Recovery Thoughts & Quotes 12/15

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




Pride

We scarcely need to be reminded that excessive guilt
or rebellion leads to spiritual poverty.
But it was a very long time before we knew
we could go even more broke on spiritual pride.
When we early AAs got our first glimmer
of how spiritually pride full we could be,
we coined this expression:
"Don't try to get too damned good by Thursday!"
That old-time admonition may look like another of those
handy alibis that can excuse us from trying our best.
Yet a closer view reveals just the contrary.
This is our AA way of warning against pride-blindness,
and the imaginary perfection's that we do not possess.
Bill W., June 1961
c. 1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, p. 255
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Thought to Consider . . .

Pride without gratitude is arrogance.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S O B E R = Simply Observe Bill's Exemplary Recovery

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


Ideas
From "'Suggested' Steps":
"I remember my sponsor's answer when I told him that the Steps were 'suggested.' He replied that they are 'suggested' in the same way that, if you were to jump out of an airplane with a parachute, it is 'suggested' that you pull the ripcord to save your life. He pointed out that it was 'suggested' I practice the Twelve Steps, if I wanted to save my life."

1990 AAWS, Inc.; Daily Reflections, pg. 344

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*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book Quote ^*~*~*~*~*
"When ready, we say something like this: 'My Creator, I am now
willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you
now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in
the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as
I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.' We have then
completed Step Seven."

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 76~

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Misc. AA Literature - Quote




As the book Alcoholics Anonymous puts it, Resentment is the Number One offender, It is a primary cause of relapses into drinking. How well we of A.A. know that for us 'To drink is eventually to go mad or die.'
'Much the same penalty overhangs every A.A. group. Given enough anger, both unity and purpose are lost. Given still more 'righteous' indignation, the group can disintegrate; it can actually die. This is why we avoid controversy. This is why we prescribe no punishments for any misbehavior, no matter how grievous. Indeed, no alcoholic can be deprived of his membership for any reason whatever.
Punishment never heals. Only love can heal.'

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Member Submitted Quote



The Program is a tool box; it is up to me to take the tools out and use them.

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12 x 12 Quote

"AA has to function, but at the same time it must avoid those dangers
of great wealth, prestige, and entrenched power which necessarily tempt
other societies. Though Tradition Nine at first sight seems to deal
with a purely practical matter, in its actual operation it discloses a
society without organization, animated only by the spirit of
service...a true fellowship." (Twelve and Twelve, Tradition Nine, pg.
175)