AA Thoughts For Today - January

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AA Thought for the Day

January 22

Alcoholic Mind

They had said that though I did raise a defense, it would one day give way
before some trivial reason for having a drink. Well, just that did happen
and more, for what I had learned of alcoholism did not occur to me at all.
I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 42

Thought to Ponder
The ultimate defense against the first drink is a spiritual one.

AA-related 'Alconym'
T H I N K = Thank Heavens, I Now Know.

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

Vigilance
Deliver us from temptation
must continue to be a prime ingredient of our every
attitude, practice, and prayer.
When things go well, we must never fall into the error
of believing that no great ill can possibly befall us.
Nor should we accuse ourselves of
"negative thinking" when we insist on facing
the destructive forces in and around us,
both realistically and effectively.
Vigilance will always be the price of survival.
Bill W., November 1960
c. 1988 AAGrapevine, The Language of the Heart, pp. 316-17

Thought to Consider . . .
Adversity introduces us to ourselves

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
P E A C E = Providing Experienced Attitude Changes Every day.

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

Bottoms
Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
"Why all this insistence that every A.A. must hit bottom first? The answer is that few people will sincerely try to practice
the A.A. program unless they have hit bottom. For practicing A.A.'s remaining eleven Steps means the adoption of
attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking. Who wishes to be rigorously
honest and tolerant? Who wants to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? Who cares
anything about a Higher Power, let alone meditation and prayer?"
1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 24

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

"By helping to insure the sobriety of others to come, we insure our own sobriety today."
Rochester, N.Y., October 1987
"The Rise and Fall of a Home Group,"
The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA

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

"Another principle we observe carefully is that we do not relate
intimate experiences of another person unless we are sure he would
approve. We find it better, when possible, to stick to our own
stories. A man may criticize or laugh at himself and it will affect
others favorably, but criticism or ridicule coming from another often
produces the contrary effect."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125

"We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: 'Once an
alcoholic, always an alcoholic.' Commencing to drink after a period
of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, More About Alcoholism, pg. 33

Where other people were concerned, we had to drop the word 'blame' from our speech and thought.
-Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 47

Misc. AA Literature - Quote

The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear - primarily fear that we would lose something we already
possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state
of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing
these demands.
For all its usual destructiveness, we have found that fear can be the starting point for better things. Fear can be a
steppingstone to prudence and to a decent respect for others. It can point the path to justice, as well as to hate. And the
more we have of respect and justice, the more we shall begin to find the love which can suffer much, and yet be freely
given. So fear need not always be destructive, because the lessons of its consequences can lead us to positive values.

Prayer for the Day: God our Father, you call each of us by name, and you treasure each of us individually as though no
one else exists. Inspire us to respect and value each person who comes into our lives this day. Amen.