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 181

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I opened the door and walked into the warmth, the laughter, the acceptance, and the love that is AA. No one asked me who I was or what I wanted; no one asked me how much money I had or what I did for a living; no one asked me where I did my drinking or what my sexual preferences were. The smiling man who greeted me told me that night that if I thought I had a drinking problem, I was in the right place."
Toledo, Ohio, September 1982
"Above All, an Alcoholic"
In Our Own Words: Stories of Young AAs in Recovery

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely,
or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take,
you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be
suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will
conquer."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 44~

"Faith 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, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~

"We have begun to learn tolerance, patience and good will toward all men, even our enemies, for we look on them as sick people."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 70 (How It Works)

"We rest quietly with the thoughts of someone who knows, so that we may experience and learn."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 100 (Step Eleven)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

When our failings generate fear, we then have soul-sickness. This sickness, in turn, generates still more character defects.
Unreasonable fear that our instincts will not be satisfied drives us to covet the possessions of others, to lust for sex and power, to become angry when our instinctive demands are threatened, to be envious when the ambitions of others seem to be realized while ours are not. We eat, drink, and grab for more of everything than we need, fearing we shall never have enough. And, with genuine alarm at the prospect of work, we stay lazy. We loaf and procrastinate, or at best work grudgingly and under half steam.
These fears are the termites that ceaselessly devour the foundations of whatever sort of life we try to build.
As faith grows, so does inner security. The vast underlying fear of nothingness commences to subside. We of A.A. find that our basic antidote for fear is a spiritual awakening.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, allow me to always continue learning.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 16

Freedom
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.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-84

Thought to Ponder . . .
Serenity isn't freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H J F = Happy, Joyous, Free.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Paradox
"We Give Away to Keep.
That seems absurd and untrue.
How can you keep anything if you give it away?
But in order to keep whatever it is we get in AA,
we must go about giving it away to others,
for no fees or rewards of any kind.
When we cannot afford to give away what we have
received so freely in AA,
we had better get ready for our next 'drunk.'
It will happen every time.
We've got to continue to give it away in order to keep it."
- The Professor and the Paradox
1955AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous (2nd Ed.), pp. 341-2

Thought to Consider . . .
"We are not living just to be sober;
we are living to learn, to serve, and to love."
As Bill Sees It, p. 94

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H E L P = Hope, Encouragement, Love, and Patience

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Attraction
Tradition Eleven: Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
"Let's see how these two contrasting ideas - attraction and promotion - work out. A political party wishes to win an election, so it advertises the virtues of its leadership to draw votes. A worthy charity wants to raise money; forthwith, its letterhead shows the name of every distinguished person whose support can be obtained. 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 A.A. 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."
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 181

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Mere change is not necessarily progress."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., October 1945
"The Book Is Born"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely,
or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take,
you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be
suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will
conquer."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 44~

"Faith 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, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~

"We have begun to learn tolerance, patience and good will toward all men, even our enemies, for we look on them as sick people."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 70 (How It Works)

"We rest quietly with the thoughts of someone who knows, so that we may experience and learn."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 100 (Step Eleven)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

You know what our genius for rationalization is. If, to ourselves, we fully justify one slip, then our rationalizing propensities are almost sure to justify another one, perhaps with a different set of excuses. But one justification leads to another and presently we are back on the bottle full-time.' Experience shows, all too often, that even the 'controlled' pill-taker may get out of control. The same crazy rationalizations that once characterized his drinking begin to blight his existence. He thinks that if pills can cure insomnia so may they cure his worry. Our friends the doctors are seldom directly to blame for the dire results we so often experience. It is much too easy for alcoholics to buy these dangerous drugs, and once possessed of them the drinker is often likely to use them without any judgment whatever.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, allow me to always continue learning.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 17

Sponsorship
Every sponsor is necessarily a leader. The stakes are huge.
A human life and usually the happiness of a whole family hang in the balance.
What a sponsor does and says, how well he estimates the reactions of his prospect, . . .
how well he handles criticisms, and how well he leads his prospect on by personal spiritual example --
well, these attributes of leadership can make all the difference,
often the difference between life and death.
- The Language of the Heart, p. 292

Thought to Ponder . . .
My sponsor offers me self-forgetfulness
and kinship with another human being of my own kind.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H E A R T = Healing, Enjoying, And Recovering Together.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Love
"For me, AA is a synthesis of all the philosophy
I've ever read,
all of the positive, good philosophy,
all of it based on love.
I have seen that there is only one law,
the law of love,
and there are only two sins;
the first is to interfere with the growth
of another human being,
and the second is to interfere with one's own growth."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 542

Thought to Consider . . .
When we love, we see in others what we wish to have in ourselves.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H A L T = Hope, Acceptance, Love, Tolerance

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Pass It On
From: "Preface"
"I'll never forget the first time I met Bill Wilson. I was a couple of months sober and so excited, so thrilled to actually meet the co-founder that I gushed all over him with what my sobriety meant to me and my undying gratitude for his starting A.A. When I ran down, he took my hand in his and said simply, Pass it on.
1984, AAWS, Inc., 'Pass It On,' page 7

*~*~*~*~*^Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Self-centeredness is a poison to my emotional system. It frustrates my every effort toward a comfortable and happy existence. A terrible chain reaction begins. Fear sets in. Anger, resentment, and self-pity become my guiding forces. My only escape is to put this awful selfishness aside and become involved with the world around me."
December 1979
"The Root of Our Troubles,"
Emotional Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can
laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness.
Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The 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, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~

"'My old manner of life was by no means a bad one, but I would not
exchange its best moments for the worst I have now. I would not go
back to it even if I could.'"
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 43~

