I can't .........he can..........I think I'll let him (steps 1,2,3)
if it works.........don't fix it
keep coming back..........it works if you work it
stick with the winners
keep right size
sobriety is a journey ..........not a destination
faith without works is dead
poor me.....poor me............pour me another drink
to thine own self be true
I came; I came to; I came to believe (steps 1,2,3)
live in the NOW
if god seems far away, who moved ?
turn it over
aa=altered attitudes
nothing is so bad, a drink won't make it worse
we are only as sick as our secrets
there are no coincidences in AA
be part of the solution, not the problem
sponsors: have one-----use one-----be one
I can't handle it god; you take over
keep an open mind
it works -------it really does ! (page 88,line 8 in the big book)
willingness is the key
more will be revealed
you will intuitively know
you will be amazed
no pain.........no gain
go for it
keep the plug in the jug
do it sober
let it begin with me
just for today
sober `n` crazy
pass it on
it's in the book
you either is-------or you ain't
before you say: I can't ............say I'll try
don't quit 5 minutes before the miracle happens
some of us our sicker than others
we're all here because we're not all there
alcoholism is an equal opportunity destroyer
practice an attitude of gratitude
the road to sobriety is a simple journey for confused people with a complicated disease
another friend of bill W.'s
god is never late
have a good day unless of course u have made other plans
decisions aren't forever
it takes time
90 meetings in 90 days.........90/90
you are not alone
where you go .......there you are
don't drink, read the big book, and go to meetings
use the 24-hour plan
make use of the telephone therapy
stay sober for yourself
look for similarities rather than differences
remember your last drunk
remember that alcoholism is incurable, progressive, and fatal
try not place conditions on your sobriety
when all else fails, follow directions
count your blessings
share your happiness
respect the anonymity of others
share your pain
let go of old ideas
try to replace guilt with gratitude
what goes around, comes around
change is a process, not an event
take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth
call your sponsor before, not after, you take the first drink
sick and tired of being sick and tired
it's the first drink that gets you drunk
to keep it, you have to give it away
man's extremity is god's opportunity
the price for serenity and sanity is self-sacrifice
one alcoholic talking to another...........one equals one
take what you can use and leave the rest
what if........
yeah but.........
if only.........
help is only a phone call away
around AA or in AA ?
you can't give away what you don't have
one drink is too many and thousand not enough
K.C.B. --- keep coming back
anger is but one letter away from danger
courage to change
easy does it, but do it
bring the body and the mind will follow
accept your admission
remember when............
dry and tighten up (financially)
we AAs are 'gifted' people
there are 12 steps in the ladder of complete sobriety
fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed
before engaging your mouth, put your mind in gear!
I want what I want when I want it
there is no chemical solution to a spiritual problem
AA is not something you join, it's a way of life
we can be positive that our drinking was negative
spirituality is the ability to get our minds off ourselves
faith is spelled ...............a-c-t-i-o-n
backsliding begins when knee-bending stops
if I think, I won't drink. if I drink, I can't think
bend your knees before you bend your elbow
the first step in overcoming mistakes is to admit them
formula for failure: try to please everyone
sorrow is looking back, worry is looking around
willpower= our willingness to use a higher power
aa is an education without graduation
when your head begins to swell your mind stops growing
a journey of a 1,000 miles begins with the first step
god=good orderly direction
be as enthusiastic about AA as you were about your drinking
you received without cost, now give without charge
humility is our acceptance of ourselves
trying to pray is praying
get it ---give it---grow in it
faith is not belief without proof but trust without reservation
we're responsible for the effort not the outcome
this is a selfish program
ego=edge god out
keep your sobriety first to make it last
I drank: too much---too often---too long
AA will work if you want it to work
minds are like parachutes----they won't work unless they're open
what you hear and see here, stays here
alcoholism is the only disease that tells you you're all right
if you turn it over and don't let go of it, you will be upside down.
an AA meeting is where losers get together to talk about their winnings
AA is a school in which we are all learners and all teachers
god taught us to laugh again but god please don't let us forget that we once cried
serenity is not freedom from the storm but peace amid the storm
AA may not solve all your problems but it is willing to share them
it isn't the load that weighs us down------it's the way we carry it
principles before personalities
when u do all the talking you only learn what you already know
the 7t's ---take time to think the thing through
there are none too dumb for the AA program but many are too smart
we all have another drunk left in us but we don't know if we have another recovery in us
to be forgiven we must forgive
when we surrender to our higher power, the journey begins
the person with the most sobriety at a meeting is the one who got up earliest that morning
knowledge of "the answers" never made anyone slip---it was failing to practice "the answers" known
H.A.L.T.=don't get too hungry(h).......or too angry(a)......or too lonely(l) ........or too tire(t)
fear stands for Frustration
Ego, Anxiety, Resentment
the 12 steps tell us how it works; the 12 traditions tell us why it works.........
