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  1. {
  2.     "daily_reflections": [
  3.         {
  4.             "month": "JANUARY",
  5.             "day": 1,
  6.             "title": "'I AM A MIRACLE'",
  7.             "quotation": "The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certaintythat our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in away which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced toaccomplish those things for us which we could never do byourselves.",
  8.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 25",
  9.             "reading": "This truly is a fact in my life today, and a real miracle. Ialways believed in God, but could never put that beliefmeaningfully into my life. Today, because of AlcoholicsAnonymous, I now trust and rely on God, as I understandHim; I am sober today because of that! Learning to trustand rely on God was something I could never have donealone. I now believe in miracles because I am one!"
  10.         },
  11.         {
  12.             "month": "JANUARY",
  13.             "day": 2,
  14.             "title": "FIRST, THE FOUNDATION",
  15.             "quotation": "Is sobriety all that we can expect of a spiritual awakening?No, sobriety is only a bare beginning.",
  16.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 8",
  17.             "reading": "Practicing the A.A. program is like building a house. First Ihad to pour a big, thick concrete slab on which to erect thehouse; that, to me, was the equivalent of stopping drinking.But it's pretty uncomfortable living on a concrete slab,unprotected and exposed to the heat, cold, wind and rain.So I built a room on the slab by starting to practice theprogram. The first room was rickety because I wasn't usedto the work. But as time passed, as I practiced the program,I learned to build better rooms. The more I practiced, andthe more I built, the more comfortable, and happy, was thehome I now have to live in."
  18.         },
  19.         {
  20.             "month": "JANUARY",
  21.             "day": 3,
  22.             "title": "POWERLESS",
  23.             "quotation": "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that ourlives had become unmanageable.",
  24.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 21",
  25.             "reading": "It is no coincidence that the very first Step mentionspowerlessness: An admission of personal powerlessnessover alcohol is a cornerstone of the foundation of recovery.I've learned that I do not have the power and control I oncethought I had. I am powerless over what people think aboutme. I am powerless over having just missed the bus. I ampowerless over how other people work (or don't work) theSteps. But I've also learned I am not powerless over somethings. I am not powerless over my attitudes. I am notpowerless over negativity. I am not powerless overassuming responsibility for my own recovery. I have thepower to exert a positive influence on myself, my lovedones, and the world in which I live."
  26.         },
  27.         {
  28.             "month": "JANUARY",
  29.             "day": 4,
  30.             "title": "BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE",
  31.             "quotation": "We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning.A much more important demonstration of our principleslies before us in our respective homes, occupations andaffairs.",
  32.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 19",
  33.             "reading": "It's usually pretty easy for me to be pleasant to the peoplein an A.A. setting. While I'm working to stay sober, I'mcelebrating with my fellow A.A.S our common release fromthe hell of drinking. It's often not so hard to spread gladtidings to my old and new friends in the program.At home or at work, though, it can be a different story. Itis in situations arising in both of those areas that the littleday-to-day frustrations are most evident, and where it canbe tough to smile or reach out with a kind word or anattentive ear. It's outside of the A.A. rooms that I face thereal test of the effectiveness of my walk through A.A.'sTwelve Steps."
  34.         },
  35.         {
  36.             "month": "JANUARY",
  37.             "day": 5,
  38.             "title": "TOTAL ACCEPTANCE",
  39.             "quotation": "He cannot picture life without alcohol Some day he will beunable to imagine life either with alcohol or without it.Then he will know loneliness such as few do. He will be atthe jumping-off place. He will wish for the end.",
  40.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 152",
  41.             "reading": "Only an alcoholic can understand the exact meaning of astatement like this one. The double standard that held mecaptive as an active alcoholic also filled me with terror andconfusion: 'If I don't get a drink I'm going to die,'competed with 'If I continue drinking it's going to kill me.'Both compulsive thoughts pushed me ever closer to thebottom. That bottom produced a total acceptance of my alcoholism—with no reservations whatsoever—and one thatwas absolutely essential for my recovery. It was a dilemmaunlike anything I had ever faced, but as I found out later on,a necessary one if I was to succeed in this program."
  42.         },
  43.         {
  44.             "month": "JANUARY",
  45.             "day": 6,
  46.             "title": "THE VICTORY OF SURRENDER",
  47.             "quotation": "We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able totake our first steps toward liberation and strength. Ouradmissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to befirm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives maybe built",
  48.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 21",
  49.             "reading": "When alcohol influenced every facet of my life, whenbottles became the symbol of all my self-indulgence andpermissiveness, when I came to realize that, by myself, Icould do nothing to overcome the power of alcohol, Irealized I had no recourse except surrender. In surrender Ifound victory—victory over my selfish self-indulgence,victory over my stubborn resistance to life as it was givento me. When I stopped fighting anybody or anything, Istarted on the path to sobriety, serenity and peace."
  50.         },
  51.         {
  52.             "month": "JANUARY",
  53.             "day": 7,
  54.             "title": "AT THE TURNING POINT",
  55.             "quotation": "Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turningpoint. We asked His protection and care with completeabandon.",
  56.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59",
  57.             "reading": "Every day I stand at turning points. My thoughts andactions can propel me toward growth or turn me down theroad to old habits and to booze. Sometimes turning pointsare beginnings, as when I decide to start praising, instead ofcondemning someone. Or when I begin to ask for helpinstead of going it alone. At other times turning points areendings, such as when I see clearly the need to stopfestering resentments or crippling self-seeking. Manyshortcomings tempt me daily; therefore, I also have dailyopportunities to become aware of them. In one form oranother, many of my character defects appear daily: self-condemnation, anger, running away, being prideful,wanting to get even, or acting out of grandiosity.Attempting half measures to eliminate these defectsmerely paralyzes my efforts to change. It is only when I askGod for help, with complete abandon, that I becomewilling—and able—to change."
  58.         },
  59.         {
  60.             "month": "JANUARY",
  61.             "day": 8,
  62.             "title": "DO I HAVE A CHOICE?",
  63.             "quotation": "The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure,have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called willpower becomes practically nonexistent.",
  64.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 24",
  65.             "reading": "My powerlessness over alcohol does not cease when I quitdrinking. In sobriety I still have no choice—I can't drink.The choice I do have is to pick up and use the 'kit ofspiritual tools' (Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25). When I dothat, my Higher Power relieves me of my lack of choice—and keeps me sober one more day. If I could choose not topick up a drink today, where then would be my need forA.A. or a Higher Power?"
  66.         },
  67.         {
  68.             "month": "JANUARY",
  69.             "day": 9,
  70.             "title": "AN ACT OF PROVIDENCE",
  71.             "quotation": "It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we havewarped our minds into such an obsession for destructivedrinking that only an act of Providence can remove it fromus.",
  72.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 21",
  73.             "reading": "My act of Providence, (a manifestation of divine care anddirection), came as I experienced the total bankruptcy ofactive alcoholism—everything meaningful in my life wasgone. I telephoned Alcoholics Anonymous and, from thatinstant, my life has never been the same. When I reflect onthat very special moment, I know that God was working inmy life long before I was able to acknowledge and acceptspiritual concepts. The glass was put down through this oneact of Providence and my journey into sobriety began. Mylife continues to unfold with divine care and direction. StepOne, in which I admitted I was powerless over alcohol, thatmy life had become unmanageable, takes on more meaningfor me—one day at a time—in the life-saving, life-givingFellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous."
  74.         },
  75.         {
  76.             "month": "JANUARY",
  77.             "day": 10,
  78.             "title": "UNITED WE STAND",
  79.             "quotation": "We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermostselves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step inrecovery. The delusion that we are like other people, orpresently may be, has to be smashed.",
  80.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 30",
  81.             "reading": "I came to Alcoholics Anonymous because I was no longerable to control my drinking. It was either my wife'scomplaining about my drinking, or maybe the sheriff forcedme to go to A.A. meetings, or perhaps I knew, deep downinside, that I couldn't drink like others, but I was unwillingto admit it because the alternative terrified me. AlcoholicsAnonymous is a fellowship of men and women unitedagainst a common, fatal disease. Each one of our lives islinked to every other, much like the survivors on a life raftat sea. If we all work together, we can get safely to shore."
  82.         },
  83.         {
  84.             "month": "JANUARY",
  85.             "day": 11,
  86.             "title": "THE 100% STEP",
  87.             "quotation": "Only Step One, where we made the 100 percent admissionwe were powerless over alcohol can be practiced withabsolute perfection.",
  88.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 68",
  89.             "reading": "Long before I was able to obtain sobriety in A.A., I knewwithout a doubt that alcohol was killing me, yet even withthis knowledge, I was unable to stop drinking. So, whenfaced with Step One, I found it easy to admit that I lackedthe power to not drink. But was my life unmanageable?Never! Five months after coming into A.A., I was drinkingagain and wondered why.Later on, back in A.A. and smarting from my wounds, Ilearned that Step One is the only Step that can be taken100%. And that the only way to take it 100% is to take100% of the Step. That was many twenty-four hours agoand I haven't had to take Step One again."
  90.         },
  91.         {
  92.             "month": "JANUARY",
  93.             "day": 12,
  94.             "title": "ACCEPTING OUR PRESENT",
  95.             "quotation": "CIRCUMSTANCESOur very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the peopleabout us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic humilitywithout which no genuine advance can even begin. Againand again, we shall need to return to that unflattering pointof departure. This is an exercise in acceptance that we canprofitably practice every day of our lives.Provided we strenuously avoid turning these realisticsurveys of the facts of life into unrealistic alibis for apathyor defeatism, they can be the sure foundation upon whichincreased emotional health and therefore spiritual progresscan be built.",
  96.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 44",
  97.             "reading": "When I am having a difficult time accepting people, placesor events, I turn to this passage and it relieves me of manyan underlying fear regarding others, or situations lifepresents me. The thought allows me to be human and notperfect, and to regain my peace of mind."
  98.         },
  99.         {
  100.             "month": "JANUARY",
  101.             "day": 13,
  102.             "title": "IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT",
  103.             "quotation": "We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is adaily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of ourspiritual condition.",
  104.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85",
  105.             "reading": "The most common alcoholic fantasy seems to be: 'If I justdon't drink, everything will be all right.' Once the fogcleared for me, I saw—for the first time—the mess my lifehad become. I had family, work, financial and legalproblems; I was hung up on old religious ideas; there weresides of my character to which I was inclined to stay blindbecause they easily could have convinced me that I washopeless and pushed me toward escape again. The BigBook guided me in resolving all of my problems. But itdidn't happen overnight—and certainly not automatically—with no effort on my part. I need always to recognize God'smercy and blessings that shine through any problem I haveto face."
  106.         },
  107.         {
  108.             "month": "JANUARY",
  109.             "day": 14,
  110.             "title": "NO REGRETS",
  111.             "quotation": "We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.",
  112.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 83",
  113.             "reading": "Once I became sober, I began to see how wasteful my lifehad been and I experienced overwhelming guilt andfeelings of regret. The program's Fourth and Fifth Stepsassisted me enormously in healing those troubling regrets. Ilearned that my self-centeredness and dishonesty stemmedlargely from my drinking and that I drank because I was analcoholic. Now I see how even my most distasteful pastexperiences can turn to gold because, as a sober alcoholic, Ican share them to help my fellow alcoholics, particularlynewcomers. Sober for several years in A.A., I no longerregret the past; I am simply grateful to be conscious ofGod's love and of the help I can give to others in theFellowship."
  114.         },
  115.         {
  116.             "month": "JANUARY",
  117.             "day": 15,
  118.             "title": "AN UNSUSPECTED INNER RESOURCE",
  119.             "quotation": "With few exceptions our members find that they havetapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presentlyidentify with their own conception of a Power greater thanthemselves",
  120.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 569-70",
  121.             "reading": "From my first days in A.A., as I struggled for sobriety, Ifound hope in these words from our founders. I oftenpondered the phrase: 'they have tapped an unsuspectedinner resource.' How, I asked myself, can I find the Powerwithin myself, since I am so powerless? In time, as thefounders promised, it came to me: I have always had thechoice between goodness and evil, between unselfishnessand selfishness, between serenity and fear. That Powergreater than myself is an original gift that I did notrecognize until I achieved daily sobriety through livingA.A.'s Twelve Steps."
  122.         },
  123.         {
  124.             "month": "JANUARY",
  125.             "day": 16,
  126.             "title": "HITTING BOTTOM",
  127.             "quotation": "Why all this insistence that every A.A. must hit bottom first?The answer is that few people will sincerely try to practicethe A.A. program unless they have hit bottom. Forpracticing A. A. 's remaining eleven Steps means theadoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholicwho is still drinking can dream of taking.",
  128.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 24",
  129.             "reading": "Hitting bottom opened my mind and I became willing to trysomething different. What I tried was A.A. My new life inthe Fellowship was a little like learning how to ride a bikefor the first time: A.A. became my training wheels and mysupporting hand. It's not that I wanted the help so much atthe time; I simply did not want to hurt like that again. Mydesire to avoid hitting bottom again was more powerfulthan my desire to drink. In the beginning that was what keptme sober. But after a while I found myself working theSteps to the best of my ability. I soon realized that myattitudes and actions were changing—if ever so slightly.One Day at a Time, I became comfortable with myself, andothers, and my hurting started to heal. Thank God for thetraining wheels and supporting hand that I choose to callAlcoholics Anonymous."
  130.         },
  131.         {
  132.             "month": "JANUARY",
  133.             "day": 17,
  134.             "title": "HAPPINESS COMES QUIETLY",
  135.             "quotation": "'The trouble with us alcoholics was this: We demanded thatthe world give us happiness and peace of mind in just theparticular order we wanted to get it—by the alcohol route.And we weren't successful. But when we take time to findout some of the spiritual laws, and familiarize ourselveswith them, and put them into practice, then we do gethappiness and peace of mind. . . . There seem to be somerules that we have to follow, but happiness and peace ofmind are always here, open and free to anyone.'",
  136.             "citation": "DR. BOB AND THE GOOD OLDTIMERS, p. 308",
  137.             "reading": "The simplicity of the A. A. program teaches me thathappiness isn't something I can 'demand.' It comes uponme quietly, while I serve others. In offering my hand to thenewcomer or to someone who has relapsed, I find that myown sobriety has been recharged with indescribablegratitude and happiness."
  138.         },
  139.         {
  140.             "month": "JANUARY",
  141.             "day": 18,
  142.             "title": "WOULD A DRINK HELP?",
  143.             "quotation": "By going back in our own drinking histories, we could showthat years before we realized it we were out of control, thatour drinking even then was no mere habit, that it wasindeed the beginning of a fatal progression.",
  144.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 23",
  145.             "reading": "When I was still drinking, I couldn't respond to any of life'ssituations the way other, more healthy, people could. Thesmallest incident triggered a state of mind that believed Ihad to have a drink to numb my feelings. But the numbingdid not improve the situation, so I sought further escape inthe bottle. Today I must be aware of my alcoholism. Icannot afford to believe that I have gained control of mydrinking—or again I will think I have gained control of mylife. Such a feeling of control is fatal to my recovery."
  146.         },
  147.         {
  148.             "month": "JANUARY",
  149.             "day": 19,
  150.             "title": "ROUND-THE-CLOCK FAITH",
  151.             "quotation": "Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and throughus, or we perish.",
  152.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 16",
  153.             "reading": "The essence of my spirituality, and my sobriety, rests on around-the-clock faith in a Higher Power. I need toremember and rely on the God of my understanding as Ipursue all of my daily activities. How comforting for me isthe concept that God works in and through people. As Ipause in my day, do I recall specific concrete examples ofGod's presence? Am I amazed and uplifted by the numberof times this power is evident? I am overwhelmed withgratitude for my God's presence in my life of recovery.Without this omnipotent force in my every activity, I wouldagain fall into the depths of my disease—and death."
  154.         },
  155.         {
  156.             "month": "JANUARY",
  157.             "day": 20,
  158.             "title": "'WE PAUSE . . . AND ASK'",
  159.             "quotation": "As we go through the day we pause, when agitated ordoubtful, and ask for the right thought or action.",
  160.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87",
  161.             "reading": "Today I humbly ask my Higher Power for the grace to findthe space between my impulse and my action; to let flow acooling breeze when I would respond with heat; tointerrupt fierceness with gentle peace; to accept themoment which allows judgment to become discernment; todefer to silence when my tongue would rush to attack ordefend.I promise to watch for every opportunity to turn towardmy Higher Power for guidance. I know where this poweris: it resides within me, as clear as a mountain brook,hidden in the hills—it is the unsuspected Inner Resource.I thank my Higher Power for this world of light andtruth I see when I allow it to direct my vision. I trust ittoday and hope it trusts me to make all effort to find theright thought or action today."
