kobe-ja/AsBillSeesIt · Datasets at Hugging Face

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others who had tried to help him -- his doctor, his minister,
and close friends. As he gained confidence, he felt it right to
explain his new way of life to his employer and business
associates. When opportunities to be helpful came along, he
found he could talk easily about A.A. to almost anyone.
These quiet disclosures helped him to lose his fear of the
alcoholic stigma, and spread the news of A.A.'s existence in
his community. Many a new man and woman came to A.A.
because of such conversation. Since it is only at the top
public level that anonymity is expected, such
communications were well within its spirit.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 185-186
Daily Acceptance
"Too much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the
faults of others. This is a most subtle and perverse form of
self-satisfaction, which permits us to remain comfortably
unaware of our own defects. Too often we are heard to say,
`If it weren't for him (or her), how happy I'd be!'"
Our very first problem is to accept our present
circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the
people abour us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic
humility without which no genuine advance can even begin.
Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering
point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we
can profitably practice every day of our lives.
Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic
surveys of the factsof life into unrealistic alibis for apathy of
defeatism, they can be sure foundation upon which
increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress
can be built.
Our Companions
Today, the vast majority of us welcome any new light that
can be thrown on the alcoholic's mysterious and baffling
malady. We welcome new and valuable knowledge whether it
issues from a test tube, from a psychiatrist's couch, or from
revealing social studies. We are glad of any kind of education
that accurately informs the public and changes its age-old
attitude toward the drunk.
More and more we regard all who labor in the total field of
alcoholism as our companions on a march from darkness
into light. We see that we can accomplish together what we
could never accomplish in separation and in rivalry.
GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1958
True Ambition -- and False
We have had a much keener look at ourselves and those
about us. We have seen that we were prodded by
unreasonable fears oranxieties into making a life business of
winning fame, money, and what we thought was leadership.
So false pride became the reverse side of that ruinous coin
marked "Fear." We simply had to be Number One people to
cover up our deep-lying inferiorities.
True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is
the profound desire to live usefully and walk humbly under
the grace of God.
TWELVE AND TWELVE
Seeing is Believing
admission and correction of errors -- now.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 88-89
Out of Defeat...Strenght
If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no
reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that some day
we will be immune to alcohol.
Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising
out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old
life as a condition for finding a new one.
A.A.: Benign Anarchy and Democracy
When we come into A.A. we find a greater personal freedom
than any other society knows. We cannot be compelled to do
anything. In that sense our Society is a benign anarchy. The
word "anarchy" has a bad meaning to most of us. But I think
that the idealist who first advocated the concept felt that if
only men were granted absolute liberty, and were compelled
to obey no one, they would then voluntarily associate
themselves in the common interest. A.A. is an association of
the benign sort he envisioned.
But when we had to go into action -- to function as groups --
we discovered that we also had to become a democracy. As
our oldtimers retired, we therefore began to elect our trusted
servants by majority vote. Each group in this sense became
a town meeting. All plans for group action had to be
approved by the majority. This meant that no single
individual could appoint himself to act for his group or for
A.A. as a whole. Neither dictatorship nor paternalism was for
us.
A.A. COMES OF AGE, PP. 224-225
The Coming of Faith
In my own case, the foundation stone of freedom from fear is
that of faith: a faith that, despite all worldly appearances to
the contrary, causes me to believe that I live in a universe
that makes sense.
To me, this means a belief in a Creator who is all power,
justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a
meaning, and a destiny to grow, however little and haltingly,
toward His own likeness and image. Before the coming of
faith I had lived as an alien in a cosmos that too often
seemed both hostile and cruel. In it there could be no inner
security for me.
"When I was driven to my knees by alcohol, I was made
ready to ask for the gift of faith. And all was changed. Never
again, my pains and problems notwithstanding, would I

others who had tried to help him -- his doctor, his minister,

and close friends. As he gained confidence, he felt it right to

explain his new way of life to his employer and business

associates. When opportunities to be helpful came along, he

found he could talk easily about A.A. to almost anyone.

These quiet disclosures helped him to lose his fear of the

alcoholic stigma, and spread the news of A.A.'s existence in

his community. Many a new man and woman came to A.A.

because of such conversation. Since it is only at the top

public level that anonymity is expected, such

communications were well within its spirit.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 185-186

Daily Acceptance

"Too much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the

faults of others. This is a most subtle and perverse form of

self-satisfaction, which permits us to remain comfortably

unaware of our own defects. Too often we are heard to say,

`If it weren't for him (or her), how happy I'd be!'"

Our very first problem is to accept our present

circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the

people abour us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic

humility without which no genuine advance can even begin.

Again and again, we shall need to return to that unflattering

point of departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we

can profitably practice every day of our lives.

Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realistic

surveys of the factsof life into unrealistic alibis for apathy of

defeatism, they can be sure foundation upon which

increased emotional health and therefore spiritual progress

can be built.

Our Companions

Today, the vast majority of us welcome any new light that

can be thrown on the alcoholic's mysterious and baffling

malady. We welcome new and valuable knowledge whether it

issues from a test tube, from a psychiatrist's couch, or from

revealing social studies. We are glad of any kind of education

that accurately informs the public and changes its age-old

attitude toward the drunk.

More and more we regard all who labor in the total field of

alcoholism as our companions on a march from darkness

into light. We see that we can accomplish together what we

could never accomplish in separation and in rivalry.

GRAPEVINE, MARCH 1958

True Ambition -- and False

We have had a much keener look at ourselves and those

about us. We have seen that we were prodded by

unreasonable fears oranxieties into making a life business of

winning fame, money, and what we thought was leadership.

So false pride became the reverse side of that ruinous coin

marked "Fear." We simply had to be Number One people to

cover up our deep-lying inferiorities.

True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is

the profound desire to live usefully and walk humbly under

the grace of God.

TWELVE AND TWELVE

Seeing is Believing

admission and correction of errors -- now.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 88-89

Out of Defeat...Strenght

If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no

reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that some day

we will be immune to alcohol.

Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising

out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's old

life as a condition for finding a new one.

A.A.: Benign Anarchy and Democracy

When we come into A.A. we find a greater personal freedom

than any other society knows. We cannot be compelled to do

anything. In that sense our Society is a benign anarchy. The

word "anarchy" has a bad meaning to most of us. But I think

that the idealist who first advocated the concept felt that if

only men were granted absolute liberty, and were compelled

to obey no one, they would then voluntarily associate

themselves in the common interest. A.A. is an association of

the benign sort he envisioned.

But when we had to go into action -- to function as groups --

we discovered that we also had to become a democracy. As

our oldtimers retired, we therefore began to elect our trusted

servants by majority vote. Each group in this sense became

a town meeting. All plans for group action had to be

approved by the majority. This meant that no single

individual could appoint himself to act for his group or for

A.A. as a whole. Neither dictatorship nor paternalism was for

us.

A.A. COMES OF AGE, PP. 224-225

The Coming of Faith

In my own case, the foundation stone of freedom from fear is

that of faith: a faith that, despite all worldly appearances to

the contrary, causes me to believe that I live in a universe

that makes sense.

To me, this means a belief in a Creator who is all power,

justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a

meaning, and a destiny to grow, however little and haltingly,

toward His own likeness and image. Before the coming of

faith I had lived as an alien in a cosmos that too often

seemed both hostile and cruel. In it there could be no inner

security for me.

"When I was driven to my knees by alcohol, I was made

ready to ask for the gift of faith. And all was changed. Never

again, my pains and problems notwithstanding, would I