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My friend is sick and struggling... :o(
(Preview)
I have a dear friend of many years my age who is struggling like HELL right now. We have had years of sobriety, together, in past times. I have a little over a month sober again now and am pretty well-adjusted, JUST FOR TODAY, one day at a time, because I am so darned busy with "service work" when...
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jonijoni1
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11
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1264
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AA my lifeline
(Preview)
The greatest thing about AA is the lifeline it gives me whenever I get into trouble. This week has been a spiritual low. My old friends came to visit me, restlessness and irritation. My wife is my barometer. If she gets upset with me then I know that she is picking up vibes of irritation from me. These are d...
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gonee
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1
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636
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Year One: Riding the Kracken
(Preview)
I think of the Kracken as a gut wrenching cookie tossing roller coaster. Most decent amusement parks have one. As Newcomers arrive in AA they detox from the alcohol abuse and their body adjusts but the mind can sometimes play tricks on the unsuspecting. Old buried hurts begin to resurface and cause mu...
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MarcLacroix
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11
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940
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Looking for guidance for meeting format
(Preview)
My wife and I are looking to start a discussion group for middle-timers/old-timers. Has anyone been to a meeting like this and can lend any guidance on format of the meeting? Thanks! DCal -- Edited by DCal on Wednesday 11th of August 2010 06:14:35 PM
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DCal
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9
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1153
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~ As Bill Sees It: Humility for the Fellowship, Too ~
(Preview)
p. 226 We of A.A. sometimes brag of the virtues of our Fellowship. Let us remember that few of these are actually earned virtues. We were forced into them, to begin with, by the cruel lash of alcoholism. We finally adopted them, not because we wished to, but because we had to. Then, as time confirmed t...
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FlyingSquirrel
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1
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1537
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Daily Reflections ~ Didn't We Harm Anybody? & 24hrs a Day
(Preview)
Some of us, though, tripped over a very different snag. We clung to the claim that when drinking we never hurt anybody but ourselves. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , p. 79 This Step seemed so simple. I identified several people whom I had harmed, but they were no longer available. Still, I was unea...
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Sobrietyspell
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0
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476
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Back from Montana....
(Preview)
Great time was had by all---getting out of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles....... I biked nearly every day into town from the lake...and they had a great AA clubhouse in town!! Went to a couple meetings there......amazing the kinship that is felt in AA!! Just wanted to share the fact that in your tr...
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Pablomoses
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2
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507
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To Be Or Not To Be A Prodigal
(Preview)
I sometimes wonder if I was screwed even before I was born to and raised by a couple of French Canadian Catholics. I suspect I was a painful birth for my mother. Shes tried to put me down and hurt me all of my life. I was force-fed religion and in an effort to frighten, control and manipulate me she repeatedl...
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MarcLacroix
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6
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893
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Oh, what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: Oh, what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive. --Sir Walter Scott To deceive means to fool people into believing things that are not true. As alcoholics, we did this in many ways. We lied. We hid facts. We were sneaky. While we were trying to fool oth...
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Larry_H
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1
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3026
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Does Anyone Resent Your Sobriety?
(Preview)
Not so much our old drinking buddies. But someone whose alcoholic(s) in their life are not sober or died of the disease, being resentful of our sobriety? My ex-wife's mother drank herself to death when I was only about 6 months sober. It's hard to remember the chronology but it seems like up to that po...
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barisax
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7
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1453
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God creates. People rearrange
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: God creates. People rearrange. --Joseph Casey Being alive is our invitation to act in fresh, inventive ways. All it takes is concentrating on our inner vision in combination with external reality. The components for accomplishing any task are at our fingertips...
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Larry_H
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2
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637
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Do you trust your Doctor, when he's prescibing a drug? Think again.
(Preview)
A pretty distbubing news investigation into improperly prescribed drugs (Fraud) and Doctors receiving kickbacks. I've suspected the kickbacks for years, why else would they be peddling drugs so agressively? Btw AGO sent this to me, and I am surprised that a foreign news agency had to do the inv...