AA won't ...........keep you from going to hell.............nor is it a ticket to heaven............but it will...........keep u sober long enough.........for you to make up your mind...............which way you want to go!
if faith without works is dead; then .........willingness without action is fantasy
when a person tries to control their drinking they have already lost control
the task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us
seven days without an aa meeting makes one WEAK
you are not required to like it, you're only required to DO IT
when wallowing in your self-pity ...... get off the cross we need the wood
we in AA don't carry the alcoholic; we carry the message
the results are in god's hand
we are not human beings having spiritual experiences; we are spiritual beings having human experiences
remember nothing is going to happen today that you and god can't handle
when man listens, god speaks; when man obeys, god works
don't watch the "slippers" but watch those who don't slip closely and watch them go through difficulties and pull through
the 3 t's of gratitude to repay AA for our sobriety: our time, our talent, our treasure
it's a pity we can't forget our troubles the same way we forget our blessings
be careful what you pray for; you're liable to get it
the time to attend a meeting is when you least feel like going
work the program from the waist up
AA is the highest priced club in the world.........if u have paid the dues, why not enjoy the benefits ?
the first step is the only step a person can work perfectly
the will of god will never take you where the grace of god will not protect you
your big book is your sponsor too
AA never opened the gates of heaven to let me in, AA did open the gates of hell to let me out
the only thing we take from this world when we leave is what we gave away
time wasted in getting even can never be used in getting ahead
some people are so successful in AA that they turn out to be almost as good as they used to think they were when they were drinking
sobriety delivers everything alcohol promised
possibilities and miracles are one in the same
get out of the driver's seat.......let go and let god
how==honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness
danger sign: when your eyes have wandered from the alcoholics who still suffers and needs help-----to the faults of those whom the program has already helped
first we stayed sober because we have to............ then we stay sober because we are willing to.......... finally we stay sober because we want to.............
slogans are wisdom written in shorthand
active alcoholics don't have relationships; they take hostages
everyday is a gift that is why we call it the present
if you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere
every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour
each and every alcoholic----sober or not----teaches us some valuable lessons about ourselves and recovery
we had to quit playing god
don't compare---identify
don't intellectualize----utilize
RULE 62----don't take yourself so damn seriously!!!!!!!
AA has a wrench to fit every nut that walks through a meeting room door
living in the here and now
how does one become an "old-timer" ? don't drink and don't die!
AA spoils your drinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
faith is our greatest gift; its sharing with others our greatest responsibility
if you want to drink-----that is your business if you want to quit-------that is AA's business
in a bar, we got sympathy-----as long as our money lasted. in AA, we get understanding------for nothing!
even my worst day in sobriety is better than my best day drunk
the elevator is broken-------use the steps
let it begin with me
when all else fails.........the directions are in the big book
trust god.........clean house........help others
anonymity is so important it's half of our name
if we don't grow, we gotta go
all you need to start your own AA meeting is a resentment and a coffee pot!!
religion is for those who fear god.........spirituality is for those who have been to hell and back
there are no atheists in foxholes
three suggestions for making an AA speech: 1).BE INTERESTING 2).BE BRIEF 3).BE SEATED
when you are a sponsor, you get out of yourself. if i serve, i will be served
why recovery never ends: the disease is alcoholISM, not alcoholWASM!
the AA way of life is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions
the smartest thing an AA member can say is, " help me "
you are exactly where god wants you to be
god will never give you more than you can handle
slow but sure
in AA we say a "coincidence" is a miracle in which god chooses to remain anonymous
it takes the good and bad AA meeting----the good and bad AA talk -----to make this fellowship "work"
give time .......time
faith is a lighted doorway, but trust is a dark hall
the lesson I must learn is simply that my control is limited to my own behavior, my own attitudes
the AA paradoxes: ---from weakness(adversity) comes strength ---we forgive to be forgiven ---we give it away to keep it ---we suffer to get well ---we surrender to win ---we die to live ---from darkness comes light ---from dependence we found independence
AA works for people who believe in god AA works for people who don't believe in god AA NEVER works for people who believe they ARE god
just for today I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problems at once. I can do something for 12 hours that would appall me if i felt that i had to keep it up for a LIFETIME
there are two days in every week which we have no control over----yesterday and tomorrow. today is the only day we can change.
it is not the experience if today that drives people mad----it is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
slippers in AA use the rdp---revolving door policy
pain is the touchstone of spiritual growth
god has no grand kids
there is a god and I am not it
the road to disappointment (resentment) is paved with expectation
be nice to newcomers .........one day they may be your sponsor
denial is not a river in Egypt !
guilt is the gift that keeps on giving
the flip side to forgiveness is resentments
there is no magic in recovery only miracles
fear is the absences of faith
courage is faith that has said its prayers
depression is anger toward inward
alcoholics heal from the outside in.........but feel from the inside out
3 A's in AA-----affection (thoughtfulness) -----attention (listening) -----appreciation (gratitude)
if it is meant to be...........I can't stop it if it isn't god's will ............I can't make it happen
there are AA members who MAKE things happen there are AA members who WATCH things happen there are AA members who DON'T KNOW anything happen WHICH ARE YOU ??????
