“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, Second Edition, p. 341

Thought to Consider . . .

I keep my sobriety by giving it away.

AACRONYMS

H O P E = Helping Other People Every day.

Just For Today!

Simple Beauty

From “A Prayer for All Seasons:”

“The power of [The Serenity Prayer] is overwhelming in that its simple beauty parallels the A.A. Fellowship.  There are times when I get stuck while reciting it, but if I examine the section which is troubling me, I find the answer to my problem….By accepting life as it is, I gain serenity.  By taking action, I gain courage and I thank God for the ability
to distinguish between those situations I can work on, and those I must turn over.  All that I have now is a gift from God: my life, my usefulness, my contentment, and this program.

“Alcoholics Anonymous IS the easier, softer way.”

1990, Daily Reflections, page 221

Daily Reflections
RIGHTING THE HARM

In many instances we shall find that though the harm done others has
not been great, the emotional harm we have done ourselves has.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 79

Have you ever thought that the harm you did a business associate,
or perhaps a family member, was so slight that it really didn’t
deserve an apology because they probably wouldn’t remember it anyway?
If that person, and the wrong done to him, keeps coming to mind,
time and again, causing an uneasy or perhaps guilty feeling, then I
put that person’s name at the top of my “amends list,” and become
willing to make a sincere apology, knowing I will feel calm and
relaxed about that person once this very important part of my
recovery is accomplished.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
As Bill Sees It
Day of Homecoming

“As sobriety means long life and happiness for the individual, so does unity
mean exactly the same thing to our Society as a whole. Unified we live;
disunited we shall perish.”

1. LETTER, 1949 - 2. TALK, 1959

Big Book Quote
“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

Twenty Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day

Meditation for the Day

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may live in the sunshine of God’s spirit. I pray
that my mind and soul may be energized by it.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

“You are going to meet these new friends
in your own community.
Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly
like people in a sinking ship.
If you live in a large place, there are hundreds.
High and low, rich and poor,
these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Among them you will make lifelong friends.
You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties,
for you will escape disaster together and you will
commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey.
Then you will know what it means to give of yourself
that others may survive and rediscover life.
You will learn a full meaning of
‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’ ”
1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-3

Thought to Consider . . .

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

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

Just For Today!

Equals

From “What is sponsorship?”

“Alcoholics Anonymous began with sponsorship.  When Bill W., only a few months sober, was stricken with a powerful urge to drink, this thought came to him: ‘You need another alcoholic to talk to.  You need another alcoholic just as much as he needs you!’
“He found Dr. Bob, who had been trying desperately and unsuccessfully to stop drinking, and out of their common need A.A. was born.  The word ’sponsor’ was not used then; the Twelve Steps had not been written; but Bill carried the message to Dr. Bob, who in turn safeguarded his own sobriety by sponsoring countless other alcoholics.”
“In A.A., sponsor and sponsored meet as equals, just as Bill and Dr. Bob did.”

1983, Questions & Answers on Sponsorship (A.A. Pamphlet P-15), page 7

Daily Reflections
“I HAD DROPPED OUT”

We might next ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have “harmed” other people.  What kinds of “harm” do people do one another, anyway?  To define the word “harm” in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to people.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 80

I had been to Eighth Step meetings, always thinking, “I really haven’t harmed many people, mostly myself.” But the time came when I wrote my list out and it was not as short as I thought it would be. I either liked you, disliked you, or needed something  from you - it was that simple. People hadn’t done what I wanted them to do and intimate relationships were out of hand because of my partners’ unreasonable demands. Were these “sins of omission”?  Because of my drinking, I had “dropped out” - never sending cards, returning calls, being there for other people, or taking part in their lives. What a grace it has been to look at these relationships, to make my inventories in quiet, alone with the God of my understanding, and to go forth daily, with a willingness to be honest and forthright in my relationships.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
As Bill Sees It
The Beginning of True Kinship

