Wednesday 27 April 2011
Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Videos April
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Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Videos April
April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 5
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Thursday 21 April 2011
April 21 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video
April 21 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
How we respond to the truth of now helps define us and helps us make best choices ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson "This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it" -/- Truth, love and wisdom of others, constant companions if we choose, with our eyes open…
Living In Reality, the purpose of the 12 steps: We learn powerless over alcohol and our unmanageability, being restored to sanity with help, how to let go and let in good choices and then our inventory of “back then”, so we may progress and “live in the now,” as our attitudes and behaviours change to responding to truth and needs rather than wants and fantasy…
Daily Reflections ~ CULTIVATING FAITH... “I don’t think we can do anything very well in this world unless we practice it. And I don’t believe we do A.A. too well unless we practice it. . . . We should practice . . . acquiring the spirit of service. We should attempt to acquire some faith, which isn’t easily done, especially for the person who has always been very materialistic, following the standards of society today. But I think faith can be acquired; it can be acquired slowly; it has to be cultivated. That was not easy for me, and I assume that it is difficult for everyone else… ” Doctor Bob and the Good Old Timers, page 307-308
Fear is often the force that prevents me from acquiring and cultivating the power of faith. Fear blocks my appreciation of beauty, tolerance, forgiveness, service, and serenity. A.A., and God, are teaching me how to care about others.
As Bill Sees It ~ Beneath the Surface... Some will object to many of the questions that should be answered in a moral inventory, because they think their own character defects have not been so glaring. To these, it can be suggested that a conscientious examination is likely to reveal the very defects the objectionable questions are concerned with.
Because our surface record hasn't looked too bad, we have frequently been abashed to find that this is so simply because we have buried these selfsame defects deep down in us under thick layers of selfjustification. Those were the defects that finally ambushed us into alcoholism and misery. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 53-54
As Bill Sees It ~ 319 Two Authorities Many people wonder how A.A. can function under a seeming anarchy. Other societies have to have law and force and sanction and punishment, administered by authorized people. Happily for us, we found that we need no human authorities which are far more effective. One is benign, the other malign. There is God, our Father, who very simply says, "I am waiting for you to do my will." The other authority is named John Barlicorn, and he says, "You had better do God's will or I will kill you."
The A.A. Traditions are neither rules, regulations, nor laws. We obey them willingly because we want to. 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. 1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 105
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
Spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviors, and the behavior patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery, Addiction And Recovery Videos, Alcoholic, Alcoholism
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
Wednesday 20 April 2011
April 20 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video
April 20 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
Recovery, all about being on the happy road of desitiny, a caution? ~ G. K. Chesterton "New roads; new ruts" -/- Out of the problem and into the solution, from ego to esteem, from no choices, to choices, from nothing to something, as we are included, as reality offers, just for today...
From living in fear, putting on a brave face, using a thin veneer of ego and beset by problems, to having courage, faith and confidence, living in the solution is progress to good choices. Whatever we face, hard times or good times, if we can be included, make choices and find fellowship, our needs most likely met, less driven by wants, life works...
Daily Reflections ~ SELF-EXAMINATION... We ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Alcoholics Anonymous,p.86
When said sincerely, this prayer teaches me to be truly unselfish and humble, for even in doing good deeds I often used to seek approval and glory for myself. By examining my motives in all that I do, I can be of service to God and others, helping them do what they want to. When I put God in charge of my thinking, much needless worry is eliminated and I believe He guides me throughout the day. When I eliminate thoughts of self-pity, dishonesty and self-centeredness as soon as they enter my mind, I find peace with God, my neighbour and myself.
As Bill Sees It ~ We Need Outside Help... It was evident that a solitary self-appraisal, and the admission of our defects based upon that alone, wouldn't be nearly enough. We'd have to have outside help if we were surely to know and admit the truth about ourselves -- the help of God and of another human being. Only by discussing ourselves, holding back nothing, only by being willing to take advice and accept direction could we set foot on the road to straight thinking, solid honesty, and genuine humility.
