Assigning labels to his behaviors helps an AA to change I took a Fourth and Fifth Step several times. Everytime, I rationalized my behavior, saying to myself: Yes, I did some bad things–but I am basically a really nice guy, so no further action is necessary. In 2001, I was doing the Steps again withContinue reading “A Matter Of Character – Grapevine Article February 2009 By Hal W.”
Category Archives: Partnership
The Truth In Our Vulnerability – Consolations By David Whyte
A definition of recovery I find very helpful is ‘wisely accommodating to life as it is’. Our ability to accept and perhaps surrender(not resist) ‘what is’ is fundamental to the question the Twelve & Twelve asks us on page 88 … ‘can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose underContinue reading “The Truth In Our Vulnerability – Consolations By David Whyte”
AA Communication Can Cross All Barriers – Grapevine Article October 1959 By Bill W.
EVERYONE must agree that we AAs are unbelievably fortunate people; fortunate that we have suffered so much; fortunate that we can know, understand and love each other so supremely well–these attributes and virtues are scarcely of the earned variety. Indeed most of us are well aware that these are rare gifts which have their trueContinue reading “AA Communication Can Cross All Barriers – Grapevine Article October 1959 By Bill W.”
A Circle Of Friends – Grapevine Article December 1992 By Jim D.
I was a loner all my life. I was always scared and ashamed. I was poor, I lived in a dilapidated house, and my alcoholic father put my family through hell. I never had any friends. I despised alcohol for dealing me such a rotten break in life. As an adult, I vowed never toContinue reading “A Circle Of Friends – Grapevine Article December 1992 By Jim D.”
The Care Of God – Grapevine Article December 1999 By Liz B.
Faith in a power greater than myself is something that I’m very grateful for today. But that wasn’t true in my early sobriety. For the first five years of my sobriety, I couldn’t grasp the idea that something else was in control of my life. I really thought that I was in control. Just askContinue reading “The Care Of God – Grapevine Article December 1999 By Liz B.”
I Didn’t Want to Want to … Grapevine Article June 1960 By Warden Clinton Duffy
San Quentin’s former warden tells how Prison Groups offer alcoholic inmates a means for recovery from the disease that is often directly responsible for criminal records ONE OF the hundreds of alcoholic inmates who appear before the California Adult Authority (Parole Board), for fixing of sentence and possible parole consideration, said to me: “I couldContinue reading “I Didn’t Want to Want to … Grapevine Article June 1960 By Warden Clinton Duffy”
How Meditation Can Move Us From Conscious Separation To Conscious Connection – Extracts From ‘Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself’ By Tracy Cochran
Wayne S’s meditation teacher, Tracy Cochran has written a beautiful book entitled ‘Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself’. There is a straight forward way to connect much of what Tracy outlines in her book to the spiritual practices we have in AA. I think a very useful theme to establish this connectionContinue reading “How Meditation Can Move Us From Conscious Separation To Conscious Connection – Extracts From ‘Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself’ By Tracy Cochran”
The Faint Ember – Grapevine Article July 1997 Bg Cathy L.
The first time I walked into an AA meeting, I had that eerie experience so many newcomers seem to have: the speakers were telling my story. Secrets and feelings I thought were uniquely mine were being revealed to a room of a hundred people. After I got over the feeling that it was all aContinue reading “The Faint Ember – Grapevine Article July 1997 Bg Cathy L.”
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”
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.”