“Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” So reads Step Six. After the guilt and remorse of my last drunk had faded, I didn’t think this Step had any application in my life. Now that I was no longer drinking I wasn’t a bad person. Character defects? I couldn’t seeContinue reading “Making Room To Grow – Grapevine Article June 1997 by Ron D.”
Category Archives: Awareness
Table For One – Grapevine Article June 2017 by Robyn R
How one member found she doesn’t need a man on her arm or a drink in her hand to define her When I arrived in the rooms of AA, I often heard members say that they were “unemployable.” For my part, I still had a job (holding onto it mostly by blackmail), so I beganContinue reading “Table For One – Grapevine Article June 2017 by Robyn R”
Learning To Relax – Grapevine Article July 1965 by V.W.
When I was a small boy living in the city of New Orleans, a tropical hurricane practically wrecked the city, but my home was untouched. After the storm, my father and I were walking in Audubon Park, surrounded by the casualties of the gale. Giant live oak trees lay on all sides, uprooted after centuriesContinue reading “Learning To Relax – Grapevine Article July 1965 by V.W.”
A Saving Principle – As Bill Sees It #164
The practice of admitting one’s defects to another person is, of course, very ancient. It has been validated in every century, and it characterizes the lives of all spiritually centered and truly religious people. But today religion is by no means the sole advocate of this saving principle. Psychiatrists and psychologists point out the deepContinue reading “A Saving Principle – As Bill Sees It #164”
Knowing It’s Not Personal – 12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety – Dr. Allen Berger
Stop for a moment and think about all the things that upset you during the day. A friend says you’re not being attentive enough. Your partner seems to be ignoring you. The auto repair service implies you’re stupid for not knowing it was time to change the oil. A driver swerves in front of youContinue reading “Knowing It’s Not Personal – 12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety – Dr. Allen Berger”
Reaching for Humility – As Bill Sees It #211
We saw we needn’t always be bludgeoned and beaten into humility. It could come quite as much from our voluntary reaching for it as it could from unremitting suffering. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ “We first reach for a little humility, knowing that we shall perish of alcoholism if we do not. After a time, though we may stillContinue reading “Reaching for Humility – As Bill Sees It #211”
Where Is My Life Unmanageable ? Place Yourself Into The BB Pages 60 Thru 63
I was listening to a talk where the speaker suggested that we place ourselves directly into what is unmanageable in our lives. He suggested redoing pages 60 thru 63 of the Big Book with ‘ I’ and ‘me’… and see if this doesn’t help us identify what is unmanageable right now. And perhaps , ifContinue reading “Where Is My Life Unmanageable ? Place Yourself Into The BB Pages 60 Thru 63”
You And I Need Each Other – Grapevine Article May 1977 by E.S.
On sponsorship and the newcomer DEAR JOHN: I could almost begin this letter “Dear Newcomer.” The only problem with that is, I want you to know how close I feel to you at this moment in our lives. Watching new people grow renews my sobriety, I hope I never lose interest in the personal joyContinue reading “You And I Need Each Other – Grapevine Article May 1977 by E.S.”
Coping With Anger – As Bill Sees It #179
Few people have been more victimized by resentments than have we alcoholics. A burst of temper could spoil a day, and a well-nursed grudge could make us miserably ineffective. Nor were we ever skillful in separating justified from unjustified anger. As we saw it, our wrath was always justified. Anger, that occasional luxury of moreContinue reading “Coping With Anger – As Bill Sees It #179”
Turning Down The Volume – Grapevine Article April 2022 by Kiko M.
Not everybody is going to like me or like what I have to offer. What matters is that I like myself enough to continue to take my inventory and be of maximum service. Recently I had the opportunity to DJ at an AA conference. To prepare, I put in months of work, attempting to absolutelyContinue reading “Turning Down The Volume – Grapevine Article April 2022 by Kiko M.”