Recovery Thoughts and Quotes 4/19

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AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AAOnline.net)

April 19, 2008

No Reservations

We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again:
"Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic."
Commencing to drink after a period of sobriety,
we are in a short time as bad as ever.
If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind,
nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol.
© 2001 AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 33
With permission, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.


Thought to Ponder . . .

If you want to quit drinking, you are going to have to quit drinking.


AA-related 'Alconym' . . .

N O W = No Other Way.

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AA 'Big Book' - Quote

Having made our personal inventory, what shall we do about it? We have been trying to get a new attitude, a new relationship with our Creator, and to discover the obstacles in our path. We have admitted certain defects; we have ascertained in a rough way what the trouble is; we have put our finger on the weak items in our personalinventory. Now these are about to be cast out. This requires action on our part, which, when completed, will mean that we have admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our defects. This brings us to the Fifth Step in the program of recovery mentioned in the preceding chapter. - Pg. 72 - Into Action



"Nearly every modern employer feels a moral responsibility for the
well-being of his help, and he tries to meet these responsibilities.
That he has not always done so for the alcoholic is easily
understood. To him the alcoholic has often seemed a fool of the
first magnitude. Because of the employee's special ability, or of his
own strong personal attachment to him, the employer has sometimes
kept such a man at work long beyond a reasonable period. Some
employers have tried every known remedy. In only a few instances has
there been a lack of patience and tolerance. And we, who have
imposed on the best of employers, can scarcely blame them if they
have been short with us."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 137~

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Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Trouble: Constructive or Destructive?

There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and in 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 A.A. Here we learned that trouble was really a fact of life for everybody--a fact that had to be understood and dealt with. Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings.
'Indeed, that was the essence of A.A. itself: trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage, trouble lessened and often transcended. This was the A.A. story, and we became a part of it. Such demonstrations became our stock in trade for the next sufferer.'

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12 x 12 Quote

"And what can be said of many AA members who, for a variety of reasons,
cannot have a family life? At first many of these feel lonely, hurt,
and left out as they witness so much domestic happiness about them. If
they cannot have this kind of happiness, can AA offer them
satisfactions of similar worth and durability? Yes--whenever they try
hard to seek them out. Surrounded by so many AA friends, these so-
called loners tell us they no longer feel alone. In partnership with
others--women and men--they can devote themselves to any number of
ideas, people, and constructive projects. Free of marital
responsibilities, they can participate in enterprises which would be
denied to family men and women. We daily see such members render
prodigies of service, and receive great joys in return." (Twelve and
Twelve, Step Twelve, pg. 120)

[catlady]

Starting my day with coffee & these readings is the best~thank you for all that you do here! :42:

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Obsession

"The alcoholic has obsessions
to an exaggerated degree.
Over a period of time he has built up self-pity,
resentments toward anyone or anything
that interferes with his drinking.
Dishonest thinking, prejudice, ego,
antagonism toward anyone and everyone
who dares to cross him,
vanity and a critical attitude are character defects
that gradually creep in and become a part of his life.
Living with fear and tension inevitably results
in wanting to ease that tension,
which alcohol seems to do temporarily.
It took me some time to realize
that the Twelve Steps of AA were designed
to help correct these defects of character
and so help remove the obsession to drink."
Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 380-1

Thought to Consider . . .

"Within our wonderful new world,
we have found freedom from our fatal obsession."

Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 139

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*

BS
Before Sobriety

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AA Just For Today

Organizing
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":

"By the spring of 1938 a definite program of action took shape. It was agreed that we needed a tax-free charitable trust or foundation. Wealthy contributors could then deduct gifts from their tax returns. …

"The first move was to choose a name for the new outfit. After long discussion we decided to call it the Alcoholic Foundation. This seemed like a resounding title, one that could create an impression of large importance. Still swayed by big ideas, we thought our trusteeship ought to be chartered to do just about anything within the field of alcohol or alcoholism except lobby for Prohibition. We intended an arrangement by which we could research, educate, and do a lot of other things. Attention to our membership would be only one of many functions.

"It was thought that the Board of Trustees should consist of alcoholics and nonalcoholics. The latter were always to be in the majority by a margin of one. This would assure our membership and other contributors that nonalcoholics would be holding the purse strings."

2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 151-52