kobe-ja/AsBillSeesIt · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 4 128
strength not ordinarily their own. They have found wisdom
beyond their usual capability. And they have increasingly
found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of
difficult circumstances.
TWELVE AND TWELVE
Back to Work
It is possible for us to use the alleged dishonesty of other
people as a plausible excuse for not meeting our own
obligations.
Once, some prejudiced friends exhorted me never to go back
to Wall Street. They were sure that the rampant materialism
and double-dealing down there would stunt my spiritual
growth. Because this sounded so high-minded, I continued
to stay away from the only business that I knew.
When, finally, my household went broke, I realized I hadn't
been able to face the prospect of going back to work. So I
returned to Wall Street, and I have ever since been glad that I
did. I needed to rediscover that there are many fine people in
New York's financial district. Then, too, I needed the
experience of staying sober in the very surroundings where
alcohol had cut me down.
A Wall Street business trip to Akron, Ohio, first brought me
face to face with Dr. Bob. So the birth of A.A. hinged on my
effort to meet my bread-and-butter responsibilities.
GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961
The Way of Strength
We need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the
Creator. We have good reason to disbelieve those who think
spirituality is the way of weakness. For us, it is the way of
strength.
The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack
courage. They trust their God. So we never apologize for our
belief in Him. Instead, we try to let Him demonstrate, through
us, what He can do.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 68
Our Problem Centers in the Mind
We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, he
usually reacts much like other men. We are equally positive
that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system,
something happens, in both the bodily and mental sense,
which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The
experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this.
These observations would be academic and pointless if our
friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible
cycle in motion. Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic
centers in his mind, rather than in his body.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 22-23
Obstacles in Our Path
We live in a world riddled with envy. To a greater or lesser
degree, everybody is infected with it. From this defect we
must surely get a warped yet definite satisfaction. Else why
would we consume so much time wishing for what we have
not, rather than working for it, or angrily looking for
attributes we shall never have, instead of adjusting to the
fact, and accepting it?
Each of us would like to live at peace with himself and with
his fellows. We would like to be assured that the grace of
God can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
We have seen that character defects based upon
shortsighted or unworthy desires are the obstacles that
block our path toward these objectives. We now clearly see
that we have been making unreasonable demands upon
ourselves, upon others, and upon God.
TWELVE AND TWELVE
Spot-Checking
A spot-check inventory taken in the midst of
disturbancescan be of very great help in quieting stormy
emotions. Today's spot check finds its chief application to
situations which arise in each day's march. The
consideration of long-standing difficulties had better be
postponed, when possible, to times deliberately set aside for
that purpose.
The quick inventory is aimed at our daily ups and downs,
especially those where people or new events throw us off
balance and tempt us to make mistakes.
TWELVE AND TWELVE PP. 90-91
"Privileged People"
I saw that I had been living too much alone, too much aloof
from my fellows, and too deaf to that voice within. Instead of
seeing myself as a simple agent bearing the message of
experience, I had thought of myself as a founder of A.A.
How much better it would have been had I felt gratitude
rather than self-satisfaction -- gratitude that I had once
suffered the pains of alcoholism, gratitude that a miracle of
recovery had been worked upon me from above, gratitude for
the privilege of serving my fellow alcoholics, and gratitude
for those fraternal ties which bound me ever closer to them
in a comradeship such as few societies of men have ever
known.
Truly did a clergyman say to me, "Your misfortune has
become your good fortune. You A.A.'s are a privileged
people."
GRAPEVINE, JULY 1946
The Individual's Rights
We believe there isn't a fellowship on earth which devotes
more care to its individual members; surely there is none
which more jealously guards the individual's right to think,
talk, and act as he wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do
anything; nobody can be punished or expelled.
Our Twelve Steps to recovery are suggestions; the Twelve

strength not ordinarily their own. They have found wisdom

beyond their usual capability. And they have increasingly

found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of

difficult circumstances.

TWELVE AND TWELVE

Back to Work

It is possible for us to use the alleged dishonesty of other

people as a plausible excuse for not meeting our own

obligations.

Once, some prejudiced friends exhorted me never to go back

to Wall Street. They were sure that the rampant materialism

and double-dealing down there would stunt my spiritual

growth. Because this sounded so high-minded, I continued

to stay away from the only business that I knew.

When, finally, my household went broke, I realized I hadn't

been able to face the prospect of going back to work. So I

returned to Wall Street, and I have ever since been glad that I

did. I needed to rediscover that there are many fine people in

New York's financial district. Then, too, I needed the

experience of staying sober in the very surroundings where

alcohol had cut me down.

A Wall Street business trip to Akron, Ohio, first brought me

face to face with Dr. Bob. So the birth of A.A. hinged on my

effort to meet my bread-and-butter responsibilities.

GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

The Way of Strength

We need not apologize to anyone for depending upon the

Creator. We have good reason to disbelieve those who think

spirituality is the way of weakness. For us, it is the way of

strength.

The verdict of the ages is that men of faith seldom lack

courage. They trust their God. So we never apologize for our

belief in Him. Instead, we try to let Him demonstrate, through

us, what He can do.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 68

Our Problem Centers in the Mind

We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, he

usually reacts much like other men. We are equally positive

that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system,

something happens, in both the bodily and mental sense,

which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The

experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this.

These observations would be academic and pointless if our

friend never took the first drink, thereby setting the terrible

cycle in motion. Therefore, the main problem of the alcoholic

centers in his mind, rather than in his body.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, PP. 22-23

Obstacles in Our Path

We live in a world riddled with envy. To a greater or lesser

degree, everybody is infected with it. From this defect we

must surely get a warped yet definite satisfaction. Else why

would we consume so much time wishing for what we have

not, rather than working for it, or angrily looking for

attributes we shall never have, instead of adjusting to the

fact, and accepting it?

Each of us would like to live at peace with himself and with

his fellows. We would like to be assured that the grace of

God can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

We have seen that character defects based upon

shortsighted or unworthy desires are the obstacles that

block our path toward these objectives. We now clearly see

that we have been making unreasonable demands upon

ourselves, upon others, and upon God.

TWELVE AND TWELVE

Spot-Checking

A spot-check inventory taken in the midst of

disturbancescan be of very great help in quieting stormy

emotions. Today's spot check finds its chief application to

situations which arise in each day's march. The

consideration of long-standing difficulties had better be

postponed, when possible, to times deliberately set aside for

that purpose.

The quick inventory is aimed at our daily ups and downs,

especially those where people or new events throw us off

balance and tempt us to make mistakes.

TWELVE AND TWELVE PP. 90-91

"Privileged People"

I saw that I had been living too much alone, too much aloof

from my fellows, and too deaf to that voice within. Instead of

seeing myself as a simple agent bearing the message of

experience, I had thought of myself as a founder of A.A.

How much better it would have been had I felt gratitude

rather than self-satisfaction -- gratitude that I had once

suffered the pains of alcoholism, gratitude that a miracle of

recovery had been worked upon me from above, gratitude for

the privilege of serving my fellow alcoholics, and gratitude

for those fraternal ties which bound me ever closer to them

in a comradeship such as few societies of men have ever

known.

Truly did a clergyman say to me, "Your misfortune has

become your good fortune. You A.A.'s are a privileged

people."

GRAPEVINE, JULY 1946

The Individual's Rights

We believe there isn't a fellowship on earth which devotes

more care to its individual members; surely there is none

which more jealously guards the individual's right to think,

talk, and act as he wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do

anything; nobody can be punished or expelled.

Our Twelve Steps to recovery are suggestions; the Twelve