If we are fooling ourselves, a competent adviser can see this quickly. And, as he skilfully guides us away from our fantasies, we are surprised to find that we have few of the usual urges to defend ourselves against unpleasant truths. In no other way can fear, pride, and ignorance be so readily melted. After a time, we realize that we are standing firm on a brand-new foundation for integrity, and we gratefully credit our sponsors, whose advice pointed the way. 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 59 2. GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961
As Bill Sees It ~ 319 Two Authorities Many people wonder how A.A. can function under a seeming anarchy. Other societies have to have law and force and sanction and punishment, administered by authorized people. Happily for us, we found that we need no human authorities which are far more effective. One is benign, the other malign. There is God, our Father, who very simply says, "I am waiting for you to do my will." The other authority is named John Barleycorn, and he says, "You had better do God's will or I will kill you."
The A.A. Traditions are neither rules, regulations, nor laws. We obey them willingly because we want to. 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. 1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 105
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
Spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviours, and the behaviour patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery, Addiction And Recovery Videos, Alcoholic, Alcoholism
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
Tuesday 19 April 2011
April 19 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video
April 19 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
Assets and liabilities: Our emotional and spiritual balance is based on reality and being able to cope. Assets can be courage, faith and confidence. Liabilities can be fear, brave facing and ego. Perceived assets can be liabilities if they have no foundation. Perceived liabilities can be assets when there is a clear and present danger... Truth and reality are key always...
Is spiritual 'mysterious?' In recovery we emerge from long periods of denial. Recovery is just for today, experiencing reality as it is with every feeling we have. Spiritual is living reality and the ability to live life on life's terms.. No wonder spiritual may seem mysterious after years of denial, today with truth, love and wisdom of others, life indeed can feel mysteriously magical..
In recovery, step four the moral inventory is taking stock of our character assets and liabilities ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. "If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality is spiritual" Just for today as we experience truth, love and wisdom of others..
Daily Reflections ~ BROTHERS IN OUR DEFECTS... We recovered alcoholics are not so much brothers in virtue as we are brothers in our defects, and in our common strivings to overcome them. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 167
The identification that one alcoholic has with another is mysterious, spiritual–almost incomprehensible. But it is there. I “feel” it. Today I feel that I can help people and that they can help me. It is a new and exciting feeling for me to care for someone; to care what they are feeling, hoping for, praying for; to know their sadness, joy, horror, sorrow, grief; to want to share those feelings so that someone can have relief. I never knew how to do this–or how to try. I never even cared. The Fellowship of A.A., and God, are teaching me how to care about others.
As Bill Sees It ~ Who Is to Blame..? At Step Four we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though a given situation had not been entirely our fault, we often tried to cast the whole blame on the other person involved. We finally saw that the inventory should be ours, not the other man's. So we admitted our wrongs honestly and became willing to set these matters straight. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 67
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviors, and the behavior patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery, Addiction And Recovery Videos, Alcoholic, Alcoholism
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
Monday 18 April 2011
April 18 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video
April 18 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
Needs met, wants forgotten ~ Henry David Thoreau "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone" Experience life as it is . . just for today
Self honesty, a journey in a day, an appraisal of our feelings, thoughts and actions reveals to what extent we have found truth in our endeavours ~ John Lyly "He that loseth his honesty hath nothing else to lose" -/- progress not perfect as we are restored to balance and sanity...
Daily Reflections ~ SELF-HONESTY... The deception of others is nearly always rooted in the deception of ourselves. . . . When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 17
When I was drinking, I deceived myself about reality, rewriting it to what I wanted it to be. Deceiving others is a character defect–even if it is just stretching the truth a bit or cleaning up my motives so others would think well of me. My Higher Power can remove this character defect, but first I have to help myself become willing to receive that help by not practicing deception. I need to remember each day that deceiving myself about myself is setting myself up for failure or disappointment in life and in Alcoholics Anonymous. A close, honest relationship with a Higher Power is the only solid foundation I’ve found for honesty with self and with others.
As Bill Sees It ~ In Partnership... As we made spiritual progress, it became clear that, if we ever were to feel emotionally secure, we would have to put our lives on a give and take basis; we would have to develop the sense of being in partnership or brotherhood with all those around us. We saw that we would need to give constantly of ourselves without demand for repayment. When we persistently did this, we gradually found that people were attracted to us as never before. And even if they failed us, we could be understanding and not too seriously affected.
