As Bill Sees It - May 28 2026

A.A.–the Lodestar, p. 147
We can be grateful for every agency or method that tries to solve the
problem of alcoholism–whether of medicine, religion, education, or
research. We can be open-minded toward all such efforts and we can
be sympathetic when the ill-advised ones fail. We can remember that
A.A. itself ran for years on “trial and error.”

As individuals, we can and should work with those that promise
success–even a little success.

<< << << >> >> >>

Every one of the pioneers in the total field of alcoholism will
generously say that had it not been for the living proof of recovery in
A.A., they could not have gone on. A.A. was the lodestar of hope and
help that kept them at it.

Grapevine, March 1958

The Eye Opener - May 12 2026

The medical profession is sincere in its efforts to help the alcoholic. Unfortunately, however, the very nature of the ailment defies adequate diagnosis, as the causes cannot be localized or catalogued. Every alcoholic is a sick man, but the underlying cause of his sickness cannot be X-rayed because there is no one underlying cause. It is a progressive disease, and the patient himself does not know where the pain really is.

We in AA, however, know our patient as we know ourselves, for drunks are strangely alike fundamentally. We know the symptoms and the effects of the malady for we, too, have suffered it. We know our medicine for its relief, for we were cured by it ourselves.

Alcoholism may develop from any number of hidden causes. We may be very much un-alike in our behavior when drinking but, in the hangover stage, we are as alike as two peas in a pod. We know what to do in a case like that.

Hazelden Foundation

Big Book - May 4 2026

Fred's story speaks for itself. We hope it strikes home to thousands like him. He had felt only the first nip of the wringer. Most alcoholics have to be pretty badly mangled before they really commence to solve their problems.

Many doctors and psychiatrists agree with our conclusions. One of these men, staff member of a world-renowned hospital, recently made this statement to some of us: "What you say about the general hopelessness of the average alcoholics' plight is, in my opinion, correct. As to two of you men, whose stories I have heard, there is no doubt in my mind that you were 100% hopeless, apart from divine help. Had you offered yourselves as patients at this hospital, I would not have taken you, if I had been able to avoid it. People like you are too heartbreaking. Though not a religious person, I have profound respect for the spiritual approach in such cases as yours. For most cases, there is virtually no other solution."

Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.

 

~ Chapter 3 More About Alcoholism (pg 43)

Daily Reflections - - April 24 2026

LEARNING TO LOVE OURSELVES

Alcoholism was a lonely business, even though we were
surrounded by people who loved us… We were trying to
find emotional security either by dominating or by being
dependent upon others . . . We still vainly tried to be
secure by some unhealthy sort of domination or dependence.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 252

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.

For My Brother Seamus - A beautiful person through and through

You were a beautiful gift. We loved you more than anyone could and we will miss you until God takes us. May Your Soul Rest In peace. 

Daily Reflections - 13th Jan 2026

IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT


“We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.”

—ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85 

The most common alcoholic fantasy seems to be: “If I just don’t drink, everything will be all right.” Once the fog cleared for me, I saw—for the first time—the mess my life had become. I had family, work, financial and legal problems; I was hung up on old religious ideas; there were sides of my character to which I was inclined to stay blind because they easily could have convinced me that I was hopeless and pushed me toward escape again. The Big Book guided me in resolving all of my problems. But it didn’t happen overnight—and certainly not automatically—with no effort on my part. I need always to recognize God’s mercy and blessings that shine through any problem I have to face.

Today’s Gift - 13th Jan 2026

“Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”

—Robert Frost

Our home is a place of roots, a place where we can always turn in time of need. Some of us may have had the experience of being away from home and not being able to make it on our own. We know what a relief it was to reach out at last and call our family, who we knew would take us in.

We became people in our homes, we learned to eat and walk and talk there. We feel comfortable there, safe from the pressures of the outside world. It is up to us to keep it safe and healthy by growing in love and generosity there.

Home is a place to really give of ourselves and put our best into making it happy and secure. It will affect our futures more than almost anything else in our lives. It deserves our prayers of blessing. It is our foundation, the source of our first feelings for others. May we treasure our home and the people who make up our family. What small thing can I do right now to make home a better place?

Walk In Dry Places - 12th Jan 2026

IF IT FEELS GOOD. . .

Facing Other Excesses

In the drinking life, one of the flippant sayings we heard was, “If it feels good, do it!” We hear that often in sobriety, although it sometimes appears on a bumper sticker or as casual comment. And if we’ve learned anything in sobriety, we know that this remark is really a permit for disaster. We drank to feel good, but we often ended up feeling terrible.

Yet the same slogan, properly understood, can be useful for the recovering alcoholic. We all want to feel good. But a drink means temporary pleasure followed by pain, guilt, remorse, and ruin. This is not really feeling good. It is a nightmare of the worst feeling we can imagine.

