Daily Reflection

MARCH 8
TURNING IT OVER
Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to
stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step
Three. Isn't it true that in all matters touching upon alcohol,
each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the
care, protection, and guidance of Alcoholics Anonymous? .
. . Any willing newcomer feels sure A.A. is the only safe
harbor for the foundering vessel he has become. Now if this
is not turning one's will and life over to a newfound
Providence, then what is it?
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 35
Submission to God was the first step to my recovery. I
believe our Fellowship seeks a spirituality open to a new
kinship with God. As I exert myself to follow the path of
the Steps, I sense a freedom that gives me the ability to
think for myself. My addiction confined me without any
release and hindered my ability to be released from my selfconfinement,
but A.A. assures me of a way to go forward.
Mutual sharing, concern and caring for others is our natural
gift to each other and mine is strengthened as my attitude
toward God changes. I learn to submit to God's will in my
life, to have self-respect, and to keep both of these attitudes
by giving away what I receive.

Daily Reflection

MARCH 7
THE KEY IS WILLINGNESS
Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock and
have the door ever so slightly open, we find that we can
always open it some more.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 35
The willingness to give up my pride and self-will to a
Power greater than myself has proved to be the only
ingredient absolutely necessary to solve all of my problems
today. Even the smallest amount of willingness, if sincere,
is sufficient to allow God to enter and take control over any
problem, pain, or obsession. My level of comfort is in
direct relation to the degree of willingness I possess at any
given moment to give up my self-will, and allow God's will
to be manifested in my life. With the key of willingness,
my worries and fears are powerfully transformed into
serenity.

Daily Reflection

MARCH 6
THE IDEA OF FAITH
Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual
terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they
mean to you.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 47
The idea of faith is a very large chunk to swallow when
fear, doubt and anger abound in and around me. Sometimes
just the idea of doing something different, something I am
not accustomed to doing, can eventually become an act of
faith if I do it regularly, and do it without debating whether
it's the right thing to do. When a bad day comes along and
everything is going wrong, a meeting or a talk with another
drunk often distracts me just enough to persuade me that
everything is not quite as impossible, as overwhelming as I
had thought. In the same way, going to a meeting or talking
to a fellow alcoholic are acts of faith; I believe I'm arresting
my disease. These are ways I slowly move toward faith in a
Higher Power.

Daily Reflection

MARCH 5
A LIFELONG TASK
"But just how, in these circumstances, does a fellow 'take it
easy?' That's what I want to know."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 26
I was never known for my patience. How many times have
I asked, "Why should I wait, when I can have it all right
now?" Indeed, when I was first presented the Twelve
Steps, I was like the proverbial "kid in a candy store." I
couldn't wait to get to Step Twelve; it was surely just a few
months' work, or so I thought! I realize now that living the
Twelve Steps of A.A. is a lifelong undertaking.

Daily Reflection

MARCH 4
WEEDING THE GARDEN
The essence of all growth is a willingness to make a
change for the better and then an unremitting willingness
to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 115
By the time I had reached Step Three I had been freed of
my dependence on alcohol, but bitter experience has shown
me that continuous sobriety requires continuous effort.
Every now and then I pause to take a good look at my
progress. More and more of my garden is weeded each
time I look, but each time I also find new weeds sprouting
where I thought I had made my final pass with the blade.
As I head back to get the newly sprouted weed (it's easier
when they are young), I take a moment to admire how lush
the growing vegetables and flowers are, and my labors are
rewarded. My sobriety grows and bears fruit.

Daily Reflection

MARCH 3
OVERCOMING SELF-WILL
So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making.
They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme
example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't
think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of
this selfishness. We must, or it kills us!
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62
For so many years my life revolved solely around myself. I
was consumed with self in all forms—self-centeredness,
self-pity, self-seeking, all of which stemmed from pride.
Today I have been given the gift, through the Fellowship of
Alcoholics Anonymous, of practicing the Steps and
Traditions in my daily life, of my group and sponsor, and
the capacity—if I so choose—to put my pride aside in all
situations which arise in my life.
Until I could honestly look at myself and see that I was
the problem in many situations and react appropriately
inside and out; until I could discard my expectations and
understand that my serenity was directly proportional to
them, I could not experience serenity and sound sobriety.

