New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Action ^*^*^ December 1

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^ Action "But the program of action, though entirely sensible, was pretty drastic. It meant I would have to throw several lifelong conceptions out of the window. That was not easy. But the moment I made up my mind to go through with the process, I had the curious feeling that my alcoholic condition was relieved, as in fact it proved to be. Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems." c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 42 Thought to Consider . . . Never mistake motion for action. *~*AACRONYMS*~*A C T I O N  =  Any Change Toward Improving One's Nature *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Friendship From "Learning To Love Ourselves": "When I did my personal inventory I found that I had unhealthy relationships with most people in my life  my friends and family, for example. I always felt isolated and lonely. I drank to dull emotional pain. "It was through staying sober, having a good sponsor and working the Twelve Steps that I was able to build up my low self-esteem. First the Twelve Steps taught me to become my own best friend, and then, when I was able to love myself, I could reach out and love others." 1990 AAWS, Inc. Daily Reflections, pg. 123 *^Daily Reflections^*"SUGGESTED" STEPS Our Twelfth Step also says that as a result of practicing all the Steps, we have each found something called a spiritual awakening. . . A.A.'s manner of making ready to receive this gift lies in the practice of the Twelve Steps in our program. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106-107 I remember my sponsor's answer when I told him that the Steps were "suggested."  He replied that they are "suggested" in the  same way that, if you were to jump out of an airplane with a parachute, it is "suggested" that you pull the ripcord to save your life.  He pointed out that it was "suggested" I practice the Twelve Steps, if I wanted to save my life.  So I try to remember daily that I have a whole program of recovery based on all Twelve of the "suggested" Steps. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Random Quote - Start by Forgiving The moment we ponder a twisted or broken relationship with another person, our emotions go on the defensive. To escape looking at the wrongs we have done another, we resentfully focus on the wrong he has done us. Triumphantly we seize upon his slightest misbehavior as the perfect excuse for minimizing or forgetting our own. Right here we need to fetch ourselves up sharply. Let's remember that alcoholics are not the only ones bedeviled by sick emotions. In many instances we are really dealing with fellow sufferers, people whose woes we have increased. If we are about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn't we start out by forgiving them, one and all? TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 78 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionThere Is A Solution, pg. 24*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the Day The thoughts that come before having a slip are often largely subconscious. It is a question whether or not our subconscious minds ever become entirely free from alcoholic thoughts as long as we live. For instance, some of us dream about being drunk when we are asleep, even after several years of sobriety in A.A. During the period of our drinking days, our subconscious minds have been thoroughly conditioned by our alcoholic way of thinking and it is doubtful if they ever become entirely free of such thoughts during our lifetime. But when our conscious minds are fully conditioned against drinking, we can stay sober and our subconscious minds do not often bother us. Am I still conditioning my conscious mind? Meditation for the DayHaving sympathy and compassion for all who are in temptation, a condition that we are sometimes in, we have a responsibility toward them. Sympathy always includes responsibility. Pity is useless because it does not have a remedy for the need. But wherever our sympathy goes, our responsibility goes too. When we are moved with compassion, we should go to the one in need and bind up his wounds as best we can. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may have sympathy for those in temptation. I pray that I may have compassion for others' trials.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​You have 2 Options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/30/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:If the best man's faults were written on his forehead, it would make him pull his hat over his eyes.--Gaelic proverbWhen we deal with our faults and imperfections, we are dealing with the basic issues of being a person. We can become bitter and cynical about the imperfections of others, or we can realize every person is incomplete but growing, just as we are. The way we look at the faults in others and the way we look at our own are closely tied together. In our spiritual journey, we must begin with the premise that no person ever achieves perfection.Perfection apparently is not what this life is about at all, since perfection is nonexistent. We are lovable, and we can love in the process of living our lives. Since we are not perfect, we have to be accountable. We must have standards for our behavior and hold ourselves to those standards, admitting our mistakes and making repairs where we can.I will try to acknowledge my mistakes and give up the idea of ever becoming perfect. You are reading from the book: Touchstones by Anonymous Touchstones ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Perfection ^*^*^ November 30

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Perfection"Day by day, we try to move a little toward God's perfection. So we need not be consumed by maudlin guilt for failure to achieve His likeness and image by Thursday next. Progress is our aim, and His perfection is the beacon, light-years away, that draws us on."Bill W., Letter, 1966c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It,  p. 15Thought to Consider . . .Remember the 3 P's: Perfectionism (leads to) Procrastination (leads to) Paralysis. *~*AACRONYMS*~*P U T  =  Patience, Understanding, Tolerance. *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Belief From "He Took Control": "One of the oldtimers used the electricity metaphor, which I later found in the Big Book. 'A person walking into a dark room does not worry about understanding electricity,' he said. 'He just finds the switch and turns on the light.' He explained that we can turn on the switch of spirituality by simply asking God each morning for another day of sobriety and thanking Him at night for another beautiful sober day. He said, 'Do it mechanically if you really don't believe in it. But do it every day. There is probably no one who really understands the wonderful ways of the Higher Power, and we don't need to. He understands us.'"1973 AAWS Inc.Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 30 *^Daily Reflections^*PROTECTION FOR ALLAt the personal level, anonymity provides protection for all members from identification as alcoholics, a safeguard often of special importance to newcomers.  At the level of press, radio, TV, and films, anonymity stresses the equality in the Fellowship of all members by putting the brake on those who might otherwise exploit their A.A. affiliation to achieve recognition, power, or personal gain. "UNDERSTANDING ANONYMITY," p. 5 Attraction is the main force in the Fellowship of A.A.  The miracle of continuous sobriety of alcoholics within A.A. confirms the fact every day.  It would be harmful if the Fellowship promoted itself by publicizing, through the media of radio and TV, the sobriety of well-known public personalities who became members of A.A.  If these personalities happened to have slips, outsiders would think our movement is not strong and they might question the veracity of the miracle of the century.  Alcoholics Anonymous is not anonymous, but its members should be.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Random Quote - Better than GoldAs newcomers, many of us have indulged in spiritual intoxication. Like a gaunt prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, we saw our pick strike gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. The newcomer feels he has struck something better than gold. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product.ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp . 128-129Copyright 1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionA Vision For You, pg. 164*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayWe have slips in A.A. It has been said these are not slips but premeditated drunks, because we have to think about taking a drink before we actually take one. The thought always comes before the act. It is suggested that people should always get in touch with an A.A. before taking that first drink. The failure to do so, makes it probable that they had decided to take the drink anyway. And yet the thoughts that come before taking a drink are often largely subconscious. People usually don't know consciously what made them do it. Therefore, the common practice is to call these things slips. Am I on guard against wrong thinking? Meditation for the Day"The eternal God is thy refuge." He is a sanctuary, a refuge from the cares of life. You can get away from the misunderstanding of others by retiring into your own place of meditation. But from yourself, from your sense of failure, your weakness, your shortcomings, whither can you flee? Only to the eternal God, your refuge, until the immensity of His spirit envelops your spirit and it loses its smallness and weakness and comes into harmony again with His. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may lose my limitations in the immensity of God's love. I pray that my spirit may be in harmony with His spirit.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​You have 2 Options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/29/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Are you meeting roadblocks to recovery?A disorder means out of order, not the way things should be. Are we convinced that addictive behavior is counter to the way we are intended to function? Or do we harbor, somewhere in the back of our minds, the idea that we'll never change our habits? Fear of change, unwillingness to change, and lack of confidence in our ability to change are all roadblocks to recovery. Believing in our capabilities is the first step toward clearing those roadblocks and realizing our potential in recovery. Somewhere along the line we developed an addiction, but we don't have to be under its power forever. We can think about what a Higher Power would want for us, and we can decide to move toward that positive goal. The roadblocks of fear, unwillingness, and lack of confidence will give way as we immerse ourselves in the Twelve Step program. We need help, and we have help. We give help, and we receive it. Changing to constructive habits may be slow sometimes, but it's always possible.If I'm faced with a roadblock today, I will call on my spiritual resources. You are reading from the book: Inner Harvest by Elisabeth L. This book is now out of print and no longer available to purchase. Inner Harvest by Elisabeth L. © 1990 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~A Friend ^*^*^ November 29