  162.         },
  163.         {
  164.             "month": "JANUARY",
  165.             "day": 21,
  166.             "title": "SERVING MY BROTHER",
  167.             "quotation": "The member talks to the newcomer not in a spirit of powerbut in a spirit of humility and weakness.",
  168.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE p. 279",
  169.             "reading": "As the days pass in A.A., I ask God to guide my thoughtsand the words that I speak. In this labor of continuousparticipation in the Fellowship, I have numerousopportunities to speak. So I frequently ask God to help mewatch over my thoughts and my words, that they may be thetrue and proper reflections of our program; to focus myaspirations once again to seek His guidance; to help me betruly kind and loving, helpful and healing, yet always filledwith humility, and free from any trace of arrogance.Today I may very well have to deal with disagreeableattitudes or utterances—the typical stock-in-trade attitude ofthe still-suffering alcoholic. If this should happen, I willtake a moment to center myself in God, so that I will be ableto respond from a perspective of composure, strength andsensibility."
  170.         },
  171.         {
  172.             "month": "JANUARY",
  173.             "day": 22,
  174.             "title": "'LET'S KEEP IT SIMPLE'",
  175.             "quotation": "A few hours later I took my leave of Dr. Bob. . . . Thewonderful, old, broad smile was on his face as he saidalmost jokingly, 'Remember, Bill, let's not louse this thingup. Let's keep it simple!' I turned away, unable to say aword. That was the last time I ever saw him.",
  176.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE, p. 214",
  177.             "reading": "After years of sobriety I occasionally ask myself: 'Can it bethis simple?' Then, at meetings, I see former cynics andskeptics who have walked the A. A. path out of hell bypackaging their lives, without alcohol, into twenty-fourhour segments, during which they practice a few principlesto the best of their individual abilities. And then I knowagain that, while it isn't always easy, if I keep it simple, itworks."
  178.         },
  179.         {
  180.             "month": "JANUARY",
  181.             "day": 23,
  182.             "title": "HAVING FUN YET?",
  183.             "quotation": ". . . we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy orfun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutelyinsist on enjoying life. We try not to indulge in cynicismover the state of the nations, nor do we carry the world'stroubles on our shoulders",
  184.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 132",
  185.             "reading": "When my own house is in order, I find the different parts ofmy life are more manageable. Stripped from the guilt andremorse that cloaked my drinking years, I am free toassume my proper role in the universe, but this conditionrequires maintenance. I should stop and ask myself, Am Ihaving fun yet? If I find answering that question difficult orpainful, perhaps I'm taking myself too seriously—and finding it difficult to admit that I've strayed from my practice ofworking the program to keep my house in order. I think thepain I experience is one way my Higher Power has to getmy attention, coaxing me to take stock of my performance.The slight time and effort it takes to work the program—aspot-check inventory, for example, or the making ofamends, whatever is appropriate—are well worth the effort."
  186.         },
  187.         {
  188.             "month": "JANUARY",
  189.             "day": 24,
  190.             "title": "GETTING INVOLVED",
  191.             "quotation": "There is action and more action. 'Faith without works isdead.' . . . To be helpful is our only aim.",
  192.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 88-89",
  193.             "reading": "I understand that service is a vital part of recovery but Ioften wonder, 'What can I do?' Simply start with what Ihave today! I look around to see where there is a need. Arethe ashtrays full? Do I have hands and feet to empty them?Suddenly I'm involved! The best speaker may make theworst coffee; the member who's best with newcomers maybe unable to read; the one willing to clean up may make amess of the bank account—yet every one of these peopleand jobs is essential to an active group. The miracle ofservice is this: when I use what I have, I find there is moreavailable to me than I realized before."
  194.         },
  195.         {
  196.             "month": "JANUARY",
  197.             "day": 25,
  198.             "title": "WHAT WE NEED—EACH OTHER",
  199.             "quotation": ". . . A.A. is really saying to every serious drinker, 'You arean A.A. member if you say so . . . nobody can keep youout.'",
  200.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139",
  201.             "reading": "For years, whenever I reflected on Tradition Three ('Theonly requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stopdrinking'), I thought it valuable only to newcomers. It wastheir guarantee that no one could bar them from A.A.Today I feel enduring gratitude for the spiritualdevelopment the Tradition has brought me. I don't seek outpeople obviously different from myself. Tradition Three,concentrating on the one way I am similar to others,brought me to know and help every kind of alcoholic, justas they have helped me. Charlotte, the atheist, showed mehigher standards of ethics and honor; Clay, of another race,taught me patience; Winslow, who is gay, led me byexample into true compassion; Young Megan says thatseeing me at meetings, sober thirty years, keeps her comingback. Tradition Three insured that we would get what weneed—each other."
  202.         },
  203.         {
  204.             "month": "JANUARY",
  205.             "day": 26,
  206.             "title": "RIGOROUS HONESTY",
  207.             "quotation": "Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Whowants to confess his faults to another and make restitutionfor harm done? Who cares anything about a Higher Power,let alone meditation and prayer? Who wants to sacrificetime and energy in trying to carry A.A. 's message to thenext sufferer? No, the average alcoholic, self-centered inthe extreme, doesn't care for this prospect—unless he hasto do these things in order to stay alive himself.",
  208.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 24",
  209.             "reading": "I am an alcoholic. If I drink I will die. My, what power,energy, and emotion this simple statement generates in me!But it's really all I need to know for today. Am I willing tostay alive today? Am I willing to stay sober today? Am Iwilling to ask for help and am I willing to be a help toanother suffering alcoholic today? Have I discovered thefatal nature of my situation? What must I do, today, to staysober?"
  210.         },
  211.         {
  212.             "month": "JANUARY",
  213.             "day": 27,
  214.             "title": "FREEDOM FROM GUILT",
  215.             "quotation": "Where other people were concerned, we had to drop theword 'blame' from our speech and thought.",
  216.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 47",
  217.             "reading": "When I become willing to accept my own powerlessness, Ibegin to realize that blaming myself for all the trouble inmy life can be an ego trip back into hopelessness. Askingfor help and listening deeply to the messages inherent inthe Steps and Traditions of the program make it possible tochange those attitudes which delay my recovery. Beforejoining A.A., I had such a desire for approval from peoplein powerful positions that I was willing to sacrifice myself,and others, to gain a foothold in the world. I invariablycame to grief. In the program I find true friends who love,understand, and care to help me learn the truth aboutmyself. With the help of the Twelve Steps, I am able tobuild a better life, free of guilt and the need for selfjustification."
  218.         },
  219.         {
  220.             "month": "JANUARY",
  221.             "day": 28,
  222.             "title": "THE TREASURE OF THE PAST",
  223.             "quotation": "Showing others who suffer how we were given help is thevery thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now.Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past isthe greatest possession you have—the key to life andhappiness for others. With it you can avert death andmisery for them.",
  224.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 124",
  225.             "reading": "What a gift it is for me to realize that all those seeminglyuseless years were not wasted. The most degrading andhumiliating experiences turn out to be the most powerfultools in helping others to recover. In knowing the depths ofshame and despair, I can reach out with a loving andcompassionate hand, and know that the grace of God isavailable to me."
  226.         },
  227.         {
  228.             "month": "JANUARY",
  229.             "day": 29,
  230.             "title": "THE JOY OF SHARING",
  231.             "quotation": "Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, tosee them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see afellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends—this is an experience you must not miss. We know you willnot want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers andwith each other is the bright spot of our lives.",
  232.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89",
  233.             "reading": "To know that each newcomer with whom I share has theopportunity to experience the relief that I have found in thisFellowship fills me with joy and gratitude. I feel that all thethings described in A.A. will come to pass for them, as theyhave for me, if they seize the opportunity and embrace theprogram fully."
  234.         },
  235.         {
  236.             "month": "JANUARY",
  237.             "day": 30,
  238.             "title": "FREEDOM FROM . . . FREEDOM TO",
  239.             "quotation": "We are going to know a new freedom. . . .",
  240.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 83",
  241.             "reading": "Freedom for me is both freedom from and freedom to. Thefirst freedom I enjoy is freedom from the slavery ofalcohol. What a relief! Then I begin to experience freedomfrom fear—fear of people, of economic insecurity, ofcommitment, of failure, of rejection. Then I begin to enjoyfreedom to—freedom to choose sobriety for today, freedomto be myself, freedom to express my opinion, to experiencepeace of mind, to love and be loved, and freedom to growspiritually. But how can I achieve these freedoms? The BigBook clearly says that before I am halfway through makingamends, I will begin to know a 'new' freedom; not the oldfreedom of doing what I pleased, without regard to others,but the new freedom that allows fulfillment of the promisesin my life. What a joy to be free!"
  242.         },
  243.         {
  244.             "month": "JANUARY",
  245.             "day": 31,
  246.             "title": "OUR COMMON WELFARE COMES FIRST",
  247.             "quotation": "The unity of Alcoholics Anonymous is the most cherishedquality our Society has . . . We stay whole, or A. A. dies",
  248.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 129",
  249.             "reading": "Our Traditions are key elements in the ego deflationprocess necessary to achieve and maintain sobriety inAlcoholics Anonymous. The First Tradition reminds menot to take credit, or authority, for my recovery. Placingour common welfare first reminds me not to become ahealer in this program; I am still one of the patients. Selfeffacing elders built the ward. Without it, I doubt I wouldbe alive. Without the group, few alcoholics would recover.The active role in renewed surrender of will enables meto step aside from the need to dominate, the desire forrecognition, both of which played so great a part in myactive alcoholism. Deferring my personal desires for thegreater good of group growth contributes toward A.A.unity that is central to all recovery. It helps me toremember that the whole is greater than the sum of all itsparts."
  250.         },
  251.         {
  252.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  253.             "day": 1,
  254.             "title": "GOAL: SANITY",
  255.             "quotation": "'. . . Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltratemy life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day Icame to believe in a Power greater than myself, but Icertainly have that belief now.'",
  256.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 27",
  257.             "reading": "'Came to believe!' I gave lip service to my belief when Ifelt like it or when I thought it would look good. I didn'treally trust God. I didn't believe He cared for me. I kepttrying to change things I couldn't change. Gradually, indisgust, I began to turn it all over, saying: 'You're soomnipotent, you take care of it.' He did. I began to receiveanswers to my deepest problems, sometimes at the mostunusual times: driving to work, eating lunch, or when I wassound asleep. I realized that I hadn't thought of thosesolutions—a Power greater than myself had given them tome. I came to believe."
  258.         },
  259.         {
  260.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  261.             "day": 2,
  262.             "title": "RESCUED BY SURRENDERING",
  263.             "quotation": "Characteristic of the so-called typical alcoholic is anarcissistic egocentric core, dominated by feelings ofomnipotence, intent on maintaining at all costs its innerintegrity. . . . Inwardly the alcoholic brooks no control fromman or God He, the alcoholic, is and must be the master ofhis destiny. He will fight to the end to preserve thatposition.",
  264.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 311",
  265.             "reading": "The great mystery is: 'Why do some of us die alcoholicdeaths, fighting to preserve the 'independence' of our ego,while others seem to sober up effortlessly in A.A.?' Helpfrom a Higher Power, the gift of sobriety, came to me whenan otherwise unexplained desire to stop drinking coincidedwith my willingness to accept the suggestions of the menand women of A.A. I had to surrender, for only by reachingout to God and my fellows could I be rescued."
  266.         },
  267.         {
  268.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  269.             "day": 3,
  270.             "title": "FILLING THE VOID",
  271.             "quotation": "We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. 'Do Inow believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is aPower greater than myself?' As soon as a man can say thathe does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphaticallyassure him that he is on his way.",
  272.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 47",
  273.             "reading": "I was always fascinated with the study of scientificprinciples. I was emotionally and physically distant frompeople while I pursued Absolute Knowledge. God andspirituality were meaningless academic exercises. I was amodern man of science, knowledge was my Higher Power.Given the right set of equations, life was merely anotherproblem to solve. Yet my inner self was dying from myouter man's solution to life's problems and the solution wasalcohol. In spite of my intelligence, alcohol became myHigher Power. It was through the unconditional love whichemanated from A.A. people and meetings that I was able todiscard alcohol as my Higher Power. The great void wasfilled. I was no longer lonely and apart from life. I hadfound a true power greater than myself, I had found God'slove. There is only one equation which really matters to menow: God is in A.A."
  274.         },
  275.         {
  276.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  277.             "day": 4,
  278.             "title": "WHEN FAITH IS MISSING",
  279.             "quotation": "Sometimes A.A. comes harder to those who have lost orrejected faith than to those who never had any faith at all,for they think they have tried faith and found it wanting.They have tried the way of faith and the way of no faith.",
  280.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 28",
  281.             "reading": "I was so sure God had failed me that I became ultimatelydefiant, though I knew better, and plunged into a finaldrinking binge. My faith turned bitter and that was nocoincidence. Those who once had great faith hit bottomharder. It took time to rekindle my faith, though I came toA.A. I was grateful intellectually to have survived such agreat fall, but my heart felt callous. Still, I stuck with theA.A. program; the alternatives were too bleak! I keptcoming back and gradually my faith was resurrected."
  282.         },
  283.         {
  284.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  285.             "day": 5,
  286.             "title": "A GLORIOUS RELEASE",
  287.             "quotation": "'The minute I stopped arguing, I could begin to see andfeel Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually beganto infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or uponwhat day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself,but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I hadonly to stop fighting and practice the rest of A.A. 's program as enthusiastically as I could.'",
  288.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 27",
  289.             "reading": "After years of indulging in a 'self-will run riot,' Step Twobecame for me a glorious release from being all alone.Nothing is so painful or insurmountable in my journeynow. Someone is always there to share life's burdens withme. Step Two became a reinforcement with God, and Inow realize that my insanity and ego were curiously linked.To rid myself of the former, I must give up the latter to onewith far broader shoulders than my own."
  290.         },
  291.         {
  292.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  293.             "day": 6,
  294.             "title": "A RALLYING POINT",
  295.             "quotation": "Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us.Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can standtogether on this Step.",
  296.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33",
  297.             "reading": "I feel that A.A. is a God-inspired program and that God isat every A.A. meeting. I see, believe, and have come toknow that A.A. works, because I have stayed sober today. Iam turning my life over to A.A. and to God by going to anA.A. meeting. If God is in my heart and everyone else's,then I am a small part of a whole and I am not unique. IfGod is in my heart and He speaks to me through otherpeople, then I must be a channel of God to other people. Ishould seek to do His will by living spiritual principles andmy reward will be sanity and emotional sobriety."
  298.         },
  299.         {
  300.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  301.             "day": 7,
  302.             "title": "A PATH TO FAITH",
  303.             "quotation": "True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, andevery A.A. meeting is an assurance that God will restore usto sanity if we rightly relate ourselves to Him.",
  304.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33",
  305.             "reading": "My last drunk had landed me in the hospital, totally broken.It was then that I was able to see my past float in front ofme. I realized that, through drinking, I had lived everynightmare I had ever had. My own self-will and obsessionto drink had driven me into a dark pit of hallucinations,blackouts and despair. Finally beaten, I asked for God'shelp. His presence told me to believe. My obsession foralcohol was taken away and my paranoia has since beenlifted. I am no longer afraid. I know my life is healthy andsane."
  306.         },
  307.         {
  308.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  309.             "day": 8,
  310.             "title": "CONVINCING 'MR. HYDE'",
  311.             "quotation": "Even then, as we hew away, peace and joy will still eludeus. That's the place so many of us A. A. oldsters have cometo. And it's a hell of a spot, literally. How shall ourunconscious—from which so many of our fears,compulsions and phony aspirations still stream —bebrought into line with what we actually believe, know andwant! How to convince our dumb, raging and hidden 'Mr.Hyde' becomes our main task.",
  312.             "citation": "THE BEST OF BILL, pp. 42-43",
  313.             "reading": "Regular attendance at meetings, serving and helping othersis the recipe that many have tried and found to besuccessful. Whenever I stray from these basic principles,my old habits resurface and my old self also comes backwith all its fears and defects. The ultimate goal of each A.A.member is permanent sobriety, achieved One Day at aTime."
  314.         },
  315.         {
  316.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  317.             "day": 9,
  318.             "title": "GETTING THE 'SPIRITUAL ANGLE'",
  319.             "quotation": "How often do we sit in AA meetings and hear the speakerdeclare, 'But I haven't yet got the spiritual angle.' Prior tothis statement, he had described a miracle oftransformation which had occurred in him—not only hisrelease from alcohol, but a complete change in his wholeattitude toward life and the living of it It is apparent tonearly everyone else present that he has received a greatgift; ' . . . except that he doesn't seem to know it yet!'We well know that this questioning individual will tell us sixmonths or a year hence that he has found faith in God.",
  320.             "citation": "LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 275",
  321.             "reading": "A spiritual experience can be the realization that a lifewhich once seemed empty and devoid of meaning is nowjoyous and full. In my life today, daily prayer andmeditation, coupled with living the Twelve Steps, hasbrought about an inner peace and feeling of belongingwhich was missing when I was drinking."
