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04-28-2008, 04:43 PM
Daily Reflections
GROUP AUTONOMY
Some may think that we have carried the principle of group
autonomy to extremes. For example, in its original "long form,"
Tradition Four declares: "Any two or three gathered together
for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that
as a group they have no other affiliation." . . . . But this
ultra-liberty is not so risky as it looks.
A.A. COMES OF AGE, pp. 104-05
As an active alcoholic, I abused every liberty that life
afforded. How could A.A. expect me to respect the
"ultra-liberty" bestowed by Tradition Four? Learning respect
has become a lifetime job.
A.A. has made me fully accept the necessity of discipline
and that, if I do not assert it from within, then I will pay
for it. This applies to groups too. Tradition Four points me
in a spiritual direction, in spite of my alcoholic inclinations.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
The A.A. program is one of faith, hope, and charity. It's a
program of hope because when new members come into A.A., the
first thing they get is hope. They hear older members tell how
they had been through the same kind of he!! that they have and
how they found the way out through A.A. And this gives them hope
that if others can do it, they can do it. Is hope still strong
in me?
Meditation For The Day
The rule of God's kingdom is perfect order, perfect harmony,
perfect supply, perfect love, perfect honesty, perfect obedience.
There is no discord in God's kingdom, only some things still
unconquered in God's children. The difficulties of life are
caused by disharmony in the individual man or woman. People
lack power because they lack harmony with God and with each
other. They think that God fails because power is not manifested
in their lives. God does not fail. People fail because they are
out of harmony with Him.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may be in harmony with God and with other people.
I pray that this harmony will result in strength and success.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
The Rationalizers and the Self-Effacing, p. 160
We alcoholics are the biggest rationalizers in the world. Fortified with the excuse
that we are doing great things for A.A., we can, through broken anonymity, resume
our old and disastrous pursuit of personal power and prestige, public honors, and
money--the same implacable urges that, when frustrated, once caused us to drink.
<< << << >> >> >>
Dr. Bob was essentially a far more humble person than I, and anonymity came rather
easily to him. When it was sure that he was mortally afflicted, some of his friends
suggested that there should be a monument erected in honor of him and his wife,
Anne--befitting a founder and his lady. Telling me about this, Dr. Bob grinned
broadly and said, "God bless 'em. They mean well. But let's you and me get
buried just like other folks."
In the Akron cemetery where Dr. Bob and Anne lie, the simple stone says not a word
about A.A. This final example of self-effacement is of more permanent worth to A.A.
than any amount of public attention or any great monument.
A.A. Comes Of Age
1. pp. 292-293
2. pp. 136-137
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
Remember the Past, but don't live in it.
Living today.
In some ways, the Twelve Step recovery process invites trouble in dealing with the past. We're supposed to forget the past and live for today. But the opening thoughts delivered at meetings often review the past in painful detail, thus reinforcing the tendency to relive it. How should we approach this problem?
Our need is to remember the past while releasing any bitterness, regrets, or hurts connected with it. We must never live in the past, which we are doing when we feel either resentment or remorse about actions of others or ourselves. It is, however, helpful to remember what happened in the past so that we will no longer repeat the same mistakes.
We should also remember the past as a means of keeping ourselves both humble and honest. It should help us feel gratitude that we no longer have to live as we once did.
Remembering the past in open "lead" meetings is sometimes called "qualifying" as an alcoholic. It is an aid to carrying the message of recovery and a way of building more strength and understanding for today and tomorrow.
I'll be pleased today that I can remember the past without living in it. I am free from the old hurts and problems that would keep me from directing all of my energies and attention to what I am doing here and now.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
I’m as pure as the driven slush.---Tallulad Bankhead
The Steps are filled with words and phrases like shortcomings, exact nature of our wrongs, persons we had harmed, and when we were wrong. The Steps help us accept all parts of who we are.
Our program asks us to share these parts of ourselves with others. We heal by doing this.
It’s hard to talk about how wrong we can be, but we must. It’s part of how we recover.
Remember, all of us have bad points. At times, we act like jerks. When we can talk about our mistakes, we end up having less shame inside of us.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me to love and accept myself---as You love and accept me. Give me the courage to share all my secret wrongs.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll review my Fourth Step. If I haven’t done this Step, I’ll start today.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
A LATE START - "It's been ten years since I retired, seven years since I joined A.A. Now I can truly say that I am a grateful alcoholic.
During my mid-forties, my interest in alcohol began to gain momentum. Although I had continued to work, I had otherwise isolated myself to care for my son and his younger sister, each of whom required a special dose of stability, love, and security. Soon after my son's death, I made a decided effort to reenter the adult world. My debut encouraged my drinking. It was not yet obsessive, but drinking became more and more a part of my daily life. I no longer entertained without serving cocktails and seldom attended gatherings where liquor wasn't provided. I always managed to find the post-activity drinking crowd whether it was after dog obedience training or an oil painting class. During my late forties, it was not unusual for me to have a drink alone in the evening, although there were still many days when I didn't drink at all. Any event was an occasion for excessive celebration, and there were increasingly frequent weekends when I drank myself to a hangover-creating high. Nevertheless, it was during this period that I received a major job promotion.
pp. 536-537
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."