"We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 75 (Into Action)

"We rest quietly with the thoughts of someone who knows, so that we may experience and learn."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 100 (Step Eleven)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

A.A.'s of worldly prominence sometimes say, 'If I tell the public that I am in Alcoholics Anonymous, then that will bring in many others.' Thus they express the belief that our anonymity Tradition is wrong - at least for them. 'They forget that, during their drinking days, prestige and the achievement of worldly ambition were their principal aims. They do not realize that, by breaking anonymity, they are unconsciously pursuing those old and perilous illusions once more. They forget that the keeping of one's anonymity often means a sacrifice of one's desire for power, prestige, and money. They do not see that if these strivings became general in A.A., the course of our whole history would be changed; that we would be sowing the seeds of our own destruction as a society. 'Yet I can happily report that while many of us are tempted - and I have been one - few of us in America actually break our anonymity at the public-media level.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank you for the experience that I have had. I will utilize even my most difficult experiences today by learning and growing from them.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 18

Fundamental
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, p. 55

Thought to Ponder . . .
People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
F A I T H = Found Always In Trusting Him.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Fellowship
"We were still trying to find emotional security
by being dominating or dependent upon others.
Even when our fortunes had not ebbed that much
and we nevertheless found ourselves alone in the world,
we still vainly tried to be secure by some unhealthy
kind of domination or dependence.
For those of us who were like that,
AA had a very special meaning.
Through it we begin to learn right relations
with people who understand us;
we don't have to be alone any more."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 116-17

Thought to Consider . . .
Who we are is God's gift to us.
Who we become is our gift to God.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
Y A N A = You Are Not Alone.

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Good Question
From: "Easy Does It"
"When we find ourselves up-tight and even frantic, we can ask ourselves occasionally, Am I really that indispensable?
or Is this hurry really necessary? What a relief to find the honest answer is frequently no! And such devices actually
serve, in the long run, not only to help us get over the drinking problem and its old ways; they also enable us to become
far more productive, because we conserve and channel our energy better. We arrange priorities more sensibly. We
learn that many actions once considered vital can be eliminated if they are thoughtfully reexamined. How much does it
really matter? is a very good question."
1998, AAWS, Inc., Living Sober, pages 45-46

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Isn't a donation of my time and services just as important as my donation of cash? What if my home group had
money for coffee, rent, and literature, but no one to open the meeting room and make the coffee?"
Manassas, Virginia, July 1992
"AA Needs More Than Just Money,"
AA Grapevine

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Sometimes we hear an alcoholic say that the only thing he needs to
do is to keep sober. Certainly he must keep sober, for there will be
no home if he doesn't. But he is yet a long way from making good to
the wife or parents whom for years he has so shockingly treated."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 82

"Another principle we observe carefully is that we do not relate
intimate experiences of another person unless we are sure he would
approve. We find it better, when possible, to stick to our own
stories. A man may criticize or laugh at himself and it will affect
others favorably, but criticism or ridicule coming from another often
produces the contrary effect."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125

"If you have already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser handicaps, you have made a good beginning."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 71 (How it Works)

"No defect can be corrected unless we clearly see what it is."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 58 (Step Five)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

A very tough-minded prospect was taken to his first A.A. meeting, where two speakers (or maybe lecturers) themed their talks on 'God as I understand Him.' Their attitude oozed arrogance. In fact, the final speaker got far overboard on his personal theological convictions. Both were repeating my performance of years before. Implicit in everything they said was the same idea: 'Folks, listen to us. We have the only true brand of A.A. - and you'd better get it!' The new prospect said he'd had it - and he had. His sponsor protested that this wasn't real A.A. But it was too late, nobody could touch him after that.
I see 'humility for today' as a safe and secure stance midway between violent emotional extremes. It is a quiet place where I can keep enough perspective and enough balance to take my next small step up the clearly marked road that points toward eternal values.

Prayer for the Day: Thank You for allowing me to look deeply into the root of my drinking. Please help me to understand my behavior even more so that I may grow.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 19

Requirements
What if the doors to AA could really be locked against me?
What if it was possible to take away my membership?
Maybe because I hadn't paid my dues, or because I didn't meet some ethical or ethnic standards,
or maybe because I "broke the rules" by going out and getting drunk,
as I have a few times during my long association with the Fellowship?
But then I recall the Preamble, and the Third Tradition . . .
"The only requirement for AA membership," it says, "is a desire to stop drinking."
- The Home Group: Heartbeat Of AA, p. 69

Thought to Ponder . . .
AA is like an adjustable wrench, it fits almost any nut.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = All Accepted.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Sanity
"Few indeed are the practicing alcoholics who have
any idea how irrational they are,
or seeing their irrationality, can bear to face it.
Some will be willing to term themselves 'problem drinkers,'
but cannot endure the suggestion that they are in fact
mentally ill.
They are abetted in this blindness by a world
which does not understand the difference
between sane drinking and alcoholism.
'Sanity' is defined as 'soundness of mind.'
Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior,
whether the destruction fell on the
dining room furniture or his own moral fiber,
can claim 'soundness of mind' for himself."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 32-3

Thought to Consider . . .
If you think you have a problem with alcohol,
you probably do.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
D U E S = Desperately Using Everything but Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Consensus
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"At first they wanted the word 'God' deleted from the book entirely. Henry had come to believe in some sort of 'universal power,' but Jimmy still flabbergasted us by denouncing God at our meetings. Some members had been so angered that they wanted to throw him out of the group. But most of us thought it better to let him talk on, believing that eventually he would change his mind, which he later did. What Henry [P.], Jimmy , and company wanted was a psychological book which would lure the alcoholic in. Once in, the prospect could take God or leave Him alone as he wished. To the rest of us this was a shocking proposal, but happily we listened and eventually learned something of great value. Actually our group conscience was at work to construct the most acceptable and effective book possible. Every voice in it was playing its appointed part to create an outcome that was to be nothing less than providential."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 162-163

