A New Life - Sept 9th

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
~ Maria Robinson

A.A. Thought for the Day

When alcoholics are offered a life of sobriety by following the A.A. program, they will look at the prospect of living without alcohol and they will ask: "Am I to be consigned to a life where I shall be stupid, boring and glum, like some of the righteous people I see? I know I must get along without liquor, but how can I? Have you a sufficient substitute?" Have I found a more than sufficient substitute for drinking?

My biggest fear was that without alcohol I would never have fun again. Nothing could be further from the truth - in fact I laugh more often now than I did as a drunk.

~ Mike

But for the Grace of God - Sept 8th

"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

~ Robert Frost (from "The Road Not Taken")


A.A. Thought for the Day

Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "But for the Grace of God." Once we have fully accepted the program we become humble about our achievement. We do not take too much credit for our sobriety. When we see another suffering alcoholic in the throes of alcoholism, we say to ourselves: "But for the grace of God, there go I." We do not forget the kind of people we were. We remember those we left behind us. And we are very grateful to the grace of God, which has given us another chance. Am I truly grateful for the grace of God?

When I was active in my addiction I foolishly believed that I would never, ever, end up homeless and living on the streets. Now when I look back I realize how close I was to that fate and I look at the homeless and honestly believe that there, but for the grace of God, go I.

~ Mike

Easy Does It

 "Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure."
~ Norman Vincent Peale

A.A. Thought for the Day

Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "Easy Does It." This means that we just go along in A.A. doing the best we can and not getting steamed up over problems that arise in A.A. or outside of it. We alcoholics are emotional people and we have gone to excess in almost everything we have done. We have not been moderate in many things. We have not known how to relax. Faith in a Higher Power can help us to learn to take it easy. We are not running the world. I am only one among many. We are resolved to live normal, regular lives. From our A.A. experience we learn that "easy does it." Have I learned to take it easy?

Going about life without taking anything personally was an alien concept to me when I came into AA. I have heard some in the program say that before coming into A.A. the world seemed full of assholes - but today assholes seem to be very rare. Have a great day.

~ Mike

Acceptance - Sept 6th

“When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.”
~ Peace Pilgrim

A.A. Thought for the Day

Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "Live and Let Live." This, of course, means tolerance of people who think differently than we do, whether they are in A.A. or outside of A.A. We cannot afford the luxury of being intolerant or critical of other people. We do not try to impose our wills on those who differ from us. We are not "holier than thou." We do not have all the answers. We are not better than other good people. We live the best way we can and we allow others to do likewise. Am I willing to live and let live?

Almost every member you hear talk about the slogan "Live and Let Live" will say that they struggle with this idea. I am no different. In letting go of my need to be right I have come a long way in accepting others though perfection remains just a goal.

~ Mike

Priorities - Sept 5th

It is easier to stay out than get out.
~ Mark Twain


A.A. Thought for the Day

One of the mottoes of A.A. is "First Things First." This means that we should always keep in mind that alcohol is our number one problem. We must never let any other problem; whether of family, business, friends, or anything else take precedence in our minds over our alcoholic problem. As we go along in A.A., we learn to recognize the things that may upset us emotionally. When we find ourselves getting upset over something, we must realize that it's a luxury we alcoholics can't afford. Anything that makes us forget our number one problem is dangerous to us. Am I keeping sobriety in first place in my mind?

I've found that the best way to keep this idea foremost in my mind is to get to meetings and to stay in touch with my AA fellows.

~ Mike

Tolerance - Sept 4th

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.”
~ Jalal ad-Din Rumi

A.A. Thought for the Day

"We must be careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not helpful to anyone. We are not fanatics or intolerant of people who can drink normally. Prospects are relieved when they find we are not witch burners. Temperate drinking is okay, but we alcoholics can't get away with it. And no alcoholic likes to be told about alcohol by anyone who hates it. We shall be of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility." Do I have tolerance for those who can drink normally?

Being tolerant of others was not a skill I had learned before coming into AA. Through sobriety and with the knowledge I've been given by the program I now understand that AA is not a religion to be preached but a way of life to be practiced.

~ Mike

Newcomers - Sept 3rd

“Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.”
~ Kahlil Gibran

A.A. Thought for the Day

"Offer new prospects friendship and fellowship. Tell them that if they want to get well you will do anything to help. Burn the idea into the consciousness of new prospects that they can get well, regardless of anyone else. Job or no job, spouse or no spouse, they cannot stop drinking as long as they place dependence on other people ahead of dependence on God. Let no alcoholic say they cannot recover unless they have their family back. This just isn't so. Their recovery is not dependent upon other people. It is dependent on their own relationship to God." Can I recognize all excuses made by a prospect?

It seems to me that humour and the sound of a group of alcoholics laughing and enjoying themselves will surprise the newcomer most of all. Most newcomers, I believe, assume that a life of sobriety will be a life without fun. As the newcomer becomes more attracted to a life of sobriety I believe their need to cling to unhealthy ideas will slip away. That's just my 2 cents worth.

~ Mike