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~ As Bill Sees It: No Orders Issued ~
(Preview)
p. 237 Neither the A.A. General Service Conference, its Board of Trustees, nor the humblest group committee can issue a single directive to an A.A. member and make it stick, let alone mete out any punishment. We've tried this lots of times, but utter failure is always the result. Groups have sometim...
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FlyingSquirrel
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0
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313
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An update on my progress in my new AA journey
(Preview)
So a small update on where I have been. I jumped in with both feet and have been going to about 2 AA meetings a day on average. Since I first posted I have relapsed about 3 times but my new sober date is August 13th and on Friday I will have two weeks sober. I got a sponsor and have begun to work on the first step wi...
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KPie
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7
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770
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Hello everyone...miss you all...
(Preview)
Just saying hello, I am currently dealing with some major issues, health crisis, heart problem, that started about 4 weeks ago when I had a very threatening trauma happen at my home late at night, which actually as it turned out, cause my heart to go into Arytmia, and now will have to be on this Major Hear...
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Just Toni
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13
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809
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When we can't see the Forrest for the trees.
(Preview)
Hi All, Was just writing this out to Rob, and decided to make a Post out of it.... Those side effects that we almost unbearable, have now gone away and my heart is now beating a good healthy beat....so the medication from hell, as I wrote a few days ago, well can I change that to this AWESOME life saving medi...
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Just Toni
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7
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914
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Thought on People
(Preview)
Hi All Just a thought for the day that hit me. Fits for a Sunday. But look at the condition many people come to various Meetings as. Shoes in church I showered and shaved.............. I adjusted my tie. I got there and sat.............. In a pew just in time. Bowing my head in prayer......... As I closed...
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kld47
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2
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386
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~ As Bill Sees It: Perfection -- Only the Objective
(Preview)
There can be no absolute humility for us humans. At best, we can merely glimpse the meaning and splendor of such a perfect ideal. Only God himself can manifest in the absolute; we human beings must needs live and grow in the domain of the relative. So we seek progress in humility for today. <<&l...
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FlyingSquirrel
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0
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464
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Thank You All
(Preview)
I want to say thank you all for the warm welcome and the great sharing here. I am grateful I found this site. Thanks, Susan B
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susanbiel
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7
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846
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Serenity or Courage...Accept or Change?
(Preview)
Hi Ya, My homegroup is suffering from a couple of things and I know how I FEEL about it and what I THINK about it, but is it my place to DO anything about it? My town has two meetings: M-F noon, Tuesday night. There used to be another one: Thursday night. M-F noon is my homegroup. I have heard from several peo...
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Aquaman
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9
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906
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Daily Reflections ~ Lightening The Burden & 24hrs a Day
(Preview)
Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. . . . the dark past is . . . the key to life and happiness for others. Alcoholics Anonymous, p.124 Since I have been sober, I have been healed of many pains: deceiving my partner, deserting my bes...
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Sobrietyspell
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0
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525
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Recovery means work.
(Preview)
When I sponsor new people I tell them at the outset that recovery means work. That work is not only activity in AA but also action. The AA book needs to be acquired and read especially the 1st 164 pages. I make time available for my sponsees so that they start the inventory process and amends list as soon as...
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gonee
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7
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856
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~ As Bill Sees It: Looking for Lost Faith ~
(Preview)
p. 235 Any number of A.A.'s can say, "We were diverted from our childhood faith. As material success began to come, we felt we were winning at the game of life. This was exhilarating, and it made us happy. "Why should we be bothered with theological abstractions and religious duties, or w...
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FlyingSquirrel
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0
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427
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Life beyond addiction.
(Preview)
My initial state before going into recovery was restless, irritable and discontented. That is why I drank alcohol, so that I could get a sense of ease and comfort. I got restored to sanity by the steps 3 to 9. Step 2 tells me about the objective of the steps which is a restoration to sanity. That objective...