[B]*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The part of my job that always catches me off-guard is the palpable jolt of pleasure I get from the little ways to be helpful -- to be of service -- to others, for which they are so genuinely grateful."
York Harbor, Maine, October 2001
"We Get What We Get,"
Emotional Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Most 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."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 19~

"What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 85 (Step Five)

"But also like others, we often discover a greater challenge in the lesser and more continuous problems of life."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 114 (Step Twelve)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

When World War II broke out, our A.A. dependence on a Higher Power had its first major test. A.A.'s entered the services and were scattered all over the world. Would they be able to take discipline, stand up under fire, and endure the monotony and misery of war? Would the kind of dependence they had learned in A.A. carry them through? Well, it did. They had even fewer alcoholic lapses or emotional binges than A.A.'s safe at home did. They were just as capable of endurance and valor as any other soldiers. Whether in Alaska or on the Salerno beachhead, their dependence upon a Higher Power worked. Far from being a weakness, this dependence was their chief source of strength.

Prayer for the Day: May I meet each challenge and unpleasant emotion today with a loving, wise heart.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 20

Instincts
Creation gave us instincts for a purpose. Without them we wouldn't be complete human beings. . .
Yet, these instincts, so necessary for our existence, often far exceed their proper functions. . .
Nearly every serious emotional problem can be seen as a case of misdirected instinct.
When that happens, our great natural assets, the instincts, have turned into physical and mental liabilities.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 42

Thought to Ponder . . .
Once we understand ourselves, the rest of living falls in line.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Attitude Adjustment.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Fear
"Unreasonable fear that our instincts will not be satisfied
drives us to covet the possessions of others,
to lust for sex and power,
to become angry when our instinctive demands
are threatened,
to be envious when the ambitions of others
seem to be realized while ours are not.
We eat, drink, and grab for more of everything than we need,
fearing we shall never have enough.
And with genuine alarm at the prospect of work,
we stay lazy.
We loaf and procrastinate,
or at best work grudgingly and under half steam.
These fears are the termites that ceaselessly devour
the foundations of whatever sort of life we try to build."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 49

Thought to Consider . . .
Fear is a darkroom for developing negatives

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F E A R = Forgetting Everything's All Right

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Wholeness
>From "This Spirit Touch":
"I believe completeness is waiting for anyone who will take the time to make the effort, through quiet thinking, honest
prayer, chosen reading, and exercise. Those are the ingredients. It is an adventure so worthwhile that all else fades in
comparison, yet it makes all else worthwhile. Richmond, Virginia, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 66

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Life is lived moment to moment ... and every moment provides me with an opportunity for growth."
Madison, Wisconsin, November 2010
"Drama Queen,"
Emotional Sobriety II

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"When 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? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or
were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could
pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to drift
into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our
usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God's
forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86~

"Perhaps there is a better way--we think so. For we are now on a
different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We
trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the
world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as
we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us
to match calamity with serenity."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~

"Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God. Our own conception,
however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with Him."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 46 (We Agnostics)

"By their example they showed us that humility and intellect could be compatible, provided we placed humility first.
When we began to do that, we received the gift of faith, a faith which works."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 30 (Step Two)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Any number of alcoholics are bedeviled by the dire conviction that if ever they go near A.A. they will be pressured to conform to some particular brand of faith or theology. They just don't realize that faith is never an imperative for A.A. membership; that sobriety can be achieved with an easily acceptable minimum of it, and that our concepts of a Higher Power and God - as we understand Him - afford everyone a nearly unlimited choice of spiritual belief and action.
In talking to a prospect, stress the spiritual feature freely. If the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can choose any conception he likes, provided it makes sense to him. The main thing is that he be willing to believe in a Power greater than himself and that he live by spiritual principles.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank you for allowing me to have faith even when I don't understand it.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 21

Today
But today is always here. Life is daily; today is all we have;
and anybody can go one day without drinking.
First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober -- and it works.
Once the idea has become a part of our thinking, we find that living life in 24-hour segments
is an effective and satisfying way to handle many other matters as well.
- Living Sober, p. 7

Thought to Ponder . . .
Just for today, I choose not to drink.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S I T = Stay In Today.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Defects
"What we must recognize now is that
we exult in some of our defects.
We really love them.
Who, for example, doesn't like to feel
just a little superior to the next fellow,
or even quite a lot superior?
Isn't it true that we like to let greed masquerade as ambition?
To think of liking lust seems impossible.
But how many men and women speak love with their lips,
and believe what they say,
so they can hide lust in a dark corner of their minds?
And even while staying within conventional bounds,
many people have to admit
that their imaginary sex excursions are apt to be
all dressed up as dreams of romance."
1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 66-7

Thought to Consider . . .
If I want God to remove my character defects,
I'll have to stop doing them.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B A T H = Behavior, Attitude, Thinking, and Habits

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Control the Situation
From: "Bill's Story"
Liquor ceased to be a luxury; it became a necessity. "Bathtub" gin, two bottles a day, and often three, got to be routine. Sometimes a small deal would net a few hundred dollars, and I would pay my bills at the bars and delicatessens. This went on endlessly, and I began to waken very early in the morning shaking violently. A tumbler full of gin followed by half a dozen bottles of beer would be required if I were to eat any breakfast. Nevertheless, I still thought I could control the situation, and there were periods of sobriety which renewed my wife's hope.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 5

