When I was tired and couldn’t concentrate, I used to fall back on an affirmation toward life that took the form of simple walking and deep breathing. I sometimes told myself that I couldn’t do even this—that I was to weak. But I learned that this was the point at which I could not giveContinue reading “Walking Toward Serenity – As Bill Sees It #92”
Category Archives: Shame
Rules Without Reason – Grapevine Article February 1987 By E.E.
It was hard to hear the voice on the telephone over the rain pelting outside my window. “Is that you, Joan? You don’t sound like yourself. Is something wrong?” It was “Joan,” six weeks sober, checking in with her sponsor on the coldest, wettest night of the year, in a voice I hardly recognized. “IContinue reading “Rules Without Reason – Grapevine Article February 1987 By E.E.”
Eliminating Shame Through The Principles and Practices of Alcoholics Anonymous by Steve K.
The word shame is derived from the Indo-European ‘skein’, which means to hide. Shame makes us want to hide from ourselves, and our peers – making shame an existentially isolating state of mind. Feeling shame makes a person dejection-based, passive, or helpless, causing the ashamed person to focus more on devaluing or condemning his entireContinue reading “Eliminating Shame Through The Principles and Practices of Alcoholics Anonymous by Steve K.”
Most Spiritual Experiences Are Gradual – Grapevine Article March 1954 By Dr. Harry Tiebout
In this article Dr. Tiebout continues his observations on “the fundamental phenomena which go on when an alcoholic responds favorably to Alcoholics Anonymous.” The article describes how the influences which most AAs recognize as spiritual “should release the positive potential which resides in the unconscious.” Dr. Harry M. Tiebout was a psychiatrist and an earlyContinue reading “Most Spiritual Experiences Are Gradual – Grapevine Article March 1954 By Dr. Harry Tiebout”
The White Flag Of Surrender – Grapevine Article December 1976 By Father T.
AA freed him of remorse and enabled him to serve God WHY SHOULD anyone be thankful for a progressive, incurable illness, which society regards as a disgrace, a weakness, a sin, and a crime? Why should I, an ordained priest, be grateful for an addiction to alcohol that eventually rendered me incapable of serving GodContinue reading “The White Flag Of Surrender – Grapevine Article December 1976 By Father T.”
What We Could Not Do For Ourselves – Grapevine Article April 1989 By Eleanor R.
I can remember the first time I read the following sentence from chapter five of the Big Book: “We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.” I was sitting at a Big Book meeting, only a few months into the program, still pretty shaky and confused. But those words gave me a feeling of releaseContinue reading “What We Could Not Do For Ourselves – Grapevine Article April 1989 By Eleanor R.”
The Shame Knot – Grapevine Article September 2013 By June B.
I love the amends Step. I especially like the words “such people” in the Ninth Step. As a non-custodial mother to three of my four sons and an often absentee mother to the other one, I caused irreparable damage during my drinking years. After sobering up in AA, I did what I could to makeContinue reading “The Shame Knot – Grapevine Article September 2013 By June B.”
The Broken Pulley – Grapevine Article June 1992 By Mel B.
Some years ago, I realized that much of the great staying power of the AA program is wrapped up in Step Ten: “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.” In my opinion, this Step suggests the daily practice of Steps Four through Nine and is designed to keep usContinue reading “The Broken Pulley – Grapevine Article June 1992 By Mel B.”
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”
Peace With The Past – Language Of Letting Go September 25th
Today I choose to build a pathway to freedom from the bondage of self. –Ruth Fishel Holding on to the past, either through guilt, longing, denial, or resentment, is a waste of valuable energy – energy that can be used to transform today and tomorrow. “I used to live in my past,” said one recoveringContinue reading “Peace With The Past – Language Of Letting Go September 25th”
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