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^A Friend"We finally saw that faith in some kind of God was a part of our make-up, just as much as the feeling we have for a friend. Sometimes we had to search fearlessly, but He was there. He was as much a fact as we were. We found the Great Reality deep down within us. In the last analysis it is only there that He may be found. It was so with us."c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous,  p. 55Thought to Consider . . . Faith dares the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see. *~*AACRONYMS*~*F A I T H =  Finding Answers In The Heart. *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Income  From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "The peak of the flood finally passed, but the regular correspondence traffic through Headquarters remained so great that we saw we would have to have permanent paid help. Volunteers could not handle the situation. We also realized that these increased demands upon the office could not be met out of book income. So for the first time we asked the A.A. groups to help.  Trustees Howard and Bert went on the road. They asked that all A.A. groups contribute to a special fund in the Foundation which would be earmarked 'for A.A. office expenses only.' The contributions would be entirely voluntary. As a measuring stick, it was suggested that each group send in one dollar per member per year."2001 AAWS Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 191-92 *^Daily Reflections^*"ACTIVE GUARDIANS" To us, however, it represents far more than a sound public relations policy. It is more than a denial of self-seeking. This Tradition is a constant and practical reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A.  In it, each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS p. 183 The basic concept of humility is expressed in the Eleventh Tradition:  it allows me to participate completely in the program in such a simple, yet profound manner; it fulfills my need to be an integral part of a significant whole.  Humility brings me closer to the actual spirit of togetherness and oneness, without which I could not stay sober.  In remembering that every member is an example of sobriety, each one living the Eleventh Tradition, I am able to experience freedom because each one of us is anonymous.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Random Quote - Facing CriticismSometimes, we register surprise, shock, and anger when people find fault with A.A. We are apt to be disturbed to such an extent that we cannot benefit by constructive criticism. This sort of resentment makes no friends and achieves no constructive purpose. Certainly, this is an area in which we can improve.<<< >>>It is evident that the harmony, security, and future effectiveness of A.A. will depend largely upon our maintenance of a thoroughly non-aggressive and pacific attitude in all our public relations. This is an exacting assignment, because in our drinking days we were prone to anger, hostility, rebellion, and aggression. And, even though we are now sober, the old patterns of behavior are to a degree still with us, always threatening to explode on any good excuse. But we now know this, and therefore I feel confident that in the conduct of our public affairs we shall always find the grace to exert restraint.1. GRAPEVINE, JULY 19652. TWELVE CONCEPTS, p. 69Copyright1967 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power that One is God. May you find Him now!"Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionHow It Works, Page 58 *^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayThe A.A. way is the way of sobriety, and yet there are slips. Why do these slips occur? Why don't we all accept A.A. and stay sober from then on? There are many reasons, but it has been proved without exception that once we have become alcoholics we can never drink successfully again. This has never been disproved by any case we know of. Many alcoholics have tried drinking after a period of sobriety from a few days to a few years and no one that we know of has been successful in becoming a normal drinker. Could I be the only exception to this rule?Meditation for the Day"We are gathered together in Thy name." First, we are gathered together, bound by a common loyalty to God and to each other. Then, when this condition has been fulfilled, God is present with us. Then, when God is there and one with us, we voice a common prayer. Then it follows that our prayer will be answered according to God's will. Then, when our prayer is answered, we are bound together in a lasting fellowship of the spirit.Prayer for the DayI pray that I may be loyal to God and to others. I pray that my life today may be lived close to His and to theirs.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​You have 2 options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/28/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face, And show the world all the love in your heart, Then people gonna treat you better. You're gonna find, yes, you will, That you're beautiful as you feel.--Carole King"Act as if." There's magic in behaving the way we want to be, even though we don't yet feel it. The behavior seems to lead the way. The attitude, the mental state, follows. Many days we may not get up with love in our hearts for our family, our friends, our co-workers. We may, in fact, want them to show their love for us first. But if we reach out, give love unconditionally, focus on another's needs, love will return tenfold. And the act of loving them will lift our own spirits. We will know love; we will feel love for ourselves and the many other persons close to us. The attitude we cultivate, whether one of love or selfishness, inferiority or superiority, will determine how the events of our lives affect us. The principle is so simple. If we meet life with love, with a smile, we'll find love and something to smile about.My attitude will make this day what it becomes. Meeting it head-on, with love, will assure me of a lovely day. You are reading from the book: Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey. © 1982, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Promises ^*^*^ November 28

