Daily Reflections <!--032026-->
LOVE AND TOLERANCE Love and tolerance of others in our code. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84 I have found that I have to forgive others in all situations to maintain any real spiritual progress. The vital importance of forgiving may not be obvious to me at first sight, but my studies tell me that every great […]
Each Day a New Beginning <!--032026-->
There’s a period of life where we swallow a knowledge of ourselves and it becomes either good or sour inside. —Pearl Bailey— For too many of us, feelings of shame, even self-hatred, are paramount. No one of us has a fully untarnished past. Every man, every woman, even every child experiences regret over some action. […]
AA Thought for the Day <!--031926-->
When we were drinking, we used to be ashamed of the past. Remorse is terrible mental punishment: ashamed of ourselves for the things we’ve said and done, afraid to face people because of what they might think of us, afraid of the consequences of what we did when we were drunk. In A.A. we forget […]
Keep it Simple <!--031926-->
Speak when you’re angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret. —Lawrence J. Peter— When we used alcohol or other drugs, most of us were hotheads. We thought we were right. If we were proven wrong, we may have made life hell for everyone. People knew enough to stay away from us. In […]
Promise of a new Day <!--031926-->
We are apt to call barbarous whatever departs widely from our own taste and apprehension. But soon [we] find the epithet of reproach retorted on us. —David Hume— Judging others is a hazardous game that’s likely to backfire. Labeling others is a form of judgment. It’s a way of sticking people into pigeonholes and saving […]
Each Day a New Beginning <!--031926-->
I realized a long time ago that a belief which does not spring from a conviction in the emotions is no belief at all. —Evelyn Scott— …From pillar to post we bounced, most of us not knowing what we actually believed about nearly any situation before getting to this program. Perhaps we believed what was […]
Daily Reflections <!--031926-->
PRAYER: IT WORKS It has been well said that “almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough.” TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 97 Having grown up in an agnostic household, I felt somewhat foolish when I first tried praying. I knew there was a Higher Power working in my […]
Daily Reflections <!--031826-->
REAL INDEPENDENCE The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 36 I start with a little willingness to trust God and He causes that willingness to grow. The more willingness I have, the more trust I gain, and the more […]
Each Day a New Beginning <!--031826-->
Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression. —Dodie Smith— Depression feeds on itself. With attention it worsens, but there are places for our attention. We can move our focus to a woman who is close by, a woman who is struggling to determine her direction in life. We can offer our […]
Promise of a new Day <!--031826-->
Life is curious when it is reduced to its essentials. —Jean Rhys— Life is always reduced to its essentials. We’re frail creatures: without water and shelter, we can’t survive. We may not think of our lives in these minimalist terms, but accidents of many kinds can disrupt our fragile web of protection. It makes sense, […]