The Ego & The AA – Grapevine Article February 2009 By Greg M.

Self-centeredness can be the most baffling of character defects The pain and misery and horrible loneliness I experienced prior to my first meeting, sixteen years ago, finally convinced me of the need to honestly look at my drinking. But that battle and every one since has been hard-fought. At times it seems to take aContinue reading “The Ego & The AA – Grapevine Article February 2009 By Greg M.”

Unpacking The 4th Step Example P.65 In The Big Book – Practice These Principles By Ray A.

Making  a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves in Step 4 is fundamentally a spiritual enterprise. Yet it is at the same time intensely practical and uncompromisingly moral. Indeed, as we have seen, in AA the spiritual is understood to encompass the practical and the moral. The interaction of these three, the spiritual, theContinue reading “Unpacking The 4th Step Example P.65 In The Big Book – Practice These Principles By Ray A.”

Toward Partnership – As Bill Sees It #292

When the distortion of family life through alcohol has been great, a long period of patient striving may be necessary. After the husband joins A.A., the wife may become discontented, even highly resentful that A.A. has done the very thing that all her years of devotion had failed to do. Her husband may become soContinue reading “Toward Partnership – As Bill Sees It #292”

Learn To Say Yes – More Language Of Letting Go April 2nd

Learn to say yes, and mean it. How long has it been since you’ve said yes to someone in your life? Yes, I’d like to do that. Yes, that sounds good to me. Yes, I’ll take a chance. How long has it been since you’ve said yes to yourself? Yes, I recognize what you’re feeling.Continue reading “Learn To Say Yes – More Language Of Letting Go April 2nd”

A New Way Of Looking At Life – Grapevine Article April 1981 By D.J.

ONE AFTERNOON a few months ago, I found myself reviewing the story of AA co-founder Bill W.’s encounter with cosmic consciousness in Towns Hospital. I had come across a well-detailed account of the incident and had not proceeded far into it before I began to experience feelings of envy. After all, I reasoned, why shouldn’tContinue reading “A New Way Of Looking At Life – Grapevine Article April 1981 By D.J.”

What And Who We Really Are – Grapevine Article October 1991 By John W.

I have now experienced nearly eight good years of continuously sober and active membership in the Fellowship of AA. Never during this time have I hesitated to express my heartfelt gratitude for the program and the many positive (and necessary) changes it has helped make possible in my life–a life including many years of active,Continue reading “What And Who We Really Are – Grapevine Article October 1991 By John W.”

Most Spiritual Experiences Are Gradual – Grapevine Article March 1954 By Dr. Harry Tiebout

In this article Dr. Tiebout continues his observations on “the fundamental phenomena which go on when an alcoholic responds favorably to Alcoholics Anonymous.” The article describes how the influences which most AAs recognize as spiritual “should release the positive potential which resides in the unconscious.” Dr. Harry M. Tiebout was a psychiatrist and an earlyContinue reading “Most Spiritual Experiences Are Gradual – Grapevine Article March 1954 By Dr. Harry Tiebout”

Paradox of Power – Grapevine Article April 1982 By D.H.

Letting go” means discipline, and joy comes through pain FOR SEVERAL years before I began my new life in AA, I taught American literature in a university. One of the writers whose work I enjoyed reading and discussing with students was Emily Dickinson, She captured in a few words the peculiar definitions of experience thatContinue reading “Paradox of Power – Grapevine Article April 1982 By D.H.”

Positively Negative – Grapevine Article April 1973 by Dick H.

On the last page of the Big Book text, we are given the reminder that one of our objectives in this ongoing day a time twelve step process is to remain teachable with what one might describe as a beginner’s mind with this quote ‘ we realize we know only a little’ (Big Book p.164).Continue reading “Positively Negative – Grapevine Article April 1973 by Dick H.”

Mastering Resentments – As Bill Sees It #286

We began to see that the world and its people had really dominated us. Under that unhappy condition, the wrongdoing of others, fancied or real, had power to actually kill us, because we could be driven back to drink through resentment. We saw that these resentments must be mastered, but how? We could not wishContinue reading “Mastering Resentments – As Bill Sees It #286”