What Is Shame? Shame is that burning in our faces when we think those around us have finally figured out how worthless we are. We think we’re inadequate or worthless. It’s when we hate to look anyone in the eye; when time seems to crawl and we wish we could disappear. It makes us feelContinue reading “The Twelve Steps And Shame – Steps 1 -3 Booklet By Mic Hunter”
Category Archives: Getting Started
Heal Your Resentments – Journey To The Heart Melody Beattie August 22nd
How fast resentments creep in during the course of an ordinary year. How much faster they can creep in during intense times, times of change, times of evolution—the kind of times we’ve been experiencing on our journey. Things shift. Things change. We let go of the old and stumble toward the new. And resentments cropContinue reading “Heal Your Resentments – Journey To The Heart Melody Beattie August 22nd”
The Gift Of Sobriety – Grapevine Article February 1993 In Their Own Words
I’m still mystified by how I got sober, and the only answer that makes sense is that I stopped drinking through the grace of God. I was thinking about the difference between those of us who get sober and those who are still drinking, and I believe the difference is that we have accepted theContinue reading “The Gift Of Sobriety – Grapevine Article February 1993 In Their Own Words”
Pray For Those You Resent – More Language Of Letting Go August 11th By Melody Beattie
Years ago, when I spotted the Stillwater Gazette, the oldest family-owned daily newspaper in existence, I knew I wanted to work there. I could feel it– in my bones and in my heart. When I went in to the offices to apply for the job, however, the owner didn’t have the same feeling I did.Continue reading “Pray For Those You Resent – More Language Of Letting Go August 11th By Melody Beattie”
Think, Think, Think! Grapevine Article August 2023 By Jim C.
The sign was upside-down—but so was his thinking! I was 21 when I went to my first AA meeting. I enjoyed it. I felt I was home and with my people and for once in the right place. At that first meeting I met a friend and former drinking buddy named “Big Dan.” He cameContinue reading “Think, Think, Think! Grapevine Article August 2023 By Jim C.”
Unlikely Teachers – Grapevine Article April 1990 By Kit K.
“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” How I hated to hear those words at meetings. They implied humility and a willingness to listen to whatever stranger happened to sit next to me or approach me on the street. Yet during five years of sobriety, many teachers have appeared in my life. Some wereContinue reading “Unlikely Teachers – Grapevine Article April 1990 By Kit K.”
Receiving The Gift That Surrounds Us – Touchstone April 2nd
The universe is the primary revelation of the divine, the primary scripture, the primary focus of divine human communion. –Thomas Berry In this program we learn about being receptive. A person in search of conscious contact with a Higher Power can simply stand still and open his eyes and ears to creation. Forcing a spiritualContinue reading “Receiving The Gift That Surrounds Us – Touchstone April 2nd”
Keystone Of The Arc – As Bill Sees It #87
Faced with alcoholic destruction, we became open-minded on spiritual matters. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of reasonableness. << << << >> >> >> We had to quit playing God. It didn’t work. We decided that hereafter, in this drama of life, God was going toContinue reading “Keystone Of The Arc – As Bill Sees It #87”
Let Go Absolutely – As Bill Sees It #242
After failure on my part to dry up any drunks, Dr. Silkworth reminded me of Professor William James’s observation that truly transforming spiritual experiences are nearly always founded on calamity and collapse. “Stop preaching at them,” Dr. Silkworth said, “and give them the hard medical facts first. This may soften them up at depth soContinue reading “Let Go Absolutely – As Bill Sees It #242”
Getting Beyond The Dry Drunk Syndrome – Stage II Recovery By Earnie Larson
The Dry-Drunk Syndrome As hateful as this label is to so many people, it names a real condition that occurs when a person breaks a primary addiction (gets sober) but doesn’t deal with the underlying living problems. “Dry drunks” can afflict people who have broken a primary addiction (Stage I) but have not gotten furtherContinue reading “Getting Beyond The Dry Drunk Syndrome – Stage II Recovery By Earnie Larson”