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won't let go of. Too little self-forgiveness and too little prayer
-- well, this combination adds up to slips.
"Then some of us are far more alcohol-damaged than others.
Still others encounter a series of calamities and cannot seem
to find the spiritual resources to meet them. There are those
of us who are physically ill. Others are subject to more or
less continuous exhaustion,anxiety, and depression. These
conditions often play a part in slips -- sometimes they are
utterly controlling."
TALK, 1960
The Forgotten Mountain
When I was a child, I acquired some of the traits that had a
lot to do with my insatiable craving for alcohol. I was brought
up in a little town in Vermont, under the shadow of Mount
Aeolus. An early recollection is that of looking up at this vast
and mysterious mountain, wondering what it meant and
whether I could ever climb that high. But I was presently
distraced by my aunt who, as a fourth-birthday present,
made me a plate of fudge. For the next thirty-five years I
pursued the fudge of life and quite forgot about the
mountain.
When self-indulgence is less than ruinous, we have a milder
word for it. We call it "taking our comfort."
"The Spiritual Angle"
How often do we sit in A.A. meetings and hear the speaker
declare, "But I haven't yet got the spiritual angle." Prior to
this statement, he has described a miracle of transformation
which has occurred in him -- not only his release from
alcohol, but a complete change in his whole attitude toward
life and the living of it.
It is apparent to everyone else present that he has received a
great gift, and that this gift is all out of proportion to anything
that may be expected from simple A.A. participation. So we
in the audience smile and say to ourselves, "Well, that guy is
just reeking with the spiritual angle -- except that he doesn't
seem to know it yet!"
GRAPEVINE, JULY 1962
Healing Talk
When we consult an A.A. friend, we should not be reluctant
to remind him of our need for full privacy. Intimate
communication is normally so free and easy among us that
an A.A. adviser may sometimes forget when we expect him
to remain silent. The protective sanctity of this most healing
of human relations ought never be violated.
Such privileged communications have priceless advantages.
We find in them the perfect opportunity to be as honest as
we know how to be. We do not have to think of the possibility
of damage to other people, nor need we fear ridicule or
condemnation. Here,too, we have the best possible chance
of spotting self-deception.
GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961
Principles Before Expediency
Most of us thought good character was desirable. Obviously,
good character was something one needed to get on with the
business of being self-satisfied. With a proper display of
honesty and morality, we'd stand a better chance of getting
what we really wanted. But whenever we had to choose
between character and comfort, character-building was lost
in the dust of our chase after what we thought was
happiness.
Seldom did we look at character-building as something
desirable initself. We never thought of making honesty,
tolerance, and true love of man and God the daily basis of
living.
How to translate a right mental conviction into a right
emotional result, and so into easy, happy, and good living, is
the problem of life itself.
Our New Employer
We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided
what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His
work well.
Established on such a footing we became less and less
interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More
and more we became interested in seeing what we could
contribute to life.
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.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 63
Move Ahead
To spend too much time on any one alcoholic is to deny
some otheran opportunity to live and be happy. One of our
Fellowship failed entirely with his first half-dozen prospects.
He often says that if he had continued to work on them, he
might have deprived many others, who have since recovered,
of their chance.
"Our chief responsibility to the newcomer is an adequate
presentation of the program. If he does nothing or argues, we
do nothing but maintain our own sobriety. If he starts to
move ahead, even a little, with an open mind, we then break
our necks to help in every way we can."
"Perfect" Humility
For myself, I try to seek out the truest definition of humility
that I can. This will not be the perfect definition, because I
shall always be imperfect.
At this writing, I would choose one like this: "Absolute
humility would consist of a state of complete freedom from
myself, freedom from all the claims that my defects of
character now lay so heavily upon me. Perfect humility would

won't let go of. Too little self-forgiveness and too little prayer

-- well, this combination adds up to slips.

"Then some of us are far more alcohol-damaged than others.

Still others encounter a series of calamities and cannot seem

to find the spiritual resources to meet them. There are those

of us who are physically ill. Others are subject to more or

less continuous exhaustion,anxiety, and depression. These

conditions often play a part in slips -- sometimes they are

utterly controlling."

TALK, 1960

The Forgotten Mountain

When I was a child, I acquired some of the traits that had a

lot to do with my insatiable craving for alcohol. I was brought

up in a little town in Vermont, under the shadow of Mount

Aeolus. An early recollection is that of looking up at this vast

and mysterious mountain, wondering what it meant and

whether I could ever climb that high. But I was presently

distraced by my aunt who, as a fourth-birthday present,

made me a plate of fudge. For the next thirty-five years I

pursued the fudge of life and quite forgot about the

mountain.

When self-indulgence is less than ruinous, we have a milder

word for it. We call it "taking our comfort."

"The Spiritual Angle"

How often do we sit in A.A. meetings and hear the speaker

declare, "But I haven't yet got the spiritual angle." Prior to

this statement, he has described a miracle of transformation

which has occurred in him -- not only his release from

alcohol, but a complete change in his whole attitude toward

life and the living of it.

It is apparent to everyone else present that he has received a

great gift, and that this gift is all out of proportion to anything

that may be expected from simple A.A. participation. So we

in the audience smile and say to ourselves, "Well, that guy is

just reeking with the spiritual angle -- except that he doesn't

seem to know it yet!"

GRAPEVINE, JULY 1962

Healing Talk

When we consult an A.A. friend, we should not be reluctant

to remind him of our need for full privacy. Intimate

communication is normally so free and easy among us that

an A.A. adviser may sometimes forget when we expect him

to remain silent. The protective sanctity of this most healing

of human relations ought never be violated.

Such privileged communications have priceless advantages.

We find in them the perfect opportunity to be as honest as

we know how to be. We do not have to think of the possibility

of damage to other people, nor need we fear ridicule or

condemnation. Here,too, we have the best possible chance

of spotting self-deception.

GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

Principles Before Expediency

Most of us thought good character was desirable. Obviously,

good character was something one needed to get on with the

business of being self-satisfied. With a proper display of

honesty and morality, we'd stand a better chance of getting

what we really wanted. But whenever we had to choose

between character and comfort, character-building was lost

in the dust of our chase after what we thought was

happiness.

Seldom did we look at character-building as something

desirable initself. We never thought of making honesty,

tolerance, and true love of man and God the daily basis of

living.

How to translate a right mental conviction into a right

emotional result, and so into easy, happy, and good living, is

the problem of life itself.

Our New Employer

We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided

what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His

work well.

Established on such a footing we became less and less

interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More

and more we became interested in seeing what we could

contribute to life.

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.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 63

Move Ahead

To spend too much time on any one alcoholic is to deny

some otheran opportunity to live and be happy. One of our

Fellowship failed entirely with his first half-dozen prospects.

He often says that if he had continued to work on them, he

might have deprived many others, who have since recovered,

of their chance.

"Our chief responsibility to the newcomer is an adequate

presentation of the program. If he does nothing or argues, we

do nothing but maintain our own sobriety. If he starts to

move ahead, even a little, with an open mind, we then break

our necks to help in every way we can."

"Perfect" Humility

For myself, I try to seek out the truest definition of humility

that I can. This will not be the perfect definition, because I

shall always be imperfect.

At this writing, I would choose one like this: "Absolute

humility would consist of a state of complete freedom from

myself, freedom from all the claims that my defects of

character now lay so heavily upon me. Perfect humility would