  322.         },
  323.         {
  324.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  325.             "day": 10,
  326.             "title": "I DON'T RUN THE SHOW",
  327.             "quotation": "When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposedcrisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlesslyface the proposition that either God is everything or elseHe is nothing. God either is, or He isn't What was ourchoice to be?",
  328.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 53",
  329.             "reading": "Today my choice is God. He is everything. For this I amtruly grateful. When I think I am running the show I amblocking God from my life. I pray I can remember thiswhen I allow myself to get caught up into self. The mostimportant thing is that today I am willing to grow alongspiritual lines, and that God is everything. When I wastrying to quit drinking on my own, it never worked; withGod and A.A., it is working. This seems to be a simplethought for a complicated alcoholic."
  330.         },
  331.         {
  332.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  333.             "day": 11,
  334.             "title": "THE LIMITS OF SELF-RELIANCE",
  335.             "quotation": "We asked ourselves why we had them [fears]. Wasn't itbecause self-reliance failed us?",
  336.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 68",
  337.             "reading": "All of my character defects separate me from God's will.When I ignore my association with Him I face the worldand my alcoholism alone and must depend on self-reliance.I have never found security and happiness through self-willand the only result is a life of fear and discontent. Godprovides the path back to Him and to His gift of serenityand comfort. First, however, I must be willing to acknowledge my fears and understand their source and powerover me. I frequently ask God to help me understand how Iseparate myself from Him."
  338.         },
  339.         {
  340.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  341.             "day": 12,
  342.             "title": "'THE ROOT OF OUR TROUBLES'",
  343.             "quotation": "Selfishness—self-centeredness! That, we think, is the rootof our troubles.",
  344.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62",
  345.             "reading": "How amazing the revelation that the world, and everyonein it, can get along just fine with or without me. What arelief to know that people, places and things will beperfectly okay without my control and direction. And howwordlessly wonderful to come to believe that a powergreater than me exists separate and apart from myself. Ibelieve that the feeling of separation I experience betweenme and God will one day vanish. In the meantime, faithmust serve as the pathway to the center of my life."
  346.         },
  347.         {
  348.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  349.             "day": 13,
  350.             "title": "WE CAN'T THINK OUR WAY SOBER",
  351.             "quotation": "To the intellectually self-sufficient man or woman, many A.A.'s can say, 'Yes, we were like you—far too smart for ourown good. . . . Secretly, we felt we could float above therest of the folks on our brain power alone.'",
  352.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 60",
  353.             "reading": "Even the most brilliant mind is no defense against thedisease of alcoholism. I can't think my way sober. I try toremember that intelligence is a God-given attribute that Imay use, a joy—like having a talent for dancing or drawingor carpentry. It does not make me better than anyone else,and it is not a particularly reliable tool for recovery, for it isa power greater than myself who will restore me tosanity—not a high IQ or a college degree."
  354.         },
  355.         {
  356.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  357.             "day": 14,
  358.             "title": "EXPECTATIONS vs. DEMANDS",
  359.             "quotation": "Burn the idea into the consciousness of ever, man that hecan get well regardless of anyone. The only condition isthat he trust in God and clean house.",
  360.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 98",
  361.             "reading": "Dealing with expectations is a frequent topic at meetings. Itisn't wrong to expect progress of myself, good things fromlife, or decent treatment from others. Where I get intotrouble is when my expectations become demands. I willfall short of what I wish to be and situations will go inways I do not like, because people will let me downsometimes. The only question is: 'What am I going to doabout it?' Wallow in self-pity or anger; retaliate and makea bad situation worse; or will I trust in God's power tobring blessings on the messes in which I find myself? WillI ask Him what I should be learning; do I keep on doing theright things I know how to do, no matter what; do I taketime to share my faith and blessings with others?"
  362.         },
  363.         {
  364.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  365.             "day": 15,
  366.             "title": "TAKING ACTION",
  367.             "quotation": "Are these extravagant promises? We think not They arebeing fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimesslowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.",
  368.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  369.             "reading": "One of the most important things A.A. has given me, inaddition to freedom from booze, is the ability to take 'rightaction.' It says the promises will always materialize if Iwork for them. Fantasizing about them, debating them,preaching about them and faking them just won't work. I'llremain a miserable, rationalizing dry drunk. By takingaction and working the Twelve Steps in all my affairs, I'llhave a life beyond my wildest dreams."
  370.         },
  371.         {
  372.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  373.             "day": 16,
  374.             "title": "COMMITMENT",
  375.             "quotation": "Understanding is the key to right principles and attitudes,and right action is the key to good living.",
  376.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 125",
  377.             "reading": "There came a time in my program of recovery when thethird stanza of the Serenity Prayer—'The wisdom to knowthe difference'—became indelibly imprinted in my mind.From that time on, I had to face the ever-presentknowledge that my every action, word and thought waswithin, or outside, the principles of the program. I could nolonger hide behind self-rationalization, nor behind theinsanity of my disease. The only course open to me, if Iwas to attain a joyous life for myself (and subsequently forthose I love), was one in which I imposed on myself aneffort of commitment, discipline, and responsibility."
  378.         },
  379.         {
  380.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  381.             "day": 17,
  382.             "title": "THE LOVE IN THEIR EYES",
  383.             "quotation": "Some of us won't believe in God, others can't, and stillothers who do believe that God exists have no faithwhatever He will perform this miracle.",
  384.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 25",
  385.             "reading": "It was the changes I saw in the new people who came intothe Fellowship that helped me lose my fear, and change mynegative attitude to a positive one. I could see the love intheir eyes and I was impressed by how much their 'OneDay at a Time' sobriety meant to them. They had lookedsquarely at Step Two and came to believe that a powergreater than themselves was restoring them to sanity. Thatgave me faith in the Fellowship, and hope that it couldwork for me too. I found that God was a loving God, notthat punishing God I feared before coming to A.A. I alsofound that He had been with me during all those times I hadbeen in trouble before I came to A.A. I know today that Hewas the one who led me to A.A. and that I am a miracle."
  386.         },
  387.         {
  388.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  389.             "day": 18,
  390.             "title": "OUR PATHS ARE OUR OWN",
  391.             "quotation": ". . . there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simplekit of spiritual tools laid at our feet.",
  392.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 25",
  393.             "reading": "My first attempt at the Steps was one of obligation andnecessity, which resulted in a deep feeling ofdiscouragement in the face of all those adverbs:courageously; completely; humbly; directly; and only. Iconsidered Bill W. fortunate to have gone through such amajor, even sensational, spiritual experience. I had todiscover, as time went on, that my path was my own. Aftera few twenty-four hours in the A.A. Fellowship, thanksespecially to the sharing of members in the meetings, Iunderstood that everyone gradually finds his or her ownpace in moving through the Steps. Through progressivemeans, I try to live according to these suggested principles.As a result of these Steps, I can say today that my attitudetowards life, people, and towards anything having to dowith God, has been transformed and improved."
  394.         },
  395.         {
  396.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  397.             "day": 19,
  398.             "title": "I'M NOT DIFFERENT",
  399.             "quotation": "In the beginning, it was four whole years before A. A.brought permanent sobriety to even one alcoholic woman.Like the 'high bottoms,' the women said they weredifferent; . . . The Skid-Rower said he was different . . . sodid the artists and the professional people, the rich, thepoor, the religious, the agnostic, the Indians and theEskimos, the veterans, and the prisoners . . . nowadays allof these, and legions more, soberly talk about how verymuch alike all of us alcoholics are when we admit that thechips are finally down.",
  400.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 24",
  401.             "reading": "I cannot consider myself 'different' in A. A.; if I do Iisolate myself from others and from contact with myHigher Power. If I feel isolated in A.A., it is not somethingfor which others are responsible. It is something I'vecreated by feeling I'm 'different' in some way. Today Ipractice being just another alcoholic in the worldwideFellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous."
  402.         },
  403.         {
  404.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  405.             "day": 20,
  406.             "title": "THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER",
  407.             "quotation": "At this juncture, his A.A. sponsor usually laughs.",
  408.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 26",
  409.             "reading": "Before my recovery from alcoholism began, laughter wasone of the most painful sounds I knew. I never laughed andI felt that anyone else's laughter was directed at me! Myself-pity and anger denied me the simplest of pleasures orlightness of heart. By the end of my drinking not evenalcohol could provoke a drunken giggle in me.When my A.A. sponsor began to laugh and point out myself-pity and ego-feeding deceptions, I was annoyed andhurt, but it taught me to lighten up and focus on myrecovery. I soon learned to laugh at myself and eventually Itaught those I sponsor to laugh also. Every day I ask God tohelp me stop taking myself too seriously."
  410.         },
  411.         {
  412.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  413.             "day": 21,
  414.             "title": "I'M PART OF THE WHOLE",
  415.             "quotation": "At once, I became a part—if only a tiny part—of a cosmos....",
  416.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 225",
  417.             "reading": "When I first came to A.A., I decided that 'they' were verynice people—perhaps a little naive, a little too friendly, butbasically decent, earnest people (with whom I had nothingin common). I saw 'them' at meetings—after all, that waswhere 'they' existed. I shook hands with 'them' and, whenI went out the door, I forgot about 'them.'Then one day my Higher Power, whom I did not thenbelieve in, arranged to create a community project outsideof A.A., but one which happened to involve many A.A.members. We worked together, I got to know 'them' aspeople. I came to admire 'them,' even to like 'them' and,in spite of myself, to enjoy 'them.' 'Their' practice of theprogram in their daily lives—not just in talk at meetings—attracted me and I wanted what they had. Suddenly the'they' became 'we.' I have not had a drink since."
  418.         },
  419.         {
  420.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  421.             "day": 22,
  422.             "title": "GUIDANCE",
  423.             "quotation": ". . . this means a belief in a Creator who is all power,justice, and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, ameaning, and a destiny to grow, however . . . haltingly,toward His own likeness and image.",
  424.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 51",
  425.             "reading": "As I began to understand my own powerlessness and mydependence on God, as I understand Him, I began to seethat there was a life which, if I could have it, I would havechosen for myself from the beginning. It is through thecontinuing work of the Steps and the life in the Fellowshipthat I've learned to see that there is truly a better way intowhich I am being guided. As I come to know more aboutGod, I am able to trust His ways and His plans for thedevelopment of His character in me. Quickly or not soquickly, I grow toward His own image and likeness."
  426.         },
  427.         {
  428.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  429.             "day": 23,
  430.             "title": "MYSTERIOUS PARADOXES",
  431.             "quotation": "Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arisingout of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's oldlife as a condition for finding a new one.",
  432.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 46",
  433.             "reading": "What glorious mysteries paradoxes are! They do notcompute, yet when recognized and accepted, they reaffirmsomething in the universe beyond human logic. When Iface a fear, I am given courage; when I support a brother orsister, my capacity to love myself is increased; when Iaccept pain as part of the growing experience of life, Irealize a greater happiness; when I look at my dark side, Iam brought into new light; when I accept my vulnerabilities and surrender to a Higher Power, I am graced withunforeseen strength. I stumbled through the doors of A.A.in disgrace, expecting nothing from life, and I have beengiven hope and dignity. Miraculously, the only way to keepthe gifts of the program is to pass them on."
  434.         },
  435.         {
  436.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  437.             "day": 24,
  438.             "title": "A THANKFUL HEART",
  439.             "quotation": "/ try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heartcannot entertain great conceits. When brimming withgratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoinglove, the finest emotion that we can ever know.",
  440.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 37",
  441.             "reading": "My sponsor told me that I should be a grateful alcoholicand always have 'an attitude of gratitude'—that gratitudewas the basic ingredient of humility, that humility was thebasic ingredient of anonymity and that 'anonymity was thespiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding usto place principles before personalities.' As a result of thisguidance, I start every morning on my knees, thanking Godfor three things: I'm alive, I'm sober, and I'm a member ofAlcoholics Anonymous. Then I try to live an 'attitude ofgratitude' and thoroughly enjoy another twenty-four hoursof the A.A. way of life. A.A. is not something I joined; it'ssomething I live."
  442.         },
  443.         {
  444.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  445.             "day": 25,
  446.             "title": "THE CHALLENGE OF FAILURE",
  447.             "quotation": "In God's economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, welearn a lesson in humility which is probably needed,painful though it is.",
  448.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 31",
  449.             "reading": "How thankful I am today, to know that all my past failureswere necessary for me to be where I am now. Throughmuch pain came experience and, in suffering, I becameobedient. When I sought God, as I understand Him, Heshared His treasured gifts. Through experience andobedience, growth started, followed by gratitude. Yes, thencame peace of mind—living in and sharing sobriety."
  450.         },
  451.         {
  452.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  453.             "day": 26,
  454.             "title": "NO ORDINARY SUCCESS STORY",
  455.             "quotation": "A.A. is no success story in the ordinary sense of the word. Itis a story of suffering transmuted, under grace, intospiritual progress.",
  456.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 35",
  457.             "reading": "Upon entering A.A. I listened to others talk about thereality of their drinking: loneliness, terror and pain. As Ilistened further, I soon heard a description of a verydifferent kind—the reality of sobriety. It is a reality offreedom and happiness, of purpose and direction, and ofserenity and peace with God, ourselves and others. Byattending meetings I am reintroduced to that reality, overand over. I see it in the eyes and hear it in the voices ofthose around me. By working the program I find thedirection and strength with which to make it mine. The joyof A.A. is that this new reality is available to me."
  458.         },
  459.         {
  460.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  461.             "day": 27,
  462.             "title": "A UNIQUE STABILITY",
  463.             "quotation": "Where does A.A. get its direction? . . . These practical folkthen read Tradition Two, and learn that the sole authorityin A.A. is a loving God as He may express Himself in thegroup conscience. . . . The elder statesman is the one whosees the wisdom of the group's decision, who holds noresentment over his reduced status, whose judgment,fortified by considerable experience, is sound, and who iswilling to sit quietly on the sidelines patiently awaitingdevelopments",
  464.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 132, 135",
  465.             "reading": "Into the fabric of recovery from alcoholism are woven theTwelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions. As my recoveryprogressed, I realized that the new mantle was tailor-madefor me. The elders of the group gently offered suggestionswhen change seemed impossible. Everyone's sharedexperiences became the substance for treasured friendships.I know that the Fellowship is ready and equipped to aideach suffering alcoholic at all crossroads in life. In a worldbeset by many problems, I find this assurance a uniquestability. I cherish the gift of sobriety. I offer God mygratitude for the strength I receive in a Fellowship thattruly exists for the good of all members."
  466.         },
  467.         {
  468.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  469.             "day": 28,
  470.             "title": "WHAT? NO PRESIDENT?",
  471.             "quotation": "When told that our Society has no president havingauthority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel thepayment of any dues, . . . our friends gasp and exclaim,'This simply can't be. . . .'",
  472.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 132",
  473.             "reading": "When I finally made my way to A.A., I could not believethat there was no treasurer to 'compel the payment ofdues.' I could not imagine an organization that didn'trequire monetary contributions in return for a service. Itwas my first and, thus far, only experience with getting'something for nothing.' Because I did not feel used orconned by those in A.A., I was able to approach theprogram free from bias and with an open mind. Theywanted nothing from me. What could I lose? I thank Godfor the wisdom of the early founders who knew so well thealcoholic's disdain for being manipulated."
  474.         },
  475.         {
  476.             "month": "FEBRUARY",
  477.             "day": 29,
  478.             "title": "ONE A.A. MIRACLE",
  479.             "quotation": "Slave for a few brief moments of temptation the thought ofdrink has never returned; and at such times a greatrevulsion has risen up in him. Seemingly he could not drinkeven if he would. God had restored his sanity.",
  480.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 57",
  481.             "reading": "The word 'God' was frightening to me when I first saw itassociated with A.A.'s Twelve Steps. Having tried all themeans I could to stop drinking, I found that it was notpossible for me to sustain that desire over a period of time.Yet, how could I believe in a 'God' that had allowed me tosink to the deep despair that engulfed me—whetherdrinking or dry?The answer was in finally admitting that it might bepossible for me to know the mercy of a Power greater thanmyself who could grant me sobriety contingent on mywillingness to 'come to believe.' By finally admitting that Iwas one among many, and by following the example of mysponsor and other A.A. members in practicing faith I didnot have, my life has been given meaning, direction andpurpose."