Daily Reflection

MARCH 2
HOPE
Do not be discouraged.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 60
Few experiences are of less value to me than fast sobriety.
Too many times discouragement has been the bonus for
unrealistic expectations, not to mention self-pity or fatigue
from my wanting to change the world by the weekend.
Discouragement is a warning signal that I may have
wandered across the God line. The secret of fulfilling my
potential is in acknowledging my limitations and believing
that time is a gift, not a threat.
Hope is the key that unlocks the door of discouragement.
The program promises me that if I do not pick up
the first drink today, I will always have hope. Having come
to believe that I keep what I share, every time I encourage,
I receive courage. It is with others that, with the grace of
God and the Fellowship of A.A., I trudge the road of happy
destiny. May I always remember that the power within me
is far greater than any fear before me. May I always have
patience, for I am on the right road.

Daily Reflection

MARCH 1
IT WORKS
It works—it really does.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 88
When I got sober I initially had faith only in the program of
Alcoholics Anonymous. Desperation and fear kept me
sober (and maybe a caring and/or tough sponsor helped!).
Faith in a Higher Power came much later. This faith came
slowly at first, after I began listening to others share at
meetings about their experiences—experiences that I had
never faced sober, but that they were facing with strength
from a Higher Power. Out of their sharing came hope that I
too would—and could—"get" a Higher Power. In time, I
learned that a Higher Power—a faith that works under all
conditions—is possible. Today this faith, plus the honesty,
open-mindedness and willingness to work the Steps of the
program, gives me the serenity that I seek. It works—it
really does.

Daily Reflection

FEBRUARY 28
WHAT? NO PRESIDENT?
When told that our Society has no president having
authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the
payment of any dues, . . . our friends gasp and exclaim,
"This simply can't be. . . ."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 132
When I finally made my way to A.A., I could not believe
that there was no treasurer to "compel the payment of
dues." I could not imagine an organization that didn't
require monetary contributions in return for a service. It
was my first and, thus far, only experience with getting
"something for nothing." Because I did not feel used or
conned by those in A.A., I was able to approach the
program free from bias and with an open mind. They
wanted nothing from me. What could I lose? I thank God
for the wisdom of the early founders who knew so well the
alcoholic's disdain for being manipulated.

Daily Reflection

FEBRUARY 27
A UNIQUE STABILITY
Where does A.A. get its direction? . . . These practical folk
then read Tradition Two, and learn that the sole authority
in A.A. is a loving God as He may express Himself in the
group conscience. . . . The elder statesman is the one who
sees the wisdom of the group's decision, who holds no
resentment over his reduced status, whose judgment,
fortified by considerable experience, is sound, and who is
willing to sit quietly on the sidelines patiently awaiting
developments
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 132, 135
Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven the
Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions. As my recovery
progressed, I realized that the new mantle was tailor-made
for me. The elders of the group gently offered suggestions
when change seemed impossible. Everyone's shared
experiences became the substance for treasured friendships.
I know that the Fellowship is ready and equipped to aid
each suffering alcoholic at all crossroads in life. In a world
beset by many problems, I find this assurance a unique
stability. I cherish the gift of sobriety. I offer God my
gratitude for the strength I receive in a Fellowship that
truly exists for the good of all members.

Daily Reflection

FEBRUARY 26
NO ORDINARY SUCCESS STORY
A.A. is no success story in the ordinary sense of the word. It
is a story of suffering transmuted, under grace, into
spiritual progress.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 35
Upon entering A.A. I listened to others talk about the
reality of their drinking: loneliness, terror and pain. As I
listened further, I soon heard a description of a very
different kind—the reality of sobriety. It is a reality of
freedom and happiness, of purpose and direction, and of
serenity and peace with God, ourselves and others. By
attending meetings I am reintroduced to that reality, over
and over. I see it in the eyes and hear it in the voices of
those around me. By working the program I find the
direction and strength with which to make it mine. The joy
of A.A. is that this new reality is available to me.

Daily Reflection

FEBRUARY 25
THE CHALLENGE OF FAILURE
In God's economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, we
learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed,
painful though it is.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 31
How thankful I am today, to know that all my past failures
were necessary for me to be where I am now. Through
much pain came experience and, in suffering, I became
obedient. When I sought God, as I understand Him, He
shared His treasured gifts. Through experience and
obedience, growth started, followed by gratitude. Yes, then
came peace of mind—living in and sharing sobriety.