Happy sobriety does feel good, even though it may include short-term discomfort or temporary boredom. The long-run tendency of sobriety is toward having peace of mind, feeling good about ourselves, and using our talents and opportunities wisely. This is the mature way to feel good, but we achieve it only by thinking and acting in the right ways. Perhaps our slogan could be, “If it will make you feel good now and in the future, do it!” Today I will pass up anything that seems pleasurable in the short run but will make me guilty and unhappy later on.

Keep It Simple - 12th Jan 2026

Remember always that you have not only the right to be individual, you have an obligation to be one.

– Eleamnor Roosevelt

When we were using alcohol and other drugs, we often thought that we were different from others. We secretly thought that no one could understand us. Maybe we tried to be one of the group, but we were lonely. Now we know for sure–we are different from others. Everyone’s unique. We all have this in common. Being like others helps us feel safe and normal. But we need to feel good about the ways we’re different from others too. We think a little different, act a little different, and look a little different from anyone else. We each have our own way to make life better for others.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me be an individual. Help me use my special gifts, not hide them. Action for the Day: Today, I’ll make a list of the things I’m good at. I’ll think about how I can use these gifts.

Step by Step #essentialsofrecovery.com #Recovery #AA

 Today, in the throes of all the demands on me at work and in my personal life, I must strengthen my resolve to my recovery by remembering how I got here – and why. I must ask myself honestly if I have experienced the fundamental change in emotion and psyche that is required in recovery. I must not permit any of those destructive influences in my yesterdays to sabotage my today and, probably, my tomorrow. I must acknowledge any subconscious seed that might be planting a slip or relapse. And if that seed exists, I know I’m in trouble with Steps One, Two and Three. Those Steps – of total admission, surrender and submission of all I cannot control – are the building blocks of my Program. I must be on guard if I feel a crack in any of them. Today, I am an alcoholic, and I cannot – and do not want to – drink. Sweet and simple. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M.

Daily Reflections 11th Jan 2026

THE 100% STEP

“Only Step One, where we made the 100% admission we were powerless over alcohol, can be practiced with absolute perfection.”

 —TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 68

Long before I was able to obtain sobriety in A.A., I knew without a doubt that alcohol was killing me, yet even with this knowledge, I was unable to stop drinking. So, when faced with Step One, I found it easy to admit that I lacked the power to not drink. But was my life unmanageable? Never! Five months after coming into A.A., I was drinking again and wondered why. Later on, back in A.A. and smarting from my wounds, I learned that Step One is the only Step that can be taken 100%. And that the only way to take it 100% is to take 100% of the Step. That was many 24 hours ago, and I haven’t had to take Step One again.

Twenty-Four Hours A Day 11th Jan 2026

A.A. Thought For The Day

When we were drinking, most of us never thought of helping others. We liked to buy drinks for people, because that made us feel like bigshots. But we only used others for our own pleasure. To really go out and try to help somebody who needed help never occurred to us. To us, helping others looked like a sucker’s game. But when we came into A.A., we began to try to help others. And we found out that helping others made us happy and also helped us to stay sober. Have I learned that there is happiness in helping others?

Meditation For The Day

I will pray only for strength and that God’s will be done. I will use God’s unlimited store of strength for my needs. I will seek God’s will for me. I will strive for consciousness of God’s presence, for He is the light of the world. I have become a pilgrim, who needs only marching orders and strength and guidance for this day.

Prayer For The Day

 I pray that I may seek God’s guidance day by day. I pray that I may strive to abide in God’s presence.

Step by Step 11th Jan 2026

“The last three years of my drinking, I drank on my job. The amount of will power exercised to control my drinking during working hours, diverted into a constructive channel, would have made me President, and the thing that made the will power possible was the knowledge that as soon as my day was finished I could drink myself into oblivion. Inside, though, I was scared to death, for I knew that the time was coming (and it couldn’t be too remote) when I would be unable to hold that job. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to hold any job, or maybe (and this was my greatest fear) I wouldn’t care whether I had a job or not. I knew it didn’t make any difference where I started, the inevitable end would be skid row. The only reality I was able to face had been forced upon me by its very repetition – I had to drink; and I didn’t know there was anything in the world that could be done about it.” – Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, “They Lost Nearly All,” Ch 12 (“Freedom From Bondage”), p 548.

