Alcoholics Anonymous

by Alcoholics Anonymous

(c) That God could and would if He were sought.

But, as with most humans, he is more likely to have varied traits.

He becomes angry, indignant, self-pitying.

And do not his actions make each of them wish to retaliate, snatching all they can get out of the show? Is he not, even in his best moments, a producer of confusion rather than harmony?

Whatever our protestations, are not most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity?

Driven by a hundred forms of fear,

but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.

So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn’t think so.

This is the how and why of it.

Most good ideas are simple,

freedom.

Stopped 3/4/24

As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn.

“God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!”

Third step prayer

was felt at once.

When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.

As in war, the victor only seemed to win. Our moments of triumph were short-lived.

It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness.

For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit.

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 normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison.

THIS!!

This was our course: We realized that the people who wronged us were perhaps spiritually sick. Though we did not like their symptoms and the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too. We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, “This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.”

We avoid retaliation or argument.

We cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show us how to take a kindly and toleran...

Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though

This short word somehow touches about every aspect of our lives.

But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling?

We stopped here on 3/11/24 Present: Denise Tina Krista Christine Jane

Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.

remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be.

Great prayer

Stopped here on 3/25/24 Present Denise Jane Ruthie Christine Kathleen Erin

More than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character.

Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator.

We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience.

Returning home we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done.

At meeting today Kathleen Krista Tina Jane We started reading “in nine cases”

The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring his way through the lives of others. Hearts are broken. Sweet relationships are dead. Affections have been uprooted. Selfish and inconsiderate habits have kept the home in turmoil.

We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough. He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find his home ruined. To his wife, he remarked, “Don’t see anything the matter here, Ma. Ain’t it grand the wind stopped blowin’?”

Their defects may be glaring, but the chances are that our own actions are partly responsible. So we clean house with the family, asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.

We should be sensible, tactful, considerate and humble without being servile or scraping. As God’s people we stand on our feet; we don’t crawl before anyone.

If we are painstaking about this

p...

Promises

of our devel...

That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.

Stopped here 4/15/24

This thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past.

Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear.

Love and tolerance of others is our code.

And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone—even alcohol.

We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality—safe and protected.