The unity, the effectiveness, and even the survival of A.A. will always depend upon our continued willingness to give up some of our personal ambitions and desires for the common safety and welfare. Just as sacrifice means survival for the individual alcoholic, so does sacrifice mean unity and survival for the group and for A.A.'s entire Fellowship. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 115-116
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviors, and the behavior patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery, Addiction And Recovery Videos, Alcoholic, Alcoholism
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
Sunday 17 April 2011
April 17 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video
April 17 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
“Fear knocked at the door; faith answered; no one was there.” When I ask myself, am I looking for truth love and wisdom in my outlook today, fear does not come knocking on my door. I need always check I am living to my principles of truth, love and wisdom and also ask for help. When I seek support and challenge, more truth, love and wisdom from others comes "thy way"
In sobriety we let go control and introduce choices based on reality.. our feelings and thoughts, all of them are who we are, from extremes to balance, to understand these feelings and thoughts, improves our choices. The defect is prolonged negative or positive extremes of thoughts and feelings, being stuck one way? Letting go and letting good balance be restored in living just for today...
Love and fear.. To love, be loved and have something useful to do. We I realise what I need, which is simply enough, fellowship, so I may connect with my world, wants and extremes do not drive me or make me stuck in fear of loss or fear of exclusion. When fear comes knocking at the door, I can accept it, and deal with it in the moment as it is today. Courage, faith and confidence develops, with help, as I live life today...
Daily Reflections ~ LOVE AND FEAR AS OPPOSITES... All these failings generate fear, a soul-sickness in its own right. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 49
“Fear knocked at the door; faith answered; no one was there.” I don’t know to whom this quote should be attributed, but it certainly indicates clearly that fear is an illusion. I create the illusion myself. I experienced fear early in my life and I mistakenly thought that the mere presence of it made me a coward. I didn’t know that one of the definitions of “courage” is “the willingness to do the right thing in spite of fear.” Courage, then, is not necessarily the absence of fear. During the times I didn’t have love in my life I most assuredly had fear. To fear God is to be afraid of joy. In looking back, I realize that, during the times I feared God most, there was no joy in my life. As I learned not to fear God, I also learned to experience joy.
As Bill Sees It ~ 215 Constructive Workouts... There are those in A.A. whom we call "destructive" critics. They power-drive, they are "politickers," theymake accusation to gain their ends -- all for the good of A.A., of course! But we have learned that these folks need not be really destructive.
We ought to listen carefully to what they say. Sometimes they are telling the whole truth; at other times, a little truth. If we are within their range, the whole truth, the half truth, or no truth at all can prove equally unpleasant to us. If they have got the whole truth, or even little truth, then we had better thank them and get on withour respective inventories, admitting we were wrong. If they are talking nonsense, we can ignoreit, or else try to persuade them. Failing this, we can be sorry they are too sick to listen, and we can try to forget the whole business. There are few better means of self-survey and of developing patience than the workouts these usually well-meaning but erratic members so often afford us. TWELVE CONCEPTS, P. 43
As Bill Sees It ~ 319 Two Authorities Many people wonder how A.A. can function under a seeming anarchy. Other societies have to have law and force and sanction and punishment, administered by authorized people. Happily for us, we found that we need no human authorities which are far more effective. One is benign, the other malign. There is God, our Father, who very simply says, "I am waiting for you to do my will." The other authority is named John Barlicorn, and he says, "You had better do God's will or I will kill you."
The A.A. Traditions are neither rules, regulations, nor laws. We obey them willingly because we want to. 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. 1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 105
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviors, and the behavior patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery, Addiction And Recovery Videos, Alcoholic, Alcoholism
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
Saturday 16 April 2011
April 16 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video
April 16 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
Anger, a dubious luxury? For me, anger and resentment are a dubious luxury. Anger can turn into rage, resentment into old feelings and being in the problem. As I can make other people angry, just by being me, I realise I need forgiveness of me, and and then I can forgive most anything day to day. When I hit the exceptional extremes, I need draw on every resource for help, or I become the problem and not the solution...
Anger is a feeling, feelings and emotions are a part of us, alerts us to what is happening and going on. It is ok to acknowledge "I feel angry." Then work out why and what to do. We need understanding our truth, same as if we are feeling happy. Never deny emotion or feeling, it is what we do next which helps us make sense of our next choices. Feeling, cause, choices.. Prolonged extremes of a particular emotion or feeling? Share and express helpfully to ourselves and others, find counsel and make informed choices as we may...
Letting go anger and rage at ourselves and others becomes a way to make better choices. Stuck in extremes we live in the problem and not the solution ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson "For every minute we remain angry, we give up sixty seconds of peace of mind" -/- As we see the truth, make our choices, we learn from our bruises, heal and move on...
