FAMILY
The family is the seed of the future.
We should really take a look at how we are looking at our families. –Just For Today | More…
SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
Modern civilization has no understanding of sacred matters.
We need to have guidance from the Creator to help us rebuild our families, our communities and ourselves. –Elders Meditations | More…
ACCEPTANCE
Peace and enlightenment come when you stop evaluating in terms of good or bad and merely accept all of life as it is and try to learn from it. –El Granada, California, March 1989/”A Program of Action,” The Best of the Grapevine, Volume 3
GRATITUDE
My gratitude speaks when I care and when I share with others.
When we share with tears in our eyes, when we choke up and can’t talk at all—these are the times when our gratitude speaks most clearly. We share our gratitude directly from our hearts; with their hearts, others hear and understand. Our gratitude speaks eloquently, though our words may not. –Just For Today | More…
PRIMARY PURPOSE
Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry the message to the addict who still suffers. Once we have gotten clean, we must remember to give to others what was so freely given to us. We need to reach out to the addict who still suffers. The newcomer is the most important person at any meeting. –Just For Today | More…
TWO WORLDS
There are two Worlds that exist. The Seen World and the Unseen World.
Sometimes these worlds are called the Physical World and the Spiritual World. –Elders Meditations | More…
THE MESSAGE
We shall never be at our best except when we hew only to the primary spiritual aim of AA. That of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers alcoholism. –Bill W., April 1948 “Tradition Five”/The Language of the Heart
LOVE
Love is the be all and end all. If we are capable of loving, we have nothing to worry about. One barrier is our belief in the overriding importance of our intelligence.
Intelligence is like good looks; they are both unearned. Our Creator does not evaluate us on the basis of how intelligent we are. If we ask, God will help us overcome our reliance on our intelligence and all other handicaps that keep us from expressing love. –In God’s Care/Karen Casey | More…
MEDICINE
Each person has good medicine, a special talent, a special gift. These medicines are to help others or to help make us healthy. –Elders | More…
MISERY
Misery is optional. Though we can’t control what happens to us, we can determine how we interpret and react to what happens. We can implement the Serenity Prayer, accepting what we can’t change and changing what we can. Emotional pain may call for a therapist or friend, and spiritual distress may indicate the need for more prayer and meditation, closer contact with a Higher Power. We can accept responsibility for our feelings, become willing to go to any lengths to get well, and choose not to be miserable. –Inner Harvest/Elisabeth L | More…
EARLY RECOVERY
In early recovery change feels easy, and hope replaces despair. What’s really happening is, our addictive craving has been treated However we still have our old problems, habits, and states of mind. For spirits in need of healing, Step work leads to the next phase of recovery. –If You Want What We Have/Joan Larkin | More…
STORMS
Hold people accountable for their behavior. Don’t let people treat you badly. Don’t take the storms in their lives personally. These storms may have nothing to do with you. If the storm isn’t about you, there’s nothing you need to do. Would you stop the ocean waves by standing in the surf with your arms outstretched? –Melody Beattie | More…
LAUGHTER
One of the many positive signs of our return to health and sanity is our recovery of the gift of laughter. Each day we gain more energy and zest of life, We laugh and find we are no longer alone. Laughter is the mark of a healthy, happy human being. Laughter is a sign that we are alive and on the way to recovery. –Answers in the Heart/P. Williamson & S. Kiser | More…
STUDENT of LIFE
I have learned a lot from trees. Nature is the greatest teacher on the Earth. We can learn a lot when we observe and study Nature’s system of harmony and balance. –Elders Meditations | More…
REWARDS
The rewards of asking for help – increased humility, connection, and trust – are well worth the effort. –‘H-E-L-P,’ Phoenix, Arizona, April 2011/AA Grapevine
MANAGEBILITY
The way to make a mountain out of a mole hill is to add dirt. Today I have the tools to keep a mole hill from becoming a mountain. Three favourites to remember are;
#1: There is a solution.
#2: Whatever is happening it is temporary.
#3: God is in charge.
