Recently I found myself returning to a book I had read many years ago – The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. As I reflected on his thoughts about these “Four Agreements,” I began to see connections with our efforts to achieve and maintain sobriety. In this article, I hope to show youContinue reading “Connections Between The Four Agreements & Recovery June 2022 By Mark S.”
Category Archives: Hope
What We Magnify Grows – Touchstone Reflection June 13th
You must fight off a “bad luck” way of thinking as if you were dealing with an invasion of hostile forces—for that is precisely what you are dealing with.—Maxwell Maltz Life is an ongoing experience with two opposing forces. One force is constantly building up, and the other is constantly tearing down. We have successesContinue reading “What We Magnify Grows – Touchstone Reflection June 13th”
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”
Happiness As The Byproduct Of Right Action – Each Day A New Beginning May 25th
One is happy as a result of one’s own efforts, once one knows the necessary ingredients of happiness–simple tastes, a certain degree of courage, self-denial to a point, love of work, and above all, a clear conscience. Happiness is no vague dream, of that I now feel certain. –George Sand We are as happy asContinue reading “Happiness As The Byproduct Of Right Action – Each Day A New Beginning May 25th”
How To Grow In Love & Tolerance – Mini Steps From Step 10 Of Twelve & Twelve By Bruce M.
The Twelve & Twelve offers us some very specific suggestions about how to grow daily in becoming more loving and tolerant. This short paragraph from p.93 captures these,what I term, ‘mini steps’ within the major step of continuous self-examination called for in Step 10. I’ve added numbers and some annotations to this short paragraph. 1.Continue reading “How To Grow In Love & Tolerance – Mini Steps From Step 10 Of Twelve & Twelve By Bruce M.”
Blind Trust – As Bill Sees It #144
Most surely, there can be no trust where there is no love, nor can there be real love where distrust holds its malign sway. But does trust require that we be blind to other people’s motives or, indeed, to our own? Not at all; this would be folly. Most certainly, we should assess the capacityContinue reading “Blind Trust – As Bill Sees It #144”
The Key To Step 1 – Recovery 2.0 By Tommy Rosen
The 1st Step is the most important one of all, and for so many, this is where the internal struggle begins. Admitting one’s powerlessness is hard enough on the ego, but it also hits on a deep fear that most people hold: the fear of change. One senses that “the party is over.” By reallyContinue reading “The Key To Step 1 – Recovery 2.0 By Tommy Rosen”
It’s What We Do – Grapevine Article May 2024 By Alex M
What all does AA give us? A member in Kentucky attempts to answer A newcomer recently asked me what AA taught me. I thought, how on earth can I possibly summarize my time in the Fellowship? First off, it taught me how to be a decent person and how to live a life inconceivablyContinue reading “It’s What We Do – Grapevine Article May 2024 By Alex M”
As Bill Sees It – Freedom To Choose # 124
Looking back, we see that our freedom to choose badly was not, after all, a very real freedom. When we chose because we “must,” this was not a free choice, either. But it got us started in the right direction. When we chose because we “ought to,” we were really doing better. This time weContinue reading “As Bill Sees It – Freedom To Choose # 124”
Noticing Synchronicity – May 4th Reflection
Things happen in our lives for a reason, even if that reason is not clear to you right away. When events appear to fit together perfectly in our lives it may seem at first that they are random occurrences, things that are the result of coincidence. These synchronous happenings, though, are much more than that,Continue reading “Noticing Synchronicity – May 4th Reflection”