Celebrating 50 years of sobriety, she took down her book and marveled at the marks she made that mattered most It was my 50th AA anniversary month and time for a good annual house cleaning. So I got down my original Big Book, a sixth printing of the Second edition, to reminisce. I was struckContinue reading “Black & Blue & Yellow – Grapevine Article April 2024 By Judith M.”
Category Archives: Step 2
Let Go Absolutely – As Bill Sees It #242
After failure on my part to dry up any drunks, Dr. Silkworth reminded me of Professor William James’s observation that truly transforming spiritual experiences are nearly always founded on calamity and collapse. “Stop preaching at them,” Dr. Silkworth said, “and give them the hard medical facts first. This may soften them up at depth soContinue reading “Let Go Absolutely – As Bill Sees It #242”
Getting Beyond The Dry Drunk Syndrome – Stage II Recovery By Earnie Larson
The Dry-Drunk Syndrome As hateful as this label is to so many people, it names a real condition that occurs when a person breaks a primary addiction (gets sober) but doesn’t deal with the underlying living problems. “Dry drunks” can afflict people who have broken a primary addiction (Stage I) but have not gotten furtherContinue reading “Getting Beyond The Dry Drunk Syndrome – Stage II Recovery By Earnie Larson”
A Bountiful Higher Power – Grapevine Article by Loren S.
Restored to reality—rather than sanity—he finds his true path When I arrived at the rooms, I was broken in innumerable ways in every aspect of my life. I just wanted to learn how to control my drinking and be normal. But as I went to more meetings I soon began to see that everything wouldContinue reading “A Bountiful Higher Power – Grapevine Article by Loren S.”
Trust – Am I Willing To Get Into The Wheelbarrow Today Right Now ? Transcript Of Talk By Bob D.
“Perhaps there is a better way – we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as weContinue reading “Trust – Am I Willing To Get Into The Wheelbarrow Today Right Now ? Transcript Of Talk By Bob D.”
Will Power and Choice – As Bill Sees It #88
We A.A.’s know the futility of trying to break the drinking obsession by will power alone. However, we do know that it takes great willingness to adopt A.A.’s Twelve Steps as a way of life that can restore us to sanity. No matter how grievous the alcohol obsession, we happily find that other vital choicesContinue reading “Will Power and Choice – As Bill Sees It #88”
Self Examination to Sanity – 10th Step to 2nd Step – Grapevine Article March 1981 by Anonymous
Step Two cannot be emphasized too much, not only to newcomers, but to all AAs. Clearly, the chief mark of restoration to sanity is our not taking the first drink. No matter what else happens to us, as long as we refrain from the first drink, our lives will get better. I realize the problemsContinue reading “Self Examination to Sanity – 10th Step to 2nd Step – Grapevine Article March 1981 by Anonymous”
The Birth of Spiritual Confidence – Grapevine Article June 2005 by Dave C.
Steps to remove the desire to drink I arrived at the doors of AA in 1983 with a problem; I just wasn’t sure what the problem was. I thought I had a drinking problem. Then someone suggested that maybe my drinking problem really reflected a thinking problem. I was sure he was wrong; I justContinue reading “The Birth of Spiritual Confidence – Grapevine Article June 2005 by Dave C.”
The Bedevilments – Big Book p.52-53
We had to ask ourselves why we shouldn’t apply to our human problems this same readiness to change our point of view. We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn’t control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn’t make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, weContinue reading “The Bedevilments – Big Book p.52-53”
Brain Power Alone? – As Bill Sees It #60
To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman, many A.A.’s can say, “Yes, we were like you—far too smart for our own good. We loved to have people call us precocious. We used our education to blow ourselves up into prideful balloons, though we were careful to hide this from others. Secretly, we felt we couldContinue reading “Brain Power Alone? – As Bill Sees It #60”