  482.         },
  483.         {
  484.             "month": "MARCH",
  485.             "day": 1,
  486.             "title": "IT WORKS",
  487.             "quotation": "It works—it really does.",
  488.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 88",
  489.             "reading": "When I got sober I initially had faith only in the program ofAlcoholics Anonymous. Desperation and fear kept mesober (and maybe a caring and/or tough sponsor helped!).Faith in a Higher Power came much later. This faith cameslowly at first, after I began listening to others share atmeetings about their experiences—experiences that I hadnever faced sober, but that they were facing with strengthfrom a Higher Power. Out of their sharing came hope that Itoo would—and could—'get' a Higher Power. In time, Ilearned that a Higher Power—a faith that works under allconditions—is possible. Today this faith, plus the honesty,open-mindedness and willingness to work the Steps of theprogram, gives me the serenity that I seek. It works—itreally does."
  490.         },
  491.         {
  492.             "month": "MARCH",
  493.             "day": 2,
  494.             "title": "HOPE",
  495.             "quotation": "Do not be discouraged.",
  496.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 60",
  497.             "reading": "Few experiences are of less value to me than fast sobriety.Too many times discouragement has been the bonus forunrealistic expectations, not to mention self-pity or fatiguefrom my wanting to change the world by the weekend.Discouragement is a warning signal that I may havewandered across the God line. The secret of fulfilling mypotential is in acknowledging my limitations and believingthat time is a gift, not a threat.Hope is the key that unlocks the door of discouragement. The program promises me that if I do not pick upthe first drink today, I will always have hope. Having cometo believe that I keep what I share, every time I encourage,I receive courage. It is with others that, with the grace ofGod and the Fellowship of A.A., I trudge the road of happydestiny. May I always remember that the power within meis far greater than any fear before me. May I always havepatience, for I am on the right road."
  498.         },
  499.         {
  500.             "month": "MARCH",
  501.             "day": 3,
  502.             "title": "OVERCOMING SELF-WILL",
  503.             "quotation": "So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making.They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extremeexample of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn'tthink so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid ofthis selfishness. Wemust, or it kills us!",
  504.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62",
  505.             "reading": "For so many years my life revolved solely around myself. Iwas consumed with self in all forms—self-centeredness,self-pity, self-seeking, all of which stemmed from pride.Today I have been given the gift, through the Fellowship ofAlcoholics Anonymous, of practicing the Steps andTraditions in my daily life, of my group and sponsor, andthe capacity—if I so choose—to put my pride aside in allsituations which arise in my life.Until I could honestly look at myself and see that I wasthe problem in many situations and react appropriatelyinside and out; until I could discard my expectations andunderstand that my serenity was directly proportional tothem, I could not experience serenity and sound sobriety."
  506.         },
  507.         {
  508.             "month": "MARCH",
  509.             "day": 4,
  510.             "title": "WEEDING THE GARDEN",
  511.             "quotation": "The essence of all growth is a willingness to make achange for the better and then an unremitting willingnessto shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.",
  512.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 115",
  513.             "reading": "By the time I had reached Step Three I had been freed ofmy dependence on alcohol, but bitter experience has shownme that continuous sobriety requires continuous effort.Every now and then I pause to take a good look at myprogress. More and more of my garden is weeded eachtime I look, but each time I also find new weeds sproutingwhere I thought I had made my final pass with the blade.As I head back to get the newly sprouted weed (it's easierwhen they are young), I take a moment to admire how lushthe growing vegetables and flowers are, and my labors arerewarded. My sobriety grows and bears fruit."
  514.         },
  515.         {
  516.             "month": "MARCH",
  517.             "day": 5,
  518.             "title": "A LIFELONG TASK",
  519.             "quotation": "'But just how, in these circumstances, does a fellow 'take iteasy?' That's what I want to know.'",
  520.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 26",
  521.             "reading": "I was never known for my patience. How many times haveI asked, 'Why should I wait, when I can have it all rightnow?' Indeed, when I was first presented the TwelveSteps, I was like the proverbial 'kid in a candy store.' Icouldn't wait to get to Step Twelve; it was surely just a fewmonths' work, or so I thought! I realize now that living theTwelve Steps of A.A. is a lifelong undertaking."
  522.         },
  523.         {
  524.             "month": "MARCH",
  525.             "day": 6,
  526.             "title": "THE IDEA OF FAITH",
  527.             "quotation": "Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritualterms deter you from honestly asking yourself what theymean to you.",
  528.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 47",
  529.             "reading": "The idea of faith is a very large chunk to swallow whenfear, doubt and anger abound in and around me. Sometimesjust the idea of doing something different, something I amnot accustomed to doing, can eventually become an act offaith if I do it regularly, and do it without debating whetherit's the right thing to do. When a bad day comes along andeverything is going wrong, a meeting or a talk with anotherdrunk often distracts me just enough to persuade me thateverything is not quite as impossible, as overwhelming as Ihad thought. In the same way, going to a meeting or talkingto a fellow alcoholic are acts of faith; I believe I'm arrestingmy disease. These are ways I slowly move toward faith in aHigher Power."
  530.         },
  531.         {
  532.             "month": "MARCH",
  533.             "day": 7,
  534.             "title": "THE KEY IS WILLINGNESS",
  535.             "quotation": "Once we have placed the key of willingness in the lock andhave the door ever so slightly open, we find that we canalways open it some more.",
  536.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 35",
  537.             "reading": "The willingness to give up my pride and self-will to aPower greater than myself has proved to be the onlyingredient absolutely necessary to solve all of my problemstoday. Even the smallest amount of willingness, if sincere,is sufficient to allow God to enter and take control over anyproblem, pain, or obsession. My level of comfort is indirect relation to the degree of willingness I possess at anygiven moment to give up my self-will, and allow God's willto be manifested in my life. With the key of willingness,my worries and fears are powerfully transformed intoserenity."
  538.         },
  539.         {
  540.             "month": "MARCH",
  541.             "day": 8,
  542.             "title": "TURNING IT OVER",
  543.             "quotation": "Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends tostick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on StepThree. Isn't it true that in all matters touching upon alcohol,each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to thecare, protection, and guidance of Alcoholics Anonymous? .. . Any willing newcomer feels sure A.A. is the only safeharbor for the foundering vessel he has become. Now if thisis not turning one's will and life over to a newfoundProvidence, then what is it?",
  544.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 35",
  545.             "reading": "Submission to God was the first step to my recovery. Ibelieve our Fellowship seeks a spirituality open to a newkinship with God. As I exert myself to follow the path ofthe Steps, I sense a freedom that gives me the ability tothink for myself. My addiction confined me without anyrelease and hindered my ability to be released from my selfconfinement, but A.A. assures me of a way to go forward.Mutual sharing, concern and caring for others is our naturalgift to each other and mine is strengthened as my attitudetoward God changes. I learn to submit to God's will in mylife, to have self-respect, and to keep both of these attitudesby giving away what I receive."
  546.         },
  547.         {
  548.             "month": "MARCH",
  549.             "day": 9,
  550.             "title": "SURRENDERING SELF-WILL",
  551.             "quotation": "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to thecare of God as we understood Him.",
  552.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 34",
  553.             "reading": "No matter how much one wishes to try, exactly how canone turn his own will and his own life over to the care ofwhatever God he thinks there is? In my search for theanswer to this question, I became aware of the wisdom withwhich it was written: that this is a two-part Step.I could see many times where I should have died, or atleast been injured, during my previous style of living, and itnever happened. Someone, or something, was looking afterme. I choose to believe my life has always been in God'scare. He alone controls the number of days I will be granteduntil physical death.The matter of will (self-will or God's will) is the moredifficult part of the Step for me. It is only when I haveexperienced enough emotional pain, through failed attemptsto fix myself, that I become willing to surrender to God'swill for my life. Surrender is like the calm after the storm.When my will is in line with God's will for me, there ispeace within."
  554.         },
  555.         {
  556.             "month": "MARCH",
  557.             "day": 10,
  558.             "title": "TODAY, IT'S MY CHOICE",
  559.             "quotation": ". . . we invariably find that at some time in the past we havemade decisions based on self which later placed us in aposition to be hurt.",
  560.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62",
  561.             "reading": "With the realization and acceptance that I had played a partin the way my life had turned out came a dramatic changein my outlook. It was at this point that the A.A. programbegan to work for me. In the past I had always blamedothers, either God or other people, for my circumstances. Inever felt that I had a choice in altering my life. My decisions had been based on fear, pride, or ego. As a result,those decisions led me down a path of self-destruction.Today I try to allow my God to guide me on the road tosanity. I am responsible for my action—or inaction—whatever the consequences may be."
  562.         },
  563.         {
  564.             "month": "MARCH",
  565.             "day": 11,
  566.             "title": "GOOD ORDERLY DIRECTION",
  567.             "quotation": "It is when we try to make our will conform with God's thatwe begin to use it rightly. To all of us, this was a mostwonderful revelation. Our whole trouble had been themisuse of willpower. We had tried to bombard ourproblems with it instead of attempting to bring it intoagreement with God's intention for us. To make thisincreasingly possible is the purpose of A.A.'s Twelve Steps,and Step Three opens the door.",
  568.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 40",
  569.             "reading": "All I have to do is look back at my past to see where myself-will has led me. I just don't know what's best for meand I believe my Higher Power does. G.O.D., which Idefine as 'Good Orderly Direction,' has never let medown, but I have let myself down quite often. Using myself-will in a situation usually has the same result as forcingthe wrong piece into a jigsaw puzzle—exhaustion andfrustration.Step Three opens the door to the rest of the program.When I ask God for guidance I know that whateverhappens is the best possible situation, things are exactly asthey are supposed to be, even if they aren't what I want orexpect. God does do for me what I cannot do for myself, ifI let Him."
  570.         },
  571.         {
  572.             "month": "MARCH",
  573.             "day": 12,
  574.             "title": "A DAY'S PLAN",
  575.             "quotation": "On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hoursahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin,we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that itbe divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives",
  576.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 86",
  577.             "reading": "Every day I ask God to kindle within me the fire of Hislove, so that love, burning bright and clear, will illuminatemy thinking and permit me to better do His will.Throughout the day, as I allow outside circumstances todampen my spirits, I ask God to sear my consciousness withthe awareness that I can start my day over any time Ichoose; a hundred times, if necessary."
  578.         },
  579.         {
  580.             "month": "MARCH",
  581.             "day": 13,
  582.             "title": "A WORLD OF THE SPIRIT",
  583.             "quotation": "We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function isto grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not anovernight matter. It should continue for our lifetime.",
  584.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  585.             "reading": "The word 'entered' . . . and the phrase 'entered into theworld of the Spirit' are very significant. They imply action,a beginning, getting into, a prerequisite to maintaining myspiritual growth, the 'Spirit' being the immaterial part ofme. Barriers to my spiritual growth are self-centerednessand a materialistic focus on worldly things. Spiritualitymeans devotion to spiritual instead of worldly things, itmeans obedience to God's will for me. I understandspiritual things to be: unconditional love, joy, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control and humility.Any time I allow selfishness, dishonesty, resentment andfear to be a part of me, I block out spiritual things. As Imaintain my sobriety, growing spiritually becomes alifelong process. My goal is spiritual growth, accepting thatI'll never have spiritual perfection."
  586.         },
  587.         {
  588.             "month": "MARCH",
  589.             "day": 14,
  590.             "title": "THE KEYSTONE",
  591.             "quotation": "He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good ideasare simple, and this concept was the keystone of the newand triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom.",
  592.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62",
  593.             "reading": "A keystone is the wedge-shaped piece at the highest part ofan arch that locks the other pieces in place. The 'otherpieces' are Steps One, Two, and Four through Twelve. Inone sense this sounds like Step Three is the most importantStep, that the other eleven depend on the third for support.In reality however, Step Three is just one of twelve. It is thekeystone, but without eleven other stones to build the baseand arms, keystone or not, there will be no arch. Throughdaily working of all Twelve Steps, I find that triumphantarch waiting for me to pass through to another day offreedom."
  594.         },
  595.         {
  596.             "month": "MARCH",
  597.             "day": 15,
  598.             "title": "THE GOD IDEA",
  599.             "quotation": "When we saw others solve their problems by a simplereliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stopdoubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work. But theGod idea did.",
  600.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 52",
  601.             "reading": "Like a blind man gradually being restored to sight, I slowlygroped my way to the Third Step. Having realized that onlya Power greater than myself could rescue me from thehopeless abyss I was in, I knew that this was a Power that Ihad to grasp, and that it would be my anchor in the midst ofa sea of woes. Even though my faith at that time was minuscule, it was big enough to make me see that it was timefor me to discard my reliance on my prideful ego andreplace it with the steadying strength that could only comefrom a Power far greater than myself."
  602.         },
  603.         {
  604.             "month": "MARCH",
  605.             "day": 16,
  606.             "title": "AS WE UNDERSTAND HIM",
  607.             "quotation": "My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. . . .'Why don't you choose your own conception of God?'That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectualmountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered manyyears I stood in the sunlight at last. It was only a matter ofbeing willing to believe in a Power greater than myself.Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning.",
  608.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 12",
  609.             "reading": "I remember the times I looked up into the sky and reflectedon who started it all, and how. When I came to A.A., anunderstanding of some description of the spiritualdimension became a necessary adjunct to a stable sobriety.After reading a variety of versions, including the scientific,of a great explosion, I went for simplicity and made theGod of my understanding the Great Power that made theexplosion possible. With the vastness of the universe underHis command, He would, no doubt, be able to guide mythinking and actions if I was prepared to accept Hisguidance. But I could not expect help if I turned my backon that help and went my own way. I became willing tobelieve and I have had 26 years of stable and satisfyingsobriety."
  610.         },
  611.         {
  612.             "month": "MARCH",
  613.             "day": 17,
  614.             "title": "MYSTERIOUS WAYS",
  615.             "quotation": ". . . out of every season of grief or suffering when the handof God seemed heavy or even unjust, new lessons for livingwere learned, new resources of courage were uncovered,and that finally, inescapably, the conviction came that Goddoes 'move in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.'",
  616.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 105",
  617.             "reading": "After losing my career, family and health, I remainedunconvinced that my way of life needed a second look. Mydrinking and other drug use were killing me, but I had nevermet a recovering person or an A.A. member. I thought I wasdestined to die alone and that I deserved it. At the peak ofmy despair, my infant son became critically ill with a raredisease. Doctors' efforts to help him proved useless. Iredoubled my efforts to block my feelings, but now thealcohol had stopped working. I was left staring into God'seyes, begging for help. My introduction to A.A. camewithin days, through an odd series of coincidences, and Ihave remained sober ever since. My son lived and hisdisease is in remission. The entire episode convinced me ofmy powerlessness and the unmanageability of my life.Today my son and I thank God for His intervention."
  618.         },
  619.         {
  620.             "month": "MARCH",
  621.             "day": 18,
  622.             "title": "REAL INDEPENDENCE",
  623.             "quotation": "The more we become willing to depend upon a HigherPower, the more independent we actually are.",
  624.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 36",
  625.             "reading": "I start with a little willingness to trust God and He causesthat willingness to grow. The more willingness I have, themore trust I gain, and the more trust I gain, the morewillingness I have. My dependence on God grows as mytrust in Him grows. Before I became willing, I depended onmyself for all my needs and I was restricted by my incompleteness. Through my willingness to depend upon myHigher Power, whom I choose to call God, all my needs areprovided for by Someone Who knows me better than Iknow myself—even the needs I may not realize, as well asthe ones yet to come. Only Someone Who knows me thatwell could bring me to be myself and to help me fill theneed in someone else that only I am meant to fill. Therenever will be another exactly like me. And that is realindependence."
  626.         },
  627.         {
  628.             "month": "MARCH",
  629.             "day": 19,
  630.             "title": "PRAYER: IT WORKS",
  631.             "quotation": "It has been well said that 'almost the only scoffers atprayer are those who never tried it enough.'",
  632.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 97",
  633.             "reading": "Having grown up in an agnostic household, I felt somewhatfoolish when I first tried praying. I knew there was aHigher Power working in my life—how else was I stayingsober?—but I certainly wasn't convinced he/she/it wantedto hear my prayers. People who had what I wanted saidprayer was an important part of practicing the program, so Ipersevered. With a commitment to daily prayer, I wasamazed to find myself becoming more serene andcomfortable with my place in the world. In other words, lifebecame easier and less of a struggle. I'm still not sure who,or what, listens to my prayers, but I'd never stop sayingthem for the simple reason that they work."
  634.         },
  635.         {
  636.             "month": "MARCH",
  637.             "day": 20,
  638.             "title": "LOVE AND TOLERANCE",
  639.             "quotation": "Love and tolerance of others is our code.",
  640.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  641.             "reading": "I have found that I have to forgive others in all situations tomaintain any real spiritual progress. The vital importanceof forgiving may not be obvious to me at first sight, but mystudies tell me that every great spiritual teacher has insistedstrongly upon it.I must forgive injuries, not just in words, or as a matterof form, but in my heart. I do this not for the other persons'sake, but for my own sake. Resentment, anger, or a desireto see someone punished, are things that rot my soul. Suchthings fasten my troubles to me with chains. They tie me toother problems that have nothing to do with my originalproblem."