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StPeteDean
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3
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1023
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Reminds me of my old self
(Preview)
The guy on the right reminds me of my old self before getting to AA Larry,
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Larry_H
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2
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686
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Sponsee back at it
(Preview)
I was expecting phone calls from my sponsee this past weekend just to check in. No call came Saturday, and none on Sunday. I didn't know if he made the Monday night meeting or not (I was at work) until Tuesday at the book study...he did not. Found out last night why. He called my house, and after acce...
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Reffner
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10
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667
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Lots of recovery work this week...
(Preview)
Wife & kids going out of town for three days. My schedule? Mon - 8-noon=work, noon-1 = AA mtg, 1-4=work, 4-6:30=rehab, 7-9:30=new AA meeting with sponsor. Tues - 8-noon=work, noon-1 = AA mtg, 1-5=work, 5-7:30=mow lawn, 8=AA mtg Weds - 8-noon=work, noon-1=AAmtg, 1-4=work, 4-7=rehab, 7-10 = cl...
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Aquaman
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14
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915
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"Feelings are reality"
(Preview)
I read this recently and wondered what your take on this was. I'm not really sure where I stand on it, but I do have some ideas... Brian
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Reffner
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3
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619
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Surrendering
(Preview)
Surrendering On the face of it, surrendering certainly does not seem like winning. But it is in AA Only after we have come to the end of our rope, hit a stone wall in some aspect of our lives beyond which we can go no further; only when we hit "bottom" in despair and surrender, can we accomplish s...
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Larry_H
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1
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513
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If God spoke to AA...
(Preview)
He might have said... "Into your weak and feeble hands I have entrusted a Power beyond estimate. To you has been given that which has been denied the most learned of your fellows. Not to scientist or statesmen, not to wives or mothers, not even to My priests and ministers have I given this gift of...
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Reffner
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7
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3822
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I MISS MY SISTER
(Preview)
Can anyone tell me why someone drinks themselves to death? I find it hard to accept that my sister is gone forever.
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I miss my sister
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8
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979
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~ As Bill Sees It: Leadership in A.A. ~
(Preview)
p. 224 No society can function well without able leadership at all its levels, and A.A. can be no exception. But we A.A.'s sometimes cherish the thought that we can do without much personal leadership at all. We are apt to warp the traditional idea of "principles before personalities" a...
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FlyingSquirrel
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0
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524
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We'll continue to choose Joy, no matter what!
(Preview)
Hello everyone! Back from Jersey shore last thursday,but been little out of sorts(mentally) but back on track now.Had a wonderful time at shore for 3 days,I left my yearly donation at the Casino(nothing new for me)Went to Atlantic city boardwalk and got some good runs in on the paths between Casino;...
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mikef
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7
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713
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Broken Promises
(Preview)
I guess what I feel the most guilt/remorse about are the broken promises. Build'em up then Let'em down. I cannot begin to recall the number of times I had sincerely promised her 'Never Again' and proceeded to get drunk shortly after. Kim and I divorced in my first year of sobriety. The marriage was brok...
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MarcLacroix
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9
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1615
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Starting my New Job tomorrow~~~ BALANCE?????
(Preview)
Well, it is official. I start my new job tomorrow morning. I was holding out for another surgery position, but will be using my EKG Tech and lab skills for an internal medicine practice with a lot of cardiac and diabetic patients. I thought I was going to be taking a dollar or two an hour pay cut vs. previou...
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jonijoni1
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11
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1103
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Sponsors and phone contacts
(Preview)
I'm about 14 months sober. In my town, everyone in AA is really adamant that you have to have a sponsor and lots of phone contacts that you call every day. I'm pretty introverted so just walking up to people and phoning strangers is kind of stressful and draining to me. People in my town talk a lot about...
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zzworldontheweb
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16
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1199
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~ As Bill Sees It: One Fellowship -- Many Faiths ~
(Preview)
As a society we must never become so vain as to suppose that we are authors and inventors of a new religion. We will humbly reflect that every one of A.A.'s principles has been borrowed from ancient sources. <<< >>> A minister in Thailand wrote, "We took A.A.'s Twelve Step...