By focusing on God – and not the problem – I get to experience serenity while the situation sorts itself out – as it always does. And by not adding dirt to the mole hill, I avoid the imaginary mountain that used to make my life unmanageable. — Wisdom of the Rooms | More…
SPIRITUALITY
What is obvious to me is that we did not create ourselves… life is something inside of you. You did not create it. Once you understand that, you are in a spiritual realm. Virginia Satir. –Touchstones | More…
GOD
Ongoing recovery is dependent on our relationship with a loving God who cares for us and will do for us what we find impossible to do for ourselves –Just For Today | More…
WHAT IF
Living just for today relieves the burden of the past and the fear of the future. We learned to take whatever actions are necessary and to leave the results in the hands of our Higher Power. –Just For Today | More…
HAPPINESS
The Elders say everyone wants to be happy and have a peaceful mind. Material things do not bring happiness and peace of mind. Only spiritual things bring happiness. –Elders Meditations | More…
ANGELS
Angels as people who do nice things for us without expecting much in return. They give for the love of giving. They seek opportunities to help, even when it seems inconvenient. Their beliefs aren’t always aligned with ours. But when we need them, they are there. An angel can be someone you know or you meet in passing. Angels enhance your life, if even for a moment. –52 Weeks of Esteemable Acts/Francine Ward | More…
GROUNDING
Soil is soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing… If you are stressed, go to a spot on the Earth, sit down, put your fingers in the dirt, dig in it. Wash your hands in the soil. When you touch it, notice what it does to your hands. Our bodies love to touch the Earth. We get too busy and forget these simple things. These things are mentally healthy. –Elders Meditations | More…
MIRACLES
we simply fail to recognize miracles for what they are. Sobriety — one-day-at-a-time — is truly a miracle. –Prineville, Oregon, February 2004/Grapevine
PROGRESS
Who really gets better? We do! As we practice the program, we gain a whole new outlook on those around us by gaining a new outlook on ourselves. –Just For Today | More…
MEETINGS
Step One helps us give up our obsession. In Steps Two and Three we develop a trust in a Higher Power and thus give up our fear. We come to believe it’s not our job to get anyone sober. Our job is to find happiness and offer love to others. Nothing can better us more than this. Time spent at meetings is never wasted. Happiness will be strengthened each time we use some part of the program. — A Life of My Own/Karen Casey | More…
THE STEPS
When we work the Twelve Steps to the best of our ability, we find that we can become the type of people who are capable of finding employment, sustaining loving relationships, and helping others. We stop serving our disease, and begin serving God and others. The Twelve Steps are the key to transforming our lives. –Just For Today | More…
SPIRIT WORLD
Prayer is our entrance into the Unseen World. We can call upon the powers and laws of the Great Spirit. The spiritual laws allow healing to take place; they allow forgiveness to occur; they cause miracles to happen; they cause hate to disappear; they heal broken relationships; they guide every moment of our lives; they allow us to love even when it’s hard. Prayer allows us access to the Spirit World. –Elders Meditations | More…
INSANITY
The Twelve Steps to Insanity
1. We admitted we were powerless over nothing – that we could manage our lives perfectly. We could also perfectly manage the lives of those around us.
2. Came to believe that there was no power greater than ourselves and that the rest of the world was insane.
3. Made a decision to have our loved ones turn their wills and lives over to our care even though they couldn’t understand us at all.
4. Made a searching and fearless inventory of everyone we knew.
5. Admitted to the whole world the exact nature of everyone else’s wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to make others give us the respect we thought we deserved.
7. Demanded that others do our will because we were always enlightened.
8. Made a list of all the persons who had harmed us and became willing to go to any length to get even with them all.
9. Got direct revenge on such people wherever possible except when to do so would cost us our lives or at least a jail sentence.
10. Continued to take inventory of others, and when they were wrong promptly and repeatedly told them about it.
11. Sought through complaining and self-medication to improve our relations with others as we could not understand them at all, asking only that they do things our way.
12. Having had a complete physical, emotional, and spiritual breakdown as a result of these steps, we tried to blame others and get sympathy in all our affairs.
