I’ve heard some version of this from newcomer sponsees more times than I can count: “I put down the bottle. I’m praying every day. I’m going to meetings. I’m calling you. Why don’t I feel better? Why isn’t my life getting better? And why am I not farther along than some of these other people?” It’s a fairContinue reading “The Recovery Scorecard: Why Isn’t My Life Better Yet? – Take The 12 Blog September 2026 By Rick W”
Category Archives: Perfectionism
Don’t Waste the Failure – Take The 12 Blog August 2026 By Rick W
I don’t particularly like failing. I don’t like being wrong. I don’t like discovering that I’ve hurt somebody. I don’t like having to admit that something I was absolutely certain about turned out to be absolutely wrong. I don’t like rejection. I don’t like finding out that despite my best efforts, something simply didn’t work.Continue reading “Don’t Waste the Failure – Take The 12 Blog August 2026 By Rick W”
Harrowing – Recovery Poem By Parker Palmer
This poem has been added to the growing section of Recovery Poems. I also find Parker’s poem’s origin story below quite helpful and instructive. The word harrowing is an adjective that means extremely disturbing, distressing, or painful. – Bruce M. How This Poem Was Created Years ago, during a deep dive into clinical depression, I was walking downContinue reading “Harrowing – Recovery Poem By Parker Palmer”
After Twenty-Five Years – Grapevine Article March 1960 By Bill W.
For the many groups throughout the AA world who plan to hold twenty-fifth anniversary gatherings this year, our co-founder Bill W. has written this glimpse of the panorama of AA today. GSO has also made available a short version of Bill’s message for groups wishing to use it at “AA 25th” meetings–THE EDITORS. IT isContinue reading “After Twenty-Five Years – Grapevine Article March 1960 By Bill W.”
Pause And Surrender – Why Getting Derailed Might Be the Point By Barry Michaels
Let’s be real, we have all been interrupted…especially when you’re in the middle of something important. During those moments most of us want to explode, especially on the person or situation that has broken our flow. As humans we struggle to embrace unexpected demands. On a deeper level, it is safe to say, our egoContinue reading “Pause And Surrender – Why Getting Derailed Might Be the Point By Barry Michaels”
Step 4 From Awareness To Admission – Chapter 3 Of ‘The Prep Steps: Setting Up Action In A.A.’ By Rick W.
Click to read more from Rick W and see articles about Step 1 and Step 2 . I find Rick’s short articles about what he calls the preparation steps from his excellent book ‘The Prep Steps:Setting Up Action In A.A. full of insights and extremely helpful – Bruce M. Step 4: The Preparation for StepContinue reading “Step 4 From Awareness To Admission – Chapter 3 Of ‘The Prep Steps: Setting Up Action In A.A.’ By Rick W.”
Membership Rules? – As Bill Sees It #41
Around 1943 or 1944, the Central Office asked the groups to list their membership rules and send them in. After they arrived we set them all down. A little reflection upon these many rules brought us to an astonishing conclusion. If all of these edicts had been in force everywhere at once it would haveContinue reading “Membership Rules? – As Bill Sees It #41”
Rewiring the Way We Speak, Listen, and Think – Take The 12 Blog June 2026 By Rick W.
Sobriety Didn’t Just Change What I Said, It Changed How I Communicate. How Recovery Rewired the Way I Speak, Listen, and Think One of the most overlooked miracles of recovery has very little to do with alcohol. Most of us came to Alcoholics Anonymous because drinking had become unmanageable. We stayed because we discovered somethingContinue reading “Rewiring the Way We Speak, Listen, and Think – Take The 12 Blog June 2026 By Rick W.”
Letting Go Of Old Beliefs – The Language Of Letting Go June 23rd By Melody Beattie
Try harder. Do better. Be perfect. These messages are tricks that people have played on us. No matter how hard we try, we think we have to do better. Perfection always eludes us. Messages of perfectionism are tricks because we can never achieve that goal. We cannot feel good about ourselves or what we haveContinue reading “Letting Go Of Old Beliefs – The Language Of Letting Go June 23rd By Melody Beattie”
Practicing The Twelve Steps And Finding Real Freedom – Epilogue ‘The Fix’ By Ian Morgan Cron
We’re on this earth to learn how to “bear the beams of love,” as William Blake wrote, to lean into the Spirit, to avail ourselves of healing, to ease the burdens of others, and not rely on overeating, drinking, drugging, watching porn, compulsively controlling people, or any other repetitive, self-medicating behaviors to escape reality andContinue reading “Practicing The Twelve Steps And Finding Real Freedom – Epilogue ‘The Fix’ By Ian Morgan Cron”