With AA’s help and prayer, a mother puts down the bottle, lets go of the past and reconnects with her family in a new way Most of my life I was a weekend drinker. I had a successful career teaching college and high school. When I retired in 2017, lacking the daily routine and purpose that had filledContinue reading “God Speaks to Us in Silence – Grapevine Article April 2025 By M.B.”
Category Archives: Self Acceptance
Faith Without Works Is Dead – 12-Step Philosophy By Steve K.
One of the strengths of Alcoholics Anonymous (Both the Fellowship and Big Book) is that it is honest about its human origins. The Big Book was not intended to be a timeless, infallible spiritual text. The historical evidence clearly suggests that Bill Wilson intended the Big Book to be a living document, continuously shaped byContinue reading “Faith Without Works Is Dead – 12-Step Philosophy By Steve K.”
Pain, Resistance & Suffering – Suffer Like A Marine By Arthur Brooks
His Holiness the Dalai Lama often talks to me about pain and suffering, but he doesn’t use the terms interchangeably. On the contrary, he teaches that they exist together in the following way: Suffering = pain x resistance Pain can be physical or mental, and happens to you because of an outside stimulus—you slam your hand inContinue reading “Pain, Resistance & Suffering – Suffer Like A Marine By Arthur Brooks”
A Fellowship Of Giving And Getting – Each Day A New Beginning February 1st
You were there when I needed you. You stood above all of the others with your strength and you guided me. To each of you I offer my being, my love and all that I am.–Deidra Sarault Each of us is guided while we act as guides to one another, throughout the day, throughout ourContinue reading “A Fellowship Of Giving And Getting – Each Day A New Beginning February 1st”
The Light Of Rigorous Honesty Overcomes The Darkness Of Victimhood
I found the article below very helpful in understanding why ‘How It Works’ (BB p.58) describes rigorous honesty as a recovery demand in this way: “Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honestContinue reading “The Light Of Rigorous Honesty Overcomes The Darkness Of Victimhood”
Truth, the Liberator – As Bill Sees It #70
How truth makes us free is something that we A.A.’s can well understand. It cut the shackles that once bound us to alcohol. It continues to release us from conflicts and miseries beyond reckoning; it banishes fear and isolation. The unity of our Fellowship, the love we cherish for each other, the esteem in whichContinue reading “Truth, the Liberator – As Bill Sees It #70”
If You’re Ever In A Dark Room – Recovery Poem By Troy H.
This morning as we read the final few paragraphs in the Twelve & Twelve for Step 1 ; we discussed bottoms and surrender. One of our members, Troy H., shared this poem he wrote in the darkness of his bottom. This has been added to the Recovery Poems section of the gugogs.org website – BruceContinue reading “If You’re Ever In A Dark Room – Recovery Poem By Troy H.”
Perfectionism – Seeing & Responding With Emotional Sobriety Video By Allen Berger
Below is an excellent 30 minute video that explores how perfectionism amplifies self hatred. The video also explores how we can learn to respond differently to the ‘should monster’ of our idealized false self we’ve created to be loved, accepted and have a sense of belonging. And, in this new response, we learn how toContinue reading “Perfectionism – Seeing & Responding With Emotional Sobriety Video By Allen Berger”
Recovery As A Heroic Journey By William White
In his classic work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell described a dominant myth pervading the world’s cultures. Campbell noted that, in spite of their myriad variations, mythic stories of the heroic adventure shared a common structure: the hero’s departure, the hero’s transformation by great trials, and the hero’s return. Campbell’s portrayal of theContinue reading “Recovery As A Heroic Journey By William White”
FEAR (Face Everything And Recover) – Touchstones January 28th Reflection
To perceive is to suffer. — Aristotle In this program, we have given up our compulsive escapes from life. Our escapes may have been through dependent relationships with others, or with money, sex, food, drugs, work, or emotional binges. But now we are learning to live without them, and this has brought us in touch withContinue reading “FEAR (Face Everything And Recover) – Touchstones January 28th Reflection”