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gonee
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4
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635
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Daily Reflections ~ Giving It Away & 24hrs a Day
(Preview)
Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves to others. Alcoholics Anonymous, p.159 Those words, for me, refer to a transference of power, through which God, as I under...
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Sobrietyspell
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0
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625
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Do prescription drugs help???
(Preview)
Hi, My name is Annette. As you can see from my username, alcohol is not my only addiction! Anyway, I am new to this site, but have been reading some of the posts and not only am I amazed at the number of people who share this disease, but the encouragement and support from other members is AWESOME! The...
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Born2Buy
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10
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1438
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Thank you
(Preview)
Some of you may remember that I asked for prayers for a friend who ended up after a drink/drugs binge on death row for 13 ½ years after being present at an incident which ended in the death of someone. I have today learnt that his sentence has been commuted to life. He would like to thank you all for your pra...
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louisa
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14
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814
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A milestone and a miracle...
(Preview)
One of my earliest sponsors counseled me that to reach peace of mind and serenity I would have to break with everything alcohol in my life and focus on the program. That break would include not drinking myself and my alcoholic/addict second wife. My first wife was an addict...my next relationship was...
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Jerry F
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8
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829
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~ As Bill Sees It: Freed Prisoners ~
(Preview)
p. 234 Letter to a prison group: "Every A.A. has been, in a sense, a prisoner. Each of us has walled himself out of society; each has known social stigma. The lot of you folks has been even more difficult: In your case, society has also built a wall around you. But there isn't any really essentia...
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FlyingSquirrel
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0
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1243
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Daily Reflections ~ The Gift of Bonding & 24hrs a day
(Preview)
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS , p. 63 Many times in my alcoholic state, I drank to establish a bond between myself and others, but I succeeded only in establishing the bondage of alcoholic loneliness. Through the A.A. way of life, I have received t...
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Sobrietyspell
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0
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553
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How to stop drinking?
(Preview)
Almost all the stories I have heard in AA, talk about their first meeting and the talk with another alcoholic who experienced the problem and had found a solution to the problem. My first meeting got me sober instantly and I stayed dry for almost a month. I did not require medical intervention. My convi...
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gonee
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1
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747
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Dwelling upon the faults of others
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: Reflection for the Day Looking back, I realize just how much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the faults of others. It provided much self-satisfaction, to be sure, but I see now just how subtle and actually perverse the process became. After all was said and d...
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Larry_H
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2
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622
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Advice about lifestyle choices in recovery please
(Preview)
Hello everyone, I just thought I would ask the advice of anyone in recovery, particularly those with a good amount of sobriety. I am just over three months sober. I spent 5 weeks in a treatment centre and the last 8 weeks I have been attending AA meetings most days, usually about 5 or 6 a week. I have a great...
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Vinohrady
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9
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802
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Me: Charlie Brown, Her: Lucy
(Preview)
Will someone just shoot me now and put me out of my misery? God I always just wanted to shake Charlie Brown and say, snap out of it man, she's gonna pull that football away every time, don't BELIEVE her this time! So my wife, from whom I'm separated (and divorce on hold), who cheated on me for 6 months befor...
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FlyingSquirrel
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7
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1402
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washing machine head and everything else
(Preview)
I am angry i hate addictions. I am worried about a food addict and i feel theres no where to really talk about it. I tried a coda meeting today i was hoping to hear someone speak about having an addict in their life and didnt hear that. I dont know what to do. I am going nuts. I am reading alanon book from when my...
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slugcat
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8
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3145
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I AM YOUR DISEASE (PLEASE READ)
(Preview)
I hate meetings. I hate higher power. I hate anyone who has a program. To all who come in contact with me, I wish you death and I wish you mass suffering. Allow me to introduce myself, I am the disease of addiction. Cunning, Baffling, and Powerful! That's me. I have killed millions, and Im very pleased. I l...