  642.         },
  643.         {
  644.             "month": "MARCH",
  645.             "day": 21,
  646.             "title": "MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING",
  647.             "quotation": "Fear . . . of economic insecurity will leave us.",
  648.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  649.             "reading": "Having fear reduced or eliminated and having economiccircumstances improve, are two different things. When Iwas new in A.A., I had those two ideas confused. I thoughtfear would leave me only when I started making money.However, another line from the Big Book jumped off thepage one day when I was chewing on my financialdifficulties: 'For us, material well-being always followedspiritual progress; it never preceded.' (p. 127). I suddenlyunderstood that this promise was a guarantee. I saw that itput priorities in the correct order, that spiritual progresswould diminish that terrible fear of being destitute, just as itdiminished many other fears.Today I try to use the talents God gave me to benefitothers. I've found that is what others valued all along. I tryto remember that I no longer work for myself. I only get theuse of the wealth God created, I never have 'owned' it. Mylife's purpose is much clearer when I just work to help, notto possess."
  650.         },
  651.         {
  652.             "month": "MARCH",
  653.             "day": 22,
  654.             "title": "NO MORE STRUGGLE. . .",
  655.             "quotation": "And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone— evenalcohol.",
  656.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  657.             "reading": "When A.A. found me, I thought I was in for a struggle, andthat A.A. might provide the strength I needed to beatalcohol. Victorious in that fight, who knows what otherbattles I could win. I would need to be strong, though. Allmy previous experience with life proved that. Today I donot have to struggle or exert my will. If I take those TwelveSteps and let my Higher Power do the real work, myalcohol problem disappears all by itself. My livingproblems also cease to be struggles. I just have to askwhether acceptance—or change—is required. It is not mywill, but His, that needs doing."
  658.         },
  659.         {
  660.             "month": "MARCH",
  661.             "day": 23,
  662.             "title": ". . . AND NO MORE RESERVATIONS",
  663.             "quotation": "We have seen the truth again and again: 'Once an alcoholic,always an alcoholic.'. . . If we are planning to stopdrinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor anylurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol.. . . To be gravely affected, one does not necessarily haveto drink a long time nor take the quantities some of us have.This is particularly true of women. Potential female alcoholics often turn into the real thing and are gone beyondrecall in a few years.",
  664.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 33",
  665.             "reading": "These words are underlined in my book. They are true formen and women alcoholics. On many occasions I've turnedto this page and reflected on this passage. I need never foolmyself by recalling my sometimes differing drinkingpatterns, or by believing I am 'cured.' I like to think that, ifsobriety is God's gift to me, then my sober life is my gift toGod. I hope God is as happy with His gift as I am withmine."
  666.         },
  667.         {
  668.             "month": "MARCH",
  669.             "day": 24,
  670.             "title": "ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE",
  671.             "quotation": "Man is supposed to think, and act He wasn't made in God'simage to be an automaton.",
  672.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 55",
  673.             "reading": "Before I joined A.A., I often did not think, and reacted topeople and situations. When not reacting I acted in amechanical fashion. After joining A. A., I started seekingdaily guidance from a Power greater than myself, andlearning to listen for that guidance. Then I began to makedecisions and act on them, rather than react to them. Theresults have been constructive; I no longer allow others tomake decisions for me and then criticize me for it.Today—and every day—with a heart full of gratitude,and a desire for God's will to be done through me, my lifeis worth sharing, especially with my fellow alcoholics!Above all, if I do not make a religion out of anything, evenA.A., then I can be an open channel for God's expression."
  674.         },
  675.         {
  676.             "month": "MARCH",
  677.             "day": 25,
  678.             "title": "A FULL AND THANKFUL HEART",
  679.             "quotation": "/ try hard to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankfulheart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming withgratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoinglove, the finest emotion that we can ever know.",
  680.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 37",
  681.             "reading": "I believe that we in Alcoholics Anonymous are fortunate inthat we are constantly reminded of the need to be gratefuland of how important gratitude is to our sobriety. I am trulygrateful for the sobriety God has given me through theA.A. program and am glad I can give back what was givento me freely. I am grateful not only for sobriety, but for thequality of life my sobriety has brought. God has beengracious enough to give me sober days and a life blessedwith peace and contentment, as well as the ability to giveand receive love, and the opportunity to serve others—inour Fellowship, my family and my community. For all ofthis, I have 'a full and thankful heart.'"
  682.         },
  683.         {
  684.             "month": "MARCH",
  685.             "day": 26,
  686.             "title": "THE TEACHING IS NEVER OVER",
  687.             "quotation": "Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admityour faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away thewreckage of your past Give freely of what you find and joinus. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, andyou will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road ofHappy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you—untilthen.",
  688.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164",
  689.             "reading": "These words put a lump in my throat each time I read them.In the beginning it was because I felt, 'Oh no! The teachingis over. Now I'm on my own. It will never be this newagain.' Today I feel deep affection for our A.A. pioneerswhen I read this passage, realizing that it sums up all ofwhat I believe in, and strive for, and that—with God'sblessing—the teaching is never over, I'm never on my own,and every day is brand new."
  690.         },
  691.         {
  692.             "month": "MARCH",
  693.             "day": 27,
  694.             "title": "A.A.'s FREEDOMS",
  695.             "quotation": "We trust that we already know what our several freedomstruly are; that no future generation of AAs will ever feelcompelled to limit them. Our AA freedoms create the soil inwhich genuine love can grow. . . .",
  696.             "citation": "LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 303",
  697.             "reading": "I craved freedom. First, freedom to drink; later, freedomfrom drink. The A.A. program of recovery rests on afoundation of free choice. There are no mandates, laws orcommandments. A.A.'s spiritual program, as outlined in theTwelve Steps, and by which I am offered even greaterfreedoms, is only suggested. I can take it or leave it.Sponsorship is offered, not forced, and I come and go as Iwill. It is these and other freedoms that allow me to recapture the dignity that was crushed by the burden of drink,and which is so dearly needed to support an enduringsobriety."
  698.         },
  699.         {
  700.             "month": "MARCH",
  701.             "day": 28,
  702.             "title": "EQUALITY",
  703.             "quotation": "Our membership ought to include all who suffer fromalcoholism Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover.Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money orconformity. Any two or three alcoholics gathered togetherfor sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, providedthat, as a group, they have no other affiliation.",
  704.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 565",
  705.             "reading": "Prior to A.A., I often felt that I didn't 'fit in' with thepeople around me. Usually 'they' had more/ less moneythan I did, and my points of view didn't jibe with 'theirs.'The amount of prejudice I had experienced in society onlyproved to me just how phony some self-righteous peoplewere. After joining A. A., I found the way of life I had beensearching for. In A.A. no member is better than any othermember; we're just alcoholics trying to recover fromalcoholism."
  706.         },
  707.         {
  708.             "month": "MARCH",
  709.             "day": 29,
  710.             "title": "TRUSTED SERVANTS",
  711.             "quotation": "They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thanklessprivilege of doing the group's chores",
  712.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 134",
  713.             "reading": "In Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis describes anencounter between his principal character and an old manbusily at work planting a tree. 'What is it you are doing?'Zorba asks. The old man replies: 'You can see very wellwhat I'm doing, my son, I'm planting a tree.' 'But whyplant a tree,' Zorba asks, 'if you won't be able to see it bearfruit?' And the old man answers: 'I, my son, live as thoughI were never going to die.' The response brings a faintsmile to Zorba's lips and, as he walks away, he exclaimswith a note of irony: 'How strange—I live as though I weregoing to die tomorrow!'As a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, I have foundthat the Third Legacy is a fertile soil in which to plant thetree of my sobriety. The fruits I harvest are wonderful:peace, security, understanding and twenty-four hours ofeternal fulfillment; and with the soundness of mind to listento the voice of my conscience when, in silence, it gentlyspeaks to me, saying: You must let go in service. There areothers who must plant and harvest."
  714.         },
  715.         {
  716.             "month": "MARCH",
  717.             "day": 30,
  718.             "title": "OUR GROUP CONSCIENCE",
  719.             "quotation": "'. . . sometimes the good is the enemy of the best'",
  720.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE P- 101",
  721.             "reading": "I think these words apply to every area of A.A.'s ThreeLegacies: Recovery, Unity and Service! I want them etchedin my mind and life as I 'trudge the Road of HappyDestiny' (Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 164). These words,often spoken by co-founder Bill W., were appropriatelysaid to him as the result of the group's conscience. Itbrought home to Bill W. the essence of our Second Tradition: 'Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do notgovern.'Just as Bill W. was originally urged to remember, I thinkthat in our group discussions we should never settle for the'good,' but always strive to attain the 'best.' Thesecommon strivings are yet another example of a loving God,as we understand Him, expressing Himself through thegroup conscience. Experiences such as these help me tostay on the proper path of recovery. I learn to combineinitiative with humility, responsibility with thankfulness,and thus relish the joys of living my twenty-four hourprogram."
  722.         },
  723.         {
  724.             "month": "MARCH",
  725.             "day": 31,
  726.             "title": "NO ONE DENIED ME LOVE",
  727.             "quotation": "On the A. A. calendar it was Year Two. . . . A newcomerappeared at one of these groups. . . . He soon proved thathis was a desperate case, and that above all he wanted toget well . . . [He said], 'Since I am the victim of anotheraddiction even worse stigmatized than alcoholism, you maynot want me among you.'",
  728.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 141-42",
  729.             "reading": "I came to you—a wife, mother, woman who had walked outon her husband, children, family. I was a drunk, a pill-head,a nothing. Yet no one denied me love, caring, a sense ofbelonging. Today, by God's grace and the love of a goodsponsor and a home group, I can say that—through you inAlcoholics Anonymous—I am a wife, a mother, agrandmother and a woman. Sober. Free of pills. Responsible.Without a Higher Power I found in the Fellowship, mylife would be meaningless. I am full of gratitude to be amember of good standing in Alcoholics Anonymous."
  730.         },
  731.         {
  732.             "month": "APRIL",
  733.             "day": 1,
  734.             "title": "LOOKING WITHIN",
  735.             "quotation": "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory ofourselves.",
  736.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 42",
  737.             "reading": "Step Four is the vigorous and painstaking effort to discoverwhat the liabilities in each of us have been, and are. I wantto find exactly how, when, and where my natural desireshave warped me. I wish to look squarely at the unhappinessthis has caused others and myself. By discovering what myemotional deformities are, I can move toward their correction. Without a willing and persistent effort to do this,there can be little sobriety or contentment for me.To resolve ambivalent feelings, I need to feel a strongand helpful sense of myself. Such an awareness doesn'thappen overnight, and no one's self-awareness ispermanent. Everyone has the capacity for growth, and forself-awareness, through an honest encounter with reality.When I don't avoid issues but meet them directly, alwaystrying to resolve them, they become fewer and fewer."
  738.         },
  739.         {
  740.             "month": "APRIL",
  741.             "day": 2,
  742.             "title": "CHARACTER BUILDING",
  743.             "quotation": "Demands made upon other people for too much attention,protection, and love can only invite domination orrevulsion. . . .",
  744.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 44",
  745.             "reading": "When I uncovered my need for approval in the Fourth Step,I didn't think it should rank as a character defect. I wantedto think of it more as an asset (that is, the desire to pleasepeople). It was quickly pointed out to me that this 'need'can be very crippling. Today I still enjoy getting theapproval of others, but I am not willing to pay the price Iused to pay to get it. I will not bend myself into a pretzel toget others to like me. If I get your approval, that's fine; butif I don't, I will survive without it. I am responsible forspeaking what I perceive to be the truth, not what I thinkothers may want to hear.Similarly, my false pride always kept me overlyconcerned about my reputation. Since being enlightened inthe A.A. program, my aim is to improve my character."
  746.         },
  747.         {
  748.             "month": "APRIL",
  749.             "day": 3,
  750.             "title": "ACCEPTING OUR HUMANNESS",
  751.             "quotation": "We finally saw that the inventory should be ours, not theother man's So we admitted our wrongs honestly andbecame willing to set these matters straight.",
  752.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 222",
  753.             "reading": "Why is it that the alcoholic is so unwilling to acceptresponsibility? I used to drink because of the things thatother people did to me. Once I came to A.A. I was told tolook at where I had been wrong. What did I have to do withall these different matters? When I simply accepted that Ihad a part in them, I was able to put it on paper and see itfor what it was —humanness. I am not expected to beperfect! I have made errors before and I will make themagain. To be honest about them allows me to acceptthem—and myself—and those with whom I had thedifferences; from there, recovery is just a short distanceahead."
  754.         },
  755.         {
  756.             "month": "APRIL",
  757.             "day": 4,
  758.             "title": "CRYING FOR THE MOON",
  759.             "quotation": "'This very real feeling of inferiority is magnified by hischildish sensitivity and it is this state of affairs whichgenerates in him that insatiable, abnormal craving for selfapproval and success in the eyes of the world. Still a child,he cries for the moon. And the moon, it seems, won't havehim!'",
  760.             "citation": "LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 102",
  761.             "reading": "While drinking I seemed to vacillate between feeling totallyinvisible and believing I was the center of the universe.Searching for that elusive balance between the two hasbecome a major part of my recovery. The moon I constantlycried for is, in sobriety, rarely full; it shows me instead itsmany other phases, and there are lessons in them all. Truelearning has often followed an eclipse, a time of darkness,but with each cycle of my recovery, the light grows strongerand my vision is clearer."
  762.         },
  763.         {
  764.             "month": "APRIL",
  765.             "day": 5,
  766.             "title": "TRUE BROTHERHOOD",
  767.             "quotation": "We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friendamong friends, to be a worker among workers, to be auseful member of society. Always we tried to struggle to thetop of the heap, or to hide underneath it This self-centeredbehavior blocked a partnership relation with any one ofthose about us. Of true brotherhood we had smallcomprehension.",
  768.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 53",
  769.             "reading": "This message contained in Step Four was the first one Iheard loud and clear; I hadn't seen myself in print before!Prior to my coining into A.A., I knew of no place that couldteach me how to become a person among persons. From myvery first meeting, I saw people doing just that and I wantedwhat they had. One of the reasons that I'm a happy, soberalcoholic today is that I'm learning this most importantlesson."
  770.         },
  771.         {
  772.             "month": "APRIL",
  773.             "day": 6,
  774.             "title": "A LIFETIME PROCESS",
  775.             "quotation": "We were having trouble with personal relationships, wecouldn't control our emotional natures, we were a prey tomisery and depression, we couldn't make a living, we had afeeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we wereunhappy, we couldn't seem to be of real help to otherpeople. . . .",
  776.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 52",
  777.             "reading": "These words remind me that I have more problems thanalcohol, that alcohol is only a symptom of a more pervasivedisease. When I stopped drinking I began a lifetime processof recovery from unruly emotions, painful relationships, andunmanageable situations. This process is too much for mostof us without help from a Higher Power and our friends inthe Fellowship. When I began working the Steps of the A.A.program, many of these tangled threads unraveled but, littleby little, the most broken places of my life straightened out.One day at a time, almost imperceptibly, I healed. Like athermostat being turned down, my fears diminished. I beganto experience moments of contentment. My emotionsbecame less volatile. I am now once again a part of thehuman family."
  778.         },
  779.         {
  780.             "month": "APRIL",
  781.             "day": 7,
  782.             "title": "A WIDE ARC OF GRATITUDE",
  783.             "quotation": "And, speaking for Dr. Bob and myself, I gratefully declarethat had it not been for our wives, Anne and Lois, neither ofus could have lived to see A.A.'s beginning.",
  784.             "citation": "THE A.A. WAY OF LIFE, p. 67",
  785.             "reading": "Am I capable of such generous tribute and gratitude to mywife, parents and friends, without whose support I mightnever have survived to reach A.A.'s doors? I will work onthis and try to see the plan my Higher Power is showing mewhich links our lives together."
  786.         },
  787.         {
  788.             "month": "APRIL",
  789.             "day": 8,
  790.             "title": "AN INSIDE LOOK",
  791.             "quotation": "We want to find exactly how, when, and where our naturaldesires have warped us We wish to look squarely at theunhappiness this has caused others and ourselves Bydiscovering what our emotional deformities are, we canmove toward their correction.",
  792.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 43",
  793.             "reading": "Today I am no longer a slave to alcohol, yet in so manyways enslavement still threatens—my self, my desires,even my dreams. Yet without dreams I cannot exist;without dreams there is nothing to keep me movingforward.I must look inside myself, to free myself. I must callupon God's power to face the person I've feared the most,the true me, the person God created me to be. Unless I canor until I do, I will always be running, and never be trulyfree. I ask God daily to show me such a freedom!"
