Commitment February 16 Understanding is the key to right principles and attitudes, and right action is the key to good living. Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. 125 There came […]

The love in their eyes February 17 Some of us won't believe in God, others can't, and still others who do believe that God exists have no faith whatever He […]

Our paths are our own February 18 . . . there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet. […]

I'm not different February 19 In the beginning, it was four whole years before A.A. brought permanent sobriety to even one alcoholic woman. Like the "high bottoms," the women said […]

The gift of laughter February 20 At this juncture, his A.A. sponsor usually laughs. Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. 26 Before my recovery from alcoholism began, laughter was one […]

I'm part of the whole February 21 At once, I became a part—if only a tiny part—of a cosmos. . . . As Bill sees it, p. 225 When I […]

Guidance February 22 . . . this means a belief in a Creator who is all power, justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a meaning, […]

Mysterious paradoxes February 23 Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old life as a condition for finding […]

A thankful heart February 24 I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must […]

The challenge of failure February 25 In God's economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, we learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful though it is. As Bill […]

No ordinary success story February 26 A.A. is no success story in the ordinary sense of the word. It is a story of suffering transmuted, under grace, into spiritual progress. […]

A unique stability February 27 Where does A.A. get its direction? . . . These practical folk then read Tradition Two, and learn that the sole authority in A.A. is […]

What? No president? February 28 When told that our Society has no president having authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the payment of any dues, . . […]

It works March 01 It works—it really does. Alcoholics anonymou, p. 88 When I got sober I initially had faith only in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Desperation and fear […]

Hope March 02 Do not be discouraged. Alcoholics anonymous, p. 60  Few experiences are of less value to me than fast sobriety. Too many times discouragement has been the bonus […]

Overcoming self-will March 03 So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run […]

WEEDING THE GARDEN March 04 The essence of all growth is a willingness to make a change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.  AS […]

A lifelong task March 05 “But just how, in these circumstances, does a fellow ‘take it easy?’ That’s what I want to know.” Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. 26 […]

The idea of faith March 06 Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, […]

The key is willingness March 07 Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can […]

Turning it over March 08 Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step Three. Isn’t it true […]

Surrendering self-will March 09 Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.  Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. […]

Today, it's my choice March 10 . . . we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us […]

Good orderly direction March 11 It is when we try to make our will conform with God’s that we begin to use it rightly. To all of us, this was […]

A day's plan March 12 On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct […]

A world of the spirit March 13 We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight […]

The keystone March 14 He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch […]

The God idea March 15 When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of […]

Ae se understand Him March 16 My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. . . . “Why don’t you choose your own conception of God?” That statement hit […]

Mysterious ways March 17 . . . out of every season of grief or suffering, when the hand of God seemed heavy or even unjust, new lessons for living were […]

Real independence March 18 The more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are. Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. 36 I start […]

Prayer: It works March 19 It has been well said that “almost the only scoffers at prayer are those who never tried it enough.” Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. […]

The God idea March 15 When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of […]

Love and tolerance March 20 Love and tolerance of others is our code. Alcoholics anonymous, p. 84 I have found that I have to forgive others in all situations to […]

. . . And no more reservations March 23 We have seen the truth again and again: “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.”. . . If we are planning to […]

Active, not passive March 24 Man is supposed to think, and act. He wasn’t made in God’s image to be an automaton. As Bill sees it, p. 55 Before I […]

The teaching is never over March 26 Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your […]

A.A.’s freedoms March 27 We trust that we already know what our several freedoms truly are; that no future generation of AAs will ever feel compelled to limit them. Our […]

Equality March 28 Our membership ought to include all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money […]

Trusted servants March 29 They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thankless privilege of doing the group’s chores. Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. 134 In Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis […]

Our group conscience March 30 “. . . sometimes the good is the enemy of the best.” A.A. comes of age, p. 101 I think these words apply to every […]

No one denied me love March 31 On the A.A. calendar it was Year Two. . . . A newcomer appeared at one of these groups. . . . He […]

Looking within April 01 Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. 42 Step Four is the vigorous and painstaking effort to discover […]

Character building April 02 Demands made upon other people for too much attention, protection, and love can only invite domination or revulsion. . . . Twelve steps and twelve traditions, […]

Anger: a "dubious luxury" April 16 If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be […]

True brotherhood April 05 We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friend among friends, to be a worker among workers, to be a […]

A lifetime process April 06 We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn't control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn't make a […]

A wide arc of gratitude April 07 And, speaking for Dr. Bob and myself, I gratefully declare that had it not been for our wives, Anne and Lois, neither of […]

An inside look April 08 We want to find exactly how, when, and where our natural desires have warped us. We wish to look squarely at the unhappiness this has […]

Freedom from  "king alcohol" April 09 . . . let us not suppose even for an instant that we are not under constraint. . . . Our former tyrant, King […]

Growing up April 10 The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails. As Bill […]

A word to drop: "blame" April 11 To see how erratic emotions victimized us often took a long time. We could perceive them quickly in others, but only slowly in […]

Giving up insanity April 12 . . . where alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane. Alcohólicos Anónimos, p. 38 Alcoholism required me to drink, whether I wanted […]

The false confort of self-pity April 13 Self-pity is one of the most unhappy and consuming defects that we know. It is a bar to all spiritual progress and can […]

The "number one offender" April 14 Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have […]

The bondage of resentments April 15 . . . harboring resentment is infinitely grave. For then we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit. As Bill sees it, […]

Anger: a "dubious luxury" April 16 If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be […]

Love and fear as opposites April 17 All these failings generate fear, a soul-sickness in its own right Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. 49 ""Fear knocked at the door; […]

Honnêteté vis-à-vis de soi 18 avril Presque toujours, nous trompons les autres parce que nous nous trompons d’abord nous-mêmes. Si nous sommes honnêtes en face d’une autre per- sonne, c’est […]