Self Acceptance – Let Us Love You Until You Can Love Yourself May 2014 By Tony A.

Self-acceptance. This has been one of the most challenging, albeit powerful, achievements in my life to date: learning to accept and love myself as I am, period! All of my life I had been plagued with feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, fear, inferiority and worthlessness. From the age of seven or so, I felt aContinue reading “Self Acceptance – Let Us Love You Until You Can Love Yourself May 2014 By Tony A.”

The Twelve Steps And Shame – Steps 1 -3 Booklet By Mic Hunter

What Is Shame? Shame is that burning in our faces when we think those around us have finally figured out how worthless we are. We think we’re inadequate or worthless. It’s when we hate to look anyone in the eye; when time seems to crawl and we wish we could disappear. It makes us feelContinue reading “The Twelve Steps And Shame – Steps 1 -3 Booklet By Mic Hunter”

By Defiance – Grapevine Article August 1948 By Anonymous

I love this brief article’s insight into learning to use our defiance for the greater good consistent with our 3rd step decision and prayer. It may be a great way of helping us internalize what can happen when we learn, with God, to love our internal enemies – those parts of us that seem toContinue reading “By Defiance – Grapevine Article August 1948 By Anonymous”

Gratitude – The Spirituality Of Imperfection By Ernest Kurtz (Excerpted from Chapter 12)

Gratitude can best be defined and understood as the only possible response to a gift, to something recognized as utterly, freely given. Gratitude is the vision—the way of seeing—that recognizes “gift.” Our culture seems on the verge of losing the meaning of the experience of gratitude, in part because we have lost all sense ofContinue reading “Gratitude – The Spirituality Of Imperfection By Ernest Kurtz (Excerpted from Chapter 12)”

Serenity – Grapevine Article December 1973 By J.H.

That elusive state of being that comes with total acceptance THE DAUGHTER, the son, and a few close friends had gathered around the AA old-timer. He had just announced his decision. Rather than go to a renowned cancer-treatment center, he was sticking with his local doctor. “There’s a possibility,” I pointed out, “that your voiceContinue reading “Serenity – Grapevine Article December 1973 By J.H.”

It’s Worth The Work – Grapevine Article August 2024 By Doug M.

Through years of sober experience, good and bad, he learned about love, faith and sharing the fun Relationships are hard. I’m not sure if they are harder for alcoholics, but they certainly aren’t easier.  My first day of sobriety was the day after a very messy Valentine’s night [see Doug’s February 2014 story, “My MessyContinue reading “It’s Worth The Work – Grapevine Article August 2024 By Doug M.”

Bright Promise – Grapevine Article July 1956 By Anonymous

THREE years ago an official prognosis for rehabilitation in my case would have read “hopeless.” An alcoholic who could not hold a job, divorced, estranged from my parents, I came and went through prison gates like an official–except that I remained behind the walls a longer period of time. After my fourth conviction I wasContinue reading “Bright Promise – Grapevine Article July 1956 By Anonymous”

Persistence In Prayer As Bill Sees It #127

We often tend to slight serious meditation and prayer as something not really necessary. To be sure, we feel it is something that might help us to meet an occasional emergency, but at first many of us are apt to regard it as a somewhat mysterious skill of clergymen, from which we may hope toContinue reading “Persistence In Prayer As Bill Sees It #127”

Serenity Brings Clarity – Spiritual Principles A Day January 22nd

“Serenity doesn’t mean that we don’t experience dramatic events. It gives us the clarity of mind to go through them.” Living Clean, Chapter 7, “Living Our Principles” “Ahhhhh, serenity. A permanent state of peacefulness, contentment, and awe. Those of us with time clean float around on a spiritual plane that newcomers can aspire to andContinue reading “Serenity Brings Clarity – Spiritual Principles A Day January 22nd”

Choice Regained – Grapevine Article July 1961 By V.W.

One of the greatest benefits of sobriety. . . AA HAS brought me numerous gifts in addition to sobriety, but all of them pivot about that one central necessity for the alcoholic: to gain and maintain sobriety. Without that I would again lose my direction and my identity and revert to a weary wanderer inContinue reading “Choice Regained – Grapevine Article July 1961 By V.W.”