kobe-ja/AsBillSeesIt · Datasets at Hugging Face

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handy alibis that can excuse us from trying for our best. Yet
a closer view reveals just the contrary. This is our A.A. way
of warning against pride-blindness, and the imaginary
perfections that we do not possess.
Only Step One, where we made the 100 per cent admission
that we were powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with
absolute perfection. The remaining eleven Steps state perfect
ideals. They are goals toward which we look, and the
measuring sticks by which we estimate our progress.
The Reality of Spiritual Experiences
"Perhaps you raise the question of hallucination versus the
divine imagery of a genuine spiritual experience. I doubt if
anyone has authoritatively defined what an hallucination
really is. However, it is certain that all recipients of spiritual
experiences declare for their reality. The best evidence of
that reality is in the subsequent fruits. Those who receive
these gifts of grace are very much changed people, almost
invariably for the better. This can scarcely be said of those
who hallucinate.
"Some might think me presumptuous when I say that my
own experience is real. Nevertheless, I can surely report that
in my own life and in the lives of countless others, the fruits
of that experience have been real, and the benefactions
beyond reckoning."
TALK 1960
A Viewer-with-Alarm
"I went through several fruitless years in a state called
`viewing with alarm for the good of the movement'. I thought
it was up to me to be always `correcting conditions'. Seldom
had anybody been able to tell me what I ought to do, and
nobody had ever succeeded in effectively telling me what I
must do. I had to learn the hard way out of my own
experience.
"When setting out to `check' others, I found myself often
motivated by fear of what they were doing, selfrighteousness, and even downright intolerance.
Consequently, I seldom succeeded in correcting anything. I
just raised barriers of resentment thatcut off any suggestion,
example, understanding, or love."
"A.A.'s often say, `Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they
lead by example.' If we would favorable affect others, we
ourselves need to practice what we preach -- and forget the
`preaching,' too. The quiet good example speaks for itself."
Meeting Adversity
"Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend
so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and
setbacks. Ifyou will bear this in mind, I think that your slip
will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down.
"We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man
Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him
teach us."
"Now and then all of us fall under heavy criticism. When we
are angered and hurt, it's difficult not to retaliate in kind. Yet
we can restrain ourselves and then probe ourselves, asking
whether our critics were really right. If so, we can admit our
defects to them. This usually clears the air for mutual
understanding.
"Suppose our critics are being unfair. Then we can try to
calm persuasion. If they continue to rant, it is still possible
for us -- in our hearts -- to forgive them. Maybe a sense of
humour can be our saving grace -- thus we can both forgive
and forget."
Boomerang
When I was ten, I was tall and gawky, and smaller kids could
push me around in quarrels. I remember being very
depressed for a year ormore, and then I began to develop a
fierce resolve to win.
One day, my grandfather came along with a book about
Australia and told me, "This book says that nobody but an
Australian bushman knows how to make and throw the
boomerang."
"Here's my chance," I thought. "I will be the first man in
America to make and throw a boomerang." Well, any kid
could have had a notion like that. It might have lasted two
days or two weeks. But mine was a power drive that kept on
for six months, till Imade a boomerang that swung around
the church yard in front of the house and almost hit my
grandfather in the head when it came back.
Emotionally, I had begun the fashioning of another sort of
boomerang, one that almost killed me later on.
A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 53
"The Only Requirement . . ."
In Tradition Three, A.A. is really saying to every serious
drinker, "You are an A.A. member if you say so. You can
declare yourself in; nobody can keep you out. No matter how
grave your emotional complications -- even your crimes-- we
don't want to keep you out. We just want to be sure that you
get the same chance for sobriety that we've had."
We do not wish to deny anyone his chance to recover from
alcoholism. We wish to be just as inclusive as we can, never
exclusive.
Talk or Action?
In making amends, it is seldom wise to approach an
individual, who still smarts from our injustice to him, and
announce that we have gone religious. This might be called
leading with the chin. Why lay ourselves open to being
branded fanatics or religious bores? If we do this, we may kill
a future opportunity to carry a beneficial message.
But the man who hears our amends is sure to be impressed
with a sincere desire to set right a wrong. He is going to be
more interested in a demonstration of good will than in our

handy alibis that can excuse us from trying for our best. Yet

a closer view reveals just the contrary. This is our A.A. way

of warning against pride-blindness, and the imaginary

perfections that we do not possess.