  794.         },
  795.         {
  796.             "month": "APRIL",
  797.             "day": 9,
  798.             "title": "FREEDOM FROM 'KING ALCOHOL'",
  799.             "quotation": ". . . let us not suppose even for an instant that we are notunder constraint. . . . Our former tyrant, King Alcohol,always stands ready again to clutch us to him Therefore,freedom from alcohol is the great 'must' that has to beachieved, else we go mad or die.",
  800.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 134",
  801.             "reading": "When drinking, I lived in spiritual, emotional, andsometimes, physical confinement. I had constructed myprison with bars of self-will and self-indulgence, fromwhich I could not escape. Occasional dry spells thatseemed to promise freedom would turn out to be little morethan hopes of a reprieve. True escape required awillingness to follow whatever right actions were needed toturn the lock. With that willingness and action, both thelock and the bars themselves opened for me. Continuedwillingness and action keep me free—in a kind of extendeddaily probation—that need never end."
  802.         },
  803.         {
  804.             "month": "APRIL",
  805.             "day": 10,
  806.             "title": "GROWING UP",
  807.             "quotation": "The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for thebetter and then an unremitting willingness to shoulderwhatever responsibility this entails.",
  808.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 115",
  809.             "reading": "Sometimes when I've become willing to do what I shouldhave been doing all along, I want praise and recognition. Idon't realize that the more I'm willing to act differently, themore exciting my life is. The more I am willing to helpothers, the more rewards I receive. That's what practicingthe principles means to me. Fun and benefits for me are inthe willingness to do the actions, not to get immediateresults. Being a little kinder, a little slower to anger, a littlemore loving makes my life better— day by day."
  810.         },
  811.         {
  812.             "month": "APRIL",
  813.             "day": 11,
  814.             "title": "A WORD TO DROP: 'BLAME'",
  815.             "quotation": "To see how erratic emotions victimized us often took a longtime. We could perceive them quickly in others, but onlyslowly in ourselves First of all, we had to admit that we hadmany of these defects, even though such disclosures werepainful and humiliating. Where other people wereconcerned, we had to drop the word 'blame' from ourspeech and thought",
  816.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 47",
  817.             "reading": "When I did my Fourth Step, following the Big Bookguidelines, I noticed that my grudge list was filled with myprejudices and my blaming others for my not being able tosucceed and to live up to my potential. I also discovered Ifelt different because I was black. As I continued to workon the Step, I learned that I always had drunk to rid myselfof those feelings. It was only when I sobered up andworked on my inventory, that I could no longer blameanyone."
  818.         },
  819.         {
  820.             "month": "APRIL",
  821.             "day": 12,
  822.             "title": "GIVING UP INSANITY",
  823.             "quotation": ". . . where alcohol has been involved, we have beenstrangely insane.",
  824.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 38",
  825.             "reading": "Alcoholism required me to drink, whether I wanted to ornot. Insanity dominated my life and was the essence of mydisease. It robbed me of the freedom of choice overdrinking and, therefore, robbed me of all other choices.When I drank, I was unable to make effective choices inany part of my life and life became unmanageable.I ask God to help me understand and accept the fullmeaning of the disease of alcoholism."
  826.         },
  827.         {
  828.             "month": "APRIL",
  829.             "day": 13,
  830.             "title": "THE FALSE COMFORT OF SELF-PITY",
  831.             "quotation": "Self-pity is one of the most unhappy and consuming defectsthat we know. It is a bar to all spiritual progress and cancut off all effective communication with our fellows becauseof its inordinate demands for attention and sympathy. It is amaudlin form of martyrdom, which we can ill afford.",
  832.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 238",
  833.             "reading": "The false comfort of self-pity screens me from reality onlymomentarily and then demands, like a drug, that I take anever bigger dose. If I succumb to this it could lead to arelapse into drinking. What can I do? One certain antidote isto turn my attention, however slightly at first, toward otherswho are genuinely less fortunate than I, preferably otheralcoholics. In the same degree that I actively demonstratemy empathy with them, I will lessen my own exaggeratedsuffering."
  834.         },
  835.         {
  836.             "month": "APRIL",
  837.             "day": 14,
  838.             "title": "THE 'NUMBER ONE OFFENDER'",
  839.             "quotation": "Resentment is the 'number one' offender. It destroys morealcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms ofspiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally andphysically ill, we have been spiritually sick.",
  840.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 64",
  841.             "reading": "As I look at myself practicing the Fourth Step, it is easy togloss over the wrong that I have done, because I can easilysee it as a question of 'getting even' for a wrong done tome. If I continue to relive my old hurt, it is a resentmentand resentment bars the sunlight from my soul. If Icontinue o relive hurts and hates, I will hurt and hatemyself. After years in the dark of resentments, I have bundthe sunlight. I must let go of resentments; I cannot affordthem."
  842.         },
  843.         {
  844.             "month": "APRIL",
  845.             "day": 15,
  846.             "title": "THE BONDAGE OF RESENTMENTS",
  847.             "quotation": ". . . harboring resentment is infinitely grave. For then weshut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit.",
  848.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 5",
  849.             "reading": "It has been said, 'Anger is a luxury I cannot afford.' Doesthis suggest I ignore this human emotion? I believe not.Before I learned of the A.A. program, I was a slave to thebehavior patterns of alcoholism. I was chained tonegativity, with no hope of cutting loose.The Steps offered me an alternative. Step Four was thebeginning of the end of my bondage. The process of'letting go' started with an inventory. I needed not befrightened, for the previous Steps assured me I was notalone. My Higher Power led me to this door and gave methe gift of choice. Today I can choose to open the door tofreedom and rejoice in the sunlight of the Steps, as theycleanse the spirit within me."
  850.         },
  851.         {
  852.             "month": "APRIL",
  853.             "day": 16,
  854.             "title": "ANGER: A 'DUBIOUS LUXURY'",
  855.             "quotation": "If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouchand the brainstorm were not for us. They may be thedubious luxury of the normal men, but for alcoholics thesethings are poison.",
  856.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 66",
  857.             "reading": "'Dubious luxury.' How often have I remembered thosewords. It's not just anger that's best left to nonalcoholics; Ibuilt a list including justifiable resentment, self-pity,judgmentalism, self-righteousness, false pride and falsehumility. I'm always surprised to read the actual quote. Sowell have the principles of the program been drummed intome that I keep thinking all of these defects are listed too.Thank God I can't afford them—or I surely would indulgein them."
  858.         },
  859.         {
  860.             "month": "APRIL",
  861.             "day": 17,
  862.             "title": "LOVE AND FEAR AS OPPOSITES",
  863.             "quotation": "All these failings generate fear, a soul-sickness in its ownright.",
  864.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 49",
  865.             "reading": "'Fear knocked at the door; faith answered; no one wasthere.' I don't know to whom this quote should beattributed, but it certainly indicates very clearly that fear isan illusion. I create the illusion myself.I experienced fear early in my life and I mistakenlythought that the mere presence of it made me a coward. Ididn't know that one of the definitions of 'courage' is 'thewillingness to do the right thing in spite of fear.' Courage,then, is not necessarily the absence of fear.During the times I didn't have love in my life I mostassuredly had fear. To fear God is to be afraid of joy. Inlooking back, I realize that, during the times I feared Godmost, there was no joy in my life. As I learned not to fearGod, I also learned to experience joy."
  866.         },
  867.         {
  868.             "month": "APRIL",
  869.             "day": 18,
  870.             "title": "SELF-HONESTY",
  871.             "quotation": "The deception of others is nearly always rooted in thedeception of ourselves. . . . When we are honest withanother person, it confirms that we have been honest withourselves and with God.",
  872.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 17",
  873.             "reading": "When I was drinking, I deceived myself about reality,rewriting it to what I wanted it to be. Deceiving others is acharacter defect—even if it is just stretching the truth a bitor cleaning up my motives so others would think well ofme. My Higher Power can remove this character defect, butfirst I have to help myself become willing to receive thathelp by not practicing deception. I need to remember eachday that deceiving myself about myself is setting myself upfor failure or disappointment in life and in AlcoholicsAnonymous. A close, honest relationship with a HigherPower is the only solid foundation I've found for honestywith self and with others."
  874.         },
  875.         {
  876.             "month": "APRIL",
  877.             "day": 19,
  878.             "title": "BROTHERS IN OUR DEFECTS",
  879.             "quotation": "We recovered alcoholics are not so much brothers in virtueas we are brothers in our defects, and in our commonstrivings to overcome them",
  880.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 167",
  881.             "reading": "The identification that one alcoholic has with another ismysterious, spiritual—almost incomprehensible. But it isthere. I 'feel' it. Today I feel that I can help people and thatthey can help me.It is a new and exciting feeling for me to care forsomeone; to care what they are feeling, hoping for, prayingfor; to know their sadness, joy, horror, sorrow, grief; towant to share those feelings so that someone can haverelief. I never knew how to do this—or how to try. I nevereven cared. The Fellowship of A.A., and God, are teachingme how to care about others."
  882.         },
  883.         {
  884.             "month": "APRIL",
  885.             "day": 20,
  886.             "title": "SELF-EXAMINATION",
  887.             "quotation": ". . . we ask God to direct our thinking, especially askingthat it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seekingmotives.",
  888.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 86",
  889.             "reading": "When said sincerely, this prayer teaches me to be trulyunselfish and humble, for even in doing good deeds I oftenused to seek approval and glory for myself. By examiningmy motives in all that I do, I can be of service to God andothers, helping them do what they want to do. When I putGod in charge of my thinking, much needless worry iseliminated and I believe He guides me throughout the day.When I eliminate thoughts of self-pity, dishonesty and selfcenteredness as soon as they enter my mind, I find peacewith God, my neighbor and myself."
  890.         },
  891.         {
  892.             "month": "APRIL",
  893.             "day": 21,
  894.             "title": "CULTIVATING FAITH",
  895.             "quotation": "'I don't think we can do anything very well in this worldunless we practice it And I don't believe we do A.A. too wellunless we practice it. . . . We should practice . . . acquiringthe spirit of service. Weshould attempt to acquire some faith,which isn't easily done, especially for the person who hasalways been very materialistic, following the standards ofsociety today. But I think faith can be acquired; it can beacquired slowly; it has to be cultivated. That was not easyfor me, and I assume that it is difficult for everyone else....'",
  896.             "citation": "DR. BOB AND THE GOOD OLDTIMERS, pp. 307-08",
  897.             "reading": "Fear is often the force that prevents me from acquiring andcultivating the power of faith. Fear blocks my appreciationof beauty, tolerance, forgiveness, service, and serenity."
  898.         },
  899.         {
  900.             "month": "APRIL",
  901.             "day": 22,
  902.             "title": "NEW SOIL . . . NEW ROOTS",
  903.             "quotation": "Moments of perception can build into a lifetime of spiritualserenity, as I have excellent reason to know, loots ofreality, supplanting the neurotic underbrush, will hold fastdespite the high winds of the forces which would destroyus, or which we would use to destroy ourselves.",
  904.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 173",
  905.             "reading": "I came to A.A. green—a seedling quivering with exposedtaproots. It was for survival but it was a >beginning. Istretched, developed, twisted, but with he help of others,my spirit eventually burst up from the roots. I was free. Iacted, withered, went inside, prayed, acted again,understood anew, as one moment of perception struck. Upfrom my roots, spirit-arms lengthened into strong, green.hoots: high-springing servants stepping skyward.Here on earth God unconditionally continues the legacyof higher love. My A.A. life put me 'on a different footing. . . [my] roots grasped a new soil' (Alcoholics Anonymous,p. 12)."
  906.         },
  907.         {
  908.             "month": "APRIL",
  909.             "day": 23,
  910.             "title": "A.A. IS NOT A CURE-ALL",
  911.             "quotation": "It would be a product of false pride to claim that A. A. is acure-all, even for alcoholism",
  912.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 285",
  913.             "reading": "In my early years of sobriety I was full of pride, thinkingthat A. A. was the only source of treatment for a good andhappy life. It certainly was the basic ingredient for mysobriety and even today, with over twelve years in theprogram, I am very involved in meetings, sponsorship andservice. During the first four years of my recovery, I foundit necessary to seek professional help, since my emotionalhealth was extremely poor. There are those folks too, whohave found sobriety and happiness in other organizations.A.A. taught me that I had a choice: to go to any lengths toenhance my sobriety. A.A. may not be a cure-all foreverything, but it is the center of my sober living."
  914.         },
  915.         {
  916.             "month": "APRIL",
  917.             "day": 24,
  918.             "title": "LEARNING TO LOVE OURSELVES",
  919.             "quotation": "Alcoholism was a lonely business, even though we weresurrounded by people who loved us . . . We were trying tofind emotional security either by dominating or by beingdependent upon others . . . We still vainly tried to be secureby some unhealthy sort of domination or dependence.",
  920.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 252",
  921.             "reading": "When I did my personal inventory I found that I hadunhealthy relationships with most people in my life—myfriends and family, for example. I always felt isolated andlonely. I drank to dull emotional pain.It was through staying sober, having a good sponsor andworking the Twelve Steps that I was able to build up mylow self-esteem. First the Twelve Steps taught me tobecome my own best friend, and then, when I was able tolove myself, I could reach out and love others."
  922.         },
  923.         {
  924.             "month": "APRIL",
  925.             "day": 25,
  926.             "title": "ENTERING A NEW DIMENSION",
  927.             "quotation": "In the late stages of our drinking the will to resist has fled.Yet when we admit complete defeat and when we becomeentirely ready to try A. A. principles, our obsession leavesus and we enter a new dimension—freedom under God aswe understand Him.",
  928.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 283",
  929.             "reading": "I am fortunate to be among the ones who have had thisawesome transformation in my life. When I entered thedoors of A.A., alone and desperate, I had been beaten intowillingness to believe anything I heard. One of the things Iheard was, 'This could be your last hangover, or you cankeep going round and round.' The man who said thisobviously was a whole lot better off than 1.1 liked the ideaof admitting defeat and I have been free ever since! Myheart heard what my mind never could: 'Being powerlessover alcohol is no big deal.' I'm free and I'm grateful!"
  930.         },
  931.         {
  932.             "month": "APRIL",
  933.             "day": 26,
  934.             "title": "HAPPINESS IS NOT THE POINT",
  935.             "quotation": "/ don't think happiness or unhappiness is the point. How dowe meet the problems we face? How do we best learn fromthem and transmit what we have learned to others, if theywould receive the knowledge?",
  936.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 306",
  937.             "reading": "In my search 'to be happy,' I changed jobs, married anddivorced, took geographical cures, and ran myself intodebt—financially, emotionally and spiritually. In A.A., I'mlearning to grow up. Instead of demanding that people,places and things make me happy, I can ask God for selfacceptance. When a problem overwhelms me, A.A.'sTwelve Steps will help me grow through the pain. Theknowledge I gain can be a gift to others who suffer with thesame problem. As Bill said, 'When pain comes, we areexpected to learn from it willingly, and help others to learn.When happiness comes, we accept it as a gift, and thankGod for it.' (As Bill Sees It, p. 306)"
  938.         },
  939.         {
  940.             "month": "APRIL",
  941.             "day": 27,
  942.             "title": "JOYFUL DISCOVERIES",
  943.             "quotation": "We realize we know only a little. God will constantlydisclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morningmeditation what you can do each day for the man who isstill sick. The answers will come, if your own house is inorder. But obviously you cannot transmit something youhaven't got. See to it that your relationship with Him isright, and great events will come to pass for you andcountless others. This is the Great Fact for us.",
  944.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164",
  945.             "reading": "Sobriety is a journey of joyful discovery. Each day bringsnew experience, awareness, greater hope, deeper faith,broader tolerance. I must maintain these attributes or I willhave nothing to pass on.Great events for this recovering alcoholic are the normaleveryday joys found in being able to live another day inGod's grace."
  946.         },
  947.         {
  948.             "month": "APRIL",
  949.             "day": 28,
  950.             "title": "TWO 'MAGNIFICENT STANDARDS'",
  951.             "quotation": "All A.A. progress can be reckoned in terms of just twowords: humility and responsibility. Our whole spiritualdevelopment can be accurately measured by our degree ofadherence to these magnificent standards.",
  952.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 271",
  953.             "reading": "To acknowledge and respect the views, accomplishmentsand prerogatives of others and to accept being wrong showsme the way of humility. To practice the principles of A.A.in all my affairs guides me to be responsible. Honoringthese precepts gives credence to Tradition Four—and to allother Traditions of the Fellowship. Alcoholics Anonymoushas evolved a philosophy of life full of valid motivations,rich in highly relevant principles and ethical values, a viewof life which can be extended beyond the confines of thealcoholic population. To honor these precepts I need onlyto pray, and care for my fellow man as if each one were mybrother."