GOD’s LAW
Your mind works very simply: you are either trying to find out what are God’s laws in order to follow them; or you are trying to outsmart him.
It is the Law that any difficulties that can come to you at any time, no matter what they are, must be exactly what you need most at the moment, to enable you to take the next step forward by overcoming them. The only real misfortune, the only real tragedy, comes when we suffer without learning the lesson. –Emmet Fox
INSPIRATIONS
Inspirations never go in for long engagements; they demand immediate marriage to action. –Brendan Francis
HOLIDAY TIPS
Twelve Tips On Keeping Your Holiday Season Sober and Joyous | More…
LEADERSHIP
Prideful or angry people can sometimes be dead right, when the calm and the more humble are quite mistaken. –Bill W. 1959/Grapevine
SPIRIT WORLD
Our Elders know about the two Worlds, the Physical World and the Spiritual World. Many times, before we pass to the Spirit World, our relatives, who have gone there before us, will come for us and they will help us. The Spirit World, the Elders say, is a good, happy, and harmonious place. When we die, it means we have only entered another world. We will all see one another again.–Elders Meditations | More…
MEDITATION
Meditation can give us glimpses of God’s timelessness. We see that our schedule is not that important after all, when measured against eternity. As the presence of God seeps into our consciousness, we relax into the fullness and peace of each moment. Trusting our Higher Power to order our lives, we can slow down and enjoy God’s gifts. — Food for Thought by Elisabeth L. | More…
DEFECTS
AA said, only God can remove our defects. I was amazed to find that I couldn’t be a better person simply by trying harder! — California, July 1995/Interview with the Author of ‘Doctor, Alcoholic, Addict,’/Grapevine
REALITY
Recovery does not give us immunity from the realities of life. In the Fellowship we can find the support, genuine care, and concern we need to face those realities. We need never hide from reality, for our unity with other recovering addicts gives us strength. The support, the care, and the empathy of recovery give us a clean, clear window through which to view, experience, and appreciate reality as it is. –Just For Today | More…
COURAGE
Courage empowers us to act in favour of what we believe, but cannot know. Courage is animated by the vision of faith. Many who think themselves as not spiritual, are excellent models of faith because they reach out for what is not common in their lives. Because they believe, they’re willing and able to take the risk. — Days of Healing, Days of Joy/Earnie and Carol Larsen Hegarty | More…
MYSTERY
In some mysterious and wonderful way you are part of everything. And in that same mysterious and wonderful way, everything is a part of you. In order to experience this, we must be aware of how limited our senses are. –Elders Meditations| More…
DETACHMENT
Detachment is neither unloving nor unkind. It’s simply accepting the fact that we can’t live others’ lives for them. It’s coming to understand that detaching with love is one of the best things we can do for our addicted loved ones. Here are eight reasons why
STEP FOUR
The Fourth Step lets me look into my fear of not getting something I want or of losing something I have, and move forward to try to establish true partnerships with other human beings. –Riverdale, Michigan, April 1997/Grapevine
RESENTMENTS
As we examine resentments, we may feel tempted to hold onto some of them, especially if we think they are “justified.” What we need to remember is that “justified” resentments are just as burdensome as any other resentment. –Just For Today | More…
PROCRASTINATION
When we realize we’re procrastinating, we need free ourselves from the burden of perfectionism, and be free to better accept our responsibilities. Meeting deadlines as well as we can, one at a time, pays off in serenity and a manageable life. When we are crisis ridden, we are forced to live by other peoples’ demands, rather than by our choices.
