Daily Reflection

NOVEMBER 27
THE PERILS OF THE LIMELIGHT
In the beginning, the press could not understand our
refusal of all personal publicity. They were genuinely
baffled by our insistence upon anonymity. Then they got the
point. Here was something rare in the world —a society
which said it wished to publicize its principles and its work,
but not its individual members. The press was delighted
with this attitude. Ever since, these friends have reported
A.A. with an enthusiasm which the most ardent members
would find hard to match.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 182
It is essential for my personal survival and that of the
Fellowship that I not use A.A. to put myself in the
limelight. Anonymity is a way for me to work on my
humility. Since pride is one of my most dangerous
shortcomings, practicing humility is one of the best ways to
overcome it. The Fellowship of A.A. gains worldwide
recognition by its various methods of publicizing its
principles and its work, not by its individual members
advertising themselves. The attraction created by my
changing attitudes and my altruism contributes much more
to the welfare of A.A. than self-promotion.