FEBRUARY 8

 CONVINCING "MR. HYDE"

Even then, as we hew away, peace and joy will still elude us. That's the place so many of us A. A. oldsters have come to. And it's a hell of a spot, literally. How shall our unconscious—from which so many of our fears, compulsions and phony aspirations still stream —be brought into line with what we actually believe, know and want! How to convince our dumb, raging and hidden "Mr. Hyde" becomes our main task.

THE BEST OF BILL, pp. 42-43

Regular attendance at meetings, serving and help­ing others is the recipe that many have tried and found to be successful. Whenever I stray from these basic principles, my old habits resurface and my old self also comes back with all its fears and defects. The ultimate goal of each A.A. member is perma­nent sobriety, achieved One Day at a Time.

FEBRUARY 7

A PATH TO FAITH

True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, and every A.A. meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate our­selves to Him.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33

My last drunk had landed me in the hospital, to­tally broken. It was then that I was able to see my past float in front of me. I realized that, through drinking, I had lived every nightmare I had ever had. My own self-will and obsession to drink had driven me into a dark pit of hallucinations, black­outs and despair. Finally beaten, I asked for God's help. His presence told me to believe. My obsession for alcohol was taken away and my paranoia has since been lifted. I am no longer afraid. I know my life is healthy and sane.

February 7 | AA 12 Steps In Action | Step 2 | 2012 | Today's AA daily reflection: "humility can lead us to faith." All my life I was a learner, not necessarily learning life too well, more survival skills than anything else. Humility is being able to keep on learning how to live well for me these days. Humility offers release from having to know the answers and having to know the questions. And the question of faith? Faith in whatever you choose to be a higher power will work. The essence of faith today for me does reside in humility and being open, honest and willing to change…

It may seem so simple to many, "a higher power moment," and to me it was a revelation. When it came to addiction and what to do, my higher power moment was simply "I cannot do this on my own." I picked up the phone, made a call and asked for help. It was a bittersweet moment, realising I needed help and at the same time still feeling resistance inside me to needing help. After the call, still churning about what to do I'm grateful the decision made, I was able to reach out, listen and make a choice towards freedom and not back into the malady…

Restored to sanity is really difficult, I was looking for "the fix" because the fix would fix me and I would never have to think about it again. I would be cured and with the sure knowledge of knowing the answer, I would overcome my battle and my fight with addiction. Another bittersweet moment, being restored to sanity is a daily ask, simply because there is no fix beyond the moment of now. I cannot predict my circumstances or the challenges I may face and so there is no fix and I'm very pleased there isn't… It’s all about learning life in the moment and asking for help daily from anyone, anywhere and anything is key to a life with serenity as part of the equation…

I start my day asking myself the questions, "how am I feeling, why and what can I do?" If I know what my feelings are, I know where my thinking may go and likely actions which follow. And as a meditation, remind myself of steps one, two and three, powerless and unmanageable, restored to sanity contingent on the day I ask and let go knowing, and let in the world to help me life can be bittersweet. Whether it is bitter or sweet, the serenity prayer will help me understand what I can and cannot do today…

DonInLondon 2005-2011

True humility, the ability to learn with an open mind can lead us to our personal faith, and every A.A. meeting is about sharing experience, strength and hope with an assurance that the wisdom paves the way to restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to the world as it is today

William Faulkner "All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible." -/- Progress is delicious...

Fellowship restores our faith in our courage to change ~ Mohandas Gandhi "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." -/- Every human being is a miracle...  And fellowship helps restore us to sanity daily!

Step 2 "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity"

We find it amazing that the newcomer can start the A.A. program without any specific beliefs or, for that matter, without any beliefs whatsoever. All a person needs is the open-mindedness and the willingness to believe that WE BELIEVE this program works...

True humility, the ability to learn with an open mind can lead us to our personal faith, and every A.A. meeting is about sharing experience, strength and hope with an assurance that the wisdom paves the way to restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to the world as it is today

William Faulkner "All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible." -/- Progress is delicious...

Fellowship restores our faith in our courage to change ~ Mohandas Gandhi "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." -/- Every human being is a miracle...  And fellowship helps restore us to sanity daily!

AA Daily: AA Daily: A PATH TO FAITH ~ FEBRUARY 7, true humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, and every A.A. meeting is an assurance that God will restore us to sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33

My last drunk had landed me in the hospital, totally broken. It was then that I was able to see my past float in front of me. I realized that, through drinking, I had lived every nightmare I had ever had. My own self-will and obsession to drink had driven me into a dark pit of hallucinations, blackouts and despair. Finally beaten, I asked for God’s help. His presence told me to believe. My obsession for alcohol was taken away and my paranoia has since been lifted. I am no longer afraid. I know my life is healthy and sane.

-/-

FEBRUARY 6

 A RALLYING POINT

Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step.

TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33

I feel that A.A. is a God-inspired program and that God is at every A.A. meeting. I see, believe, and have come to know that A.A. works, because I have stayed sober today. I am turning my life over to A.A. and to God by going to an A.A. meeting. If God is in my heart and everyone else's, then I am a small part of a whole and I am not unique. If God is in my heart and He speaks to me through other people, then I must be a channel of God to other people. I should seek to do His will by living spiri­tual principles and my reward will be sanity and emotional sobriety.