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Promises"We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises?  We think not. They are being fulfilled among us -- sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.  They will always materialize if we work for them." c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-4Thought to Consider . . . The Promises are a result not a right.*~*AACRONYMS*~*P R O G R A M =  People Relying On God Relay A Message *~*^Just For Today!^*~* How To Live From: "Stars Don't Fall"   AA taught me how not to drink. And also, on the twenty-four hour plan, it taught me how to live. I know I do not have to be queen of them all to salve a frightened ego. Through going to meetings and listening, and occasionally speaking, through doing Twelve Step work, whereby in helping others you are both the teacher and the student, by making many wonderful AA friends, I have been taught all the things in life that are worth having. I am no longer interested in living in a palace, because palace living was not the answer for me. Nor were those impossible dreams I used to have the things I really wanted.  2003 AAWS Inc.Experience, Strength & Hope, pages 362-363 *^Daily Reflections^*ATTRACTION, NOT PROMOTION Through many painful experiences, we think we have arrived at what that policy ought to be.  It is the opposite in many ways of usual promotional practice.  We found that we had to rely upon the principle of attraction rather than of promotion.TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 180-181 While I was drinking I reacted with anger, self-pity and defiance against anyone who wanted to change me.  All I wanted then was to be accepted by another human simply as I was and, curiously, that is what I found in A.A.  I became the custodian of this concept of attraction, which is the principle of our Fellowship's public relations.  It is by attraction that I can best reach the alcoholic who still suffers. I thank God for having given me the attraction of a well-planned and established program of Steps and Traditions.  Through humility and the support of my fellow sober members, I have been able to practice the A.A. way of life through attraction, not promotion. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*I Am Responsible . . .When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.DECLARATION OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, 1965DEAR FRIENDS:Since 1938, the greatest part of my A.A. life has been spent in helping to create, design, manage, and insure the solvency and effectiveness of A.A.'s world services - the office of which has enabled our Fellowship to function all over the globe, and as a unified whole. It is no exaggeration to say that, under their trustees, these all important services have accounted for much of our present size and over-all effectiveness. The A.A. General Service Office is by far the largest single carrier of the A.A. message. It has well related A.A. to the troubled world in which we live. It has fostered the spread of our Fellowship everywhere. A.A. World Services, Inc., stands ready to serve the special needs of any group or isolated individual, no matter the distance or language. Its many years of accumulated experience are available to us all. The members of our trusteeship - the General Service Board of A.A .- will, in the future, be our primary leaders in all of our world affairs. This high responsibility has long since been delegated to them; they are the successors in world service to Dr. Bob and to me, and they are directly accountable to A.A. as a whole. This is the legacy of world-service responsibility that we vanishing oldtimers are leaving to you, the A.A.'s of today and tomorrow. We know that you will guard, support, and cherish this world legacy as the greatest collective responsibility that A.A. has or ever can have. Yours in trust, and in affection, Bill Bill W. died on January 24, 1971*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic looks for this spirit among us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witch-burners. A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionWorking With Others, pg. 103*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayThe A.A. way is the way of sobriety. A.A. is known everywhere as a method that has been successful with alcoholics. Doctors, psychiatrists, and the clergy have had some success. Some men and women have gotten sober all by themselves. We believe that A.A. is the most successful and happiest way to sobriety. And yet A.A. is, of course, not wholly successful. Some are unable to achieve sobriety and some slip back into alcoholism after they have had some measure of sobriety. Am I deeply grateful to have found A.A.? Meditation for the DayGratitude to God is the theme of Thanksgiving Day. The pilgrims gathered to give thanks to God for their harvest which was pitifully small. When we look around at all the things we have today, how can we help being grateful to God? Our families, our homes, our friends, our A.A. fellowship: all these things are free gifts of God to us. "But for the grace of God," we would not have them. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may be very grateful today. I pray that I may not forget where I might be but for the grace of God.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​You have 2 options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/27/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is: The divided self exists in all of us. --Marie Lindquist One gift of sobriety is the growing awareness that we are complex, whole individuals, more than just our dark side. Defeated, we came into this program of recovery certain that our lives would be forever fraught with problems. Little in our experience made us proud. Surviving our hateful, painful, and confusing lives was our proudest achievement. The moment we admit our powerlessness over our drug of choice and over other people, a fresh start commences. Becoming willing to let a Higher Power influence our lives gives us a chance to glimpse the brighter side of our being. We discover it was there all the time. We'll always have both sides, the dark and the light. We're human. Nevertheless, we tend to strengthen the part of our self that calls to us loudest. Which side we hear is up to us. I am a complex human being. I have the next 24 hours to live as I choose. You are reading from the book: A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey. © 1994 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Forgive ^*^*^ November 27 - Recurring email repeats on the 26th day of every November at 11:15 PM #1e6b4e43-d8d3-46a6-97b3-0b172df64cee

To Donate Go http://ift.tt/2brw2lg. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Forgive"Just like you, I have often thought myself the victim of what other people say and do. Yet every time I confessed the sins of such people, especially those whose sins did not correspond exactly with my own, I found that I only increased the total damage. . .Under very trying circumstances, I have had, again and again, to forgive others -- also myself. Have you recently tried this?"Bill W., Letter, 1946c. 1967AAWS, As Bill Sees It,  p. 268Thought to Consider . . . Life is an adventure in forgiveness. *~*AACRONYMS*~*F E E L =  Feel, Experience, Express, Let go *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Refuge From "for AAs, a Season of Gratitude"   The holiday season can be difficult for many AAs, especially the newcomer. The pressure to drink may feel overwhelming when it seems all the world is hoisting glasses in one toast after another. At these times, the prospect of the usual round of holiday parties can be as inviting as a stroll in a minefield to the alcoholic struggling to stay away from the first drink. <<< >>>The AA group, though, can be a refuge. Meeting marathons provide a safe place for recovering alcoholics who are on their own, as well as those looking for a break from family festivities. Some groups schedule dances or potluck dinners, providing a place to congregate and celebrate in sober fellowship.   It's safe to say that AA group celebrations are held in most parts of the world, wherever seasonal festivities are celebrated. Large or small, in remote rural areas or big cities, the sharing and hospitality always center on a regular AA meeting. But the styles of group gatherings are as varied as the members and regional customs dictate.2003 AAWS Inc. Box 459, 49(6):2 *^Daily Reflections^*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.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*The Great FactWe realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the great fact for us. To the Newcomer: Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the fellowship of the spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the road of happy destiny. May God bless you and keep you - until then.ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 86*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayThe way of A.A. is the way of sobriety, fellowship, service, and faith. Let us take up each one of these things and see if our feet are truly on the way. The first and greatest to us is sobriety. The others are built on sobriety as a foundation. We could not have the others if we did not have sobriety. We all come to A.A. to get sober, and we stay to help others get sober. We are looking for sobriety first, last, and all the time. We cannot build any decent kind of a life unless we stay sober. Am I on the A.A. way? Meditation for the DayTo truly desire to do God's will, therein lies happiness for a human being. We start out wanting our own way. We want our wills to be satisfied. We take and we do not give. Gradually we find that we are not happy when we are selfish, so we begin to make allowances for other people's wills. But this again, does not give us full happiness, and we begin to see that the only way to be truly happy is to try to do God's will. In these times of meditation, we seek to get guidance so that we can find God's will for us. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may subordinate my will to the will of God. I pray that I may be guided today to find His will for me.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​You have 2 options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/26/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:Reflection for the DayIn the past, and sometimes even now, I automatically have thought, "Why me?", when I'm trying to learn that my first problem is to accept my present circumstances as they are, myself as I am, and the people around me as they are. Just as I finally accepted my powerlessness over my addiction, so must I accept my powerlessness over people, places and things. Am I learning to accept life on life's terms?Today I PrayMay I learn to control my urge to control, my compulsion to manage, neaten, organize and label the lives of others. May I learn to accept situations and people as they are instead of as I would like them to be. Thus, may I do away with the ongoing frustrations that a controlling person by nature, faces continually. May I be entirely ready to have God remove this defect of character. You are reading from the book: A Day at a Time (Softcover) by Anonymous A Day at a Time © 1989 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Diagnosis ^*^*^ November 26

​​​Click here now to check out our list of Recovery Podcasts!~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Diagnosis"We do not like to pronounce any individual as alcoholic, but you can quickly diagnose yourself. Step over to the nearest barroom and try some controlled drinking. Try to drink and stop abruptly. Try it more than once. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are honest with yourself about it. It may be worth a bad case of jitters if you get a full knowledge of your condition."c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 31-2Thought to Consider . . .If you want to quit drinking, you are going to have to quit drinking. *~*AACRONYMS*~*D E A D = Drinking Ends All Dreams *~*^Just For Today!^*~* New From: "Winner Takes All" In working the steps, my life changed. I think differently today; I feel different today. I am new. We have a sign at the AA meetings I go to that says, "Expect a Miracle". My sobriety is full of miracles. When my son filled out an application for college, I filled one out too, and was accepted. Soon I will be a senior and I have a 3.71 grade point average. Thanks to AA, I have come a long way from being near the bottom of my high school class. It takes me a bit longer to read the material, so I have a CCTV (I put my book under the camera and it comes out in big print on a monitor). I have a talking calculator that helped me get through statistics and a telescope that can help me see the board. I accept help from the disabled student services and gladly make use of the volunteer note takers. I learned to accept the things I could not change (in this case my vision) and change the things I can (I could be grateful for and accept the visual aids instead of being embarrassed and rejecting them as I had when I was younger).2001 AAWS Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 380-381 *^Daily Reflections^*THE HAZARDS OF PUBLICITYPeople who symbolize causes and ideas fill a deep human need. We of A.A. do not question that. But we do have to soberly face the fact that being in the public eye is hazardous, especially for us. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 181 As a recovered alcoholic I must make an effort to put into practice the principles of the A.A. program, which are founded on honesty, truth and humility. While I was drinking I was constantly trying to be in the limelight. Now that I am conscious of my mistakes and of my former lack of integrity, it would not be honest to seek prestige, even for the justifiable purpose of promoting the A.A. message of recovery. Is the publicity that centers around the A.A. Fellowship and the miracles it produces not worth much more? Why not let the people around us appreciate by themselves the changes that A.A. has brought in us, for that will be a far better recommendation for the Fellowship than any I could make.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*To Grow UpThose adolescent urges that so many of us have for complete approval, utter security, and perfect romance - urges quite appropriate to age seventeen - prove to be an impossible way of life at forty-seven or fifty-seven. Since A.A. began, I've taken huge wallops in all these areas because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually.<<< >>>As we grow spiritually, we find that our old attitudes toward our instinctual drives need to undergo drastic revisions. Our demands for emotional security and wealth, for personal prestige and power all have to be tempered and redirected. We learn that the full satisfaction of these demands cannot be the sole end and aim of our lives. We cannot place the cart before the horse, or we shall be pulled backward into disillusionment. But when we are willing to place spiritual growth first - then and only then do we have a real chance to grow in healthy awareness and mature love.1. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 19582. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 114 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance , that principle is contempt prior to investigation."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionAppendice II, Spiritual Experience, pg. 568*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayContinuing our thoughts about the rewards that have come to us as a result of our new way of living, we have found that we have gotten rid of any of our fears, resentments, inferiority complexes, negative points of view, self-centeredness, criticism of others, over sensitiveness, inner conflicts, the habits of procrastination, undisciplined sex, wasting money, boredom, false perfectionism, jealousy, and envy of others. We are glad to be rid of our drinking, and we are also very glad to be rid of these other things. We can now go forward in the new way of life, as shown us by A.A. Am I ready to go forward in the new life?Meditation for the Day"He that has eyes to see, let him see." To the Seeing Eye, the world is good. Pray for a Seeing Eye, to see the purpose of God in everything good. Pray for enough faith to see God's care in His dealings with you. Try to see how He has brought you safely through your past life so that now you can be of use in the world. With the eyes of faith you can see God's care and purpose everywhere.Prayer for the DayI pray that I may have a Seeing Eye. I pray that with the eye of faith I may see God's purpose everywhere.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​You have 2 options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/25/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:ApologiesSometimes, we act in a manner with which we are less than comfortable. That's human. That's why we have the words: "I'm sorry." They heal and bridge the gap. But we don't have to say, "I'm sorry" if we didn't do anything wrong. A sense of shame can keep us apologizing for everything we do, every word we say, for being alive and being who we are. We don't have to apologize for taking care of ourselves, dealing with feelings, seeking boundaries, having fun, or getting healthy. We never have to change our course, if it is in our best interest, but sometimes a general apology acknowledges other feelings and can be useful when the issues of a circumstance or relationship are not clear. We might say, "I'm sorry for the fuss we had. I'm sorry if what I needed to do to take care of myself hurt you; it was not intended that way." Once we make an apology, we don't have to keep repeating it. If someone wants to keep on extricating an apology from us for the same incident, that is the person's issue, and we don't have to get hooked. We can learn to take our apologies seriously and not hand them out when they're not valid. When we feel good about ourselves, we know when it's time to say we're sorry and when it's not.Today, I will try to be clear and healthy in my apologies, taking responsibility for my actions and nobody else's. God, help me figure out what I need to apologize for and what is not my responsibility. You are reading from the book: The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie The Language of Letting Go © 1990 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Vision ^*^*^ November 25

~A.A.Thoughts For The Day~ ^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Vision"Vision is, I think, the ability to make good estimates, both for the immediate and for the more distant future. Some might feel this sort of striving to be a sort of heresy, because we AA's are constantly telling ourselves, "One day at a time." But that valuable principle really refers to our mental and emotional lives and means chiefly that we are not to foolishly repine over the past nor wishfully day-dream about the future. . .Vision is therefore the very essence of prudence, an essential virtue if ever there was one. Of course we shall often miscalculate the future in whole or in part, but that is better than to refuse to think at all."Bill W., 1962 c. 1962AAWS, Twelve Concepts for World Service, 26th printing, p. 40Thought to Consider . . . Right actions for the future are the best apologies for wrong ones in the past. *~*AACRONYMS*~*T I M E = Things I Must Earn *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Look Squarely Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Step Four is our vigorous and painstaking effort to discover what these liabilities in each of us have been, and are. We want to find exactly how, when, and where our natural desires have warped us. We wish to look squarely at the unhappiness this has caused others and ourselves. By discovering what our emotional deformities are, we can move toward their correction. Without a willing and persistent effort to do this, there can be little sobriety or contentment for us. Without a searching and fearless moral inventory, most of us have found that the faith which really works in daily living is still out of reach.1981 AAWS Inc.Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pages 42-43 *^Daily Reflections^*A POWERFUL TRADITIONIn the years before the publication of the book "Alcoholics Anonymous," we had no name. . .by a narrow majority the verdict was for naming our book "The Way Out." . . .One of our early lone members. . . found exactly twelve books already titled "The Way Out.". . . So "Alcoholics Anonymous" became first choice. That's how we got a name for our book of experience, a name for our movement and, as we are now beginning to see, a tradition of the greatest spiritual import.A.A. TRADITION: HOW IT DEVELOPED pp. 35-36Beginning with Bill's momentous decision in Akron to make a telephone call rather than a visit to the hotel bar, how often has a Higher Power made itself felt at crucial moments in our history! The eventual importance that the principle of anonymity would acquire was but dimly perceived, if at all, in those early days. There seems to have been an element of chance even in the choice of a name for our Fellowship.God is no stranger to anonymity and often appears in human affairs in the guises of "luck", "chance," or "coincidence." If anonymity, somewhat fortuitously, became the spiritual basis for all of our Traditions, perhaps God was acting anonymously on our behalf.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Do It Our Way?In praying, our immediate temptation will be to ask for specific solutions to specific problems, and for the ability to help other people as we have already thought they should be helped. In that case, we are asking God to do it our way. Therefore, we ought to consider each request carefully to see what its real merit is. Even so, when making specific requests, it will be well to add to each one of them this qualification: . . ." if it be Thy will." TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 102*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Selfishness self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionHow It Works, pg. 62*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayI am not so envious of other people, nor am I so jealous of other people's possessions and talents. When I was drinking, I was secretly full of jealousy and envy of those people who could drink normally, who had the love and respect of their families, who lived a normal life and were accepted as equals by their friends. I pretended to myself that I was as good as they were, but I knew it wasn't so. Now I don't have to be envious any more. I try not to want what I don't deserve. I'm content with what I have earned by my efforts to live the right way. More power to those who have what I have not. At least, I'm trying. Have I got rid of the poison of envy?Meditation for the Day"My soul is restless till it finds its rest in Thee." A river flows on, until it loses itself in the sea. Our spirits long for rest in the spirit of God. We yearn to realize a peace, a rest, a satisfaction that we have never found in the world or its pursuits. Some are not conscious of their need, and shut the doors of their spirits against the spirit of God. They are unable to have true peace.Prayer for the DayI pray that I may feel the divine unrest. I pray that my soul may find its rest in God.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​You have 2 options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/24/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is: The expression of praise as thanksgiving, gratitude, and joy is among the most powerful forms of affirmation. --Catherine Ponder Praise inevitably has a multiple effect. It positively acknowledges another human being, enhancing his or her well being, while making us feel good. This offering of love, which is the substance of praise, heals all who share in its circle. We can see the effects of affirmation in the people we admire. We can discern its absence too, particularly among those who struggle. How difficult is it to give small acknowledgments to those we care about? Making a habit of this heals our own inner wounds too. Affirming a friend or ourselves connects us to the spirit residing within. That bond fills in our empty spaces, making us whole and healed. Our security grows as we praise one another. I will freely offer my love in the form of praise to the wonderful friends on my path today. You are reading from the book: A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey A Woman's Spirit by Karen Casey. © 1994 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Meetings ^*^*^ November 24