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"By the fall of 1937 we could count what looked like forty recovered members. One of us had been sober three years, another two and a half, and a fair number had a year or more behind them. As all of us had been hopeless cases, this amount of time elapsed began to be significant. The realization that we 'had found something' began to take hold of us. No longer were we a dubious experiment. Alcoholics could stay sober."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., October 1945
"The Book Is Born"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"When ready, we say something like this: '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, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 76~

"I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. I saw that
will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental
blank spots. I had never been able to understand people who said
that a problem had them hopelessly defeated. I knew then. It was a
crushing blow."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 42~

"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, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 133~

"We relax and take it easy."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 86 (Into Action)

"His sponsor probably says, 'Take it easy.'"
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 26 (Step Two)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Not all large decisions can be well made by simply listing the pros and cons of a given situation, helpful and necessary as this process is. We cannot always depend on what seems to us to be logical. When there is doubt about our logic, we wait upon God and listen for the voice of intuition. If, in meditation, that voice is persistent enough, we may well gain sufficient confidence to act upon that, rather than upon logic. 'If, after an exercise of these two disciplines, we are still uncertain, then we should ask for further guidance and, when possible, defer important decisions for a time. By then, with more knowledge of our situation, logic and intuition may well agree upon a right course. 'But if the decision must be now, let us not evade it through fear. Right or wrong, we can always profit from the experience.

Prayer for the Day: I pray for the ability to laugh and have fun, to take it easy today, and to not take myself so seriously.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 22

Humility
The attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of AA's Twelve Steps.
For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. . .
Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity,
be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 70

Thought to Ponder . . .
Humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of my self less.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
C H A N G E = Choosing Humility Allows New Gifts and Energy.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Obsession
"Most of us have been unwilling to admit
we were real alcoholics.
No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different
from his fellows.
Therefore, 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 and death.
We learned that we had to fully concede
to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics.
This is the first step to recovery."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 30

Thought to Consider . . .
An obsession:
A persistent, recurring idea
that does not respond to reason.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T R U S T = Try Relying Upon Steps and Traditions

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Almost
Tradition Ten: Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn
into public controversy.
The Washingtonian Society, a movement among alcoholics which started in Baltimore a century ago, almost
discovered the answer to alcoholism. At first, the society was composed entirely of alcoholics trying to help one
another. The early members foresaw that they should dedicate themselves to this sole aim. In many respects, the
Washingtonians were akin to A.A. of today. Their membership passed the hundred thousand mark. Had they been left
to themselves, and had they stuck to their one goal, they might have found the rest of the answer. But this didn't
happen. Instead, the Washingtonians permitted politicians and reformers, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, to use the
society for their own purposes. Abolition of slavery, for example, was a stormy political issue then. Soon,
Washingtonian speakers violently and publicly took sides on this question. Maybe the society could have survived the
abolition controversy, but it didn't have a chance from the moment it determined to reform America's drinking habits.
When the Washingtonians became temperance crusaders, within a very few years they had completely lost their
effectiveness in helping alcoholics.
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 178

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I still don't know much about heaven, but I've learned some valuable lessons about life on earth."
December 1979
"The Root of Our Troubles,"
Emotional Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time
to outgrow that serious handicap."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~

"I have seen hundreds of families set their feet in the path that
really goes somewhere; have seen the most impossible domestic
situations righted; feuds and bitterness of all sorts wiped out. I
have seen men come out of asylums and resume a vital place in the
lives of their families and communities. Business and professional
men have regained their standing. There is scarcely any form of
trouble and misery which has not been overcome among us."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, Page 15~

“The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 98

“Some people are unable to stay sober at all; others will relapse periodically until they really clean house.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 56

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Gradually we began to be able to accept the other fellow's sins as well as his virtues. We coined the potent and meaningful expression 'Let us always love the best in others - and never fear their worst.'
Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently wrong. When this happens, we approach true tolerance and we see what real love for our fellows actually means.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, let me work in Your will today, on Your time.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 23

A New Life
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 of us dies, and another life of us lives.
We in AA die to live.
- Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 156

Thought to Ponder . . .
Life will take on new meaning.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A A = Always Alive.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Ambition
" . . . the certainty that we are no longer isolated
in self-constructed prisons,
the surety that we need no longer be
square pegs in round holes
but can fit and belong in God's scheme of things -
these are the permanent and legitimate satisfactions of
right living for which no amount of pomp and
circumstance,
no heap of material possessions,
could possibly be substitutes.
True ambition is not what we thought it was.
True ambition is the deep desire
to live usefully and walk humbly under
the grace of God."
1953AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pp. 124-5

Thought to Consider . . .
The mighty oak tree was once a little nut
that held its ground.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
F I T = Faith, Intuition, and Trust

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Small Miracles
From: "A Late Start"
Small miracles keep offering new opportunities just when I need change and growth. New friends have shown me hidden truths in those sayings that I once found so shallow. The lessons of tolerance and acceptance have taught me to look beyond exterior appearances to find the help and wisdom so often lurking beneath the surface. All my sobriety and growth, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, are dependent upon my willingness to listen, understand, and change.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 542

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"A large part of my recovery has been in learning how not to listen to myself."
Tucson, Arizona, March 1988
"The Work at Hand,"
Emotional Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us
a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is
indescribably wonderful."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 17~

"Now and then the family will be plagued by spectres from the past,
for the drinking career of almost every alcoholic has been marked by
escapades, funny, humiliating, shameful or tragic. The first impulse
will be to bury these skeletons in a dark closet and padlock the
door. The family may be possessed by the idea that future happiness
can be based only upon forgetfulness of the past. We think that such
a view is self-centered and in direct conflict with the new way of
living."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 123~

“If he is to find God, the desire must come from within.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 95

“Calm, thoughtful reflection upon personal relations can deepen our insight.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 80

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Since most of us are born with an abundance of natural desires, it isn't strange that we often let these far exceed their intended purpose. When they drive us blindly, or we willfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactions or pleasures than are possible or due us, that is the point at which we depart from the degree of perfection that God wishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of our character defects, or, if you wish, of our sins.
If 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.

