Letting Go Of Hope – Grapevine Article By Mira C.

When hope was replaced by faith, the program really began to work for her Today, I am a grateful recovering alcoholic. I am grateful for reaching what I could only describe as a state of hopelessness and desperation. Craving to fill the void in me, I used to hold onto anything and everything that helpedContinue reading “Letting Go Of Hope – Grapevine Article By Mira C.”

Self Esteem, Sustainability & Our Emotions – Drop The Rock – The Ripple Effect By Fred H.

When we first began working the Steps, some of us had too little self-esteem—an under-expression of a healthy, humble sense of self. Some of us had too much self-esteem—an over-expression of that same basic trait. Some of us suffered from both flaws. As we work Step Ten, part of our responsibility is to be asContinue reading “Self Esteem, Sustainability & Our Emotions – Drop The Rock – The Ripple Effect By Fred H.”

Maturity, Frustration & Growth – Grapevine Article By Marvin Block, MD

A topic we often don’t discuss is the importance of how we deal with frustration and the relationship between our response to frustration to our growth and maturity in accepting life as it is. I found this short extract from a much larger Grapevine Article entitled ‘Alcoholism and Alcoholic Anonymous’ written in February 1974 quiteContinue reading “Maturity, Frustration & Growth – Grapevine Article By Marvin Block, MD”

How Are We Doing ? – Grapevine Daily Quote September 12th , 2023

Without much doubt, a million alcoholics have approached AA during the last thirty years. We can soberly ask ourselves what became of the 600,000 who did not stay.” AA Co-Founder, Bill W., July 1965, Grapevine Article “Responsibility Is Our Theme”

Winners and Whiners – Grapevine Article Oct 1994 by Gabby H.

I love the diversity of our Fellowship. I got sober in a small town blessed with three meetings a day, and I have come to appreciate that there are many kinds of meetings–the rough-and-rugged newcomer meetings, the philosophical middle-sobriety ones, and the living-in-the-solution old-timer meetings. I can usually inventory my feelings and needs, then chooseContinue reading “Winners and Whiners – Grapevine Article Oct 1994 by Gabby H.”

Acceptance & Expectations – 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety – Dr. Allen Berger

Acceptance is one of the “big ideas” in recovery. There is a natural connection between self-acceptance—learning to accept our true self as we are—and learning to accept the world as it is. And the world as it is never fits our expectations. That’s a tough lesson, because a part of us always clings to theContinue reading “Acceptance & Expectations – 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety – Dr. Allen Berger”

Self Acceptance – 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety by Dr. Allen Berger

Dr. Berger is a leader in Emotional Sobriety. His book 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety is featured prominently in the Emotional Sobriety section of the gugogs.org website. He is a Gestalt therapist with over 50 years of sobriety.  Before we do a deep dive into self acceptance with Dr. Berger’s article, it might be useful to identify signsContinue reading “Self Acceptance – 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety by Dr. Allen Berger”

Learning To Feel – Grapevine Article February 2023 by Laura S.

Early in my sobriety, my sponsor Linda told me that I was allowed to call and whine about a situation exactly once. After that, we were going to talk about solutions, not problems. She also gave me a time limit on feeling sorry for myself. I can’t remember if it was 10 minutes or 15Continue reading “Learning To Feel – Grapevine Article February 2023 by Laura S.”

Make Your Immaturity Pay – Grapevine Article March 1965 by Anonymous

Those defects can keep us alive to the need to change TWENTY years ago emotional immaturity was mentioned and discussed in our Fellowship frequently and in depth. We had a monopoly on it in those days. All of us were impressed. The fact that we all had it in varying degrees was universally accepted. ItContinue reading “Make Your Immaturity Pay – Grapevine Article March 1965 by Anonymous”

We Never Give Up – Grapevine Article February 2020 by Alex M.

A man from Nepal reminds him that we don’t have the power to get people sober. We just hope and keep reaching out On a cold morning in February, I got a call from an AA friend who was working with a local ministry group that helped refugees and immigrants who had been given asylumContinue reading “We Never Give Up – Grapevine Article February 2020 by Alex M.”