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Meetings"A 'spiritual experience' to me meant attending meetings, seeing a group of people, all there for the purpose of helping each other; hearing the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions read at a meeting, and hearing the Lord's Prayer, which in an AA meeting has such great meaning -- 'Thy will be done, not mine.' A spiritual awakening soon came to mean trying each day to be a little more thoughtful, more considerate, a little more courteous to those with whom I came in contact."c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 381Thought to Consider . . .Seven days without a meeting makes one weak. *~*AACRONYMS*~*Y A N A  =  You Are Not Alone *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Alternatives From: "We Agnostics"   In the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism. We hope we have made clear the distinction between the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic. If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer.   To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience seems impossible, but to continue as he is means disaster, especially if he is an alcoholic of the hopeless variety. To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face.2001 AAWS Inc.Alcoholics Anonymous, page 44 *^Daily Reflections^*A UNIVERSAL SEARCHBe quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87 I do not claim to have all the answers in spiritual matters, any more than I claim to have all the answers about alcoholism.  There are others who are also engaged in a spiritual search.  If I keep an open mind about what others have to say, I have much to gain.  My sobriety is greatly enriched, and my practice  of the Eleventh Step more fruitful, when I use both the literature and practices of my Judeo-Christian tradition, and the resources of other religions.  Thus, I receive support from many sources in staying away from the first drink.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*A New-Found ProvidenceWhen dealing with a prospect of agnostic or atheistic bent, you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual principles. There is no use arousing any prejudice he may have against certain theological terms and conceptions, about which he may already be confused. Don't raise such issues, no matter what your own convictions are.<<< >>>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 A.A.? Already a willingness has been achieved to cast out one's own will and one's own ideas about the alcohol problem in favor of those suggested by A.A. Now if this is not turning one's will and life over to a new-found "Providence," then what is it?1. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 932. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 35*~*^Big Book Quote^*~* "We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time to outgrow that serious handicap."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionThe Family Afterward, pg. 125*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayInstead of pretending to be perfectionists, in A.A. we are content if we are making progress. The main thing is to be growing. We realize that perfectionism is only a result of false pride and an excuse to save our faces. In A.A. we are willing to make mistakes and to stumble, provided we are always stumbling forward. We are not so interested in what we are as in what we are becoming. We are on the way, not at the goal. And we will be on the way as long as we live. No A.A. has ever "arrived." But we are getting better. Am I making progress? Meditation for the DayEach new day brings an opportunity to do some little thing that will help to make a better world, that will bring God's kingdom a little nearer to being realized on earth. Take each day's happenings as opportunities for something you can do for God. In that spirit, a blessing will attend all that you do. Offering this day's service to God, you are sharing in His work. You do not have to do great things.Prayer for the Day I pray that today I may do the next thing, the unselfish thing, the loving thing. I pray that I may be content with doing small things as long as they are right.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You have 2 options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook! -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/23/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is: A.A. Thought for the Day Let us consider the term "spiritual experience" as given in Appendix II of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. A spiritual experience is something that brings about a personality change. By surrendering our lives to God as we understand Him, we are changed. The nature of this change is evident in recovered alcoholics. This personality change is not necessarily in the nature of a sudden and spectacular upheaval. We do not need to acquire an immediate and overwhelming "God-consciousness," followed at once by a vast change in feeling and outlook. In most cases, the change is gradual. Do I see a gradual and continuing change in myself? Meditation for the Day "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." For rest from the care of life, you can turn to God each day in prayer and communion. Real relaxation and serenity come from a deep sense of the fundamental goodness of the universe. God's everlasting arms are underneath all and will support you. Commune with God, not so much for petitions to be granted as for the rest that comes from relying on His will and His purposes for your life. Be sure of God's strength available to you, be conscious of His support, and wait quietly until that true rest from God fills your being. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may be conscious of God's support today. I pray that I may rest safe and sure therein. You are reading from the book: Twenty-Four Hours a Day by Anonymous Twenty-Four Hours a Day © 1975 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Faith ^*^*^ November 23

~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^Faith "We had seen spiritual release, but liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true. Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there.  For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as old as man himself."c. 1976AAWS Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 55Thought to Consider . . . Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch.*~*AACRONYMS*~*F A I T H  =  Finding Answers In The Heart*~*^Just For Today!^*~* Reliable From "God Is Good": "Each day, God gives us a new challenge. Sometimes, it is prosperity; sometimes, adversity. Prosperity can lead to complacency; adversity, to self-pity. Either one of these reactions is a luxury I cannot afford. I do not always fully accept my adversities as good while I am going through them, but the mere fact that I am now able to write these words proves the logic in my faith that God is good." 1973 AAWS Inc.Came to Believe, 30th printing 2004, pg. 87 *^Daily Reflections^*"HOLD YOUR FACE TO THE LIGHT" Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even though for the moment you do not see. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 3 One Sunday in October, during my morning meditation, I glanced out the window at the ash tree in our front yard.  At once I was overwhelmed by its magnificent, golden color!  As I stared in awe at God's work of art, the leaves began to fall and, within  minutes, the branches were bare.  Sadness came over me as I thought of the winter months ahead, but just as I was reflecting on autumn's annual process, God's message came through.  Like the trees, stripped of their leaves in the fall, sprout new blossoms in the spring,  I had my compulsive, selfish ways removed by God in order for me to blossom into a sober, joyful member of A.A. Thank you, God, for the changing seasons and for my ever-changing life.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Three ChoicesThe immediate object of our quest is sobriety-freedom from alcohol and from all its baleful consequences. Without this freedom, we have nothing at all. Paradoxically, though, we can achieve no liberation from the alcohol obsession until we become willing to deal with those character defects which have landed us in that helpless condition. In this freedom quest, we are always given three choices. A rebellious refusal to work upon our glaring defects can be an almost certain ticket to destruction. Or, perhaps for a time, we can stay sober with a minimum of self-improvement and settle ourselves into a comfortable but often dangerous mediocrity. Or, finally, we can continuously try hard for those sterling qualities that can add up to fineness of spirit and action - true and lasting freedom under God.GRAPEVINE, NOVEMBER 1960 *~*^Big Book Quote^*~*3rd Step Prayer:"God, I offer myself to Thee to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!"Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th EditionHow It Works, pg. 63*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayI no longer refuse to do anything because I cannot do it to perfection. Many of us alcoholics use the excuse of not being able to do something perfectly to enable us to do nothing at all. We pretend to be perfectionists. We are good at telling people how a thing should be done, but when we come to the effort of doing it ourselves, we balk. We say to ourselves: "I might make a mistake so I'd better let the whole thing slide." In A.A. we set our goals high, but that does not prevent us from trying. The mere fact that we will never fully reach these goals does not prevent us from doing the best we can. Have I stopped hiding behind the smoke screen of perfectionism? Meditation for the Day"In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." Keep an undaunted spirit. Keep your spirit free and unconquered. You can be undefeated and untouched by failure and all its power, by letting your spirit overcome the world; rise above earth's turmoil into the secret chamber of perfect peace and confidence. When a challenge comes to you, remember you have God's help and nothing can wholly defeat you. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may have confidence and be of good cheer. I pray that I may not fear the power of failure.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 ​You have 2 options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Email & Discussion Group:1.  To join the Private Announcement Only Google Group TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.comwith “Join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the closed Google Group TransitionsDaily.  IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE THE DAILY TOPIC EMAIL, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO CONTINUE. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT http://ift.tt/2f53TEc members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one topic email daily.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “Join Facebook Group” in the subject line. Make sure and either send from the email associated with your Facebook account or specify your Facebook email in the message.  You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the topic email is also posted in the Secret Facebook group.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Topics are posted Daily via Email and Facebook!​ -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/22/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:. . .we may surprise ourselves by discovering a treasure.Not all secrets are bad. Some secrets are more like unspoken, unacknowledged mysteries than sinister destructive forces. We may quietly know what it is like to be a man or a woman in an intimate relationship, but we may never have told anyone in words. We may have a sense of how our lives have changed as a result of our relationship, but we may never have stopped to fully express it, even to ourselves. A piece of music may touch a place within us that does not have words. Those secrets are valuable and worth guarding like a precious treasure. When we try to find words for these secrets, we may surprise ourselves by discovering a treasure. They may give us a sense of power or join us with others who understand us. These treasured secrets are an adventure for a couple to reveal to each other. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned about intimacy since you first met? What would you reveal to your son or daughter about the ways to gain the greatest happiness in love? How would you choose to live the last day of your life? Select a treasured secret to tell your partner, and then try to describe it to him or her. You are reading from the book: The More We Find In Each Other by Merle Fossum and Mavis Fossum The More We Find in Each Other by Merle Fossum and Mavis Fossum. © 1992 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden.

