We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.83

Once I became sober, I began to see how wasteful my life had been and I experienced overwhelming guilt and feelings of regret. The programs Fourth and Fifth Steps assisted me enormously in healing those troubling regrets. I learned that my self-centeredness and dishonesty stemmed largely from my drinking and that I drank because I was an alcoholic. Now I see how even my most distasteful past experiences can turn to gold because, as a sober alcoholic, I can share them to help my fellow alcoholics, particularly newcomers. Sober for several years in A.A., I no longer regret the past; I am simply grateful to be conscious of Gods love and of the help I can give to others in the Fellowship.