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FlyingSquirrel
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1
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613
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Daily Reflections ~ Redoubling Our Efforts & 24hrs a Day
(Preview)
To a degree, he has already done this when taking moral
inventory, but now the time has come when he ought to
redouble his efforts to see how many people he had hurt,
and in what ways.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , p. 77
As I continue to grow in sobriety, I become more aware
of myself as a perso...
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Sobrietyspell
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1
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582
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Daily Reflections ~ Removing "The Ground Glass" & 24hrs a Day
(Preview)
The moral inventory is a cool examination of the damages that
occurred to us during life and a sincere effort to look at them in a true
perspective. This has the effect of taking the ground glass out of us,
the emotional substance that still cuts and inhibits.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 140
My Eighth Step l...
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Sobrietyspell
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0
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513
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Have I done my best to make all the restitution possible?
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Step Eight: "Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all." Step Nine: "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Making...
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Larry_H
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1
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472
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Gods loves alkies...
(Preview)
Two men had passed away and were standing at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter asked the first man, "What did you do for a living that had value to others?" The man replied, "I have driven a Taxi cab most of my life" St. Peter stood back, then walked away, returning with a Golden shaft and a Golden candle holder an...
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John
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8
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577
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Passive vs. Tolerant
(Preview)
My devotional this morning said this: "Being passive and feeling inferior go hand in hand, and they prepare us for becoming dependent on alcohol. " My sponsor has taught me that AA is a program of love and tolerance. My question is, for someone who has been passive her whole life, what is t...
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jluvs2day
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10
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1515
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AA the same
(Preview)
The world continues to change and get new and better ideas, but AA has remained the same in the last 75 years. I thank God for this. Whenever I get myself into trouble, I can always go back to my program and start from basics. It's a privilege I have used over and over again. There is no need to write anything...
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gonee
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3
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626
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WoW
(Preview)
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@page { margin: 0.79in }
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Well it's Monday night and I'm by myself at the trailer. When the in laws came to visit I had not drank in over a year. Yes I am an alcoholic and my name is Mike. I'm very pissed off at myself. I think it started when my wife decid...
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chester
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12
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1122
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I couldn't do it alone I have failed.
(Preview)
I said I could do it myself. But I failed. My life is so out of control. I got up this morning and found a meeting right down the street. I am scared. What do I say? Do I have to say anything. What if I can't hold back the tears? I have never been to a meeting and I don't know what to do. I am on the edge of the...
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Star
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17
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1489
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Beer is Beautiful (merged)
(Preview)
A husband and wife are shopping in their local Wal-Mart.The husband picks up a case of Budweiser and puts it in their cart. 'What do you think you're doing?' asks the wife. 'They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans he replies. 'Put them back, we can't afford them demands the wife, and so they carry on shoppin...
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MarcLacroix
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18
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1893
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(attempt at humor) 10 ways MIP is better than IRL...
(Preview)
This forum is preferable to In Real Life meetings because... 10) The coffee is exactly the way I like it 9) The seating is more comfortable 8) No shirt, no shoes? No problem 7) I can go to the bathroom halfway through my share 6) If I don't like what you're saying...I don't have to listen 5) "How It Wo...
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Aquaman
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10
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1071
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We can learn something from any experience
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: All experience is an arch to build on. -- Henry Brooks Adams We can learn something from any experience, even one that is painful. In fact, we often learn more from painful experiences than from pleasant ones. When we say or do something foolish or hurtful that cause...
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Larry_H
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5
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964
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Need meeting suggestions in PHOENIX, AZ
(Preview)
Hi there, I just moved to PHX and am looking for meetings....i like men's stag (big book study) with lots of sobriety...also like speaker meetings...any and all suggestions are appreciated!
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AlexInPhoenix
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5
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1040
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~ As Bill Sees It: Who Is To Blame? ~
(Preview)
p. 222 At Step Four we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking, and frightened? Though a given situation had not been entirely our fault, we often tried to cast the whole blame on the other person involved. We finally saw that the inventory should...
