AA -Preamble

To Thine Own Self Be True

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their
experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their
common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no
dues for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.

A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics,
organizations or institutions; does not wish to engage in controversy;
neither endorses or opposes any causes.

Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

Reprinted with permission of the AA Grapevine, Inc.

AA -The Promises

 

1. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed
before we are half way through.

2. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

3. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

4. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.

5. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience
can benefit others.

6. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

7. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

8. Self-seeking will slip away.

9. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

10. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

11. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

12. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for
ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

Alcoholics Anonymous p.83-84
Reprinted from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous with permission of A.A. World
Services, Inc.

Serenity Prayer

True meaning of Serenity

In this day and age the serenity prayer is common knowledge to many. Beyond religion it is an inspiration  for those who have been through or focus on 12 step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or Al – Anon to recover from an alcohol or drug addiction. The prayer is used as a concluding attempt to allow peace and serenity to come into their lives by the “Grace of God” or what they may comprehend as a “Higher Power”. A true act of Faith!

Many folks do not understand the true meaning of the Serenity Prayer, and with consequence are left in limbo with constant confusion as they continue to struggle with life on life’s terms.

God:

God…. A name and concept of this Higher Power, which most folks erroneously conceive to be outside themselves, separate from and alien to themselves, a “Santa Claus” god which is supposed to fulfill their dreams, their wishes and wants, to “make” the conditions of Life comply with their desire and their idea of “religious correctness”… Sorry about that, it just doesn’t happen that way…. The Big Book of AA, on Page 55, establishes the conditions and locale of our relationship and understanding which we are to acquire of “Our” Higher Power…..

“We finally saw that faith in some kind of God was a part of our make-up, just as much as the feeling we have for a friend. Sometimes we had to search fearlessly, but He was there. He was as much a fact as we were. We found the Great Reality deep down within us. In the last analysis it is only there that He may be found. It was so with us.” ….. We are never separate from God. Separation from God is only an illusion that we have created.

Grant…to assure (in its original meaning) a knowingness of the orderliness of God’s eternity, a prized condition that we earn through our efforts of learning to apply the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to our lives, not an “undeserved gift” as we hear so many times around tables of AA.

Me… the I Am, of self, the True Self, that portion of self which knows that it is, in all instances.

Serenity… Again a word that is misunderstood, that most folks take to mean a quiet, unruffled, calm, undisturbed, tranquil condition in the circumstances of life about us. In truth what it really means is Presence of Mind in the Here and Now, viewing the Reality of whatever conditions and circumstances that may be occurring … Not fighting Reality with illusions of how things should or should not be.

Accept:

To Accept… to acknowledge the Truth of Reality, to take what is offered or given, to receive willingly… As we are given Life, one moment, one condition, one circumstance, one happening at a time…God’s Life for God’s Kids has to be a happening. It can’t be any other way.

the things I cannot change….Reality, period…Reality cannot be changed. It simply is. And no amount of mind bending illusion creating will change it. The Truth is the Truth and it needs no defense. The only thing we humans can do with Reality is change our point of view, our perspective. Reality itself will remain unchanged.

Courage:

Courage… The ability to make the Responsible Decisions Necessary and take Action to DO the things we already know need to be done in the face of unknown outcomes and consequences.. Our Life is determined by the decisions and actions that we take and the thoughts that we hold, by no other forces. We must in all cases live with the consequences of our decisions or our lack of decision. Life cannot be lived any other way.

to change the things I can…The only thing that we change is our perspective and view of Reality, learning to make Responsible Decisions, living our way to better thinking.

Wisdom:

And Wisdom to Know the Difference… Wisdom, an acquired trait through the experience of life, a recognition and remembrance of the things which do or do not coincide with Reality, which do or do not work, of the things which are true, which are honest, for that is the meaning of Truth, Rigorously Honest.

It has been said that a Wise Man’s education toward understanding his own universe and reality (and to some extent yours) will embrace as much folly as he can afford. It is only to the degree that he can afford it, that he will be able to laugh at himself. If he embraces more folly than he can afford, he will cry.

The wise man knows that success in life is achieved by simply putting a whole lot of mistakes together in a way that works.

Thy Will Not Mine Be Done