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SoberSteve
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9
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13809
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8 years sober and feeling worse than ever
(Preview)
I am almost 8 years sober and I feel worse than I did when I was one year sober. I am working the steps, have a great sponsor, go to meetings, have a sponsee am a single mom to two grown children who are doing great. Yet I still have bouts of depression and anxiety. My self esteem is still shaky. I think I am...
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Glinda
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16
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4060
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Why do we drink alcohol?
(Preview)
The BB says that alcoholics drink for the effect produced by alcohol. That's not a bad reason for drinking. I would not have drank alcohol if it did not produce a sense of ease and comfort, which came at once by taking the first drink. The question that almost nobody asks is why do I continue drinking long...
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gonee
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7
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1058
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One day at a tiime
(Preview)
Right now I'm working this program by the minute, the hour, the day... I've finally crossed the bridge of resistance and put my cigarettes down after approximately 40 years of smoking. It's been 30 hours since my last one. I don't feel like I qualify as a non smoker yet, but rather a smoker who is tortur...
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John
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6
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726
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What is the greatest danger facing A.A. today?
(Preview)
This is Not my writing but I am in full agreement with this "If you were to ask me what is the greatest danger facing A.A. today, I would have to answer: the growing rigidity -- the increasing demand for absolute answers to nit-picking questions; pressure for G.S.O. to 'enforce' our Traditions; s...
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Larry_H
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17
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2603
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We're the luckiest people alive because we don't have to do anything alone!
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: I alone can do it. But I can't do it alone. --Anonymous We're the luckiest people alive because we don't have to do anything alone! Whether we have a new assignment to tackle, a new relationship to cultivate, a new boss to please, we'll never fail as long as we rely on the...
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Larry_H
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3
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647
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Daily Reflections ~ A Riddle That Works & 24hrs a Day
(Preview)
It may be possible to find explanations of spiritual experiences such as ours, but I have often tried to explain my own and have succeeded only in giving the story of it. I know the feeling it gave me and the results it has brought, but I realize I may never fully understand its deeper why and how. AS BILL SE...
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Sobrietyspell
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0
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567
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Life's crises seem terrifying and endless when they are happening
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness. --Henry David Thoreau Life's crises seem terrifying and endless when they are happening. As we reflect on these stressful periods, we begin to realize that they provide a chance for change an...
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Larry_H
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1
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611
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We have no control over the way another person reacts to our amends
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. --The Serenity Prayer Newcomer What if the person to whom I'm trying to make amends is still too angry to accept my apology or do...
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Larry_H
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4
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875
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Words are the voice of the heart
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: Words are the voice of the heart. --Confucius What does my heart have to say today? Am I happy? Or am I troubled? We will find this out if we slow down and listen to our words. We can also hear our spirit in the tone of our words. We are to meditate. Meditation is about slowin...
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Larry_H
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3
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771
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i dont have to drink for today
(Preview)
when i first came into aa all i was obsessing about was how was i going to stay sober for the rest of my life..........at that wedding......at that party.......with men...... as i learned after not being able to listen for a long time.......... i dont have to drink for today..aug 23rd 2010, TODAY........
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hayestracey
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7
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748
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My Story
(Preview)
Just here to share my story...I have not yet been to a meeting, but have googled the topic many times. I live in NY and am involved in the creative fields there, so I've met plenty of people in the program.My job/s have often required that I be out late at bars and music venues, so drinking has been a way of l...
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GAM
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15
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4327
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~ As Bill Sees It: The Value Of Human Will ~
(Preview)
p. 232 Many newcomers, having experienced little but constant deflation, feel a growing conviction that human will is of no value whatever. They have become persuaded, sometimes rightly so, that many problems besides alcohol will not yield to a headlong assault powered only by the individual's...
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FlyingSquirrel
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2
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1629
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Other People's Issues
(Preview)
So, for 37 years I've had a nephew and two days ago I started to have a 37 year old niece. "My testicles are now in a bag marked medical waste.", she wrote. For over ten years I've been hearing about "the lesbian trapped inside a man's body" and my birth family has been adapting to c...