Daily Reflections ~ ANGER: A "DUBIOUS LUXURY... If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of the normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 66
“Dubious luxury.” How often have I remembered those words. It’s not just anger that’s best left to nonalcoholics; I built a list including justifiable resentment, self-pity, judgmentalism, self-righteousness, false pride and false humility. I’m always surprised to read the actual quote. So well have the principles of the program been drummed into me that I keep thinking all of these defects are listed too. Thank God I can’t afford them–or I surely would indulge in them.
As Bill Sees It ~ Complete the Housecleaning... Time after time, newcomers have tried to keep to themselves shoddy facts about their lives. Trying to avoid the humbling experience of the Fifth Step, they have turned to easier methods. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning.
They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had lost their egoism and fear; they only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough of humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 72-73
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviors, and the behavior patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery, Addiction And Recovery Videos, Alcoholic, Alcoholism
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
Friday 15 April 2011
April 15 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
April 15 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
How am I feeling, why and what can I do? = Assertive How are we feeling why and what can we do? = Empathy... I like you, I feel great when you acknowledge me but not when you undermine me by...
Anger is a feeling, feelings and emotions are a part of us, alerts us to what is happening and going on. It is ok to acknowledge "I feel angry." Then work out why and what to do. We need understanding our truth, same as if we are feeling happy. Never deny emotion or feeling, it is what we do next which helps us make sense of our next choices. Feeling, cause, choices.. Prolonged extremes of a particular emotion or feeling? Share and express helpfully to ourselves and others, find counsel and make informed choices as we may..
Letting go anger and rage at ourselves and others becomes a way to make better choices. Stuck in extremes we live in the problem and not the solution ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson "For every minute we remain angry, we give up sixty seconds of peace of mind" -/- As we see the truth, make our choices, we learn from our bruises, heal and move on..
Daily Reflections ~ THE BONDAGE OF RESENTMENT... harboring resentment is infinitely grave. For then we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 5
It has been said, “Anger is a luxury I cannot afford.” Does this suggest I ignore this human emotion? I believe not. Before I learned of the A.A. program, I was a slave to the behavior patterns of alcoholism. I was chained to negativity, with no hope of cutting loose. The Steps offered me an alternative. Step Four was the beginning of the end of my bondage. The process of “letting go” started with an inventory. I needed not be frightened, for the previous Steps assured me I was not alone. My Higher Power led me to this door and gave me the gift of choice. Today I can choose to open the door to freedom and rejoice in the sunlight of the Steps, as they cleanse the spirit within me.
As Bill Sees It ~ Virtue and Self-Deception I used to take comfort from an exaggerated belief in my own honesty. My New England kinfolk had taught me the sanctity of all business commitments and contracts, saying, "A man's word is his bond." After this rigorous conditioning, business honesty always came easy; I never flim-flammed anyone. However, this small fragment of readily won virtue did produce some interesting liabilities. I never failed to whip up a fine contempt for those of my fellow Wall Streeters who were prone to shortchange their customers. This was arrogant enough, but the ensuing selfdeception proved even worse.
My prized business honesty was presently converted into a comfortable cloak under which I could hide the many serious flaws that beset other departments of my life. Being certain of this one virtue, it was easy to conclude that I had them all. For years on end, this prevented me from taking a good look at myself. GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviors, and the behavior patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery, Addiction And Recovery Videos, Alcoholic, Alcoholism
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
April 14 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
April 14 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
My emotional and spiritual condition today? How am I feeling, why and what can I do? I feel right sized, because my feelings fit my situation. When my feelings fit reality, no hangovers from the past and no false expectations or resentments under construction…
Bondage of resentments: hurt people, hurt people. If we hurt ourselves we resent and find it hard to forgive, when others hurt us we can be stubborn and hurtful back. Stuck we can be, twelve steps to help us let go our own hurt, twelve traditions to let go hurting others. Practice makes letting go and being at one with life as it is, imperfectly perfect, now..
Anger and resentment a part of us and our human condition.Letting go, moving on takes time, then our choices become clearer ~ John Dryden "Anger will never disappear so long as feelings of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as feelings of resentment are forgotten" -/-
Daily Reflections ~ THE "NUMBER ONE OFFENDER..." Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 64
As I look at myself practicing the Fourth Step, it is easy to gloss over the wrong that I have done, because I can easily see it as a question of “getting even” for a wrong done to me. If I continue to relive my old hurt, it is a resentment and resentment bars the sunlight from my soul. If I continue to relive hurts and hates, I will hurt and hate myself. After years in the dark of resentments, I have found the sunlight. I must let go of resentments; I cannot afford them.
