Jan 16
Daily Reflections
HITTING BOTTOM
Why all this insistence that
every A.A. must hit bottom first? The answer is that few people will sincerely
try to practice the A.A. program unless they have hit bottom. For practicing
A.A.’s remaining eleven Steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions that
almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 24
Hitting bottom opened my mind and I became willing to try
something different. What I tried was A.A. My new life in the Fellowship was a
little like learning how to ride a bike for the first time: A.A. became my
training wheels and my supporting hand. It’s not that I wanted the help so much
at the time; I simply did not want to hurt like that again. My desire to avoid
hitting bottom again was more powerful than my desire to drink. In the
beginning that was what kept me sober. But after a while I found myself
working the Steps to the best of my ability. I soon realized that my attitudes
and actions were changing – if ever so slightly. One Day at a Time, I became
comfortable with myself, and others, and my hurting started to heal.
Thank God for the training wheels and supporting hand that I choose to call
Alcoholics Anonymous.
Keep It Simple
Fair play is primarily not blaming others for anything that is
wrong with us.
–Eric Hoffer
It’s
tempting to blame others for our problems. Recovery asks us to answer for our
actions. Admitting we are powerless over our actions. Admitting we are
powerless over our alcohol and other drugs is a start.
Each
of the Twelve Steps asks us to answer for our actions in some way. And the
program shows us how to do this. Over time, we see that being responsible for
our actions is the best way to live. Our self-confidence grows as we become
more responsible. We start to see just how much we can do. We have gone from
being drunks to being responsible people. If we can do this, then we can do
anything!
Prayer
for the Day: I pray to remember that I’m responsible for my
actions. Blaming puts distance between me and other people. Higher Power, help
me to play fair.
Action
for the Day: Today, I’ll list four times I’ve blamed someone else
for a problem that was really my problem.
As Bill Sees It
Never Again!, p. 16
“Most
people feel more secure on the twenty-four-hour basis than they do in the
resolution that they will never drink again. Most of them have broken too many
resolutions. It’s really a matter of personal choice; every A.A. has the
privilege of interpreting the program as he likes.
“Personally,
I take the attitude that I intend never to drink again. This is somewhat
different from saying, ‘I will never drink again.’ The latter attitude
sometimes gets people in trouble because it is undertaking on a personal basis
to do what we alcoholics never could do. It is too much an act of will and
leaves too little room for the idea that God will release us from the drink
obsession provided we follow the A.A. program.”
Letter,
1949