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FlyingSquirrel
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1
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1689
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More on THINKING and HUMILITY
(Preview)
...as I wrote in another post here recently, I needed to get up last night at a large meeting I was at, and announce 30 days sober again, and get a chip for it. I did not want to do it. I waffled and beat myself up and ratinalized the whole way there how I had already announced at my home group Friday, and to my c...
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jonijoni1
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5
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937
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~ As Bill Sees It: God Will Not Desert Us ~
(Preview)
p. 221 "Word comes to me that you are making a magnificent stand in adversity -- this adversity being the state of your health. It gives me a chance to express my gratitude for your recovery in A.A. and especially for the demonstration of its principles you are now so inspiringly giving to us all....
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FlyingSquirrel
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1
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1101
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My Last Drunk
(Preview)
My last drunk occurred on March 07, 1996. There wasn't anything unusual about it. I had probably gone through a significant portion of a liter of Jack Daniels with some CocaCola and passed out. The only reason I remember any of this is because it was on March 08 1996, 'The Day After', that I called my empl...
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MarcLacroix
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9
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1032
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my still drinking husband's insecurities are not helping!
(Preview)
Hi! just under 11 weeks sober and doing well. My husband still drinks and smokes pot but he's not an alcoholic like me. We are throwing a bbq on saturday, 16 people, all of whom will be drinking and some of whom will be smoking pot. I'm not worried about cravings or worried that i will drink. I go to the pub wi...
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aneleh
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12
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1593
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Anabuse
(Preview)
Hello. I am new. I am a daily drinker and have been for years. Every other day is a new nightmare for me anymore it seems. I want it to end. I have just gotten medical insurance through my employer and I have found a doctor (family medicine) to see if I can get a full checkup to find out what all damage I have cau...
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Todd
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21
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2404
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Daily Reflections ~ "...Of All Persons We Had Harmed" & 24hrs a Day
(Preview)
"...and became willing to make amends to them all." TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 77 One of the key words in the Eighth Step is the word all. I am not free to select a few names for the list and to disregard others. It is a list of all persons I have harmed. I can see immediately that this S...
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Sobrietyspell
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3
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805
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New Life emerging in my Inner Garden
(Preview)
Lots of weed-pulling as well!! I realized that the garden of my Life was lacking flowers and filling up with weeds. These came in the form of my nurturing unhealthy associations with some people in my life who really don't have my best interest at heart, or their OWN best interests. The last few days alo...
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jonijoni1
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5
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884
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Me newcomer, sponsoring someone who formerly had more sobriety time than I've ever had...
(Preview)
Thanks to my sponsor, I reluctantly put my hand up in a meeting whenever they ask for people who are willing to sponsor. I don't feel that confident, but I'd feel a whole lot more confident if the person I was working with was at least NEWER THAN ME! But this guy came up to me after the meeting (and believe...
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FlyingSquirrel
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10
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1065
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~ As Bill Sees It: In Partnership ~
(Preview)
p. 220 As we made spiritual progress, it became clear that, if we ever were to feel emotionally secure, we would have to put our lives on a give-and-take basis; we would have to develop the sense of being in partnership or brotherhood with all those around us. We saw that we would need to give constantly...
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FlyingSquirrel
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1
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3307
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Self Pity, and boy does this apply to me today!!!
(Preview)
Whining is a great deal of self-pity pushed through a small hole.--Anonymous "Even whiners recoil from the sound of whining. But although it makes people cover their ears and leave the room, whining is more of a symptom than a cause. People whine because they sense they have no power, no choices...
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Wren
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7
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715
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New Here
(Preview)
This is my first time here. I'm so new I don't understand all about aa. I am an alcoholic. I look forward to getting some insight on all this. Thanks
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trailboss
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15
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1135
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Folk remedies for struggle against alcoholic dependence? (Posted for Sash, moved)
(Preview)
"Good afternoon! Tell please, whether there are in Great Britain folk remedies for struggle against alcoholic dependence? Not medical preparations, and folk remedies?" -- Edited by StPeteDean on Sunday 8th of August 2010 04:37:20 PM
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StPeteDean
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1
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689
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