A few good quotes
Sobriety is the leading cause of relapse
This is a one-day-at-a-time program. If you are sober today, you are tied for first place
If drinking is interfering with your work, you're probably a heavy drinker. If work is interfering with your drinking, you're probably an alcoholic
I often obsessively pursue feeling good ... no matter how bad it makes me feel
When I was new, I didn't think I had any obsessions, until I started thinking about it. Then, it was all I could think about
How come if alcohol kills millions of brain cells, it never killed the ones that made me want to drink?
I never told a lie that wasn't TRUE!!!
If God were small enough to understand, He wouldn't be big enough to be God
If you want to quit drinking, you are going to have to quit drinking
Newcomer: "How do I know how many meetings I should attend each week?" Old-timer: "Gradually cut back until you drink. Then you'll know."
If you're looking to have an image in AA, look around at the meetings you go to and take a look at who you're trying to impress
I would rather go through life sober, believing I am an alcoholic, than go through life drunk, trying to convince myself that I am not
The mind is a great servant ... but a lousy master
The secret to the AA program is the first three words on page 112
An alcoholic is a person who wants to be held while isolating
Resentments are like stray cats: if you don't feed them, they'll go away
A lot of members criticize newcomers for sharing in their first thirty days; what scares me are those bleeding deacons sharing in their last thirty days
The difference between a problem drinker and an alcoholic is that when the alcohol is taken away from the problem drinker, the problem goes away. When the alcohol is taken away from the alcoholic, the problem begins
Sponsee: "When will I get a good job?" Sponsor: "When you are ready." Sponsee: "How will I know I am ready?" Sponsor: "You'll have a good job."
It is the great obsession of every Al-Anon, that some day he or she will learn to control and enjoy their drinker
I would rather be a sober ANYTHING than a drunk Somebody
I drank when I was happy. I drank when I was unhappy. Actually, I am a reason to drink
You don't have to be sick to want to get well. But if you don't want to get well, you ARE sick
I can't do God's will my way
In order to change the way we feel we need to change the way we act
There is only one way to coast, and that is downhill
The good news is you get your emotions back. The bad news is you get your emotions back
All we ask is that you completely change your attitude as soon as possible
Never put people in AA on a pedestal ... there's no room to dance
I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess
Without memory, there is no healing. Without forgiveness, there is no future
Our business is doing God's business. As long as we do God's business, whatever happens to us is none of our business. That's God's business
It's not old behavior if I'm still doing it
A more few good quotes:
"Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic surveys of the facts of life into unrealistic alibis for apathy or defeatism, they can be the sure foundation upon which increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress can be built." - Reprinted from As Bill Sees It p. 44 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"We're not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition." - Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous p. 85 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"With few exceptions our members find that they have tapped on an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a power greater than themselves." - Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous pp. 569 and 70 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"With few exceptions our members find that they have tapped on an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a power greater than themselves." - Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous pp. 569 and 70 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"Why all this insistence that every AA must hit bottom first? The answer is that few people will sincerely tried to practice the AA program unless they have hit bottom. For practicing AA's remaining eleven steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking." - Reprinted from 12 Steps and 12 Traditions page 24 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"The trouble with us alcoholics was this: We demanded that the world give us happiness and peace of mind in just the particular order we wanted to get it-- by the alcohol route. And we weren't successful. But when we take the time to find out some of the spiritual laws, and familiarize ourselves with them, and put them into practice, then do we get happiness and peace of mind..... There seem to be some rules that we have to follow, but happiness and peace of mind are always here, open and free to anyone" - Reprinted from Dr. Bob and the Good Old-timers, p. 308 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"By going back in our own drinking histories, we could show that years before we realized it we were out of control, that our drinking even then was no mere habit, that it was indeed the beginning of a fatal progression."- Reprinted fromTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 23 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish." - Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 16 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"The primary fact that we fail to recognize is our total inability to form a true partnership with another human being." - Reprinted from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 53 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
No words can tell of the loneliness and despair I found in that bitter morass of self-pity. Quicksand stretched around me in all directions. I had met my match. I had been overwhelmed. Alcohol was my master. - Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous , p.8 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
"When working with a man and his family, you should take care not to participate in their quarrels. You may spoil your chance of being helpful if you do." -- - Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 100 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.,
"As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn. - Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 63 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
You may already have asked yourself why it is that all of us became so very ill from drinking. Doubtless you are curious to discover how and why, in the face of expert opinion to the contrary, we have recovered from a hopeless condition of mind and body. If you are an alcoholic who wants to get over it, you may already be asking--"What do I have to do?" Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 20 with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