As soon as we begin to feel confident in our new way of life and have begun, by our behavior and example, to convince those about us that we are indeed changing for the better, it is usually safe to talk in complete frankness with those who have been seriously affected, even those who may be only a little or not at all aware of what we have done to them. The only exceptions we will make will be cases where our disclosure would cause actual harm. These conversations can begin in a casual or natural way. But if no such opportunity presents itself, at some point we will want to summon all our courage, head straight for the person concerned, and lay our cards on the table. We needn't wallow in excessive remorse before those we have harmed, but amends at this level should always be forthright and generous.
pp. 85-86
************************************************** *********
The mind is like a parachute; it works much better when it's open.
--Dpurpleldy
"A friend will see us at our worst, as well as our best.
A friend will not close his or her heart when we have made a mistake.
A friend will not condemn us but will compassionately support our
return to a state of grace."
--Marianne Williamson
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an
understanding of ourselves."
--Carl Jung
We must release the old to make room for the new.
--Alan Cohen
"People will come and go from my life. Today I'm trying to learn how to be the kind of person that I want to spend the rest of my life with."
--Unknown
"People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within."
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
ENJOYMENT
"Man, unlike the animals, has
never learned that the sole
purpose of life is to enjoy it."
--Samuel Butler
Spirituality enables me to enjoy my life. I enjoy my sobriety. I enjoy
the freedom of a "God as I understand Him". I enjoy the fellowship of
ideas and opinions that are based on love and honest sharing. The
world is to be enjoyed and not endured! God is fun.
For years I thought that God was a judge to be feared; angry, hostile
and revengeful. Strange how silly this all seems now, but for years I
was afraid of God and feared His presence. Then I was introduced to a
God who is beyond institutions and dogmas, free of creeds and
punishments, a loving and joyous God who created me to be happy.
Today I am enjoying my freedom.
God, the Father of the Universe, is also "Daddy" to us all.
************************************************** *********
"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him
in truth."
Psalms 145:18
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as
God in Christ has also forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
When someone makes you happy, let them know and you will both feel better. Lord, may Your love flow through me so that I can easily praise and encourage the goodness in others.
To have a great day isn't always doing what you like, but trying to like what you must do. Lord, today I will spruce up my attitude and have a great day no matter what my circumstances.
GROUP AUTONOMY
Some may think that we have carried the principle of group
autonomy to extremes. For example, in its original "long form,"
Tradition Four declares: "Any two or three gathered together
for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that
as a group they have no other affiliation." . . . . But this
ultra-liberty is not so risky as it looks.
A.A. COMES OF AGE, pp. 104-05
As an active alcoholic, I abused every liberty that life
afforded. How could A.A. expect me to respect the
"ultra-liberty" bestowed by Tradition Four? Learning respect
has become a lifetime job.
A.A. has made me fully accept the necessity of discipline
and that, if I do not assert it from within, then I will pay
for it. This applies to groups too. Tradition Four points me
in a spiritual direction, in spite of my alcoholic inclinations.
************************************************** *********
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
The A.A. program is one of faith, hope, and charity. It's a
program of hope because when new members come into A.A., the
first thing they get is hope. They hear older members tell how
they had been through the same kind of he!! that they have and
how they found the way out through A.A. And this gives them hope
that if others can do it, they can do it. Is hope still strong
in me?
Meditation For The Day
The rule of God's kingdom is perfect order, perfect harmony,
perfect supply, perfect love, perfect honesty, perfect obedience.
There is no discord in God's kingdom, only some things still
unconquered in God's children. The difficulties of life are
caused by disharmony in the individual man or woman. People
lack power because they lack harmony with God and with each
other. They think that God fails because power is not manifested
in their lives. God does not fail. People fail because they are
out of harmony with Him.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may be in harmony with God and with other people.
I pray that this harmony will result in strength and success.
************************************************** *********
As Bill Sees It
The Rationalizers and the Self-Effacing, p. 160
We alcoholics are the biggest rationalizers in the world. Fortified with the excuse
that we are doing great things for A.A., we can, through broken anonymity, resume
our old and disastrous pursuit of personal power and prestige, public honors, and
money--the same implacable urges that, when frustrated, once caused us to drink.
<< << << >> >> >>
Dr. Bob was essentially a far more humble person than I, and anonymity came rather
easily to him. When it was sure that he was mortally afflicted, some of his friends
suggested that there should be a monument erected in honor of him and his wife,
Anne--befitting a founder and his lady. Telling me about this, Dr. Bob grinned
broadly and said, "God bless 'em. They mean well. But let's you and me get
buried just like other folks."
In the Akron cemetery where Dr. Bob and Anne lie, the simple stone says not a word
about A.A. This final example of self-effacement is of more permanent worth to A.A.
than any amount of public attention or any great monument.
A.A. Comes Of Age
1. pp. 292-293
2. pp. 136-137
************************************************** *********
Walk in Dry Places
Remember the Past, but don't live in it.