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, help me live in accordance with spiritual principles. Only then can I approve of myself."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 24

Helping Others
We realize now that we were excessively self-centered,
chiefly concerned about our feelings, our problems, other people's reactions to us,
and our own past and future.
Therefore, trying to get into communication with and help other people is a recovery measure for us,
because it helps take us out of ourselves.
Trying to heal ourselves by helping others works, even when it is an insincere gesture.
Try it some time.
- Living Sober, p. 85

Thought to Ponder . . .
Trust God. Clean house. Help others.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
E S H = Experience, Strength and Hope.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Self-will
"The first requirement is that we be convinced
that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success.
On that basis we are almost always
in collision with something or somebody,
even though our motives are good.
Most people try to live by self-propulsion.
Each person is like an actor who wants
to run the whole show;
is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet,
the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way.
If his arrangements would only stay put,
if only people would do as he wished,
the show would be great.
Everybody, including himself, would be pleased.
Life would be wonderful."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 60-1

Thought to Consider . . .
It's not making a mistake that will kill me.
It's defending it that does the damage.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
N U T S = Not Using The Steps

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Orderly Transfer
From: "When AA Came of Age"
The full attendance of thousands of A.A.s at St. Louis, representing an accurate cross-section of A.A. opinion, now sat
in convention before us. On the auditorium stage was the Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous, about a
hundred men and women who were the named and chosen representatives of the whole fellowship. The Conference,
having completed the fifth year of its experimental period with a record of high success, was no longer an experiment.
It was the instrument destined to become the heart of A.A.'s Third Legacy of Service and the whole of A.A.'s
conscience, world-wide.
In the simple ceremony that followed, I offered a resolution to the effect that our society should now take its affairs into
its own hands and that its Conference ought to become the permanent successor to the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Amid a roar of acclamation from the floor, the Convention carried that resolution. There was silence, and then we
heard chairman Smith offer the resolution to the Conference for its confirmation. A simple show of hands expressed
the consent of the Conference and marked the exact moment when A.A. came of age. It was four o'clock. [July 3, 1955]
1985, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, page 47

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Sobriety is a constant process of uncovering, discovering, and discarding."
Craig, Colorado, January 1997
"Paying the Price for Improvement,"
Emotional Sobriety II

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Actually 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, 3rd Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 55

"We have three little mottoes which are apropos.
Here they are:
First Things First
Live and Let Live
Easy Does It."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 135~

"An illness of this sort—and we have come to believe it an
illness—involves those about us in a way no other human sickness can.
If a person has cancer all are sorry for him and no one is angry or
hurt. But not so with the alcoholic illness, for with it there goes
annihilation of all the things worth while in life."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 18~

“If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we
will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 70

“If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 65

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

I used to take comfort from an exaggerated belief in my own honesty. My New England kinfolk had taught me the sanctity of all business commitments and contracts, saying, 'A man's word is his bond.' After this rigorous conditioning, business honesty always came easy; I never flim-flammed anyone.
However, this small fragment of readily won virtue did produce some interesting liabilities. 1 never failed to whip up a fine contempt for those of my fellow Wall Streeters who were prone to shortchange their customers. This was arrogant enough, but the ensuing self-deception proved even worse.
My prized business honesty was presently converted into a comfortable cloak under which I could hide the many serious flaws that beset other departments of my life. Being certain of this one virtue, it was easy to conclude that I had them all. For years on end, this prevented me from taking a good look at myself.

Prayer for the Day: "Mistakes aren't tragedies. But please, Higher Power, help me learn from them!"

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 25

Expectations
Peace is possible for me only when I let go of expectations.
When I am trapped in thoughts about what I want and what should be coming to me,
I'm in a state of fear or anxious anticipation and this is not conducive to emotional sobriety.
I must surrender -- over and over -- to my dependence on God,
for then I find peace, gratitude and spiritual security.
- Daily Reflections, p. 197

Thought to Ponder . . .
My disappointments are equal to my expectations.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
K I S S = Keep It Simple; Surrender.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

New Life
"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 a 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."
1955AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, 2nd edition., pp. 341-2

Thought to Consider . . .
Life didn't end when I got sober -- it started.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
T H I N K = The Happiness I Never Knew

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Accept My Humanness
From: "A Nourishing Ingredient
Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding on humble pie, it now begins to mean the nourishing ingredient
which can give us serenity.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 74
How often do I focus on my problems and frustrations? When I am having a "good day" these same problems shrink in
importance and my preoccupation with them dwindles. Wouldn't it be better if I could find a key to unlock the "magic" of
my "good days" for use on the woes of my "bad days"?
I already have the solution! Instead of trying to run away from my pain and wish my problems away, I can pray for
humility! Humility will heal the pain. Humility will take me out of myself. Humility, that strength granted to me by that
"power greater than myself," is mine for the asking! Humility will bring balance back into my life. Humility will allow me
to accept my humanness joyously.
1990, AAWS, Inc., Daily Reflections, page 204

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"I did not know what real happiness was when I came through the doors of AA. I needed someone to teach me."
One On One: AA Sponsorship in Action
Greensboro, North Carolina, May 2003
"Shopping for a Sponsor,"

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"On 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. Under these conditions we
can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God
gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much
higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86~

"Liquor ceased to be a luxury; it became a necessity."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 5~

“Patience and good temper are most necessary.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 111

“Could we then foresee that troublesome people were to become our principal teachers of patience and tolerance?”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 141

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

While praying sincerely, we still may fall into temptation. We form ideas as to what we think God's will is for other
people. We say to ourselves, 'This one ought to be cured of his fatal malady' or 'That one ought to be relieved of his
emotional pain,' and we pray for these specific things.
Such prayers, of course, are fundamentally good acts, but often they are based upon a supposition that we know
God's will for the person for whom we pray. This means that side by side with an earnest prayer there can be a certain
amount of presumption and conceit in us.
It is A.A.'s experience that particularly in these cases we ought to pray that God's will, whatever it is, be done for others
as well as for ourselves.

