Anxiety/Tension—All Bad? – Grapevine Article March 1969 By J.C.

An AA suggests that stress reminds us to plunge deeper into the program NO, SERENITY doesn’t mean a lack of any stress or tension. It means, instead, the inner security that enables us to bear these stresses and to use them as occasions for growth. I need not fear or shun anxiety, because there isContinue reading “Anxiety/Tension—All Bad? – Grapevine Article March 1969 By J.C.”

My Best Friend – Grapevine Article March 2025 By L.G.

Once alone and full of self-pity, she made a decision to let Step Three introduce her to a partner for life When I came into AA, my will was pretty much dead. I didn’t want to quit drinking and definitely didn’t want to be an alcoholic, but that was where I fit, on the bottomContinue reading “My Best Friend – Grapevine Article March 2025 By L.G.”

Importance Of Forgiveness – Empowered Perspective By Madisyn Taylor

So often, I can find myself in tbe insanity of “I’ll show you; I’ll hurt me” … this article gives us a pragmatic approach, with the help of a Power greater than ourselves, to discover a new “response ability” to what we cannot change – Bruce M. Learning to forgive is the greatest gift youContinue reading “Importance Of Forgiveness – Empowered Perspective By Madisyn Taylor”

How Our Character Is Revealed By Our Emotions – Practice These Principles By Ray A.

Our moral inventory as laid out in the Big Book is an examination of our character flaws as they relate to three emotions. These are anger, resentment, and fear. We make a list of the people we are angry at and note next to each the “cause” of our resentments (our perception of what theyContinue reading “How Our Character Is Revealed By Our Emotions – Practice These Principles By Ray A.”

What Hole Does Recovery Fill By Earnie Larson

Think about what recovery has added to your life and what was missing before. How has your recovery changed the hole in your soul once filled by addiction? With what has your recovery filled that hole?  Whatever recovery brings to a life is what that life lacked before. The more those needs are met beforeContinue reading “What Hole Does Recovery Fill By Earnie Larson”

Understanding Relapse By Addresssing Shame By Dr. Allen Berger

Relapse is a common characteristic of the chronic disease of addiction. You must address shame if you are going to get and stay sober. Even if you are unaware of feeling shame, it is likely to be an undercurrent in your life—a powerful, hidden undertow that can pull you under if you aren’t prepared forContinue reading “Understanding Relapse By Addresssing Shame By Dr. Allen Berger”

What’s Your Song – Today’s Gift February 10th

A bird does not sing because he has an answer. He sings because he has a song. –Joan Walsh Angling Each of us has a song to sing, just as birds do. Part of knowing who we are is appreciating our own songs. Are our songs gentle like the robins, or are we brilliant leadersContinue reading “What’s Your Song – Today’s Gift February 10th”

Four Paradoxes Of AA – Grapevine Article December 1953 By John P

AA medallions includes the Shakespeare quote “To Thine Own Self Be True”. This quote is both an aspiration describing a direction we move toward as well as a marker of the progress we’ve made and are making ‘one day at a time’. I believe practicing these four paradoxes is incredibly prescriptive in helping us uncoverContinue reading “Four Paradoxes Of AA – Grapevine Article December 1953 By John P”

Peeling Back The Layers Of The Onion

Jacque has chosen a mashup of articles that explore how we often replace our dependency on alcohol with another unhealthy dependency. These articles show us how we can work Step 1 and the rest of the steps on these additional unhealthy dependencies which may be revealed. In the Twelve and Twelve, Bill W outlines healthyContinue reading “Peeling Back The Layers Of The Onion”

Finding Security Within Us By Phil Stutz

At the heart of recovery is the principle of paying it forward. This article is a great illustration of how this principle, when combined with another key AA principle of anonymity, can build a resilient inner security in the face of incredible, and often unconscious, uncertainty in our lives. The reflection below is poignant forContinue reading “Finding Security Within Us By Phil Stutz”