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AA Thought for the Day

March 22

The Primary Cause

By now the newcomer has probably arrived at the following conclusions:
that his character defects, representing instincts gone astray, have been
the primary cause of his drinking and his failure at life; that unless he is
now willing to work hard at the elimination of the worst of these defects,
both sobriety and peace of mind will still elude him; that all the faulty
foundation of his life will have to be torn out and built anew on bedrock.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Four) p. 50

Thought to Ponder . . .
Sometimes God lets us hit rock bottom so we
will discover that He is the rock at the bottom.

AA-related 'Alconym'
W O R K = What Our Recovery Knows.

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

Tolerance
"Honesty with ourselves and others gets us sober,
but it is tolerance that keeps us that way.
In other words, once an alcoholic fully realizes
that he can't get well alone,
he will somehow find a way to get well and stay well
in the company of others.
It has been that way from the beginning of AA
and probably always will be so."
Bill W., Letter, 1943
As Bill Sees It, p. 312

Thought to Consider . . .
Together we can do what we could never do alone.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
TIME
Things I Must Earn

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

Nameless
From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous":
"[Tradition Eleven] represents more than a sound public relations policy. It is more than a denial of self-seeking. Tradition Eleven is certainly a constant reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A., but it also implies that each member ought to become an active guardian of our fellowship in its relation with the general public.
"As we have seen, anonymity is the protective mantle that covers our whole society. But it is more than protection; it has another dimension, a spiritual significance. And this leads to Tradition Twelve, which reads: 'Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.'
"In my belief, the entire future of our fellowship hangs upon this vital principle. If we continue to be filled with the spirit and practice of anonymity, no shoal or reef can wreck us. If we forget this principle, the lid to Pandora's box will be off and the spirits of Money, Power, and Prestige will be loosed among us."
2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 131

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

"In AA, we discover that it is impossible to give without receiving, or receive without giving."
North Hollywood, Calif., February 1993
"The Gift of Sobriety"
AA Grapevine

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

"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."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 66~

"If a repetition is to be prevented, place the problem, along with
everything else, in God's hands."
~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, To Wives, Page 120~

Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 90

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

'Selfish'?
'I can see why you are disturbed to hear some A.A. speakers say, 'A.A. is a selfish program.' The word 'selfish' ordinarily implies that one is acquisitive, demanding, and thoughtless of the welfare of others. Of course, the A.A. way of life does not at all imply such undesirable traits.
'What do these speakers mean? Well, any theologian will tell you that the salvation of his own soul is the highest vocation that a man can have. Without salvation--however we may define this--he will have little or nothing. For us of A.A., there is even more urgency.
'If we cannot or will not achieve sobriety, then we become truly lost, right in the here and now. We are of no value to anyone, including ourselves, until we find salvation from alcohol. Therefore, our own recovery and spiritual growth have to come first--a right and necessary kind of self-concern.

Prayer For The Day: Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for being the hope I need, the peace I look for, and the answer I seek.