Reflections for Every Day - November

[yukonm]

November 1

Today's Thought:

Oh, I believed there was a God I just didn't believe He ever did anything for me so why should He do anything for me now. It took a while for me to realize that with my past history of 30 years drinking and driving the fact I was still alive was proof enough that God had been doing for me all my life.

Submitted By:

Rover

[yukonm]

November 2

Today's Thought:

The legacy of Unity is cast to the wind each time another faction of AA, however it wishes to individualize itself (i.e, age, race, sexual persuasion, mental health status), detaches itself from the whole.

Submitted By:

Rayne

[yukonm]

November 3

Today's Thought:

I realized that I was going to have to walk the talk. I got scared. I didn't know what to do. I didn't go to meetings for a couple of weeks and I was nuts. I went back to meetings and really began to listen. The first thing I did was get a sponsor.

Submitted By:

Sue

[yukonm]

November 4

Today's Thought:

The disease of addiction has been described as the inability to tell the true from the false -- our minds lie. This seems particularly true when it comes to that infamous crossroads of "perhaps just one..."

Submitted By:

Kurt

[yukonm]

November 5

Today's Thought:

It all keeps coming back to the fact that NOBODY really knows the 'best' way to treat alcoholism, or even if there IS one; I know what worked for me, and others what worked for them, but nobody knows what will work for everybody.

Submitted By:

Dave

[yukonm]

November 6

Today's Thought:

It's extremely rare today to find an alcoholic under the age of, say, 55 or so who didn't have some experience with other drugs. I see my experiences with those other things as simply a different manifestation of my alcoholism.

Submitted By:

Dave

[yukonm]

November 7

Today's Thought:

Without page 119 in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, I probably would have made the same poor judgement in not realizing the possibility of getting involved with the wrong person. I have seen too many boy meets girl on AA campus trying to get each other sober and instead one or the other or both getting drunk.

Submitted By:

Cassandra

[yukonm]

November 8

Today's Thought:

You have to be willing to see what needs to be changed and then act on that. It won't work if you can't humble yourself and see where the problems lie within yourself.

Submitted By:

Vicki

[yukonm]

November 9

Today's Thought:

The whole purpose of writing the book was so that the message and the specific program would not get lost through the passing of word of mouth, and so that those that did not have the chance to get to New York or Akron or Cleveland, OH would be able to stop drinking using the program of AA without the benefit of meetings.

Submitted By:

Sobr2

[yukonm]

November 10

Today's Thought:

I went into rehab, and believe me, it did change my life, I didn't think I could go six days sober, I just celebrated six years, It is alot of hard work and dedication but well worth it.

Submitted By:

Flo

[yukonm]

November 11

Today's Thought:

I hope others can find a less trying way to have their spiritual experience. The intense pain of the despair seemed to be the catalyst for whatever the experience was. Worth having, but I'd rather not have to induce another.

Submitted By:

John

[yukonm]

November 12

Today's Thought:

A lot of people only get sober when they have lost everything and everyone. It's true that at first, people tend to get worse, but when they look around and see themselves alone with the bottle, they get a bit of a wake up call.

Submitted By:

Magic

[yukonm]

November 13

Today's Thought:

I wish I had had the nerve to protect my children from the devastating effects of alcoholism in the home. Had you been "nice" you could end up with children who are addicts/alcoholics or just plain dysfunctional by the time they are five years old as I did.

Submitted By:

Mmamow

[yukonm]

November 14

Today's Thought:

Just because someone has their butt parked in a chair at an AA meeting doesn't mean they are working a good program or even that they are a decent human being for that matter. It's quality of sobriety I look for in a sponsor not how much "time" they have.

Submitted By:

Vicki

[yukonm]

November 15

Today's Thought:

It seems to me that the Unity part of the triangle can only be reinforced through meetings. How can one be part of a fellowship if one always sits at home? And, it seems to me, that one can't be of service also. It's at A.A. meetings that I learn about upcoming functions and events.

Submitted By:

Blues Bob

[yukonm]

November 16

Today's Thought:

I'm convinced that the only thing of true value I ever got from my father was the privilege of watching him drink himself to death. It was a gruesome sight, a horrific death. For me, it was definitely an object lesson. If I didn't know what the end looked like - up close and personal - I doubt I would have been motivated to quit drinking when I did.