In the face of procrastination, resentment, or perfectionism, we can turn to Step Ten for an inventory. We can forgive ourselves, try to laugh at ourselves, live in the present, and keep going. Today can be better than yesterday. — Answers in the Heart/P. Williamson and S. Kiser | More…
RESPONSIBILITY
The law is that all life is equal in the Great Creation. Every generation is accountable to leave the environment in healthy order for the next generation. Each individual is directly accountable. –Elder’s Meditations/White Bison | More…
HIGHER POWER
I had cut my finger and it had gotten well; I’d broken a bone and it had gotten well … How come? That to me, in its simplest form, is a concept of a power greater than I am. –California, October 1995, “Interview with the Author of ‘Physician, Heal Thyself!'”/Grapevine
TEMPTATIONS
What do we do with temptations when they come? Whatever we sow we will simultaneously reap for ourselves. We must be accountable for our own actions. –Elder’s Meditations/White Bison | More…
CARING
Through the principles of this program, we are learning to forgive and to trust that we will always be cared for. The experiences designed for our progress will come to us. Our Higher Power will never leave our side. We can be free of fear today, if that’s our wish. –A Woman’s Spirit/Karen Casey | More…
ACCEPTANCE
Self-acceptance comes when we accept that we have a disease called addiction. It’s easier to accept ourselves as sick people than as bad people. Working the Twelve Steps teaches us to accept ourselves and our lives. Spiritual principles like surrender, honesty, faith, and humility help relieve us of the burden of our past mistakes. –Just For Today | More…
PRIVACY
When we consult an AA friend, we should not be reluctant to remind him of our need for full privacy. The protective sanctity of this most healing of human relations ought never be violated. –, Bill W., August 1961/This Matter of Honesty/ Grapevine
CONTRIBUTING
We all come from one Great Spirit but we are all different and unique. We each belong here and do things that will affect the great whole. –Elders Meditations/White Bison 19/04 | More…
MEETINGS
In my heart, I know that meetings benefit me in all kinds of ways. Today, I want what’s good for me. I will attend a meeting. –Just For Today | More…
BELIEVING
Research shows that people who have a positive attitude are healthier, live longer, and are more likely to recover from serious illness. To believe in hopeful outcomes is largely a matter of choice. The Second Step guides us to believe in hopeful possibilities. Wisdom To Know | More…
UNITY
The unity of the Fellowship of the spirit can be ours so long as we are willing to pass it on. –West Palm Beach, Florida, March 1989/”Building an Arch,”/Grapevine
STEP SEVEN
The Seventh Step doesn’t suggest that we rid ourselves of our shortcomings; But rather that we ask our Higher Power to rid us of them. The focus of our daily prayers begins to shift. Admitting our inability to perfect ourselves, we plead with our Higher Power to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Through the eyes of the Seventh Step, we begin to see those around us in a less critical way. We know that, just like us, they are powerless over their own defects. We wonder if they, too, humbly pray to have their defects removed. —-Just For Today | More…
CLEANSING
How do you know if you are praying from your heart or from your head? Pray from your head and you will feel nothing; pray from your heart and you will feel feelings. When we ask for purification of our feelings, our mental mind and our physical body, the spiritual direction causes the cleansing to happen. –Elders | More…
ISOLATING
The problem with isolating is that you get such bad advice –Wisdom of the Rooms
HEARTFELT
Our hearts work like a tuning fork. When the heart feels completely in tune with a decision or thought or action in our lives, then we know it is the right one for us. We can actually feel the harmony inside our bodies. –Today’s Gift | More…
ACT AS IF
If we act confidently and extend ourselves, we’ll not only feel better about ourselves, we’ll find that we are no longer so frightened. Each action we take in this vein brings us closer to becoming the people we were meant to be. Each positive change we make builds our self-esteem. Through acting differently, we will realize that we are beginning to think differently. We are living ourselves into right thinking by “acting as if.” –Just For Today | More…
SPIRIT WORLD
Our Elders know about the two Worlds, the Physical World and the Spiritual World. Many times, before we pass to the Spirit World, our relatives, who have gone there before us, will come for us and they will help us. The Spirit World, the Elders say, is a good, happy, and harmonious place. When we die, it means we have only entered another world. We will all see one another again.–Elders Meditations | More…
