I’ve heard some version of this from newcomer sponsees more times than I can count: “I put down the bottle. I’m praying every day. I’m going to meetings. I’m calling you. Why don’t I feel better? Why isn’t my life getting better? And why am I not farther along than some of these other people?” It’s a fairContinue reading “The Recovery Scorecard: Why Isn’t My Life Better Yet? – Take The 12 Blog September 2026 By Rick W”
Category Archives: Action
Don’t Waste the Failure – Take The 12 Blog August 2026 By Rick W
I don’t particularly like failing. I don’t like being wrong. I don’t like discovering that I’ve hurt somebody. I don’t like having to admit that something I was absolutely certain about turned out to be absolutely wrong. I don’t like rejection. I don’t like finding out that despite my best efforts, something simply didn’t work.Continue reading “Don’t Waste the Failure – Take The 12 Blog August 2026 By Rick W”
The Full Serenity Prayer (Long Version) – Sober Speak August 2022 By Shannon M
There’s something profound about those 3 AM moments when sleep won’t come and your mind races with regret, fear, or that familiar restlessness. Maybe you’re three days clean, or three years, or somewhere in between. In those moments, when the weight of “what if” and “if only” threatens to pull you under, you need somethingContinue reading “The Full Serenity Prayer (Long Version) – Sober Speak August 2022 By Shannon M”
The Serenity Prayer We Know By Heart But Forget to Hear – Take The 12 Blog August 2026 By Rick W
There may be no prayer more closely associated with Alcoholics Anonymous than the Serenity Prayer. We say it at meetings. We say it before difficult conversations. We say it when life isn’t going our way. We say it when we’re afraid, angry, confused, or simply trying to get through the next five minutes without makingContinue reading “The Serenity Prayer We Know By Heart But Forget to Hear – Take The 12 Blog August 2026 By Rick W”
After Twenty-Five Years – Grapevine Article March 1960 By Bill W.
For the many groups throughout the AA world who plan to hold twenty-fifth anniversary gatherings this year, our co-founder Bill W. has written this glimpse of the panorama of AA today. GSO has also made available a short version of Bill’s message for groups wishing to use it at “AA 25th” meetings–THE EDITORS. IT isContinue reading “After Twenty-Five Years – Grapevine Article March 1960 By Bill W.”
Surrendering Shortcomings – A Spiritual Principle A Day August 14th
The Steps are in order for a reason; each one prepares us for the next. We acknowledge that our way hasn’t worked when we surrender to Step One. Some members boil it down to a single acknowledgment: I need something different. This admission opens the door for us to recognize our need for restoration in Step TwoContinue reading “Surrendering Shortcomings – A Spiritual Principle A Day August 14th”
Learn To Use Misfortune – Grapevine Article April 1984 By W.J.
The best illustration of gratitude I know lies in the story of Louis Braille. Louis was the son of a French shoemaker. One day, his father, working at his bench with Louis underfoot, dropped a sharp instrument known as an awl from the table. It hit the boy in the eye and caused him toContinue reading “Learn To Use Misfortune – Grapevine Article April 1984 By W.J.”
Expectations: The Hidden Contracts We Never Signed – Take The 12 Blog June 2026 By Rick W.
One of the more interesting writing assignments I’ve ever suggested to a sponsee had nothing to do with Step Four, amends lists, or character defects. It was simply this: Write about your expectations. At first glance, that may not seem like a particularly “A.A.” topic. Expectations don’t appear in the Twelve Steps. The Big Book doesn’tContinue reading “Expectations: The Hidden Contracts We Never Signed – Take The 12 Blog June 2026 By Rick W.”
Learning To Support Not Punish Ourselves By Dr. Kristin Neff
The most important boundary I have is with myself. It is not OK for me to condemn or hate myself. Instead of believing and accepting that judgment; I can pause and gets curious about this reaction of so much hate and disgust for myself. What I usually find is that I’m believing a bunch ofContinue reading “Learning To Support Not Punish Ourselves By Dr. Kristin Neff”
Relief From Outcomes Beyond Our Control – Richard Rohr Daily Meditation June 26th 2026
As we consider the basis for our hope, let us recall who God is…. The hope we have lies in the radical transcendence of God…. God’s transcendence—God’s power of creative, redeeming, and sustaining love—is closer to us than we are to ourselves. God is the milieu, the source, of power and love in which our world,Continue reading “Relief From Outcomes Beyond Our Control – Richard Rohr Daily Meditation June 26th 2026”