August 24 | Alcoholics Anonymous Steps In Action

August 24 | Steps In Action Alcoholics Anonymous



DonInLondon Back in the final days of drinking I can forget how bad it got... Then I hear a harrowing share detailing the physical and emotional horror. I sat there feeling the shock of truth. My story no less shocking mirrored what I heard. We humans have amazing capacities to recover when we find a path.

In recent months many newcomers to the fellowship. Some very wary of the people, the places, what they hear and what they see. In early days I wanted to fit in and be a good student. I did people please, and I did get caught in the web of some with little or no integrity. And then realised that fellowship is like all walks of life, people are people, some good and some bad, plenty of wisdom to learn and plenty of chaff a day at a time...

August 2008 ~ 2010

Spiritual experience, all day every day... some suggest it is the ability to cope with now, some suggest it is letting go our opinion and personal view "thinking kept me drinking," some suggest less denials and more truth, less of a personal judgment and standing in others shoes. Could it be simply living in the moment?


"All inclusive today" In fellowship, in life and more in tune with "truth, love and wisdom shared with me." To be included, loved and develop choices in life as life happens. There is always a balance in what we can and cannot do today, accepting the truth is my connection to spiritual today...

-/-

AA Daily Reflections ~ "August 24 Step 8 Daily Reflections Video Reading: A riddle that works... It may be possible to find explanations of spiritual experiences such as ours, but I have often tried to explain my own and have succeeded only in giving the story of it. I know the feeling it gave me and the results it has brought, but I realize I may never fully understand its deeper why and how. [As Bill sees it..]

I had a profound spiritual experience during an open A.A. meeting, which led me to blurt out. “I’m an alcoholic!” I have not had a drink since that day. I can tell you the words I heard just prior to my admission, and how those words affected me, but as to why it happened, I do not know. I believe a power greater than myself chose me to recover, yet I do not know why. I try not to worry or wonder about what I do not yet know; instead, I trust that if I continue to work the Steps, practice the A.A. principles in my life, and share my story, I will be guided lovingly toward a deep and mature spirituality in which more will be revealed to me. For the time being, it is a gift for me to trust God, work the Steps and help others."

-/-

Spiritual principles to live life "real" ~ "Forgiveness" "Acceptance" "Surrender" "Faith" "Open-mindedness" "Honesty" "Willingness" "Moral-inventory" "Amends" "Humility" "Persistence" "Spiritual-growth" "Service"

"Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all."

~ From 12Step.org

Step 8 is the beginning of making amends, of healing the past with others. From the inventory of Step 4, I have a good starting place for making a list of people that I have harmed. I look over my personal inventory and possibly reflect on my life again. I make a list of the people that I have harmed. I can write down thoughts beside each name about what the appropriate amends might be. I then go through the list and make sure I am willing in my heart to make the amends.
-/-

~ From A.A. COMES OF AGE

"The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. The A.A. Steps & Traditions are neither rules, regulations, nor laws. Perhaps the secret of their power lies in the fact that these life-giving communications spring out of living experience and are rooted in love." ~ "We find it amazing that the newcomer can start the A.A. program without any specific beliefs or, for that matter, without any beliefs whatsoever. All a person needs is the open-mindedness and the willingness to believe that WE BELIEVE this program works..."
-/-
DonInLondon, Life Works, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA 12 Steps, 12 Steps AA, Addiction And Recovery, Addict, Alcoholic, Alcoholism