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Gratitude ^*^*^ November 22

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~^*^*^*^*^(\    ~~  /)(   \ (AA)/   )(_   /AA\ _)  /AA\^*^*^*^*^Gratitude"A complete change takes place in our approach to life. Where we used to run from responsibility, we find ourselves accepting it with gratitude that we can successfully shoulder it. Instead of wanting to escape some perplexing problem, we experience a thrill of challenge in the opportunity it affords for another application of AA techniques, and we find ourselves tackling it with surprising vigor."c. 1976AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 311-12^*^*^*^*^Thought to Consider . . .When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion we can ever know.  Bill W., March 1962*~*AACRONYMS*~*T H I N K  =  The Happiness I Never Knew *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Awareness From "The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous": "The [Saturday Evening Post] article appeared in the March 1, 1941, issue. Jack's [Alexander] extensive investigation and his remarkable capacity for sympathy and rapport with us produced a piece which had immense impact. By mail and telegram a deluge of pleas for help and orders for the book Alcoholics Anonymous, first in hundreds and then in thousands, hit Box 658.  Pawing at random through the incoming mass of heartbreaking appeals, we found ourselves crying. What on earth could we do with them? We were really swamped."We saw that we must have help. So we rounded up every A.A. woman and every A.A. wife who could use a typewriter. The upper floor of the Twenty-Fourth Street Club was converted into an emergency headquarters. For days [A.A. office manager] Ruth and the volunteers tried to answer the ever increasing tide of mail. They were almost tempted into using form letters. But experience had shown that this would not do at all. A warm personal communication must be sent to every prospect and his family."2001 AAWS, Inc.; Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pg. 191 *~*^Daily Reflections^*~*ONLY TWO SINS . . .there are only two sins; the first is to interfere with the growth of another human being, and the second is to interfere with one's own growth. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 542 Happiness is such an elusive state.  How often do my "prayers" for others involve "hidden" prayers for my own agenda?  How often is my search for happiness a boulder in the path of growth for another, or even myself?  Seeking growth through humility and acceptance brings things that appear to be anything but good, wholesome and vital.  Yet in looking back, I can see that pain, struggles and setbacks have all contributed eventually to serenity through growth in the program. I ask my Higher Power to help me not cause another's lack of growth today -- or my own.Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Welcome Criticism"Thanks much for your letter of criticism. I'm certain that had it not been for its strong critics, A.A. would have made slower progress. "For myself, I have come to set a high value on the people who have criticized me, whether they have seemed reasonable critics or unreasonable ones. Both have often restrained me from doing much worse than I actually have done. The unreasonable ones have taught me, I hope, a little patience. But the reasonable ones have always done a great job for all of A.A.-and have taught me many a valuable lesson."LETTER, 1955*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor do we carry the world's troubles on our shoulders. When we see a man sinking into the mire that is alcoholism, we give him first aid and place what we have at his disposal."Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 132~*~*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*~*A.A. Thought for the DayI have gotten rid of most of my boredom. One of the hardest things that a new member of A.A. has to understand is how to stay sober and not be bored. Drinking was always the answer to all kinds of boring people or boring situations. But once you have taken up the interest of A.A., once you have given it your time and enthusiasm, boredom should not be a problem to you. A new life opens up before you that can be always interesting. Sobriety should give you so many new interests in life that you shouldn't have time to be bored. Have I gotten rid of the fear of being bored? Meditation for the Day"If I have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." Charity means to care enough about other people to really want to do something for them. A smile, a word of encouragement, a word of love, goes winged on its way, simple though it may seem, while the mighty words of an orator fall on deaf ears. Use up the odd moments of your day in trying to do some little thing to cheer up another person. Boredom comes from thinking too much about yourself. Prayer for the DayI pray that my day may be brightened by some little act of charity. I pray that I may try today to overcome the self-centeredness that makes me bored.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Today's Gift - 11/21/2016

Today's thought from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is: Resentment Of all the negative emotions, resentment diminishes us the most. It brings unwarranted anger toward those who have something we want, and self-pity for ourselves. It drains us of the energy we need to change our lives and work toward goals. Resentment keeps us in a rigid judgment of who "should" and who "should not" achieve success; all "should" attitudes are pointless, breeding discontent and wasting time. Above all, resentment is ugly to see and even uglier to feel. When I'm resentful, I feel hatred toward others and myself. Today, I ask for the humility to accept my limitations, without resenting others who have exceeded them. I ask for the courage to pursue my own goals, not comparing myself to others. You are reading from the book: Help for Helpers by Anonymous Help for Helpers © 1989 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the permission of Hazelden. Online daily inspirationsRead a Thought for the Day from six of our most popular daily meditations books. They're posted online, every day, at hazeldenbettyford.org.                   Managing your email subscriptionsHave an account on hazelden.org?  Sign in now to manage your preferences. Can't sign in? Send us an email to Change your email address.   Unsubscribe from Today's Gift. Stop all Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation email. To send us feedback, please email todaysgift@hazeldenbettyford.org Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 15251 Pleasant Valley Rd., P.O. Box 11, RW19, Center City, MN 55012-0011, 800-257-7810 Please feel free to forward this email to a friend.Subscribe to Today's Gift emails Have our emails been recommended to you Sign up today to receive them at no charge.  They're our daily gift to you.    

