AA Thoughts For Today - May

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AA Thought for the Day

May 15

Surrender
When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands
were better than anything we could have planned.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 100

Thought to Ponder . . .
Letting go is a process, not an event.

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

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

Conflict
"My conflicts went right on mounting
because I was simply loaded with excuses and refusals.
When these troubles had finally exhausted me enough,
there was yet another escape.
I would commence to wallow in the bog of guilt.
Here pride and rebellion would give way to depression.
My main theme always was, 'How god-awful I am.'
There was never a decent regret for the harms I had done,
nor was there any serious thought of making such
restitution as I could.
The idea of asking God's forgiveness,
let alone any forgiveness of myself,
never occurred to me.
My really big liability - spiritual pride and arrogance-
was not examined at all.
I had shut out the light by which I might have seen it."
Bill W., The Language of the Heart, p. 257-8

Thought to Consider . . .
Simply asking for help seems to be a help in itself.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
HOW
Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness: that's how we do it

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

Disease
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"We know of course that the alcoholic is a sick person. That is a very simple phrase. It is today a phrase that is widely
and generally accepted, and yet you and I know that it was not so long ago that the alcoholic was regarded as a
nuisance, a pest, a person who could snap out of it if he really wanted to. He was regarded as a spoiled brat and a no-
good. Today we know that he is an individual who is sick, and we know that he is sick in an area of which our
understanding is perhaps the least of any area in medicine, namely, illness of the emotions. “ Dr. W.W. Bauer, 1955"
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 239

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

"During days and nights of darkness as I face the demons of self, the knowledge that my God is always in charge keeps
me trudging to the end of each journey. With God, AA, and willingness I can meet the other me and begin putting my
fractured self together again."
Cleveland, Ohio, February 1993
"Facing the Truth,"
AA Grapevine

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

"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. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative
Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of
things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and
direction, provided we took other simple steps."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 46~

"Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction
of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of
Light who presides over us all."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 14~

During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the change in our attitude toward God.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 75

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Victory in Defeat
Convinced I never could belong, and vowing I'd never settle for any second-rate status, I felt I simply had to dominate in
everything I chose to do: work or play. As this attractive formula for the good life began to succeed, according to my
then specifications of success, I became deliriously happy.
But when an undertaking occasionally did fail, I was filled with resentment and depression that could be cured only by
the next triumph. Very early, therefore, I came to value everything in terms of victory or defeat--'all or nothing.' The only
satisfaction I knew was to win.
Only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal
powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built.
1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1962
2. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 21

Prayer For The Day: Loving Lord, inspire me to bring out the best in others and “touch hearts” by being welcoming and generous and always positive in attitude, showing individuals that they matter and are important. May those who are part of my life this day treat me in the same way as I treat them. Amen.