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, grant me the wisdom to know the difference between what can be changed and what I must accept. Please help me gratefully accept the life I've been given."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 26

Emotional Sobriety
Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for top approval, perfect security, and perfect romance
-- urges quite appropriate to age seventeen -- prove to be an impossible way of life when we are at age forty-seven or fifty-seven.
Since AA began, I've taken immense wallops in all these areas because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually.
My God, how painful it is to keep demanding the impossible, and how very painful to discover, finally,
that all along we have had the cart before the horse!
- The Language of the Heart, p. 236

Thought to Ponder . . .
Spiritual and emotional growth does not depend so much upon success as it does upon failures and setbacks.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A G O = Another Growth Opportunity.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

The Gift
"When asked, 'Are there any conditions?'
we joyfully reply, 'No, not a one.'
When skeptically he comes back saying,
'But certainly there must be things
that I have to do and believe,' we quickly answer,
'In Alcoholics Anonymous there are no musts.'
Cynically, perhaps, he then inquires,
'What is all this going to cost me?'
We are able to laugh and say,
'Nothing at all, there are no fees and dues.'
Thus, in a brief hour, is our friend disarmed
of his suspicion and rebellion . . .
Alcoholics Anonymous is saying,
'We have something precious to give,
if only you will receive.'
That is all."
Bill W., February 1948
1988AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 79

Thought to Consider . . .
Sobriety is a gift, not a right

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
G I F T S = Getting It From The Steps

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Stories
>From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"We had not gone much farther with the text of the book when it was evident that something more was needed. There would have to be a story or case history section. We would have to produce evidence in the form of living proof, written testimonials of our membership itself. It was felt also that the story section could identify us with the distant reader in a way that the text itself might not. At this point Dr. Bob and the Akronites played a vital role. The Akron group was the larger and had more case history material, and the means of putting it into story form now appeared. Two years earlier a former newspaperman, Jim S., had been lifted off skid row and nursed back to health and sobriety. Jim and Dr. Bob went after all the Akronites who had substantial sobriety records for testimonial material. In most cases Jim interviewed the prospects and wrote their stories for them. Dr. Bob wrote his own. By January the Akronites had produced eighteen fine stories."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 164

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"My local meetings are big on this spot-check reminder: you get what you get; it's what you do with it that counts."
York Harbor, Maine, October 2001
"We Get What We Get,"
Emotional Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"We think it no concern of ours what religious bodies our members
identify themselves with as individuals. This should be an entirely
personal affair which each one decides for himself in the light of
past associations, or his present choice."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, There Is A Solution, pg. 28

"To sum up about sex: We earnestly pray for the right ideal, for
guidance in each questionable situation, for sanity, and for the
strength to do the right thing. If sex is very troublesome, we throw
ourselves the harder into helping others. We think of their needs
and work for them. This takes us out of ourselves. It quiets the
imperious urge, when to yield would mean heartache."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 70~

“If we were to live, we had to be free of anger.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 66

“We had to see that when we harbored grudges and planned revenge for such defeats, we were really beating ourselves with the club of anger we had intended to use on others.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 47

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

It seems proved that A.A. can stand on its own feet anywhere and under any conditions. It has outgrown any dependence it might once have had upon the personalities or efforts of a few of the older members like me. New, able, and vigorous people keep coming to the surface, turning up where they are needed. Besides, A.A. has reached enough spiritual maturity to know that its final dependence is upon God.'
Clearly, our first duty to A.A.'s future is to maintain in full strength what we now have. Only the most vigilant caretaking can assure this. Never should we be lulled into complacent self-satisfaction by the wide acclaim and success that are everywhere ours. This is the subtle temptation which could render us stagnant today, perchance disintegrate us tomorrow. We have always rallied to meet and transcend failure and crisis. Problems have been our stimulants. How well, though, shall we be able to meet the problems of success?

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, help me discover what's most important in my life. Help me learn patience, so that I can devote my resources to the important things."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 27

How It Works
Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. . . .
If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it
-- then you are ready to take certain steps.
At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not.
With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58

Thought to Ponder . . .
It works -- it really does.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Way of Life
"The AA way of life is the way we always
should have tried to live.
'Grant us the serenity to accept the things
we cannot change,
courage to change the things we can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.'
These thoughts become part of our daily lives.
They are not ideas of resignation
but of the recognition of certain
basic facts of living."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 382-3

Thought to Consider . . .
Every day is a gift.
That is why we call it the present.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B E S T = Been Enjoying Sobriety Today?