  954.         },
  955.         {
  956.             "month": "APRIL",
  957.             "day": 29,
  958.             "title": "GROUP AUTONOMY",
  959.             "quotation": "Some may think that we have carried the principle of groupautonomy to extremes. For example, in its original 'longform,' Tradition Four declares: 'Any two or three gatheredtogether for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group,provided that as a group they have no other affiliation. '* .. . But this ultra-liberty is not so risky as it looks.",
  960.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE PP 104-05",
  961.             "reading": "As an active alcoholic, I abused every liberty that lifeafforded. How could A.A. expect me to respect the 'ultraliberty' bestowed by Tradition Four? Learning respect hasbecome a lifetime job.A.A. has made me fully accept the necessity of disciplineand that, if I do not assert it from within, then I will pay forit. This applies to groups too. Tradition Four points me in a spiritual direction, in spite of my alcoholic inclinations. * This is a misquote; Bill quoted the Third Tradition, but was referring toTradition Four."
  962.         },
  963.         {
  964.             "month": "APRIL",
  965.             "day": 30,
  966.             "title": "A GREAT PARADOX",
  967.             "quotation": "These legacies of suffering and of recovery are easilypassed among alcoholics, one to the other. This is our giftfrom God, and its bestowal upon others like us is the oneaim that today animates A.A.'s all around the globe.",
  968.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 151",
  969.             "reading": "The great paradox of A.A. is that I know I cannot keep theprecious gift of sobriety unless I give it away.My primary purpose is to stay sober. In A.A. I have noother goal, and the importance of this is a matter of life ordeath for me. If I veer from this purpose I lose. But A.A. isnot only for me; it is for the alcoholic who still suffers. Thelegions of recovering alcoholics stay sober by sharing withfellow alcoholics. The way to my recovery is to show others in A.A. that when I share with them, we both grow inthe grace of the Higher Power, and both of us are on theroad to a happy destiny."
  970.         },
  971.         {
  972.             "month": "MAY",
  973.             "day": 1,
  974.             "title": "HEALING HEART AND MIND",
  975.             "quotation": "Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human beingthe exact nature of our wrongs.",
  976.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 55",
  977.             "reading": "Since it is true that God comes to me through people, I cansee that by keeping people at a distance I also keep God ata distance. God is nearer to me than I think and I canexperience Him by loving people and allowing people tolove me. But I can neither love nor be loved if I allow mysecrets to get in the way.It's the side of myself that I refuse to look at that rulesme. I must be willing to look at the dark side in order toheal my mind and heart because that is the road to freedom.I must walk into darkness to find the light and walk intofear to find peace.By revealing my secrets—and thereby ridding myself ofguilt—I can actually change my thinking; by altering mythinking, I can change myself. My thoughts create myfuture. What I will be tomorrow is determined by what Ithink today."
  978.         },
  979.         {
  980.             "month": "MAY",
  981.             "day": 2,
  982.             "title": "LIGHTING THE DARK PAST",
  983.             "quotation": "Cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past isthe greatest possession you have—the key to life andhappiness for others. With it you can avert death andmisery for them.",
  984.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 124",
  985.             "reading": "No longer is my past an autobiography; it is a referencebook to be taken down, opened and shared. Today as Ireport for duty, the most wonderful picture comes through.For, though this day be dark— as some days must be—thestars will shine even brighter later. My witness that they doshine will be called for in the very near future. All my pastwill this day be a part of me, because it is the key, not thelock."
  986.         },
  987.         {
  988.             "month": "MAY",
  989.             "day": 3,
  990.             "title": "CLEANING HOUSE",
  991.             "quotation": "Somehow, being alone with God doesn't seem as embarrassing as facing up to another person. Until weactually sit down and talk aloud about what we have solong hidden, our willingness to clean house is still largelytheoretical.",
  992.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 60",
  993.             "reading": "It wasn't unusual for me to talk to God, and myself, aboutmy character defects. But to sit down, face to face, andopenly discuss these intimacies with another person wasmuch more difficult. I recognized in the experience,however, a similar relief to the one I had experienced whenI first admitted I was an alcoholic. I began to appreciate thespiritual significance of the program and that this Step wasjust an introduction to what was yet to come in theremaining seven Steps."
  994.         },
  995.         {
  996.             "month": "MAY",
  997.             "day": 4,
  998.             "title": "'ENTIRELY HONEST'",
  999.             "quotation": "We must be entirely honest with somebody if we expect tolive long or happily in this world.",
  1000.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 73-74",
  1001.             "reading": "Honesty, like all virtues, is to be shared. It began after Ishared '. . . [my] whole life's story with someone . . . 'in order to find my place in the Fellowship. Later I sharedmy life in order to help the newcomer find his place withus. This sharing helps me to learn honesty in all mydealings and to know that God's plan for me comes truethrough honest openness and willingness."
  1002.         },
  1003.         {
  1004.             "month": "MAY",
  1005.             "day": 5,
  1006.             "title": "THE FOREST AND THE TREES",
  1007.             "quotation": ". . . what comes to us alone may be garbled by our ownrationalization and wishful thinking. The benefit of talkingto another person is that we can get his direct comment andcounsel on our situation. . . .",
  1008.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 60",
  1009.             "reading": "I cannot count the times when I have been angry andfrustrated and said to myself, 'I can't see the forest for thetrees!' I finally realized that what I needed when I was insuch pain was someone who could guide me in separatingthe forest and the trees; who could suggest a better path tofollow; who could assist me in putting out fires; and helpme avoid the rocks and pitfalls.I ask God, when I'm in the forest, to give me the courageto call upon a member of A.A."
  1010.         },
  1011.         {
  1012.             "month": "MAY",
  1013.             "day": 6,
  1014.             "title": "'HOLD BACK NOTHING'",
  1015.             "quotation": "The real tests of the situation are your own willingness toconfide and your full confidence in the one with whom youshare your first accurate self-survey. . . . Provided you holdback nothing, your sense of relief will mount from minute tominute. The dammed-up emotions of years break out oftheir confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as theyare exposed. As the pain subsides, a healing tranquilitytakes its place.",
  1016.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 61-62",
  1017.             "reading": "A tiny kernel of locked-in feelings began to unfold when Ifirst attended A.A. meetings and self-knowledge thenbecame a learning task for me. This new self-understandingbrought about a change in my responses to life's situations.I realized I had the right to make choices in my life, and theinner dictatorship of habits slowly lost its grip.I believe that if I seek God I can find a better way to liveand I ask Him daily to assist me in living a sober life."
  1018.         },
  1019.         {
  1020.             "month": "MAY",
  1021.             "day": 7,
  1022.             "title": "RESPECT FOR OTHERS",
  1023.             "quotation": "Such parts of our story we tell to someone who willunderstand, yet be unaffected. The rule is we must be hardon ourself, but always considerate of others.",
  1024.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 74",
  1025.             "reading": "Respect for others is the lesson that I take out of thispassage. I must go to any lengths to free myself if I wish tofind that peace of mind that I have sought for so long.However, none of this must be done at another's expense.Selfishness has no place in the A.A. way of life.When I take the Fifth Step it's wiser to choose a personwith whom I share common aims because if that persondoes not understand me, my spiritual progress may bedelayed and I could be in danger of a relapse. So I ask fordivine guidance before choosing the man or woman whomI take into my confidence."
  1026.         },
  1027.         {
  1028.             "month": "MAY",
  1029.             "day": 8,
  1030.             "title": "RESTING PLACE",
  1031.             "quotation": "All of A.A. 's Twelve Steps ask us to go contrary to ournatural desires . . . they all deflate our egos. When it comesto ego deflation, few Steps are harder to take than Five. Butscarcely any Step is more necessary to longtime sobrietyand peace of mind than this one.",
  1032.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p.55",
  1033.             "reading": "After writing down my character defects, I was unwilling totalk about them, and decided it was time to stop carryingthis burden alone. I needed to confess those defects tosomeone else. I had read—and been told—I could not staysober unless I did. Step Five provided me with a feeling ofbelonging, with humility and serenity when I practiced it inmy daily living. It was important to admit my defects ofcharacter in the order presented in Step Five: 'to God, toourselves and to another human being.' Admitting to Godfirst paved the way for admission to myself and to anotherperson. As the taking of the Step is described, a feeling ofbeing at one with God and my fellow man brought me to aresting place where I could prepare myself for the remaining Steps toward a full and meaningful sobriety."
  1034.         },
  1035.         {
  1036.             "month": "MAY",
  1037.             "day": 9,
  1038.             "title": "WALKING THROUGH FEAR",
  1039.             "quotation": "If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask Godto help us be willing.",
  1040.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.76",
  1041.             "reading": "When I had taken my Fifth Step, I became aware that all mydefects of character stemmed from my need to feel secureand loved. To use my will alone to work on them would havebeen trying obsessively to solve the problem. In the SixthStep I intensified the action I had taken in the first threeSteps—meditating on the Step by saying it over and over,going to meetings, following my sponsor's suggestions,reading and searching within myself. During the first threeyears of sobriety I had a fear of entering an elevator alone.One day I decided I must walk through this fear. I asked forGod's help, entered the elevator, and there in the corner wasa lady crying. She said that since her husband had died shewas deathly afraid of elevators. I forgot my fear andcomforted her. This spiritual experience helped me to seehow willingness was the key to working the rest of theTwelve Steps to recovery. God helps those who helpthemselves."
  1042.         },
  1043.         {
  1044.             "month": "MAY",
  1045.             "day": 10,
  1046.             "title": "FREE AT LAST",
  1047.             "quotation": "Another great dividend we may expect from confiding ourdefects to another human being is humility —a word oftenmisunderstood. . . . it amounts to a clear recognition ofwhat and who we really are, followed by a sincere attemptto become what we could be.",
  1048.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 58",
  1049.             "reading": "I knew deep inside that if I were ever to be joyous, happyand free, I had to share my past life with some otherindividual. The joy and relief I experienced after doing sowere beyond description. Almost immediately after takingthe Fifth Step, I felt free from the bondage of self and thebondage of alcohol. That freedom remains after 36 years, aday at a time. I found that God could do for me what Icouldn't do for myself."
  1050.         },
  1051.         {
  1052.             "month": "MAY",
  1053.             "day": 11,
  1054.             "title": "A NEW SENSE OF BELONGING",
  1055.             "quotation": "Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts,and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we stilldidn't belong.",
  1056.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 57",
  1057.             "reading": "After four years in A.A. I was able to discover the freedomfrom the burden of buried emotions that had caused me somuch pain. With the help of A.A., and extra counseling, thepain was released and I felt a complete sense of belongingand peace. I also felt a joy and a love of God that I hadnever experienced before. I am in awe of the power of StepFive."
  1058.         },
  1059.         {
  1060.             "month": "MAY",
  1061.             "day": 12,
  1062.             "title": "THE PAST IS OVER",
  1063.             "quotation": "A.A. experience has taught us we cannot live alone withour pressing problems and the character defects whichcause or aggravate them. If. . . Step Four . . . has revealedin stark relief those experiences we'd rather not remember .. . then the need to quit living by ourselves with thosetormenting ghosts of yesterday gets more urgent than ever.We have to talk to somebody about them.",
  1064.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 55",
  1065.             "reading": "Whatever is done is over. It cannot be changed. But myattitude about it can be changed through talking with thosewho have gone before and with sponsors. I can wish thepast never was, but if I change my actions in regard to whatI have done, my attitude will change. I won't have to wishthe past away. I can change my feelings and attitudes, butonly through my actions and the help of my fellowalcoholics."
  1066.         },
  1067.         {
  1068.             "month": "MAY",
  1069.             "day": 13,
  1070.             "title": "THE EASIER, SOFTER WAY",
  1071.             "quotation": "If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking.",
  1072.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 72",
  1073.             "reading": "I certainly didn't leap at the opportunity to face who I was,especially when the pains of my drinking days hung overme like a dark cloud. But I soon heard at the meetingsabout the fellow member who just didn't want to take StepFive and kept coming back to meetings, trembling from thehorrors of reliving his past. The easier, softer way is to takethese Steps to freedom from our fatal disease, and to putour faith in the Fellowship and our Higher Power."
  1074.         },
  1075.         {
  1076.             "month": "MAY",
  1077.             "day": 14,
  1078.             "title": "IT'S OKAY TO BE ME",
  1079.             "quotation": "Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselvescertain facts about their lives. . . . they have turned toeasier methods. . . . But they had not learned enoughhumility. . . .",
  1080.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 72-73",
  1081.             "reading": "Humility sounds so much like humiliation, but it really isthe ability to look at myself—and honestly accept what Ifind. I no longer need to be the 'smartest' or 'dumbest' orany other 'est.' Finally, it is okay to be me. It is easier forme to accept myself if I share my whole life. If I cannotshare in meetings, then I had better have a sponsor —someone with whom I can share those 'certain facts' thatcould lead me back to a drunk, to death. I need to take allthe Steps. I need the Fifth Step to learn true humility.Easier methods do not work."
  1082.         },
  1083.         {
  1084.             "month": "MAY",
  1085.             "day": 15,
  1086.             "title": "KNOW GOD; KNOW PEACE",
  1087.             "quotation": "It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leadsonly to futility and unhappiness. . . . But with the alcoholic,whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritualexperience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave.",
  1088.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 66",
  1089.             "reading": "Know God;Know peace.No God; Nopeace."
  1090.         },
  1091.         {
  1092.             "month": "MAY",
  1093.             "day": 16,
  1094.             "title": "WE FORGIVE . . .",
  1095.             "quotation": "Often it was while working on this Step with our sponsorsor spiritual advisers that we first felt truly able to forgiveothers, no matter how deeply we felt hey had wronged us.Our moral inventory had persuaded us that all-roundforgiveness was desirable, but it was only when weresolutely tackled Step Five hat we inwardly knew we'd beable to receive forgiveness and give it, too.",
  1096.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 58",
  1097.             "reading": "What a great feeling forgiveness is! What a revelationabout my emotional, psychological and spiritual nature.All it takes is willingness to forgive; 5od will do the rest."
  1098.         },
  1099.         {
  1100.             "month": "MAY",
  1101.             "day": 17,
  1102.             "title": ". . . AND FORGIVE",
  1103.             "quotation": "Under very trying conditions I have had, again and again,to forgive others—also myself",
  1104.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 268",
  1105.             "reading": "Forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others are just twocurrents in the same river, both hindered or shut offcompletely by the dam of resentment. Once that dam islifted, both currents can flow. The Steps of A.A. allow meto see how resentment has built up and subsequentlyblocked off this flow in my life. The Steps provide a wayby which my resentments may—by the grace of God as Iunderstand Him— be lifted. It is as a result of this solutionthat I can find the necessary grace which enables me to forgive myself and others."
  1106.         },
  1107.         {
  1108.             "month": "MAY",
  1109.             "day": 18,
  1110.             "title": "FREEDOM TO BE ME",
  1111.             "quotation": "If we are painstaking about this phase of our development,we will be amazed before we are half way through. We aregoing to know a new freedom and a new happiness",
  1112.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 83",
  1113.             "reading": "My first true freedom is the freedom not to have to take adrink today. If I truly want it, I will work the Twelve Stepsand the happiness of this freedom will come to me throughthe Steps—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Otherfreedoms will follow, and inventorying them is a newhappiness. I had a new freedom today, the freedom to beme. I have the freedom to be the best me I have ever been."
  1114.         },
  1115.         {
  1116.             "month": "MAY",
  1117.             "day": 19,
  1118.             "title": "GIVING WITHOUT STRINGS",
  1119.             "quotation": "And he well knows that his own life has been made richer,as an extra dividend of giving to another without anydemand for a return.",
  1120.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 69",
  1121.             "reading": "The concept of giving without strings was hard tounderstand when I first came into the program. I wassuspicious when others wanted to help me. I thought,'What do they want in return?' But I soon learned the joyof helping another alcoholic and I understood why theywere there for me in the beginning. My attitudes changedand I wanted to help others. Sometimes I became anxious,as I wanted them to know the joys of sobriety, that life canbe beautiful. When my life is full of a loving God of myunderstanding and I give that love to my fellow alcoholic, Ifeel a special richness that is hard to explain."
  1122.         },
  1123.         {
  1124.             "month": "MAY",
  1125.             "day": 20,
  1126.             "title": "ONE DAY AT A TIME",
  1127.             "quotation": "Above all, take it one day at a time.",
  1128.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 11",
  1129.             "reading": "Why do I kid myself that I must stay away from a drink foronly one day, when I know perfectly well I must neverdrink again as long as I live? I am not kidding myselfbecause one day at a time is probably the only way I canreach the long-range objective of staying sober.If I determine that I shall never drink again as long as Ilive, I set myself up. How can I be sure I won't drink whenI have no idea what the future may hold?On a day-at-a-time basis, I am confident I can stay awayfrom a drink for one day. So I set out with confidence. Atthe end of the day, I have the reward of achievement.Achievement feels good and that makes me want more!"
