AA Thought For Today - August

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AA Thought for the Day

August 18

Freedom from Fear

For all its usual destructiveness,
we have found that fear can be the starting point to prudence
and to a decent respect for others. . .
The more we have of respect and justice,
the more we can begin to find the love which can suffer much,
and yet be freely given.

- The Language of the Heart, p. 265

Thought to Ponder . . .

Let us always love the best in others -- and never fear their worst.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .

F E A R = Forgetting Everything's All Right.

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

Anonymity
"And finally, we of Alcoholics Anonymous believe
that the principle of anonymity
has an immense spiritual significance.
It reminds us that we are to place
principles before personalities;
that we are actually to practice a genuine humility.
This to the end that our great blessings may never spoil us;
that we shall forever live in thankful contemplation
of Him who presides over us all."
Tradition Twelve - the Long Form
1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 567-8

Thought to Consider . . .
Walk softly and carry a Big Book.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A N O N Y M O U S =
Actions, Not Our Names, Yield Maintenance Of Unity and Service.

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

Fatal
From: "How It Works"
It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worth while. But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal. For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again. And with us, to drink is to die.
2001, AAWS, Inc., Alcoholics Anonymous, page 66

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

"An old-timer spoke about the danger of becoming complacent and explained the need for the Steps in her life. 'The way I see it,' she said, 'I might have gotten the monkey off my back, but the circus is still in town.'"
New York, N.Y., September 2005
"Ham on Wry"
AA Grapevine

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

"We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. 'Do I now
believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power
greater than myself?' As soon as a man can say that he does believe,
or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on
his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this
simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be
built."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 47

"Most of us sense that real tolerance of other people's shortcomings and viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which make us more useful to others."
Alcoholics Anonymous p.19

“Many could recover if they had the opportunity we have enjoyed.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 19

“There are many opportunities even for those of us who feel unable to speak at meetings or who are so situated that we cannot do much face-to-face Twelfth Step work.”
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 110

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

Not many people can truthfully assert that they love everybody. Most of us must admit that we have loved but a few; that we have been quite indifferent to the many. As for the remainder - well, we have really disliked or hated them.
We A.A.'s find we need something much better than this in order to keep our balance. The idea that we can be possessively loving of a few, can ignore the many, and can continue to fear or hate anybody at all, has to be abandoned, if only a little at a time.
We can try to stop making unreasonable demands upon those we love. We can show kindness where we had formerly shown none. With those we dislike we can at least begin to practice justice and courtesy, perhaps going out of our way at times to understand and help them.

Prayer for the Day: My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.