Living today.
In some ways, the Twelve Step recovery process invites trouble in dealing with the past. We're supposed to forget the past and live for today. But the opening thoughts delivered at meetings often review the past in painful detail, thus reinforcing the tendency to relive it. How should we approach this problem?
Our need is to remember the past while releasing any bitterness, regrets, or hurts connected with it. We must never live in the past, which we are doing when we feel either resentment or remorse about actions of others or ourselves. It is, however, helpful to remember what happened in the past so that we will no longer repeat the same mistakes.
We should also remember the past as a means of keeping ourselves both humble and honest. It should help us feel gratitude that we no longer have to live as we once did.
Remembering the past in open "lead" meetings is sometimes called "qualifying" as an alcoholic. It is an aid to carrying the message of recovery and a way of building more strength and understanding for today and tomorrow.
I'll be pleased today that I can remember the past without living in it. I am free from the old hurts and problems that would keep me from directing all of my energies and attention to what I am doing here and now.
************************************************** *********
Keep It Simple
I’m as pure as the driven slush.---Tallulad Bankhead
The Steps are filled with words and phrases like shortcomings, exact nature of our wrongs, persons we had harmed, and when we were wrong. The Steps help us accept all parts of who we are.
Our program asks us to share these parts of ourselves with others. We heal by doing this.
It’s hard to talk about how wrong we can be, but we must. It’s part of how we recover.
Remember, all of us have bad points. At times, we act like jerks. When we can talk about our mistakes, we end up having less shame inside of us.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me to love and accept myself---as You love and accept me. Give me the courage to share all my secret wrongs.
Action for the Day: Today, I’ll review my Fourth Step. If I haven’t done this Step, I’ll start today.
************************************************** *********
Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition
A LATE START - "It's been ten years since I retired, seven years since I joined A.A. Now I can truly say that I am a grateful alcoholic.
During my mid-forties, my interest in alcohol began to gain momentum. Although I had continued to work, I had otherwise isolated myself to care for my son and his younger sister, each of whom required a special dose of stability, love, and security. Soon after my son's death, I made a decided effort to reenter the adult world. My debut encouraged my drinking. It was not yet obsessive, but drinking became more and more a part of my daily life. I no longer entertained without serving cocktails and seldom attended gatherings where liquor wasn't provided. I always managed to find the post-activity drinking crowd whether it was after dog obedience training or an oil painting class. During my late forties, it was not unusual for me to have a drink alone in the evening, although there were still many days when I didn't drink at all. Any event was an occasion for excessive celebration, and there were increasingly frequent weekends when I drank myself to a hangover-creating high. Nevertheless, it was during this period that I received a major job promotion.
pp. 536-537
************************************************** *********
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
Step Nine - "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."
As soon as we begin to feel confident in our new way of life and have begun, by our behavior and example, to convince those about us that we are indeed changing for the better, it is usually safe to talk in complete frankness with those who have been seriously affected, even those who may be only a little or not at all aware of what we have done to them. The only exceptions we will make will be cases where our disclosure would cause actual harm. These conversations can begin in a casual or natural way. But if no such opportunity presents itself, at some point we will want to summon all our courage, head straight for the person concerned, and lay our cards on the table. We needn't wallow in excessive remorse before those we have harmed, but amends at this level should always be forthright and generous.
pp. 85-86
************************************************** *********
The mind is like a parachute; it works much better when it's open.
--Dpurpleldy
"A friend will see us at our worst, as well as our best.
A friend will not close his or her heart when we have made a mistake.
A friend will not condemn us but will compassionately support our
return to a state of grace."
--Marianne Williamson
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an
understanding of ourselves."
--Carl Jung
We must release the old to make room for the new.
--Alan Cohen
"People will come and go from my life. Today I'm trying to learn how to be the kind of person that I want to spend the rest of my life with."
--Unknown
"People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within."
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
************************************************** *********
Father Leo's Daily Meditation
ENJOYMENT
"Man, unlike the animals, has
never learned that the sole
purpose of life is to enjoy it."
--Samuel Butler
Spirituality enables me to enjoy my life. I enjoy my sobriety. I enjoy
the freedom of a "God as I understand Him". I enjoy the fellowship of
ideas and opinions that are based on love and honest sharing. The
world is to be enjoyed and not endured! God is fun.
For years I thought that God was a judge to be feared; angry, hostile
and revengeful. Strange how silly this all seems now, but for years I
was afraid of God and feared His presence. Then I was introduced to a
God who is beyond institutions and dogmas, free of creeds and
punishments, a loving and joyous God who created me to be happy.
Today I am enjoying my freedom.
God, the Father of the Universe, is also "Daddy" to us all.
************************************************** *********
"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him
in truth."
Psalms 145:18
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as
God in Christ has also forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1
************************************************** *********
Daily Inspiration
When someone makes you happy, let them know and you will both feel better. Lord, may Your love flow through me so that I can easily praise and encourage the goodness in others.
To have a great day isn't always doing what you like, but trying to like what you must do. Lord, today I will spruce up my attitude and have a great day no matter what my circumstances.