Reflections For Every Day - August
 

August 5

Today's Thought:

I told my sponsor I'd never do any of the amends ... that changing my attitudes and behaviors was just going to have to do. Wrong! She laughed at me and said I'd do just fine if I relaxed and waited for opportunities to pop up.

Submitted By:

Rose

August 6

Today's Thought:

No one gives up their religious freedom when they walk into a 12 step meeting, and no one asks them to either. We just share what worked for us.

Submitted By:

Buddy

August 7

Today's Thought:

The program has given me so many blessings in my life, just the ability and the humility to recognize when I am being self-righteous is a gift. I never could when I was drinking.

Submitted By:

Becky

August 8

Today's Thought:

I did not even take the time to write it down. I just hunted people down and apologized ... sincerely to them. I found it impossible to not immediately apologize to all of those I could find on my list as soon as I could get in touch with them.

Submitted By:

Mascot

August 9

Today's Thought:

Hearing others share their experience gave real life examples of what they were going through. They shared how they found solutions through working the steps and pointed out excerpts in the Big Book that guided them to those solutions. And, finally the hope of staying sober one day at a time, the happy, peaceful and productive days I had to look forward to if I just didn't drink that day.

Submitted By:

August 10

Today's Thought:

The tough part for me on the fourth step is just recognizing and accepting things and then understanding that I have to change myself. This is character building. I have learned too that God places me in circumstances and places that will challenge me to change the way I handle those circumstances.

Submitted By:

Carolyn

August 11

Today's Thought:

Well, because I didn't take it "seriously." I turned from an "entry level" alcoholic into a "professional" alcoholic. I do attend meetings now. I work the 12 steps. I spoke three times in my first meetings and all I want to say it "Thank God" for sobriety

Submitted By:

George

August 12

My sponsor and I are not close friends. We do nothing together but 12 step meetings and 12 step work. We are almost completely opposite. We do not travel in the same circles. We are of very different ages and backgrounds. The only things we have in common are the 12 steps, we are both women, and we live in the same town. I am starting to like her as I get to know her better, but the only thing I knew about her when I asked her to help me is that she had something I wanted.

Submitted By:

Mascot

August 13

Today's Thought:

If the disease concept doesn't work for you, let it go. No one says you have to believe anything. More importantly, I have found that the 'whys' of my drinking were interesting, but irrelevant. What I needed was some practical tools for permanent sobriety. That I found in the 12 steps.

Submitted By:

Oaktree

August 14

Today's Thought:

I see a character strength I truly admire in someone else. I'd like to have it for my own. I have no foggy clue what it feels like nor looks like to act in that manner. So? I act as if I already have that strength and see how it works. In time, it'll either be discarded or become part of me. The belief has now followed the act.

Submitted By:

Rose

August 15

Today's Thought:

It's okay today for me to make one decision and if it turns out the be the wrong one back up and apply the Step 10 principle and admit it was wrong and get it right the next time. Just for today I don't have to be perfect.

Submitted By:

Buddy

August 16

Today's Thought:

I halfheartedly started working the steps, pretty much because I didn't know what else to do, and somewhere along the line it hit me: I was an alcoholic, just like everyone else in AA. The fact that I hid it well didn't change the facts.

Submitted By:

Claire

August 17

Today's Thought:

My sponsor reminded me more than once, "You have no guilt or glory in someone else's sobriety". In other words, I can't get a person drunk nor can I get them sober.

Submitted By:

Magic

August 18

Today's Thought:

Friendship is fine, however, sponsorship is another thing. I can sponsor some people and never be friends with them. On the other hand I have life long friends that I have sponsored.

Submitted By:

Richard

August 19

Today's Thought:

The first step has always been the one that I have always looked at as my favorite. It was the first time I was ever honest with me or anyone else. When I did look at that step, I thought, gee how simple, how come I never thought about that?

Submitted By:

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