Submitted By:

Larry

[yukonm]

November 17


Today's Thought:

Sometimes people get into Al-Anon and begin their own recovery process and they leave. Sometimes they stay. But it is their decision to make. We don't presume to tell anyone what is best for them. Every situation is different and there is no way that we can know all of the details or the complete situation. Al-Anon can give them the tools they need to make an informed decision, but Al-Anon does not give advice.

Submitted By:

Buddy

[yukonm]

November 18


Today's Thought:

Personally, I don't care whether people are "real" alcoholics or not. What I care about is whether people with this affliction can be relieved of their suffering. I just today observed, very closely, some of that suffering and it's a very, very ugly and painful thing.

Submitted By:

Kevin

[yukonm]

November 19

Today's Thought:

The fact that we were no longer drinking together had a way of showing us both that his drinking most certainly WAS a problem also. He was trying not to drink as much he had been and the anger in him was growing because he was in such denial about it and had lost his drinking buddy - me.

Submitted By:

Deb

[yukonm]

November 20

Today's Thought:

Then I went to a meeting and someone shared about a guy who committed suicide -- a guy who once had 17 years and went out. He had all of the material blessings, lost his sobriety and everything else and then committed suicide. That was really important for me to hear.

Submitted By:

Zoe

[yukonm]

November 21

Today's Thought:

At what point does AA cease to be what it is meant to be and become what the majority have now defined it to be? With no disrespect intended, I find those that see AA in the light it was intended to be a dying breed.

Submitted By:

Bette

[yukonm]

November 22

Today's Thought:

It would be pretty unreasonable to think that somehow all that damage to myself was magically erased just because I didn't drink for awhile, right? Of course my "self esteem" was low. How could it be otherwise? The Steps were the answer for me. All 12 of them.

Submitted By:

Jeff

[yukonm]

November 23

Today's Thought:

I have a far more open mind about trying and investigating new things as a result of pondering the "contempt prior to investigation" principle. To paraphrase, "Try it, you might like it" If you don't, don't use it, but don't castigate those who do.

Submitted By:

Elise

[yukonm]

November 24

Today's Thought:

So, I've now got two AA meetings under my belt and it feels great to be there. I can definitely feel that this will be where I'll find my sponsor, and that I need to work the steps from the AA side of the table vs. the Al-Anon.

Submitted By:

Exhaled

[yukonm]

November 25

Today's Thought:

The "friendship we have been privileged to enjoy" was a big part of my healing. For the first time in my entire life I had people that I could talk to, open and honestly, about my real feelings. I felt comfortable doing so, because after hearing their stories, I knew they had been exactly where I was. I knew that they understood.

Submitted By:

Buddy

[yukonm]

November 26

Today's Thought:

I too have heard of these experiments to turn alkies into 'moderate' drinkers. Too many have died horrible, alcoholic deaths. Therefore, I'll stick with the winners and continue to read my Big Book, go to meetings and communicate with other sober AA members.

Submitted By:

Teresa

[yukonm]

November 27

Today's Thought:

I knew deep in my heart he had serious problems with alcohol, but was in denial, because I knew nothing about alcohol, and his actions would hurt and confuse me. But there were so many happy, passionate, loving times, that I found it easier to ignore the danger signs.

Submitted By:

Dancer

[yukonm]

November 28



Today's Thought:

I watched my mother waste 20 years of her life waiting for him to change. It wasn't pretty and it has affected me very deeply. I honestly believe I would have had a better life if she would have left the alcoholic when I was a young child.

Submitted By:

Laura

[yukonm]

November 29

Today's Thought:

I think the critics of all things 12-step-related have no idea (because of the literal, black/white thinking) how completely freeing the process can be; it doesn't require the mental gymnastics which many seem to think it does to make the steps "fit" me.

Submitted By:

Dave

[yukonm]

November 30

Today's Thought:

I deserve a loving, nurturing relationship in my life. He is pleasant to be around, but the love is not there. He buys me things, but material things do not replace the passion and love.

Submitted By:

Kristen