The achievement of freedom from fear is a lifetime undertaking, one that can never be wholly completed. When under heavy attack, acute illness, or in other conditions of serious insecurity, we shall all react to this emotion–well or badly, as the case may be. Only the self-deceived will claim perfect freedom from fear. ******************************** WeContinue reading “Fear and Faith – As Bill Sees It # 263”
Category Archives: Freedom
Sharing Our Secrets – Each Day A New Beginning – June 20th
There were deep secrets, hidden in my heart, never said for fear others would scoff or sneer. At last I can reveal my sufferings, for the strength I once felt in silence has lost all its power. —Deidra Sarault There is magic in sharing ourselves with someone else. We learn from Steps Four and FiveContinue reading “Sharing Our Secrets – Each Day A New Beginning – June 20th”
Emotional Pain – Grapevine Article February 1997 by C.H.
Shortly after I came into the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous in November 1984, I remarked to my sponsor that I had no memory of ever before experiencing the feeling that a knife was being slowly twisted in my gut. But I’ve since learned a lot about what causes most of the emotional pain I experience.Continue reading “Emotional Pain – Grapevine Article February 1997 by C.H.”
Alone No More – As Bill Sees It #252
Alcoholism was a lonely business, even though we were surrounded by people who loved us. But when our self-will had driven everybody away and our isolation became complete, we commenced to play the big shot in cheap barrooms. Failing even in this, we had to fare forth alone on the street to depend upon theContinue reading “Alone No More – As Bill Sees It #252”
Discovering & Facing Reality – A Mashup of Two Grapevine Articles
Being honest about the reality of our lives while at the same time being open-minded and willing to respond differently to these realities is the heart and soul of recovery whether you have 2 days , 2 months , 2 years , or decades of sobriety. We also become more clear how our denials, fears,Continue reading “Discovering & Facing Reality – A Mashup of Two Grapevine Articles”
This Is Life – Grapevine Article by Shannon C.
Facing life on life’s terms, she asks not what AA can do for her—but what she can do for AA It’d been a couple of weeks since I’d received some overwhelming bad news. Actually, these past couple of years have consisted of one devastating blow after another. Just when I thought I was on theContinue reading “This Is Life – Grapevine Article by Shannon C.”
The Three Faces Of Recovery – Grapevine Article Feb 1985 by K.W.
SOMEONE CRITICIZED my drinking. I didn’t like being criticized, because it hurt my tender little feelings; my ego rebelled. The criticism implied that there was something wrong in the way I drank. Why, I was proud when people commented on how much I could drink at one sitting and how well I held my liquor.Continue reading “The Three Faces Of Recovery – Grapevine Article Feb 1985 by K.W.”
Becoming Whole – Grapevine Article June 1979 by J.M.
AFTER WE HAVE put the cork in the bottle (Step One) and unloaded the garbage (Step Five), a burden is lifted from our shoulders–a burden we have borne so long, we have come to think of it as a permanent fixture. Step Three has removed the heavy responsibility of judging others and ourselves. In short,Continue reading “Becoming Whole – Grapevine Article June 1979 by J.M.”
Regrets and Promises – Grapevine Article by Howard M
An AA considers how an alcoholic can come to accept the past for what was At a meeting last week, I heard a man with over 10 years sober speak. He made a comment that he still had a hard time with the concept of not regretting the past. He still felt badly about someContinue reading “Regrets and Promises – Grapevine Article by Howard M”
What We Could Not Do For Ourselves – Grapevine Article April 1989 by Eleanor M.
I can remember the first time I read the following sentence from chapter five of the Big Book: “We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.” I was sitting at a Big Book meeting, only a few months into the program, still pretty shaky and confused. But those words gave me a feeling of releaseContinue reading “What We Could Not Do For Ourselves – Grapevine Article April 1989 by Eleanor M.”