Only Step One, where we made the 100 per cent admission

that we were powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with

absolute perfection. The remaining eleven Steps state perfect

ideals. They are goals toward which we look, and the

measuring sticks by which we estimate our progress.

The Reality of Spiritual Experiences

"Perhaps you raise the question of hallucination versus the

divine imagery of a genuine spiritual experience. I doubt if

anyone has authoritatively defined what an hallucination

really is. However, it is certain that all recipients of spiritual

experiences declare for their reality. The best evidence of

that reality is in the subsequent fruits. Those who receive

these gifts of grace are very much changed people, almost

invariably for the better. This can scarcely be said of those

who hallucinate.

"Some might think me presumptuous when I say that my

own experience is real. Nevertheless, I can surely report that

in my own life and in the lives of countless others, the fruits

of that experience have been real, and the benefactions

beyond reckoning."

TALK 1960

A Viewer-with-Alarm

"I went through several fruitless years in a state called

`viewing with alarm for the good of the movement'. I thought

it was up to me to be always `correcting conditions'. Seldom

had anybody been able to tell me what I ought to do, and

nobody had ever succeeded in effectively telling me what I

must do. I had to learn the hard way out of my own

experience.

"When setting out to `check' others, I found myself often

motivated by fear of what they were doing, selfrighteousness, and even downright intolerance.

Consequently, I seldom succeeded in correcting anything. I

just raised barriers of resentment thatcut off any suggestion,

example, understanding, or love."

"A.A.'s often say, `Our leaders do not drive by mandate; they

lead by example.' If we would favorable affect others, we

ourselves need to practice what we preach -- and forget the

`preaching,' too. The quiet good example speaks for itself."

Meeting Adversity

"Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not depend

so deeply upon success as it does upon our failures and

setbacks. Ifyou will bear this in mind, I think that your slip

will have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down.

"We A.A.'s have had no better teacher than Old Man

Adversity, except in those cases where we refuse to let him

teach us."

"Now and then all of us fall under heavy criticism. When we

are angered and hurt, it's difficult not to retaliate in kind. Yet

we can restrain ourselves and then probe ourselves, asking

whether our critics were really right. If so, we can admit our

defects to them. This usually clears the air for mutual

understanding.

"Suppose our critics are being unfair. Then we can try to

calm persuasion. If they continue to rant, it is still possible

for us -- in our hearts -- to forgive them. Maybe a sense of

humour can be our saving grace -- thus we can both forgive

and forget."

Boomerang

When I was ten, I was tall and gawky, and smaller kids could

push me around in quarrels. I remember being very

depressed for a year ormore, and then I began to develop a

fierce resolve to win.

One day, my grandfather came along with a book about

Australia and told me, "This book says that nobody but an

Australian bushman knows how to make and throw the

boomerang."

"Here's my chance," I thought. "I will be the first man in

America to make and throw a boomerang." Well, any kid

could have had a notion like that. It might have lasted two

days or two weeks. But mine was a power drive that kept on

for six months, till Imade a boomerang that swung around

the church yard in front of the house and almost hit my

grandfather in the head when it came back.

Emotionally, I had begun the fashioning of another sort of

boomerang, one that almost killed me later on.

A.A. COMES OF AGE, P. 53

"The Only Requirement . . ."

In Tradition Three, A.A. is really saying to every serious

drinker, "You are an A.A. member if you say so. You can

declare yourself in; nobody can keep you out. No matter how

grave your emotional complications -- even your crimes-- we

don't want to keep you out. We just want to be sure that you

get the same chance for sobriety that we've had."

We do not wish to deny anyone his chance to recover from

alcoholism. We wish to be just as inclusive as we can, never

exclusive.

Talk or Action?

In making amends, it is seldom wise to approach an

individual, who still smarts from our injustice to him, and

announce that we have gone religious. This might be called

leading with the chin. Why lay ourselves open to being

branded fanatics or religious bores? If we do this, we may kill

a future opportunity to carry a beneficial message.

But the man who hears our amends is sure to be impressed

with a sincere desire to set right a wrong. He is going to be

more interested in a demonstration of good will than in our