Made direct amends to such people wherever possible . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.83
When I survey my drinking days, I recall many people whom my life touched casually, but whose days I troubled through my anger & sarcasm. These people are untraceable, & direct amends to them are not possible. The only amends I can make to those untraceable individuals, the only "changes for the better" I can offer, are indirect amends made to other people, whose paths briefly cross mine. Courtesy & kindness, regularly practiced, help me live in emotional balance, at peace with myself.
Removing Threats to Sobriety
. . . Except when to do so would injure them or others.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59
Step Nine restores in me a feeling of belonging, not only to the human race but also to the everyday world. First, the Step makes me leave the safety of A.A., so that I may deal with non-A.A. people "out there," on their terms, not mine. It is a frightening but necessary action if I am to get back into life. Second, Step Nine allows me to remove threats to my sobriety by healing past relationships. Step Nine points the way to a more serene sobriety by letting me clear away past wreckage, lest it bring me down.
24 Hours a Day
A.A. Thought for the Day
Another of the mottoes of A.A. is "Live and Let Live." This, of course, means tolerance of people who think differently than we do, whether they are in A.A. or outside of A.A. We cannot afford the luxury of being intolerant or critical of other people. We do not try to impose our wills on those who differ from us. We are not "holier than thou." We do not have all the answers. We are not better than other good people. We live the best way we can and we allow others to do likewise. Am I willing to live and let live?
Meditation for the Day
"And this is life eternal, that we may know Thee, the only true God." Learning to know God as best you can draws the eternal life nearer to you. Freed from some of the limitations of humanity, you can grow in the things that are eternal. You can strive for what is real and of eternal value. The more you try to live in the consciousness of the unseen world, the gentler will be your passing into it when the time comes for you to go. This life on earth should be largely a preparation for the eternal life to come.
Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may live each day as though it were my last. I pray that I may live my life as though it were everlasting.
