Category: Uncategorized

Step 1

Moderation is not a word which is found in a practicing alcoholic’s vocabulary.  Usually, the mantra that is found is “more is better.”  For the alcoholic in their disease will take anything that may promise a better high.  Someone may offer the alcoholic a pill of some sort.  The typical reaction is to swallow the

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Willing to Go to Any Lengths

According to the Big Book of Alcoholics we have agreed to be willing to go to any lengths in order to gain and maintain sobriety.  Our first act is to take step 1 which states that “we admitted that we are powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.”  And we have to put

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Commitment

Commitment seems to be something that most alcoholics shy away from.  We believe that the grass is always greener on the other side.  We use phrases like “I guess,” I’ll have to see,” and “call me later’ among others.  We feel like wild spirits free to roam the world as we please.  We feel stifled

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Tools of the Program

We hear a lot of talk around the program regarding the “tools.”  Just what are these tools and how do we use them?  Probably the first tool is to stop drinking or using and stay stopped.  Just how do we do this?  One way is to go to rehab for a period of time.  Most

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Being of Service

Being of service to others and the program is crucial to a program of recovery.  Services helps to diminish our selfishness and self-centeredness.  It also helps us gain in humility.  When we come into the program the only person, we are of service to is ourselves.  This helps to keep the cycle of drinking and

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Your True Self

To Thine Own Self Be True. This is a phrase we find on AA medallions and other related AA paraphernalia.  Just exactly what does this phrase mean?  What is this “self” they are referring to?  It appears that most AA members find their true self through the working and application of the 12 steps.   When

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Communication Skills

“Perception” often does not get enough attention in 12 Step settings.  Perception is how an individual sees or perceives something to be.  For an example let’s use a banana.  One side of it has brown spots on it and the other side is solid yellow. Picture someone sitting on either side of the banana.  One

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KISS

K.I.S.S. This is normally considered as another AA acronym for “Keep it simple stupid.”  For our purposes in this blog, I am going to refrain from using the term stupid.  We will just stick with “Keep it simple.”  There is a notion also in philosophy known as Occam’s razor.  This basically says that the simplest

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