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Aquaman
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9
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773
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Never Say Never
(Preview)
Someone in my life who has been a practicing alcoholic for five decades is now attempting our way of life and has four months sobriety. How awesome is that? I am so grateful.
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leeu
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8
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850
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12 Qualities of Sponsorship
(Preview)
As your Sponsor... I will not help you to stay and wallow in limbo. I will help you to grow, to become more productive, by your definition. I will help you become more autonomous, more loving of yourself, more excited, less sensitive, more free to become the authority for your own living. I cannot give y...
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Sobrietyspell
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5
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879
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Nerves about AA convention
(Preview)
Hi everyoneIt is my first AA convention on Sunday, and I am a bundle of nerves! I am trying to live in the day and not think too much about it - but it is there, it's coming, and it is the talk of all the meetings at the moment! Someone said at the meeting tonight that they had massive temptations to drink at the...
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LoreleiLee
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5
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781
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Daily Reflections ~ Bringing The Message Home & 24hrs a Day
(Preview)
Can we bring the same spirit of love and tolerance into our sometimes deranged family lives that we bring to our A.A. group? TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS , pp. 111 -112 My family members suffer from the effects of my disease. Loving and accepting them as they are - just as I love and accept A.A. memb...
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Sobrietyspell
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0
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522
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angry at me why am i so sensitive.
(Preview)
helllo everyone i found myself reacting yesterday ina work situation. my colleagues and 1 were in our rest room and a conversation about alcohol began. some of them persisted it was impossible to give up alcohol, that they couldnt cope with social situations without a drink and anyone that can enjoy...
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hayestracey
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11
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738
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The difference between "taking action" and "letting go"
(Preview)
Today's thought from Hazelden is: Today I will practice looking at situations and learning the difference between "taking action" and "letting go." Many times I need to take care of things that seem difficult or overwhelming, and I have to push myself to get them done because...
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Larry_H
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2
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717
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Taking a break
(Preview)
Hello MIP family. Got a lot of stuff I'm working on, trying to finish this year, and I need to take a break from a couple things to make more time to do them. When looking for needed time, my internet "studies" provided me with plenty. I'll be back when I get these goals accomplished. Unti...
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StPeteDean
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12
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1083
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Gratitude
(Preview)
So, other than the usual things like sobriety and the like, what else are you grateful for today. I'll start... As hard as it can be sometimes, I'm grateful for step 10 today! Who's next?
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Reffner
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8
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738
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22 years in recovery.
(Preview)
I thank God that despite myself and my circumstances, he kept me sober and held me in the palm of His hands. I want to thank the AA fellowship for it's support. I want to say thanks to this forum and all the people behind the scenes who make it possible to be online. I also want to thank all the people who take t...
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gonee
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15
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996
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Could use some support
(Preview)
Hey I know its been awhile since I posted here. Things were going pretty well for me up until about two weeks ago. I've just been really struggling. I got a full times job with benifits only to get let go for not being able to pass a test. This really struck a cord with me. I worked so hard and asked questions...
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kkotz401
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9
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825
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A Thanks to Dean
(Preview)
I come to this board ocassionally. Not as much as I'd like. I'm busy on the ACOA board as a mod there... but one thing is certain when I come here I know I have a friend in Dean. He has been a constant for a long time here and every now and then I think I take that friendship for granted. I don't know if I will ev...
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Dave Harm
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4
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758
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Spoke with my parents
(Preview)
As part of my 6th step and becoming entirely read to have God remove my character defects, I have a list of things I have to do in order to be ready for these changes to occur...seeing as this is an action step and I don't undo years of acting a certain way just by asking God...I have to show willingness...
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pinkchip
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7
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870
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A lighter view of steps and traditions!
(Preview)
Applying steps to our lives, keep us from killing ourselves! Applying traditions to our groups,keeps us from killing each other!!!Have you ever sat thru tradition wars!!!!!At times ,thought I was seeing which came first "the chicken or the egg!!!!! :) :)
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mikef
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4
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689
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