Lao Tzu

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 21
NOTHING GROWS IN THE DARK
We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of
us, to flower and to grow.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 10
With the self-discipline and insight gained from practicing
Step Ten, I begin to know the gratifications of sobriety—
not as mere abstinence from alcohol, but as recovery in
every department of my life.
I renew hope, regenerate faith, and regain the dignity of
self-respect. I discover the word "and" in the phrase "and
when we were wrong, promptly admitted it."
Reassured that I am no longer always wrong, I learn to
accept myself as I am, with a new sense of the miracles of
sobriety and serenity.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 20
SOLACE FOR CONFUSION
Obviously, the dilemma of the wanderer from faith is that
of profound confusion. He thinks himself lost to the comfort
of any conviction at all He cannot attain in even a small
degree the assurance of the believer, the agnostic, or the
atheist. He is the bewildered one.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 28
The concept of God was one that I struggled with during
my early years of sobriety. The images that came to me,
conjured from my past, were heavy with fear, rejection and
condemnation. Then I heard my friend Ed's image of a
Higher Power: As a boy he had been allowed a Utter of
puppies, provided that he assume responsibility for their
care. Each morning he would find the unavoidable "byproducts"
of the puppies on the kitchen floor. Despite
frustration, Ed said he couldn't get angry because "that's the
nature of puppies." Ed felt that God viewed our defects and
shortcomings with a similar understanding and warmth.
I've often found solace from my personal confusion in Ed's
calming concept of God.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 19
A.A'S "MAIN TAPROOT"
The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until
we first admit complete defeat is the main taproot from
which our whole Society has sprung and flowered.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 21-22
Defeated, and knowing it, I arrived at the doors of A.A.,
alone and afraid of the unknown. A power outside of
myself had picked me up off my bed, guided me to the
phone book, then to the bus stop, and through the doors of
Alcoholics Anonymous. Once inside A.A. I experienced a
sense of being loved and accepted, something I had net felt
since early childhood. May I never lose the sense of wonder
I experienced on that first evening with A.A., the
greatest event of my entire life.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 18
AN OPEN MIND
True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33
My alcoholic thinking led me to believe that I could control
my drinking, but I couldn't. When I came to A.A., I realized
that God was speaking to me through my group. My mind
was open just enough to know that I needed His help. A
real, honest acceptance of AA. took more time, but with it
came humility. I know how insane I was, and I am extremely
grateful to have my sanity restored to me and to be
a sober alcoholic. The new, sober me is a much better
person than I ever could have been without A.A.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 17
A DAILY TUNE-UP
Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's
will into all of our activities.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85
How do I maintain my spiritual condition? For me it's quite
simple: on a daily basis I ask my Higher Power to grant me
the gift of sobriety for that day! I have talked to many
alcoholics who have gone back to drinking and I always ask
them: "Did you pray for sobriety the day you took your first
drink?" Not one of them said yes. As I practice Step Ten
and try to keep my house in order on a daily basis, I have
the knowledge that if I ask for a daily reprieve, it will be
granted.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 16
THROUGHOUT EACH DAY
This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our
lifetime.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84
During my early years in A. A. I saw Step Ten as a
suggestion that I periodically look at my behavior and
reactions. If there was something wrong, I should admit it;
if an apology was necessary, I should give one. After a few
years of sobriety I felt I should undertake a selfexamination
more frequently. Not until several more years
of sobriety had elapsed did I realize the full meaning of
Step Ten, and the word "continued." "Continued" does not
mean occasionally, or frequently. It means throughout each
day.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 15
MY CHECKLIST, NOT YOURS
Gossip barbed with our anger, a polite form of murder by
character assassination, has its satisfactions for us, too.
Here we are not trying to help those we criticize; we are
trying to proclaim our own righteousness.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 67
Sometimes I don't realize that I gossiped about someone
until the end of the day, when I take an inventory of the
day's activities, and then, my gossiping appears like a
blemish in my beautiful day. How could I have said
something like that? Gossip shows its ugly head during a
coffee break or lunch with business associates, or I may
gossip during the evening, when I'm tired from the day's
activities, and feel justified in bolstering my ego at the
expense of someone else.
Character defects like gossip sneak into my life when I
am not making a constant effort to work the Twelve Steps of
recovery. I need to remind myself that my uniqueness is the
blessing of my being, and that applies equally to everyone
who crosses my path in life's journey. Today the only
inventory I need to take is my own. I'll leave judgment of
others to the Final Judge—Divine Providence.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 14
A PROGRAM FOR LIVING
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. .
. . On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours
ahead. . . . Before we begin, we ask God to direct our
thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from selfpity,
dishonest or self-seeking motives.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 86
I lacked serenity. With more to do than seemed possible, I
fell further behind, no matter how hard I tried. Worries
about things not done yesterday and fear of tomorrow's
deadlines denied me the calm I needed to be effective each
day. Before taking Steps Ten and Eleven, I began to read
passages like the one cited above. I tried to focus on God's
will, not my problems, and to trust that He would manage
my day. It worked! Slowly, but it worked!

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 13
UNREMITTING INVENTORIES
Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment,
and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to
remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately
and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then
we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84
The immediate admission of wrong thoughts or actions is a
tough task for most human beings, but for recovering
alcoholics like me it is difficult because of my propensity
toward ego, fear and pride. The freedom the A.A. program
offers me becomes more abundant when, through
unremitting inventories of myself, I admit, acknowledge
and accept responsibility for my wrong-doing. It is possible
then for me to grow into a deeper and better understanding
of humility. My willingness to admit when the fault is mine
facilitates the progression of my growth and helps me to
become more understanding and helpful to others.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 12
CURBING RASHNESS
When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be
fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 91
Being fair-minded and tolerant is a goal toward which I
must work daily. I ask God, as I understand Him, to help
me to be loving and tolerant to my loved ones, and to those
with whom I am in close contact. I ask for guidance to curb
my speech when I am agitated, and I take a moment to
reflect on the emotional upheaval my words may cause,
not only to someone else, but also to myself. Prayer,
meditation and inventories are the key to sound thinking
and positive action for me.

Daily Reflection

OCTOBER 11
SELF-RESTRAINT
Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 91
My drive to work provides me with an opportunity for selfexamination.
One day while making this trip, I began to
review my progress in sobriety, and was not happy with
what I saw. I hoped that, as the work day progressed, I
would forget these troublesome thoughts, but as one
disappointment after another kept coming, my discontent
only increased, and the pressures within me kept mounting.
I retreated to an isolated table in the lounge, and asked
myself how I could make the most of the rest of the day. In
the past, when things went wrong, I instinctively wanted to
fight back. But during the short time I had been trying to
five the A.A. program I had learned to step back and take a
look at myself. I recognized that, although I was not the
person I wanted to be, I had learned to not react in my old
ways. Those old patterns of behavior only brought sorrow
and hurt, to me and to others. I returned to my work station,
determined to make the day a productive one, thanking
God for the chance to make progress that day.