When we reached A.A., and for the first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand, the sense of belonging was tremendously exciting. We thought the isolation problem had been solved.
But we soon discovered that, while we weren’t alone any more in a social
sense, we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn’t belong.
Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and
God.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 57
Big Book Quote
“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

Twenty Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day

“The alcoholic is absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of
self-knowledge. We must admit we can do nothing about it ourselves.
Willpower and self-knowledge will never help in the strange mental
blank spots when we are tempted to drink. An alcoholic mentally is
in a very sick condition. The last flicker of conviction that we can
do the job ourselves must be snuffed out. The spiritual answer and
the program of action are the only hope. Only spiritual principles
will solve our problems. We are completely helpless apart from Divine
help. Our defense against drinking must come from a Higher Power.”
Have I accepted the spiritual answer and the program of action?

Meditation for the Day

Prayer for the Day

I pray that the peace I have found will make me effective. I pray
that I may be relieved of all strain during this day.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012

“You are going to meet these new friends
in your own community.
Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly
like people in a sinking ship.
If you live in a large place, there are hundreds.
High and low, rich and poor,
these are future fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Among them you will make lifelong friends.
You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties,
for you will escape disaster together and you will
commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey.
Then you will know what it means to give of yourself
that others may survive and rediscover life.
You will learn a full meaning of
‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’ ”
1976 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 152-3

Thought to Consider . . .

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

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

Just For Today!

Equals

From “What is sponsorship?”

“Alcoholics Anonymous began with sponsorship.  When Bill W., only a few months sober, was stricken with a powerful urge to drink, this thought came to him: ‘You need another alcoholic to talk to.  You need another alcoholic just as much as he needs you!’
“He found Dr. Bob, who had been trying desperately and unsuccessfully to stop drinking, and out of their common need A.A. was born.  The word ’sponsor’ was not used then; the Twelve Steps had not been written; but Bill carried the message to Dr. Bob, who in turn safeguarded his own sobriety by sponsoring countless other alcoholics.”
“In A.A., sponsor and sponsored meet as equals, just as Bill and Dr. Bob did.”

1983, Questions & Answers on Sponsorship (A.A. Pamphlet P-15), page 7

Daily Reflections
“I HAD DROPPED OUT”

We might next ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have “harmed” other people.  What kinds of “harm” do people do one another, anyway?  To define the word “harm” in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to people.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 80

I had been to Eighth Step meetings, always thinking, “I really haven’t harmed many people, mostly myself.” But the time came when I wrote my list out and it was not as short as I thought it would be. I either liked you, disliked you, or needed something  from you - it was that simple. People hadn’t done what I wanted them to do and intimate relationships were out of hand because of my partners’ unreasonable demands. Were these “sins of omission”?  Because of my drinking, I had “dropped out” - never sending cards, returning calls, being there for other people, or taking part in their lives. What a grace it has been to look at these relationships, to make my inventories in quiet, alone with the God of my understanding, and to go forth daily, with a willingness to be honest and forthright in my relationships.

Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
As Bill Sees It
The Beginning of True Kinship

When we reached A.A., and for the first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand, the sense of belonging was tremendously exciting. We thought the isolation problem had been solved.
But we soon discovered that, while we weren’t alone any more in a social
sense, we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness. Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn’t belong.
Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and
God.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 57
Big Book Quote
“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

Twenty Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought for the Day

“The alcoholic is absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of
self-knowledge. We must admit we can do nothing about it ourselves.
Willpower and self-knowledge will never help in the strange mental
blank spots when we are tempted to drink. An alcoholic mentally is
in a very sick condition. The last flicker of conviction that we can
do the job ourselves must be snuffed out. The spiritual answer and
the program of action are the only hope. Only spiritual principles
will solve our problems. We are completely helpless apart from Divine
help. Our defense against drinking must come from a Higher Power.”
Have I accepted the spiritual answer and the program of action?

Meditation for the Day

Prayer for the Day

I pray that the peace I have found will make me effective. I pray
that I may be relieved of all strain during this day.

Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012