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Progress
>From "A Glacier Melts":
"A.A. provided for me a means by which I could overcome the compulsion to drink and, more important, a means by
which I could achieve a personality change or spiritual awakening--- a surrender to life. Though I have had problems
and deep troubles since that summer ten years ago, my faith has not been shaken. I cannot say that I have found God
as I understand Him, but rather that I have faith in Something which remains a mystery to me and which I continue to
seek. - Fresno, California, USA"
1973 AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 59

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The great art of living is to make the best of things as they are."
Cumbria, June 1975
"The Great Art of Living,"
Emotional Sobriety II

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. We shouldn't be shy on this matter of prayer. Better men than we are
using it constantly."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85

“We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 75

“Prayer is the raising of the heart and mind to God – and in this sense it includes meditation.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 102

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

We were squarely confronted with the question of faith. We couldn't duck the issue. Some of us had already walked
along the bridge of reason toward the desired shore of faith, where friendly hands stretched out in welcome. We were
grateful that reason had brought us so far. But, somehow, we couldn't quite step ashore. Perhaps we had been relying
too heavily on reason that last mile, and we did not like to lose our support.
Yet, without knowing it, had we not been brought to where we stood by a certain kind of faith? For did we not believe in
our own reasoning? Did we not have confidence in our ability to think? What was that but a sort of faith? Yes, we had
been faithful, abjectly faithful to the god of reason. So, in one way or another, we discovered that faith had been
involved all the time!

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, help me serve other people, not demand that they serve me."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 28

The Ladder
No one who drank as I did wakes up on the edge of the abyss one morning and says:
Things look pretty scary; I think I'd better stop drinking before I fall in.
I was convinced I could go as far as I wanted, and then climb back out when it wasn't fun anymore.
What happened was, I found myself at the bottom of the canyon thinking I'd never see the sun again.
AA didn't pull me out of that hole.
It did give me the tools to construct a ladder, with Twelve Steps.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 316

Thought to Ponder . . .
The elevator is broken -- use the Steps.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S T E P S = Solutions Through Each Powerful Step.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Trouble
"There was a time when we ignored trouble,
hoping it would go away.
Or, in fear and depression, we ran from it,
but found it was still with us.
Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame,
we fought back.
These mistaken attitudes, powered by alcohol,
guaranteed our destruction,
unless they were altered. . .
Then came AA.
Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could,
under God's grace,
be converted into unimaginable blessings."
Bill W., Letter, 1966
1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It, p. 110

Thought to Consider . . .
The peaks and valleys of my life
have become gentle rolling hills.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S O B E R = Son Of a Basket, Everything's Real

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~* ~*

Why?
From: "There Is A Solution"
Why does he behave like this? If hundreds of experiences have shown him that one drink means another debacle with all its attendant suffering and humiliation, why is it he takes that one drink? Why can't he stay on the water wagon? What has become of the common sense and will power that he still sometimes displays with respect to other matters?
Perhaps there never will be a full answer to these questions. Opinions vary considerably as to why the alcoholic reacts differently from normal people. We are not sure why, once a certain point is reached, little can be done for him. We cannot answer the riddle.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 22

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Every older AA shudders when he remembers the names of persons he once condemned; people he confidently predicted would never sober up; persons he was sure ought to be thrown out of AA for the good of the movement. Now that some of these very persons have been sober for years, and may be numbered among his best friends, the old-timer thinks to himself, 'What if everybody had judged these people as I once did? What if AA had slammed the door in their faces? Where would they be now?'"
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., August 1946
"Who Is a Member of Alcoholics Anonymous?"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Now we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the
past. We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out
of our effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we
haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember it was
agreed at the beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over
alcohol."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg.76~

"Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect
produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they
admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the
true from the false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only
normal one. They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless
they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes
at once by taking a few drinks—drinks which they see others
taking with impunity."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Doctor's Opinion, pg. xxviii~

“In that state, the wrong-doing of others, fancied or real, had power to actually kill.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 66

“This improved perception of humility starts another revolutionary change in our outlook.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 74

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

It was discovered that when one alcoholic had planted in the mind of another the true nature of his malady, that person could never be the same again. Following every spree, he would say to himself, Maybe those A.A.'s were right. After a few such experiences, often before the onset of extreme difficulties, he would return to us convinced.
In the first years, those of us who sobered up in A.A. had been grim and utterly hopeless cases. But then we began to have success with milder alcoholics and even some potential alcoholics. Younger folks appeared. Lots of people turned up who still had jobs, homes, health, and even good social standing.
Of course, it was necessary for these newcomers to hit bottom emotionally. But they did not have to hit every possible bottom in order to admit that they were licked.

Prayer for the Day: "Higher Power, help me bend with life's wind and glory in its passing. Free me from rigidity."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 29

Honesty
I know the biggest word for me in AA is "honesty."
I don't believe this program would work for me if I didn't get honest with myself about everything.
Honesty is the easiest word for me to understand because it is the exact opposite of what I've been doing all my life.
Therefore, it will be the hardest to work on.
But I will never be totally honest -- that would make me perfect, and none of us can claim to be perfect.
Only God is.
- Experience, Strength and Hope, pp. 400-401

Thought to Ponder . . .
Honesty is the absence of the intent to deceive.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
O D A A T = One Day At A Time.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Courage
"We never apologize to anyone
for depending upon our Creator.
We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness.
Paradoxically, it is the way of strength.
The 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."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 68

Thought to Consider . . .
The peaks and valleys of my life
have become gentle rolling hills.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S O B E R = Son Of a Basket, Everything's Real

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Spirit of Service
Tradition Nine: A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly
responsible to those they serve.
A.A. has to function, but at the same time it must avoid those dangers of great wealth, prestige, and entrenched power
which necessarily tempt other societies. Though Tradition Nine at first sight seems to deal with a purely practical
matter, in its actual operation it discloses a society without organization, animated only by the spirit of service - a true fellowship.
1981, AAWS, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 175

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Every day, every meeting, there's something more to learn."
Arlington, Virginia, October 1997
"Chair Master,"
Emotional Sobriety II

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Abandon 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."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, A Vision For You, pg. 164

"My drinking assumed more serious proportions, continuing all day and
almost every night. The remonstrances of my friends terminated in a
row and I became a lone wolf."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 3~

“Admitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure that other people are more to blame.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 61

“Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word ”blame” from our speech and thought.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 47

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

At Step Three, many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: 'God, I offer myself to Thee - to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that my transcendence over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy power, Thy love, and Thy way of life. May I do Thy will always!'
We thought well before taking this Step, making sure we were ready. Then we could commence to abandon ourselves utterly to Him.

