jimactsout

For a long time, in my heart of hearts, I knew my drinking and recreational drugging was out of control. It was dominating my life, and was no longer fun (after all, if it’s not fun, what’s the point?). My father, who already had a few years of sobriety under his belt, had been inviting […]

My opinion only, but I believe Alcoholics Anonymous is basically about four things. Okay, Okay,I grant you that it’s about everything.But when you distill it and get right down to the guts of it, it’s pretty much about: Willingness, Humility, Accountability, The Joy of Living. This is not a temporary hobby or a whimsical diversion.

“. . .if you wish, you can join us on the Broad Highway.”– page 55, 4th edition, Alcoholics Anonymous –   I don’t want to brag, but I have a gift for complicating anything.The one thing I’ve managed to not complicate is the importance of the Home Group. I’ve always had a Home Group, and

THE RULES “Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery.” That’s like: “When you jump out of the airplane, it’s suggested you pull the ripcord.” Suggestions.           Please.                                                                  They’re the rules. By the time I arrived in Alcoholics Anonymous, I was ready to pay attention and cooperate. There was

“A.A. and acceptance have taught me that there is a bit of good in the worst of us and a bit of bad in the best of us; that we are all children of God and we each have a right to be here. When I complain about me or about you, I am complaining

It never fails.Every year around the time of my anniversary, people shake their head and say, “Boy, are you lucky to have sobered up at such a young age!”Well, yes and no.Yes, because I am truly blessed to have found AA so soon.No, because it just means I ruined my health and burned life to

My old sponsor, Ross Porter used to say, “I’m powerless over people, places, things and situations.” I’d always thought I could control those things, but that kind of control is an illusion. The only meaningful and substantial thing I can really control is my attitude. It’s all about attitude. When faced with adversity, my knee

I was always after some undefinable thing, and all I ever wanted was to be comfortable in my own skin. My drinking and drugging spiraled out out control in my quest for that. After joining AA, it was clear I needed to unlearn so many of the things that had always been waterboarded into me.I

SHOWING UP I came to my first meeting because I had to. There was no choice. You know how they say you can’t scare an alcoholic? Forget about that because I was plenty scared. Anyway,I came back because I wanted to. Now I show up  because I love to. This is where I belong. Meetings

“Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path”…. I have broken down my life into two distinct eras: BR and AR (Before Recovery & After recovery). Up until the time I made it into AA, I utterly lacked direction, like a rudderless ship. Rather than committing myself and following through.