from Gmail
via IFTTT

New Post on The Official Blog of The Way Out Podcast! Thoughts For The Day~*~Unity ^*^*^ November 21

ATTENTION!!!TO COMPLY WITH AA COPYRIGHT GUIDELINES, THE TRANSITIONS DAILY EMAIL DISTRIBUTION IS CONVERTING TO AN OPEN EMAIL MEETING OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE FOUND THE SOLUTION TO THEIR ALCOHOLISM IN THE PROGRAM OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.  TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE DAILY DISTRIBUTION, NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART.  MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST OR AT http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt ~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~^*^*^*^*^(\   ~~   /)(    \(AA)/    )(_ /AA\ _)/AA\^*^*^*^*^UnityThe unity of Alcoholics Anonymous is the most cherished quality our Society has. Our lives, the lives of all to come, depend squarely upon it. We stay whole, or AA dies. Without unity, the heart of AA would cease to beat; our world arteries would no longer carry the life-giving grace of God; His gift to us would be spent aimlessly. Back again in their caves, alcoholics would reproach us and say, 'What a great thing AA might have been!"c. 1952AAWSTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 129Thought to Consider . . . AA is not something you join, it's a way of life.*~*AACRONYMS*~*T E A M  =  Together Everyone Achieves More *~*^Just For Today!^*~* Complete Defeat From:  "From the 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 and Twelve, pages 21-22   Every newcomer is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip.   So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest beginning. To get completely away from our aversion to the idea of being humble, to gain a vision of humility as the avenue to true freedom of the human spirit, to be willing to work for humility as something to be desired for itself, takes most of us a long, long time. A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once.Twelve and Twelve, pages 72-731967, AAWS, Inc., As Bill Sees It, page 305 *^Daily Reflections^*A CLASSIC PRAYER Lord, make me a channel for thy peace -- that where there is hatred, I may bring love -- that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness -- that where there is discord, I may bring harmony -- that where there is error, I may bring truth -- that where there is doubt, I may bring faith -- that where there is despair, I may bring hope -- that where there are shadows, I may bring light - that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted - to understand, than to be understood - to love, than to be loved.  For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.  It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.  It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life.  Amen. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 99 No matter where I am in my spiritual growth, the St. Francis prayer helps me improve my conscious contact with the God of my understanding.  I think that one of the great advantages of my faith in God is that I do not understand Him, or Her, or It.  It may be that my relationship with my Higher Power is so fruitful that I do not have to understand.  All that I am certain of is that if I work the Eleventh Step regularly, as best I can, I will continue to improve my conscious contact, I will know His will for me, and I will have the power to carry it out. Copyright 1990 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC. *~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*Humility Brings HopeNow that we no longer patronize bars and bordellos, now that we bring home the pay checks, now that we are so very active in A.A., and now that people congratulate us on these signs of progress - well, we naturally proceed to congratulate ourselves. Of course, we are not yet within hailing distance of humility.<<< >>>We ought to be willing to try humility in seeking the removal of our other shortcomings, just as we did when we admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, and came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. If humility could enable us to find the grace by which the deadly alcohol obsession could be banished, then there must be hope of the same result respecting any other problem we can possibly have.1. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 19612. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 76*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*"Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us. To some extent we have become God-conscious. We have begun to develop this vital sixth sense. But we must go further and that means more action."Alcoholics Anonymous4th Edition, Into Action, pg. 85*^Twenty Four Hours A Day^*A.A. Thought for the DayI no longer waste money, but try to put it to good use. Like all of us, when I was drunk, I threw money around like I really had it. It gave me a feeling of importance-a millionaire for a day. But the morning after, with an empty wallet and perhaps also some indecipherable checks, was a sad awakening. How could I have been such a fool? How will I ever make it up? Thoughts like these get you down. When we are sober, we spend our hard earned money as it should be spent. Although perhaps some of us could be more generous in our A.A. giving, at least we do not throw it away. Am I making good use of my money? Meditation for the DayYou were meant to be at home and comfortable in the world. Yet some people live a life of quiet desperation. This is the opposite of being at home and at peace in the world. Let your peace of mind be evident to those around you. Let others see that you are comfortable, and seeing it, know that it springs from your trust in a Higher Power. The dull, hard way of resignation is not God's way. Faith takes the sting out of the winds of adversity and brings peace even in the midst of struggle. Prayer for the DayI pray that I may be more comfortable in my way of living. I pray that I may feel more at home and at peace within myself.Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN 55012 You have 2 options to Participate in the TransitionsDaily Online Email Group:1.  To join the Private Google Group, TransitionsDaily, send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “join” in the subject line.  You will be manually added to the Private Google Group TransitionsDaily.  Joining this group will allow you to receive the daily email distribution. By requesting to join, you acknowledge you are an alcoholic and agree to abide by the Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.The members of this group cannot be seen by other members or by non-members.  You are completely anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind.  Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email.  Please allow 24 – 48 hours for entry. You will then receive one email daily with the subject and devotions for that day.2.   To Join the Transitions Daily Secret Facebook Group,  send an email to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com with “join Facebook Group” in the subject line. You will receive an invitation via email to join the secret Facebook group where all discussion takes place.  Every day the daily email distribution is also posted in the Facebook group.  By requesting to join, you acknowledge you are an alcoholic and agree to abide by the Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.If your anonymity in regards to other members of the Facebook group is an issue, it is suggested that you create a Facebook personal profile with no personal information, using only your first name and last name initial.  Only members of the group are able to see your information.  Non-members cannot see your posts or that you are a member.  Make sure your notifications are turned so you will be reminded of the new posts.Any questions or issues can be directed to TransitionsDaily@gmail.com -- To Donate Go to: http://ift.tt/1LFEb4b   For more Information about this distribution go to http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt.   The members of this group are anonymous with no sale or disclosure of membership to other members or the redistribution of emails of any kind. Once you have been added, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow 24 48 hours for entry.   Feel free to share http://ift.tt/1MBbjVt in meetings, with friends, sponsors, and especially your sponsees in recovery! You can also download the Transitions Daily Flyer by clicking on this link http://ift.tt/1MBbjVv to use in your service work!

from Gmail
via IFTTT