As Bill Sees It ~ The Spiritual Alibi... Our first attempts at inventories are apt to prove very unrealistic. I used to be a champ at unrealistic self-appraisal. On certain occasions, I wanted to look only at the part of my life which seemed good. Then I would greatly exaggerate whatever virtues I supposed I had attained. Next I would congratulate myself on the grand job I was doing in A.A.
Naturally this generated a terrible hankering for still more "accomplishments," and still more approval. I was falling straight back into the pattern of my drinking days. Here were the same old
goals -- power, fame, and applause. Besides, I had the best alibi known -- the spiritual alibi. The fact that I really did have a spiritual objective made this utter nonsense seem perfectly right. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1961
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviours, and the behaviour patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
April 13 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
April 13 | Alcoholics Anonymous Daily Video |
"AA Spiritual Twelve Pack": Acceptance, Surrender, Faith, Open Mindedness, Honesty, Willingness, Moral Inventory, Amends, Humility, Persistence, Spiritual Growth & Service.. All about progress and good for today. To be included, make choices and live in harmony as life situations offer in the moment of now...
As we develop our: faith, courage and confidence, we let go; fear, brave facing and ego. Less doubt, less self pity ~ Maya Angelou "Self-pity in its early stages is as snug as a feather mattress. Only when it hardens does it become uncomfortable" -/- Acceptance of today and choices as they may be...
Daily Reflections ~ THE FALSE COMFORT OF SELF-PITY... Self-pity is one of the most unhappy and consuming defects that we know. It is a bar to all spiritual progress and can cut off all effective communication with our fellows because of its inordinate demands for attention and sympathy. It is a maudlin form of martyrdom, which we can ill afford. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 238
The false comfort of self-pity screens me from reality only momentarily and then demands, like a drug, that I take an ever bigger dose. If I succumb to this it could lead to a relapse into drinking. What can I do? One certain antidote is to turn my attention, however slightly at first, toward others who are genuinely less fortunate than I, preferably other alcoholics. In the same degree that I actively demonstrate my empathy with them, I will lessen my own exaggerated suffering.
As Bill Sees It ~ Blind Trust..? "Most surely, there can be no trust where there is no love, nor can be real love where distrust holds malign sway. "But does trust require that we be blind to other people's motives or, indeed, to our own? Not at all; this would be folly. Most certainly, we should assess the capacity for harm as well as the capability for good in every person that we would trust. Such a private inventory can reveal the degree of confidence we should extend in any given situation.
"However, this inventory needs to be taken in a spirit of understanding and love. Nothing can so much bias our judgment as the negative emotions of suspicion, jealousy, or anger. "Having vested our confidence in another person, we ought to let him know of our full support. Because of this, more often than not he will respond magnificently, and far beyond our first expectations." LETTER, 1966
I do not speak for Alcoholics Anonymous I speak for myself. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of unique and authentic people who speak for themselves where they will to share experience, strength and hope about recovery on a daily basis. Anonymity affords sanctuary to find how to live sober and be open, honest and willing to learn life day by day. For me "truth," "love" and "wisdom" offer the best spiritual experience by living reality today. Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, steps to be open honest and willing to learn, traditions to live unity service and recovery.
spiritual principles ~ acceptance surrender faith open-mindedness honesty willingness moral-inventory amends humility persistence spiritual-growth service
Step 4: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." We want to uncover the truth about ourselves. We want to discover the attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, fears, actions, behaviors, and the behavior patterns - that have been blocking us, causing us problems and causing our failure.
Open To Truth, Love And Wisdom of Others [we let go having to be right, self obsessed and self medicating our lives into oblivion and harms way]
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...
Alcoholics Anonymous Videos, DonInLondon, Life Works In Recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous Video | DonInLondon | Life Works In Recovery |
AA Big Book Videos Chapters 1 - 11
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 1 Bill's Story |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 2 There Is A Solution |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 4 We Agnostics |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 5 How It Works |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 6 Into Action |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 7 Working With Others |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 8 To Wives |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 9 The Family Afterward |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 10 To Employers |
AA Big Book Video | Chapter 11 A Vision For You |
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