AA Thoughts For Today - July

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AA Thought for the Day

July 3

Causes and Conditions

Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action, the first step of which
is a personal housecleaning, which many of us had never attempted. Though
our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect
unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the
things in ourselves which had been blocking us. Our liquor was but a symptom.
So we had to get down to causes and conditions.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, (How It Works) pp. 63 - 64

Thought to Ponder
Delay is dangerous, and rebellion may be fatal.

AA-related 'Alconym'
A B C = Accept, Begin, Continue.

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

Discovery
"I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind.
I saw that will power and self-knowledge
would not help in those strange mental blank spots.
I had never been able to understand people
who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated.
I knew then. It was a crushing blow."
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 42

Thought to Consider . . .
Sobriety is a choice and a treasure.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Acceptance, and Trust

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

Egoism
From "Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous":
"The fact of hitting bottom to produce a surrender which cut the ego to size was evident fairly soon. In time two additional facts manifested themselves. The first was that a reduced ego has marvelous recuperative powers. The second was that surrender is an essential disciplinary function and experience.
"It is common knowledge that a return of the full-fledged ego can happen at any time. Years of sobriety are no insurance against its resurgence. No A.A., regardless of his veteran status, can ever relax his guard against the encroachments of a reviving ego. Recently one A.A., writing to another, reported that he was suffering, he feared, from 'halo-tosis,' a reference to the smugness and self-complacency which so easily can creep into the individual with years of sobriety behind him. Dr. Harry Tiebout, M.D."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 249

*~*~*~*~*^ Grapevine Quote ^*~*~*~*~*

"On a daily basis I choose not to drink - or to fear, hate, be angry, or indulge in any other defect that's raising its ugly head. They're all there waiting, and when given a chance they charge into the center of my life and try to take over. But when I work Step Seven I find that my life is filled with good, and people actually like to be around me - something they never did in my drinking days."
July 1995, Kathmandu, Nepal
"A Lifetime Supply,"
Step By Step: Real AAs, Real Recovery

*~*~*~*~*^ Big Book & Twelve N' Twelve Quotes of the Day ^*~*~*~*~*

"Do not be discouraged if your prospect does not respond at once.
Search out another alcoholic and try again. You are sure to find
someone desperate enough to accept with eagerness what you offer. We
find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not
work with you. If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become
convinced that he cannot recover by himself. To spend too much time
on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity
to live and be happy."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Working With Others, pg. 96~

"Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will
into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee—Thy will
(not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us
constantly."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85~

“We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 19

“We can further add that a beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 35

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and setbacks. If you will bear this in mind, I think that your slip will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down.
We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him teach us.'
'Now and then all of us fall under heavy criticism. When we are angered and hurt, it's difficult not to retaliate in kind. Yet we can restrain ourselves and then probe ourselves, asking whether our critics were really right. If so, we can admit our defects to them. This usually clears the air for mutual understanding.
'Suppose our critics are being unfair. Then we can try calm persuasion. If they continue to rant, it is still possible for us--in our hearts--to forgive them. Maybe a sense of humor can be our saving grace--thus we can both forgive and forget.

Prayer for the Day: Take my will & my life, Guide me in my recovery, Show me how to live.