SOBRIETY
In AA it doesn’t matter who is right — only who is left! –Bandon, Ore., May 1998/”Anything and Everything Except Sobriety,”/Voices of Long-Term Sobriety/Grapevine
RESPECT
If you respect something, it will respect you back. The Indian ancestors always showed great respect for the Earth. That’s why the Earth is so respectful to Indians today. We know the Earth holds our ancestors. –Elders Meditations | More…
PEOPLE PLEASING
In striving to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. Striving to be a people-pleaser can make you feel as if what you are doing is never right, and you lose your ability to make your own decision. –Morning Light/Amy E. Dean | More…
BEAUTY
Sometimes we look at something close up and it appears to be ugly. Are we focused on something ugly about ourselves, or are we looking at ourselves as a whole? We all have purpose, and we are all beautiful. –Elders Meditations | More…
SOBRIETY
In the first six months of my own sobriety, I worked hard with many alcoholics. Not a one responded. Yet this work kept me sober. –Bill W., January 1958/”The Next Frontier: Emotional Sobriety,”/The Language of the Heart
FELLOWSHIP
Part of the magic of AA is that the Fellowship, like the loving God who presides over us all, never gives up hope for the suffering alcoholic. –West Palm Beach, Florida, September 1986|”The Kid Who Came In from the Cold,”/In Our Own Words/Grapevine
LOVE
The base of all things is love, respect. The greatest weapon of any Spiritual Warrior is love. Love loves love. Any human who is loving will be guaranteed respect. Respect loves love. We need to love and respect ourselves. –Elders Meditations/White Bison 14/04 | More…
JOURNEYING
We are, in fact, on a journey and have much to learn. The journey is the process of enlightenment for which we all have gathered. All of our acquaintances share destinies overlapping our own. There is security in knowing that our journeys are necessary and right for us. –The Promise of a New Day/Karen Casey & Martha Vanceburg | More…
GRATITUDE
I’ve found a life I never knew existed. I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude that there’s no room for a bad day. –Costa Mesa, California, December 1994/”He Gave Me the Shirt Off His Back,”/Grapevine
THE LAWS
We must come back to the culture because this is where His laws are. If we don’t follow these laws, we will be unhappy. We must follow what the Great Spirit says we must do. –Elders Meditations | More…
HAPPINESS
We can think of happiness as contentment and satisfaction. Both of these states of mind seem to come to us when we least strive for them. –Just For Today | More…
GROWTH
A tree stripped of its branches will die unless new branches can be grafted onto its trunk. To grow or even to survive, we must open our minds and allow new ideas to be grafted onto our lives. –Just For Today | More…
CONNECTEDNESS
Through our new awareness, we no longer feel isolated from the rest of the human race. When our individual contribution is combined with others, we become an essential part of a grand design. We are connected at last. –Just For Today | More…
PEOPLE PLEASING
The inner satisfaction we seek can be found in doing the right things for the right reasons. We break the people-pleasing cycle when we stop acting merely to gain others’ approval and start acting on our Higher Power’s will for us. –Just For Today | More…
VISION
Once we have uncovered our fear, we are able to move beyond it. That vision is the essence of our own best, brightest dreams for ourselves. –Just For Today | More…
FELLOWSHIP
The fellowship can be a mirror to reflect back to us a more accurate image of who we are. The fellowship always has more to offer us, as long as we keep coming back. –Just For Today | More…
RELAPSE
Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and setbacks. A relapse can provide a positive experience toward abstinence and a lifetime of recovery. A relapse brings truth to what we hear repeatedly in meetings – “Don’t take that first drink!” It reinforces the belief in the progressive nature of the disease, and the need for humility in our spiritual program. Simple truths come in complicated ways to me when I become ego driven. –Daily Reflections | More…
RIGOROUS
Have you looked up the meaning of RIGOROUS, as in rigorous honesty? So how is your program? Is it?……. meticulous, punctilious, conscientious, careful, diligent, attentive, ultra-careful, scrupulous, painstaking, exact, precise, accurate, correct, thorough, studious, exhaustive, mathematical, detailed, perfectionist, methodical, particular, religious, strict; fussy; fastidious; hair-splitting; finicky; finical; demanding; exacting; pedantic; relentless; unsparing; uncompromising; –Suggested by Charley Brockwell, AA #6
MORNING HELPERS 