District 9

Saturday, February 7, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - February 8, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

February 8, 2015

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Willingness
A beginning, even the smallest, is all that is needed.
Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can always open it some more.
Though self-will may slam it shut again, as it frequently does, it will always respond the moment we again pick up the key of willingness.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 122

Thought to Ponder . . .
If I have the courage to begin, I have the courage to succeed.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter.

A Member Shares:
I'm Beth, an alcoholic. It's an interesting thing, this willingness, because willingness really is the key. We come in here beaten and scared as only "the dying" can be, and we are willing as hell. Then something happens. We forget the pain, get a little arrogant, and then decide, (and this is a phrase I've heard a lot from people who pick up again) the thought process that results in, "I've got this!" More so than honesty, more so than open-mindedness, if I can remain willing to walk toward sobriety the solution, although they go hand-in-hand, and if I can keep that seed of willingness to do what you tell me, then I have a chance one day at a time to lead a sober, somewhat sane, life. Thank you.
To respond to the sharer, please email DTShare@aa-alive.org and it will be forwarded to them.
(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Meeting Schedule
The Daily Thought Discussion Board
Service Opportunities
AA Birthday Signups
Helpful links and much more
Please go to our Website
http://aa-alive.net …
G.S.O. Registration Number: 712515

** Trademarks and Disclaimer: **
Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, and the Big Book are registered trademarks of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. The AA Daily Thought is neither endorsed by, approved by, associated nor affiliated with, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., or The AA Grapevine, Inc.
Disclaimer: The Daily Thought is meant for domestic distribution only and for countries where it is in public domain.

Friday, February 6, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - February 7, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

February 7, 2015

Discovery
AA has accomplished so many things in my life today. It has given me my sanity and an all-around sense of balance.
Now willing to listen and take suggestions, I have found that the process of discovering who I really am
begins with knowing who I really don't want to be.
And although the disease of alcoholism inside of me is like gravity, just waiting to pull me down,
AA and the Twelve Steps are like the power that causes an airplane to become airborne:
It only works when the pilot is doing the right things to make it work.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 456-457

Thought to Ponder . . .
Recovery is discovery.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O W = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness.

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Thursday, February 5, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - February 6, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

February 6, 2015

Sobriety
Sobriety is nothing like I thought it would be. At first it was one big emotional roller coaster, full of sharp highs and deep lows.
My emotions were new, untested, and I wasn't entirely certain I wanted to deal with them.
I cried when I should have been laughing. I laughed when I should have cried.
Events I thought were the end of the world turned out to be gifts. It was all very confusing. Slowly things began to work out.
As I began to take the steps of recovery, my role in the pitiful condition of my life became clear.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 316-317

Thought to Ponder . . .
Sobriety is a journey, not a destination.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
S W A T = Surrender, Willingness, Action, Trust.

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Meeting Schedule
The Daily Thought Discussion Board
Service Opportunities
AA Birthday Signups
Helpful links and much more
Please go to our Website
http://aa-alive.net …
G.S.O. Registration Number: 712515

** Trademarks and Disclaimer: **
Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, and the Big Book are registered trademarks of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. The AA Daily Thought is neither endorsed by, approved by, associated nor affiliated with, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., or The AA Grapevine, Inc.
Disclaimer: The Daily Thought is meant for domestic distribution only and for countries where it is in public domain.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - February 5, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

February 5, 2015

Sanity
"Sanity" is defined as "soundness of mind." Yet no alcoholic, soberly analyzing his destructive behavior,
whether the destruction fell on the dining-room furniture or his own moral fiber, can claim "soundness of mind" for himself. . .
and every AA meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 33

Thought to Ponder . . .
I sit at a meeting until the bus of sanity comes by; then, I climb aboard.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
A R T = Always Remain Teachable.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - February 4, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

February 4, 2015

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A Spiritual Experience
As I work the Steps in everything I do, practicing these principles in all my affairs, now I find that I am awake to God, to others, and to myself.
The spiritual awakening I have enjoyed as the result of working the Steps is the awareness that I am no longer alone.
- Daily Reflections, p. 345

Thought to Ponder . . .
A spiritual awakening is our greatest gift.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
H O P E = Heart Open; Please Enter.

A Member Shares:
Good evening, I'm Susan, a grateful alcoholic. I no longer have a desire to drink, and have not for several years now. I am far more interested than I used to be in helping others instead of focusing entirely on self. I am learning about love, tolerance, patience and acceptance today .. gradually, mind you. I barely recognize the woman in the mirror today. Are those spiritual experiences? I suppose that is up to my Higher Power and perhaps for you to decide for yourself. I am simply grateful that I have the opportunity to learn, change and grow today. I am no longer living a life of misery, but one of contentment and gratitude. I have been blessed, indeed. If I keep taking the actions necessary, I hope that God will see fit to help me carry on in this journey to a far better way of life. Did it happen overnight? Nope. I was very stubborn, and it took many years for me to let things sink in. I don't recommend my route to anyone today. But we all have our own journey. With my Higher Power, AA, Fellowship and the Steps, I am improving One Day At A Time. Blessings to all. Thanks for listening.
To respond to the sharer, please email DTShare@aa-alive.org and it will be forwarded to them.
(All shares are reproduced with the kind permission of the person sharing)

Thanks to all of you for sharing so generously of your experience, strength and hope in carrying the AA message.
Blessings in sobriety to all,
In love and service,
joanna b
dailythought@aa-alive.org

For further information about AA-Alive, including:

Monday, February 2, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - February 3, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

February 3, 2015

Guidance
With the guidance of the program and the encouragement and examples within the Fellowship,
I could begin to find out about myself and be prepared to accept what I found.
I learned in the Fellowship that if others could love me, then I should love myself as I was --
not for what I was, but for what I could become.
So I have learned a little about my mind and about my will and about my emotions and passions.
- Came To Believe. . ., p. 3

Thought to Ponder . . .
The storm has passed. I've learned a little more about peace. It was inside all the time.

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

Sunday, February 1, 2015

AA Thought for the Day - February 2, 2015

AA Thought for the Day
(courtesy AA-Alive.net)

February 2, 2015

Double-edged Sword
The tyrant alcohol wielded a double-edged sword over us: first we were smitten by an insane urge that condemned us to go on drinking,
and then by an allergy of the body that insured we would ultimately destroy ourselves in the practice.
Few indeed were those who, so assailed, had ever won through in singlehanded combat.
It was a statistical fact that alcoholics almost never recovered on their own resources.
And this had been true, apparently, ever since man had first crushed grapes.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 22

Thought to Ponder . . .
I couldn't recover from alcoholism by fighting intoxication; but rather by choosing sobriety.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .
P R I D E = Personal Recovery Involves Defeating Ego.