AA Thoughts For Today - August

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AA Thought for the Day

August 27

Change
In one form or another, many of my character defects appear daily:
self-condemnation, anger, running away, being prideful, wanting to get even,
or acting out of grandiosity.
Attempting half measures to eliminate these defects merely paralyzes my efforts to change.
It is only when I ask God for help, with complete abandon, then I become willing -- and able -- to change.
Daily Reflections, p. 15

Thought to Ponder . . .
If nothing changes, nothing changes.

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

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

Vision
"Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates,
both for the immediate and for the more distant future.
Some might feel this sort of striving to be a sort of heresy,
because we AA's are constantly telling ourselves,
'One day at a time.'
But that valuable principle really refers to our
mental and emotional lives and means chiefly
that we are not foolishly to repine over the past
nor wishfully to day-dream about the future. . .
Vision is therefore the very essence of prudence,
an essential virtue if ever there was one."
Bill W., 1962
1962AAWS, Twelve Concepts for World Service, 26th Printing, p. 40

Thought to Consider . . .
The road to recovery is always under construction.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
O D A A T = One Day At A Time

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

All I Could Think Of
From: "A Vision of Recovery"
While in a juvenile detention center about 500 miles from my home, I received word that my mother was dying of
cancer. I was able to get a pass and return home to spend time with her. One evening my family asked me if I would
stay home with my mother and give her the medicine she was required to take. I had already had a few drinks and was
anxious to get out and party with my friends, but I reluctantly agreed to stay. Self-pity set in, and all I could think of was
the good time I could have been having. I got very impatient with my mother, and when she refused to take her
medicine, I almost forced it into her mouth; then I left to join my friends. The next morning I woke up in county jail, about
100 miles from home. I had attempted a break-and-enter, and was caught by the police.
That very evening, as I sat in jail, my mother died.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 495-496

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

"In the fear of accumulated wealth and bureaucracy, we should not discover an alibi for failure to pay AA's legitimate
service expenses. For fear of controversy, our leadership should not go timid when lively debate and forthright action is a necessity."
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965
"Responsibility Is Our Theme"
The Language of the Heart

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

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~

"We commenced to make many fast friends and a fellowship has grown
up among us of which it is a wonderful thing to feel a part. The joy
of living we really have, even under pressure and difficulty."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Bill's Story, pg. 15~

“To get over drinking will require a transformation of thought and attitude.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 143

“Everywhere we saw failure and misery transformed by humility into priceless assets.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 75

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Men who cry for money and shelter as a condition of their sobriety are on the wrong track. Yet we sometimes do
provide a new prospect with these very things - when it becomes clear that he is willing to place his recovery first.
It is not whether we shall give that is the question, but when and how to give. Whenever we put our work on a material
plane, the alcoholic commences to rely upon alms rather than upon a Higher Power and the A.A. group. He continues
to insist that he cannot master alcohol until his material needs are cared for.
Nonsense! Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: that, job or no job, wife or no wife, we simply do
not stop drinking so long as we place material dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God.

Prayer for the Day: God, Help me to stop and remember that I've made a decision to let You be my God. Give me the right thoughts and actions. God save me from fear, anger, worry, self-pity or foolish decisions that Your will not mine be done.