January 4, 2005


Daily Reflections

BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE

We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a
beginning. A much more important demonstration of our
principles lies before us in our respective homes,
occupations and affairs.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.19

It's usually pretty easy for me to be pleasant to the
people in an A.A. setting. While I'm working to stay
sober, I'm celebrating with my fellow A.A.s our common
release from the hell of drinking. It's often not so
hard to spread glad tidings to my old and new friends
in the program. At home or at work, though, it can be
a difference story. It is in situations arising in
both of those areas that the little day-to-day
frustrations are most evident, and where it can be
tough to smile or reach out with a kind word or an
attentive ear. It's outside of the A.A. rooms that
I face the real test of the effectiveness of my walk
through A.A.'s Twelve Steps.

************************************************** *********

" rosie readandpost" <readandpost@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:dyyCd.168603$ye4.145515@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> January 4, 2005
>
>
> Daily Reflections
>
> BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE
>
> We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a
> beginning. A much more important demonstration of our
> principles lies before us in our respective homes,
> occupations and affairs.
> ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.19

<snip>

> It's outside of the A.A. rooms that
> I face the real test of the effectiveness of my walk
> through A.A.'s Twelve Steps.
>
> ************************************************** *********

For me, the second part of AA's 12th Step is a reminder that I ought
to try to live my life in accordance with the preceding 11 Steps. It
also reminds me that other AAers who have worked those 11 Steps ought
to be trying to do the same thing.

In the past, often, when AAers who claimed to have worked the Steps,
gave me cause to think that they were not practising them, I could -
and did - think them hypocrites and also could - and did - become
concerned about the potential damage their actions could cause AA as a
whole.

For me, when I am making use of our 12 Step programme and such ideas
in the BB as "No-one among us has been able to maintain perfect
adherence to these principles" (page 60), " Putting out of our minds
the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked at our own mistakes"
(page 67) and "Most people try to live by self-propulsion" (page 60);
and I'm also being honest with myself about my failure to live at all
times in the manner which AA's teachings encourage, then, irrespective
of what other folk are doing, I am better equipped than in the past to
accept other folks right to behave as they see fit. At the same time,
my conscience can - and often does - let know whether a thought I'm
having about how to react to a situation I'm in is the right or wrong
way to react. At this point, I'm willing to admit that there are times
when I choose to not live by the standards of living which the 12
Steps and other AA teachings encourage me to live by and other times
when by reacting too quickly, the "old me and my lower standards of
living" I do not give myself any chance to apply my new standards of
living.

I am happy to admit to not being able to always be seen to be walking
AA's 12 Steps because for me, this is part of working Step 5. I am
also willing to admit to hoping that by remaining willing to change
and to continue to follow AA's teachings, it will become possible for
me to be seen to be walking them more often than I do now.

JB

"For me, the second part of AA's 12th Step is a reminder that I
ought
to try to live my life in accordance with the preceding 11 Steps. It
also reminds me that other AAers who have worked those 11 Steps ought
to be trying to do the same thing."

The 12th step,
"Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we
tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these
principles in all our affairs. "

The way I understand this step is: as a results of completeing the
first 11 steps I now love life and I TRY to show alcoholics how this
transition was accomplished. The principles I practice are honesty,
openmindedness and willingness.







On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 20:40:00 -0000, "JB" <JBCatRB@coldman.com> wrote:

>" rosie readandpost" <readandpost@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:dyyCd.168603$ye4.145515@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>> January 4, 2005
>>
>>
>> Daily Reflections
>>
>> BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE
>>
>> We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a
>> beginning. A much more important demonstration of our
>> principles lies before us in our respective homes,
>> occupations and affairs.
>> ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.19
>
><snip>
>
>> It's outside of the A.A. rooms that
>> I face the real test of the effectiveness of my walk
>> through A.A.'s Twelve Steps.
>>
>> ************************************************** *********
>
>For me, the second part of AA's 12th Step is a reminder that I ought
>to try to live my life in accordance with the preceding 11 Steps. It
>also reminds me that other AAers who have worked those 11 Steps ought
>to be trying to do the same thing.
>
>In the past, often, when AAers who claimed to have worked the Steps,
>gave me cause to think that they were not practising them, I could -
>and did - think them hypocrites and also could - and did - become
>concerned about the potential damage their actions could cause AA as a
>whole.
>
>For me, when I am making use of our 12 Step programme and such ideas
>in the BB as "No-one among us has been able to maintain perfect
>adherence to these principles" (page 60), " Putting out of our minds
>the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked at our own mistakes"
>(page 67) and "Most people try to live by self-propulsion" (page 60);
>and I'm also being honest with myself about my failure to live at all
>times in the manner which AA's teachings encourage, then, irrespective
>of what other folk are doing, I am better equipped than in the past to
>accept other folks right to behave as they see fit. At the same time,
>my conscience can - and often does - let know whether a thought I'm
>having about how to react to a situation I'm in is the right or wrong
>way to react. At this point, I'm willing to admit that there are times
>when I choose to not live by the standards of living which the 12
>Steps and other AA teachings encourage me to live by and other times
>when by reacting too quickly, the "old me and my lower standards of
>living" I do not give myself any chance to apply my new standards of
>living.
>
>I am happy to admit to not being able to always be seen to be walking
>AA's 12 Steps because for me, this is part of working Step 5. I am
>also willing to admit to hoping that by remaining willing to change
>and to continue to follow AA's teachings, it will become possible for
>me to be seen to be walking them more often than I do now.
>
>JB
>
>
>
>
>
>

"www.ttdown.com" <rkdian@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:io5mt0tad9sdt34hqbmccbmtf1n88lhq07@4ax.com...
> "For me, the second part of AA's 12th Step is a reminder that I
> ought
> to try to live my life in accordance with the preceding 11 Steps.
It
> also reminds me that other AAers who have worked those 11 Steps
ought
> to be trying to do the same thing."
>
> The 12th step,
> "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we
> tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these
> principles in all our affairs. "
>
> The way I understand this step is: as a results of completeing the
> first 11 steps I now love life and I TRY to show alcoholics how this
> transition was accomplished. The principles I practice are
honesty,
> openmindedness and willingness.

Thanks for the feedback.

JB

"www.ttdown.com" <rkdian@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:io5mt0tad9sdt34hqbmccbmtf1n88lhq07@4ax.com...
> "For me, the second part of AA's 12th Step is a reminder that I
> ought
> to try to live my life in accordance with the preceding 11 Steps.
> It
> also reminds me that other AAers who have worked those 11 Steps
> ought
> to be trying to do the same thing."
>
> The 12th step,
> "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we
> tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these
> principles in all our affairs. "
>
> The way I understand this step is: as a results of completeing the
> first 11 steps I now love life and I TRY to show alcoholics how
> this
> transition was accomplished. The principles I practice are
> honesty,
> openmindedness and willingness.
>

That's enlightening.

I thought honesty open mindedness, and willingness were the Chapter
Five *pre-requisites* to taking the steps, and carrying "this
message" actually means carrying "this message," as distinct from
"trying" to share opinion.

Bob

"Robert McGregor" <robert_mcgregor@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:340v78F44dbkjU1@individual.net...
>
> "www.ttdown.com" <rkdian@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:io5mt0tad9sdt34hqbmccbmtf1n88lhq07@4ax.com...

> > The 12th step,
> > "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we
> > tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these
> > principles in all our affairs. "
> >
> > The way I understand this step is: as a results of completeing the
> > first 11 steps I now love life and I TRY to show alcoholics how
> > this
> > transition was accomplished. The principles I practice are
> > honesty,
> > openmindedness and willingness.
> >
>
> That's enlightening.
>
> I thought honesty open mindedness, and willingness were the Chapter
> Five *pre-requisites* to taking the steps, and carrying "this
> message" actually means carrying "this message," as distinct from
> "trying" to share opinion.
>
> Bob
>
The message being: "the 12 Steps (ie AA's recovery programme), done
by those "who completely give themselves to this simple program" lead
to recovery from alcoholism (BB, page 58).

JB