Prayer for the Day: "God, I admit my powerlessness and the unmanageability of my life. Help me live with others as an equal, dependent upon you for direction and strength."

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 30

Growing Up in AA
Life is meant to be lived by facing the challenges it brings. Otherwise, I'm not living, just existing.
God didn't give me this gift of sobriety to sit in a rocking chair,
imagining myself as some old wise woman who has arrived somewhere.
There is no easier, softer way.
- The Best Of The Grapevine [Vol.3], p. 320

Thought to Ponder . . .
Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional, growing spiritually is up to me.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
G R O W T H = God Reveals Other Wways To Heal.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Daybreak
"On 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.
Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties
with assurance,
for after all God gave us brains to use.
Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane
when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 86

Thought to Consider . . .
At first, I thought the "God thing" was a crutch.
Turns out to be stilts.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A S A P = Always Say A Prayer

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Friendship and Respect
From: "Another Chance"
Since I have been in A.A., I have more friends than I ever had in my life - friends who care about me and my welfare, friends who don't care that I am black and that I have been in prison. All they care about is that I am a human being and that I want to stay sober. Since I've been home, I have been able to gain the respect of my two sons again.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 534

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"The alcoholic is in no greater peril than when he takes his sobriety for granted."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., November 1949
"A Suggestion for Thanksgiving"
The Language of the Heart

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"...I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do
with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and
direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was
nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and
became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and
branch."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 13~

"As each member of a resentful family begins to see his shortcomings
and admits them to the others, he lays a basis for helpful discussion. These
family talks will be constructive if they can be carried on without heated
argument, self-pity, self-justification or resentful criticism."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 127~

"The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 17 (There is a Solution)

"So why shouldn't we share our way of life with everyone?"
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 156 (Tradition Six)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

We saw we needn't always be bludgeoned and beaten into humility. It could come quite as much from our voluntary reaching for it as it could from unremitting suffering.
We first reach for a little humility, knowing that we shall perish of alcoholism if we do not. After a time, though we may still rebel somewhat, we commence to practice humility because this is the right thing to do. Then comes the day when, finally freed in large degree from rebellion, we practice humility because we deeply want it as a way of life.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, thank You for all that You have given me to share with my fellows.

[bluidkiti]

AA Thought for the Day

July 31

Fear
When I face a fear, I am given courage; when I support a brother or sister,
my capacity to love myself is increased;
when I accept pain as part of the growing experience of life, I realize a greater happiness;
when I look at my dark side, I am brought into new light;
when I accept my vulnerability and surrender to a Higher Power,
I am graced with unforeseen strength.
- Daily Reflections, p. 62

Thought to Ponder . . .
A fear faced is a fear erased.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
F E A R = Face Everything And Recover.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

Half Measures
"Remember that we deal with alcohol -
cunning, baffling, powerful!
Without help, it is too much for us.
But there is One who has all power -
that One is God.
May you find him now.
Half measures availed us nothing.
We stood at the turning point.
We asked His protection and care
with complete abandon."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 58-9

Thought to Consider . . .
Take a walk with God.
He will meet you at the Steps.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
B O G G L E = Bad Or Good, God Loves Everyone

*~*~*~*~*^Just For Today!^*~*~*~*~*

Out of Self
From: "Trying the Twelve Steps"
It may be that problem drinking is, indeed, as some psychological experts say, an ailment characterized especially by egocentricity. Not all alcoholics are egotistical, although many of us have learned to see that tendency in ourselves. Others of us felt inferior most of the time; we felt equal or superior to other people only when drinking.
No matter which type we were, we realize now that we were excessively self-centered, chiefly concerned about our feelings, our problems, other people's reactions to us, and our own past and future. Therefore, trying to get into communication with and to help other people is a recovery measure for us, because it helps take us out of ourselves. Trying to heal ourselves by helping others works, even when it is an insincere gesture. Try it some time.
1975, AAWS, Inc., Living Sober, page 84

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"Sometimes, the only place on earth that makes any sense to me is a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous."
December 1979
"The Root of Our Troubles,"
Emotional Sobriety

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all
you can about him. If he does not want to stop drinking, don't
waste time trying to persuade him. You may spoil a later opportunity."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 90

"We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action."
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 17 (There is a Solution)

"Like all the remaining Steps, Step Three calls for affirmative action, for it is only by action that we can cut away the self-will which has always blocked the entry of God -- or, if you like, a Higher Power -- into our lives."
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 34 (Step Three)

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Your prospect's religious education and training may be far superior to yours. In that case, he is going to wonder how you can add anything to what he already knows.
But he will be curious to learn why his convictions have not worked and why yours seem to work so well. He may be an example of the truth that faith alone is insufficient. To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self-sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.
Admit that he probably knows more about religion than you do, but remind him that, however deep his faith and knowledge, these qualities could not have served him very well, or he would not be asking your help.
Dr. Bob did not need me for his spiritual instruction. He had already had more of that than I. What he did need, when we first met, was the deflation at depth and the understanding that only one drunk can give to another. What I needed was the humility of self-forgetfulness and the kinship with another human being of my own kind.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, allow me to take action to help my fellows today. Remove my selfishness and self-seeking so that I may become interested in the needs of others.