The Grateful Flow & Part X – Lessons For Living By Phil Stutz

I love Phil Stutz. His insights about getting us out of our comfort zone, facing our PUH … our pain, uncertainty and hard work … about the necessity of crossing PUH to find endless new possibilities and potential … the process he describes as a ‘reversal of desire’ moving from comfort and moving toward theContinue reading “The Grateful Flow & Part X – Lessons For Living By Phil Stutz”

Where’s My Reward ? – Grapevine Article September 2005 By Christine P.

Sober twelve years, an AA wonders when she’ll get the big pay-off This coming October will mark my twelfth year of sobriety, but even with the passage of time, the inner demons of the alcoholic mind don’t roll over and die that easily. As my AA birthday draws near, a lot of old stuff hasContinue reading “Where’s My Reward ? – Grapevine Article September 2005 By Christine P.”

Patiently Accepting Love To Overcome Self-Hate Touchstone Reflection June 24th

The only intrinsic evil is lack of love.—John Robinson When we have feelings of self-hate, we have spiritual problems. It is a time to turn to our program for help. In the early stages of recovery, we may, at times, feel more shameful than we ever did before, simply because we are becoming honest aboutContinue reading “Patiently Accepting Love To Overcome Self-Hate Touchstone Reflection June 24th”

Overcoming Suffering – Touchstone Reflection June 19th

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. –Helen Keller When a man looks at his life and at the lives of others, it is clear that pain is part of life. We cannot escape this tragic truth; our growth and our wholeness must include it becauseContinue reading “Overcoming Suffering – Touchstone Reflection June 19th”

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”

Happiness Is Not The Point – Daily Reflection April 26th

I don’t think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How do we meet the problems we face? How do we best learn from them and transmit what we have learned to others, if they would receive the knowledge?AS BILL SEES IT, p. 306 In my search “to be happy,” I changed jobs, married and divorced,Continue reading “Happiness Is Not The Point – Daily Reflection April 26th”

Alchemy Of Pain – Grapevine Article December 2003 By Mary J.

When I first encountered the promises on pages 83-84 of the Big Book, I wasn’t very impressed because I didn’t believe them. Members with long-term sobriety talked of them lovingly and with expressions bordering on awe. From time to time, an entire meeting centered on that reading. I got stuck on “We will not regretContinue reading “Alchemy Of Pain – Grapevine Article December 2003 By Mary J.”

What Prevents Us From Learning From Our Mistakes – Keep It Simple October 9th

A man should never be ashamed to own he was in the wrong.—Jonathan Swift In the past, we felt a mistake was a crisis. We thought we had a to be perfect. Our old ways was to try to hide our mistakes. We were ashamed. We thought making mistakes meant we were bad. Mistakes areContinue reading “What Prevents Us From Learning From Our Mistakes – Keep It Simple October 9th”

Troubles Of Our Own Making – As Bill Sees It #272

Selfishness–self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions basedContinue reading “Troubles Of Our Own Making – As Bill Sees It #272”

Eliminating Self-Pity – Living Sober Chapter 22

This emotion is so ugly that no one in his or her right mind wants to admit feeling it. Even when sober, many of us remain clever at hiding from ourselves the fact that we are astew in a mess of self-pity. We do not like at all being told that it shows, and weContinue reading “Eliminating Self-Pity – Living Sober Chapter 22”