Today, I remember the time in my history when I drank on the job, then feared I would be “caught” and lose it and, ultimately, not caring if I did. And I must remember that the thought which got me through those long working days was that I could get home and drink myself into literal oblivion – then do and feel it all over the next day. I need to remember so that I don’t forget the helpless, hopeless and pathetic creature I had become and that my early time in the Program required some tough, tough work not only to sober up but also to care again. Today, the power of a drink after work holds no power anymore, only disdain and disgust that it will plunge me back into that yesterday if I allow it. Today, I won’t allow it. The harsh and painful memories of my yesterday serve me well today not to go back there. And our common journey continues.

 Step by step. – Chris M.

Walk In Dry Places 11th Jan 2026

 11
January

BEING DOWN
Overcoming Depression

It would be difficult to find a group of people more subject to mood swings than alcoholics. While we were drinking, most of us were not perceptive enough to realize most of us were not perceptive enough to realize that our moods rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern. We did not mind being “up,” but it distressed us greatly when we were “down.” Alcohol was the “upper” most of us took when we were depressed.

In sobriety, there is usually no chemical “upper” that’s safe to take for any of our down moods. Some of us have been helped by vitamins or by inspirational reading. But most of us simply have to RIDE OUT our down moods, doing the best we can until things are on the upswing again. In spite of being down, we do not have to drink.

Whatever the causes of mood swings, we can live with them, and we do not need any mood-altering drugs to see us through a down period. Our depression will pass, and we might even notice its hold lessening as we continue to grow in sobriety.

I will accept my feelings today, and I will not be disturbed if my mood seems somewhat low. This, too, will pass away.

Big Book 11th Jan 2026

WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
This young alcoholic stepped out a second-story window and into A.A.

At that point I interrupted her. “That was me,” I said. “That was my last drunk.” I had walked through that window when I was nineteen years old.

How had I gotten there? I had always been a “good kid” growing up, the kind of son other mothers loved. I was at the top of my classes academically and had been in almost no trouble for the first seventeen years of my life. I would like to say that was because of my well-developed moral fiber; in fact, much of it was a result of fear. My earliest memories included threats by my parents to throw me out onto the street for the slightest acts of disobedience. The thought of being forced to live on the street is pretty terrifying for a six-year-old. Those threats, coupled with a fair amount of physical punishment, kept me frightened and obedient. pp. 421-422

Keep It Simple 11th Jan 2026

 11
January


“If there is a harder way of doing something, someone will find it.”—Ralph E. Ross
When we used alcohol or other drugs, we did most things the hard way. We could turn a simple task into a day-long project. We could turn a simple problem into an argument. We were creative giants in doing things the hard way! we need to change this. We deserve easier lives. It’s okay to take the smooth road .

In our program ,We have slogans for this: Keep It Simple, Let Go and Let God, First Things First, and Easy Does It. These slogans remind us that it’s okay to live with as little trouble as possible.

Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, show me how to live a simple life. I don’t have to do everything the hard way if I listen better to You.

Action for the Day: I’ll list three or four things I do that makes my life harder than it needs to be. I’ll share them with a friend.

How to Cope with a Child's Alcoholism #essentialsofrecovery

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

Step by Step #essentialsofrec #Alcoholism #Recovery

“I had my first drink when I was 15 and my alcoholic potential had ripened me to the point of necessary escapism. I needed alcohol from that night on, and it in turn used me, ruling my life for three years.
“I never drank socially; I drank as often and as much as I could. My eventual goal was to drink myself to death. All my life, it seemed, was spent on the outside looking in. I had been unhappy, lonely and scared for so long that the discovery of liquor seemed to be the answer to all my problems.”

 – Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Part II (“They Stopped in Time”), Ch 7 (“A Teenager’s Story”), p 353.

Today … out of the mouths of babes. This excerpt from the Big Book by a sufferer who crossed the threshold of alcoholism at age 15 and began recovery at 18 speaks to all of us on multiple levels. First, youth and even a relatively short drinking career do not shield us from alcoholism; second, if like this child we are drinking or drank as an “escape” or a solution “to all (our) problems,” we have by clinical definition established the link between alcohol and addiction even if it is emotional or psychological in nature. If I have any deep-seeded worry about my drinking or if I am desperately clawing for excuses to quiet others who have their worries, grant me the strength and honesty to heed the voices of warning; their experience may be the lifeline I might not yet know I need. And our common journey continues. 

Step by step. – Chris M.

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrec

It's Always Waiting Patiently... #essentialsoffrec

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrec

DAILY REFLECTIONS #essentialsofrec #insanity #Recovery

GIVING UP INSANITY
. . . where alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 38 ~

Alcoholism required me to drink, whether I wanted to or not. Insanity dominated my life and was the essence of my disease. It robbed me of the freedom of choice over drinking and, therefore, robbed me of all other choices. When I drank, I was unable to make effective choices in any part of my life and life became unmanageable.

I ask God to help me understand and accept the full meaning of the disease of alcoholism.

Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrec