Freedom from  "king alcohol" April 09 . . . let us not suppose even for an instant that we are not under constraint. . . . Our former tyrant, King Alcohol, always stands ready again to clutch us to him. Therefore, freedom from alcohol is the great "must" that has to be achieved, else we […]

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 sees it, p. 115 Sometimes when I've become willing to do what I should have been doing all along, I want praise and recognition. I […]

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 ourselves. First of all, we had to admit that we had many of these defects, even though such disclosures were painful and humiliating. Where other […]

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 to or not. Insanity dominated my life and was the essence of my disease. It robbed me of the freedom of choice over drinking and, […]

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 cut off all effective communication with our fellows because of its inordinate demands for attention and sympathy. It is a maudlin form of martyrdom, which […]

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 been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. Alcoholics anonymous, p. 64 As I look at myself practicing the Fourth Step, […]

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, p. 5 It has been said, "Anger is a luxury I cannot afford." Does this suggest I ignore this human emotion? I believe not. Before […]

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 the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison. Alcoholics anonymous, p. 66 "Dubious luxury." How often have I remembered those […]

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; faith answered; no one was there."" I don't know to whom this quote should be attributed, but it certainly indicates very clearly that fear is […]

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 la confirmation que nous avons été honnêtes avec nous-mêmes et avec Dieu. Réflexions de Bill, p. 17 À l’époque où je buvais, je me dupais […]

Brothers in our defects April 19 We recovered alcoholics are not so much brothers in virtue as we are brothers in our defects, and in our common strivings to overcome them. As Bill sees it, p. 167 The identification that one alcoholic has with another is mysterious, spiritual—almost incomprehensible. But it is there. I "feel" […]

Self-examination April 20 . . . we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Alcoholics anonymous, p. 86 When said sincerely, this prayer teaches me to be truly unselfish and humble, for even in doing good deeds I often used to seek approval and […]

Self-examination April 20 . . . we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Alcoholics anonymous, p. 86 When said sincerely, this prayer teaches me to be truly unselfish and humble, for even in doing good deeds I often used to seek approval and […]

Cultivating faith April 21 "I don't think we can do anything very well in this world unless we practice it. And I don't believe we do A.A. too well unless we practice it. . . . We should practice . . . acquiring the spirit of service. We should attempt to acquire some faith, which […]

New soil . . . New roots April 22 Moments of perception can build into a lifetime of spiritual serenity, as I have excellent reason to know. Roots of reality, supplanting the neurotic underbrush, will hold fast despite the high winds of the forces which would destroy us, or which we would use to destroy […]

A.A. is not a cure-all April 23 It would be a product of false pride to claim that A.A. is a cure-all, even for alcoholism. As Bill sees it, p. 285 In my early years of sobriety I was full of pride, thinking that A.A. was the only source of treatment for a good and […]

Learning to love yourselfs April 24 Alcoholism was a lonely business, even though we were surrounded by people who loved us. . . . We were trying to find emotional security either by dominating or by being dependent upon others. . . . We still vainly tried to be secure by some unhealthy sort of […]

Entering a new dimension April 25 In the late stages of our drinking, the will to resist has fled. Yet when we admit complete defeat and when we become entirely ready to try A.A. principles, our obsession leaves us and we enter a new dimension—freedom under God as we understand Him. As Bill sees it, […]

Happiness is not the point April 26 I don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How do we meet the problems we face? How do we best learn from them and transmit what we have learned to others, if they would receive the knowledge? As Bill sees it, p. 306 In my search "to […]

Joyful discoveries April 27 We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot […]

Two "magnificient standards" April 28 All A.A. progress can be reckoned in terms of just two words: humility and responsibility. Our whole spiritual development can be accurately measured by our degree of adherence to these magnificent standards. As Bill sees it, p. 271 To acknowledge and respect the views, accomplishments and prerogatives of others and […]

Group autonomy April 29 Some may think that we have carried the principle of group autonomy to extremes. For example, in its original "long form," Tradition Four declares: "Any two or three gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that as a group they have no other affiliation."* . . . […]

A great paradox April 30 These legacies of suffering and of recovery are easily passed among alcoholics, one to the other. This is our gift from God, and its bestowal upon others like us is the one aim that today animates A.A.'s all around the globe. Twelve steps and twelve traditions, p. 151 The great […]