  1130.         },
  1131.         {
  1132.             "month": "MAY",
  1133.             "day": 21,
  1134.             "title": "A LIST OF BLESSINGS",
  1135.             "quotation": "One exercise that I practice is to try for a full inventory ofmy blessings. . . .",
  1136.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 37",
  1137.             "reading": "What did I have to be grateful for? I shut myself up andstarted listing the blessings for which I was in no wayresponsible, beginning with having been born of soundmind and body. I went through seventy-four years of livingright up to the present moment. The list ran to two pages,and took two hours to compile; I included health, family,money, A.A. —the whole gamut.Every day in my prayers, I ask God to help meremember my list, and to be grateful for it throughout theday. When I remember my gratitude list, it's very hard toconclude that God is picking on me."
  1138.         },
  1139.         {
  1140.             "month": "MAY",
  1141.             "day": 22,
  1142.             "title": "STEP ONE",
  1143.             "quotation": "WE . . . (The first word of the First Step)",
  1144.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 21",
  1145.             "reading": "When I was drinking all I could ever think about was 'I, I,I,' or 'Me, Me, Me.' Such painful obsession of self, suchsoul sickness, such spiritual selfishness bound me to thebottle for more than half my life.The journey to find God and to do His will one day at atime began with the first word of the First Step . . . 'We.'There was power in numbers, there was strength innumbers, there was safety in numbers, and for an alcoholiclike me, there was life in numbers. If I had tried to recoveralone I probably would have died. With God and anotheralcoholic I have a divine purpose in my life . . . I havebecome a channel for God's healing love."
  1146.         },
  1147.         {
  1148.             "month": "MAY",
  1149.             "day": 23,
  1150.             "title": "SPIRITUAL HEALTH",
  1151.             "quotation": "When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten outmentally and physically.",
  1152.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 64",
  1153.             "reading": "It is very difficult for me to come to terms with myspiritual illness because of my great pride, disguised by mymaterial successes and my intellectual power. Intelligenceis not incompatible with humility, provided I placehumility first. To seek prestige and wealth is the ultimategoal for many in the modern world. To be fashionable andto seem better than I really am is a spiritual illness.To recognize and to admit my weaknesses is thebeginning of good spiritual health. It is a sign of spiritualhealth to he able to ask God every day to enlighten me, torecognize His will, and to have the strength to execute it.My spiritual health is excellent when I realize that thebetter I get, the more I discover how much help I need fromothers."
  1154.         },
  1155.         {
  1156.             "month": "MAY",
  1157.             "day": 24,
  1158.             "title": "'HAPPY, JOYOUS AND FREE'",
  1159.             "quotation": "We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free.We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is vale oftears, though it once was just that for many f us. But it isclear that we made our own misery, rod didn't do it. Avoidthen, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if troublecomes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity todemonstrate His omnipotence.",
  1160.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 133",
  1161.             "reading": "For years I believed in a punishing God and blamed himfor my misery. I have learned that I must lay down the'weapons' of self in order to pick up the 'tools' of theA.A. program. I do not struggle with he program becauseit is a gift and I have never struggled when receiving a gift.If I sometimes keep MI struggling, it is because I'm stillhanging onto my old ideas and ' . . . the results arenil.'"
  1162.         },
  1163.         {
  1164.             "month": "MAY",
  1165.             "day": 25,
  1166.             "title": "PROGRESSIVE GRATITUDE",
  1167.             "quotation": "Gratitude should go forward, rather than backward.",
  1168.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 29",
  1169.             "reading": "I am very grateful that my Higher Power has given me asecond chance to live a worthwhile life. ThroughAlcoholics Anonymous, I have been restored to sanity. Thepromises are being fulfilled in my life. I am grateful to befree from the slavery of alcohol. I am grateful for peace ofmind and the opportunity to grow, but my gratitude shouldgo forward rather than backward. I cannot stay sober onyesterday's meetings or past Twelfth-Step calls; I need toput my gratitude into action today. Our co-founder said ourgratitude can best be shown by carrying the message toothers. Without action, my gratitude is just a pleasantemotion. I need to put it into action by working StepTwelve, by carrying the message and practicing theprinciples in all my affairs. I am grateful for the chance tocarry the message today!"
  1170.         },
  1171.         {
  1172.             "month": "MAY",
  1173.             "day": 26,
  1174.             "title": "TURNING NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE",
  1175.             "quotation": "Our spiritual and emotional growth in A.A. does not dependso deeply upon success as it does upon our failures andsetbacks. If you will bear this in mind, I think that your slipwill have the effect of kicking you upstairs, instead of down.",
  1176.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 184",
  1177.             "reading": "In keeping with the pain and adversity which our foundersencountered and overcame in establishing A.A., Bill W.sent us a clear message: a relapse can provide a positiveexperience toward abstinence and a lifetime of recovery. Arelapse brings truth to what we hear repeatedly inmeetings—'Don't take that first drink!' It reinforces thebelief in the progressive nature of the disease, and it driveshome the need for, and beauty of, humility in our spiritualprogram. Simple truths come in complicated ways to mewhen I become ego driven."
  1178.         },
  1179.         {
  1180.             "month": "MAY",
  1181.             "day": 27,
  1182.             "title": "NO MAUDLIN GUILT",
  1183.             "quotation": "Day by day, we try to move a little toward God's perfection.So we need not be consumed by maudlin guilt. . . .",
  1184.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 15",
  1185.             "reading": "When I first discovered that there is not a single 'don't' inthe Twelve Steps of A.A., I was disturbed because thisdiscovery swung open a giant portal. Only then was I ableto realize what A.A. is for me:A.A. is not a program of 'don'ts, but of 'do's.' A.A. is notmartial law; it is freedom. A.A. is not tears over defects,but sweat over fixing them. A.A. is not penitence; it issalvation. A.A. is not 'Woe to me' for my sins, pastand present. A.A. is 'Praise God' for the progress I ammaking today."
  1186.         },
  1187.         {
  1188.             "month": "MAY",
  1189.             "day": 28,
  1190.             "title": "EQUAL RIGHTS",
  1191.             "quotation": "At one time or another most A.A. groups go on rulemakingbenders. . . . After a time fear and intolerance subside, [andwe realize] We do not wish to deny anyone his chance torecover from alcoholism. We wish to be just as inclusive aswe can, never exclusive.",
  1192.             "citation": "'A.A. TRADITION: HOW IT DEVELOPED,' pp. 10, 11, 12",
  1193.             "reading": "A.A. offered me complete freedom and accepted me intothe Fellowship for myself. Membership did not dependupon conformity, financial success or education and I amso grateful for that. I often ask myself if I extend the sameequality to others or if I deny them the freedom to bedifferent. Today I try to replace my fear and intolerancewith faith, patience, love and acceptance. I can bring thesestrengths to my A.A. group, my home and my office. Imake an effort to bring my positive attitude everywherethat I go.I have neither the right, nor the responsibility, to judgeothers. Depending on my attitude I can view newcomers toA.A., family members and friends as menaces or asteachers. When I think of some of my past judgments, it isclear how my self-righteousness caused me spiritual harm."
  1194.         },
  1195.         {
  1196.             "month": "MAY",
  1197.             "day": 29,
  1198.             "title": "TRUE TOLERANCE",
  1199.             "quotation": "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire tostop drinking.",
  1200.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139",
  1201.             "reading": "I first heard the short form of the Third Tradition in thePreamble. When I came to A.A. I could not accept myself,my alcoholism, or a Higher Power. If there had been anyphysical, mental, moral, or religious requirements formembership, I would be dead today. Bill W. said in histape on the Traditions that the Third Tradition is a charterfor individual freedom. The most impressive thing to mewas the feeling of acceptance from members who werepracticing the Third Tradition by tolerating and acceptingme. I feel acceptance is love and love is God's will for us."
  1202.         },
  1203.         {
  1204.             "month": "MAY",
  1205.             "day": 30,
  1206.             "title": "OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE",
  1207.             "quotation": "The more A.A. sticks to its primary purpose, the greaterwill be its helpful influence everywhere.",
  1208.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 109",
  1209.             "reading": "It is with gratitude that I reflect on the early days of ourFellowship and those wise and loving 'foresteppers' whoproclaimed that we should not be diverted from our primarypurpose, that of carrying the message to the alcoholic whostill suffers.I desire to impart respect to those who labor in the fieldof alcoholism, being ever mindful that A.A. endorses nocauses other than its own. I must remember that A.A. hasno monopoly on miracle-making and I remain humblygrateful to a loving God who made A.A. possible."
  1210.         },
  1211.         {
  1212.             "month": "MAY",
  1213.             "day": 31,
  1214.             "title": "READINESS TO SERVE OTHERS",
  1215.             "quotation": ". . . our Society has concluded that it has but one highmission—to carry the A.A. message to those who don'tknow there's a way out",
  1216.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 151",
  1217.             "reading": "The 'Light' to freedom shines bright on my fellowalcoholics as each one of us challenges the other to grow.The 'Steps' to self-improvement have small beginnings,but each Step builds the 'ladder' out of the pit of despair tonew hope. Honesty becomes my 'tool' to unfurl the'chains' which bound me. A sponsor, who is a caringlistener, can help me to truly hear the message guiding meto freedom.I ask God for the courage to live in such a way that theFellowship may be a testimony to His favor. This missionfrees me to share my gifts of wellness through a spirit ofreadiness to serve others."
  1218.         },
  1219.         {
  1220.             "month": "JUNE",
  1221.             "day": 1,
  1222.             "title": "A CHANGED OUTLOOK",
  1223.             "quotation": "Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.",
  1224.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  1225.             "reading": "When I was drinking, my attitude was totally selfish,totally self-centered; my pleasure and my comfort camefirst. Now that I am sober, self-seeking has started to slipaway. My whole attitude toward life and other people ischanging. For me, the first 'A' in our name stands forattitude. My attitude is changed by the second 'A' in ourname, which stands for action. By working the Steps,attending meetings, and carrying the message, I can be restored to sanity. Action is the magic word! With a positive,helpful attitude and regular A.A. action, I can stay soberand help others to achieve sobriety. My attitude now is thatI am willing to go to any length to stay sober!"
  1226.         },
  1227.         {
  1228.             "month": "JUNE",
  1229.             "day": 2,
  1230.             "title": "THE UPWARD PATH",
  1231.             "quotation": "Here are the steps we took. . . .",
  1232.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59",
  1233.             "reading": "These are the words that lead into the Twelve Steps. Intheir direct simplicity they sweep aside all psychologicaland philosophical considerations about the lightness of theSteps. They describe what I did: I took the Steps andsobriety was the result. These words do not imply that Ishould walk the well-trodden path of those who wentbefore, but rather that there is a way for me to becomesober and that it is a way I shall have to find. It is a newpath, one that leads to infinite light at the top of themountain. The Steps advise me about the footholds that aresafe and about chasms to avoid. They provide me with thetools I need during the many parts of the solitary journey ofmy soul. When I speak of this journey, I share myexperience, strength and hope with others."
  1234.         },
  1235.         {
  1236.             "month": "JUNE",
  1237.             "day": 3,
  1238.             "title": "ON A WING AND A PRAYER",
  1239.             "quotation": ". . . we then look at Step Six. We have emphasizedwillingness as being indispensable.",
  1240.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 76",
  1241.             "reading": "Steps Four and Five were difficult, but worthwhile. Now Iwas stuck on Step Six and, in despair, I picked up the BigBook and read this passage. I was outside, praying forwillingness, when I raised my eyes and saw a huge birdrising in the sky. I watched it suddenly give itself up to thepowerful air currents of the mountains. Swept along,swooping and soaring, the bird did things seemingly impossible for mortal birds to do. It was an inspiring exampleof a fellow creature 'letting go' to a power greater thanitself. I realized that if the bird 'took back his will' andtried to fly with less trust, on its power alone, it would spoilits apparent free flight. That insight granted me thewillingness to pray the Seventh Step prayer.It's not easy to know God's will in each circumstance. Imust search out and be ready for the currents, and that'swhere prayer and meditation help! Because I am, ofmyself, nothing, I ask God to grant me the knowledge ofHis will and the power and courage to carry it out—today."
  1242.         },
  1243.         {
  1244.             "month": "JUNE",
  1245.             "day": 4,
  1246.             "title": "LETTING GO OF OUR OLD SELVES",
  1247.             "quotation": "Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we haveomitted anything for we are building an arch throughwhich we shall walk a free man at last. . . . Are we nowready to let God remove from us all the things which wehave admitted are objectionable?",
  1248.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 75, 76",
  1249.             "reading": "The Sixth Step is the last 'preparation' Step. Although Ihave already used prayer extensively, I have made noformal request of my Higher Power in the first Six Steps. Ihave identified my problem, come to believe that there is asolution, made a decision to seek this solution, and have'cleaned house.' I now ask: Am I willing to live a life ofsobriety, of change, to let go of my old self? I mustdetermine if I am truly ready to change. I review what Ihave done and become willing for God to remove all mydefects of character; for in the next Step, I will tell myCreator I am willing and will ask for help. If I have beenthorough in the preparation of my foundation and feel that Iam willing to change, I am then ready to continue with thenext Step. 'If we still cling to something we will not let go,we ask God to help us be willing.' (Alcoholics Anonymous,p. 76)"
  1250.         },
  1251.         {
  1252.             "month": "JUNE",
  1253.             "day": 5,
  1254.             "title": "ENTIRELY READY?",
  1255.             "quotation": "'This is the Step that separates the men from the boys' . . . the difference between 'the boys and the men' isthe difference between striving for a self-determinedobjective and for the perfect objective which is of God. . . .It is suggested that we ought to become entirely willing toaim toward perfection. . . . The moment we say, 'No,never!' our minds close against the grace of God. . . . Thisis the exact point at which we abandon limited objectives,and move toward God's will for us",
  1256.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 63, 68, 69",
  1257.             "reading": "Am I entirely ready to have God remove these defects ofcharacter? Do I know at long last that I cannot save myself?I have come to believe that I cannot. If I am unable, if mybest intentions go wrong, if my desires are selfishlymotivated and if my knowledge and will are limited—thenI am ready to embrace God's will for my life."
  1258.         },
  1259.         {
  1260.             "month": "JUNE",
  1261.             "day": 6,
  1262.             "title": "ALL WE DO IS TRY",
  1263.             "quotation": "Can He now take them all—every one?",
  1264.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 76",
  1265.             "reading": "In doing Step Six it helped me a lot to remember that I amstriving for 'spiritual progress.' Some of my characterdefects may be with me for the rest of my life, but mosthave been toned down or eliminated. All that Step Six asksof me is to become willing to name my defects, claim themas my own, and be willing to discard the ones I can, just fortoday. As I grow in the program, many of my defectsbecome more objectionable to me than previously and,therefore, I need to repeat Step Six so that I can becomehappier with myself and maintain my serenity."
  1266.         },
  1267.         {
  1268.             "month": "JUNE",
  1269.             "day": 7,
  1270.             "title": "LONG-TERM HOPE",
  1271.             "quotation": "Since most of us are born with an abundance of naturaldesires, it isn't strange that we often let these far exceedtheir intended purpose. When they drive us blindly, or wewillfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactionsor pleasures than are possible or due us, that is the point atwhich we depart from the degree of perfection that Godwishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of ourcharacter defects, or, if you wish, of our sins.",
  1272.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 65",
  1273.             "reading": "This is where long-term hope is born and perspective isgained, both of the nature of my illness and the path of myrecovery. The beauty of A.A. lies in knowing that my life,with God's help, will improve. The A.A. journey becomesricher, the understanding becomes truth, the dreams becomerealities—and today becomes forever.As I step into the A.A. light, my heart fills with thepresence of God."
  1274.         },
  1275.         {
  1276.             "month": "JUNE",
  1277.             "day": 8,
  1278.             "title": "OPENING UP TO CHANGE",
  1279.             "quotation": "Self-searching is the means by which we bring new vision,action, and grace to bear upon the dark and negative sideof our natures With it comes the development of that kind ofhumility that makes it possible for us to receive God's help.. . . we find that bit by bit we can discard the old life—theone that did not work—for a new life that can and doeswork under any conditions whatever.",
  1280.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, pp. 10, 8",
  1281.             "reading": "I have been given a daily reprieve contingent upon myspiritual condition, provided I seek progress, not perfection.To become ready for change, I practice willingness,opening myself to possibilities of change. If I realize thereare defects that hinder my usefulness in A.A. and towardothers, I become ready by meditating and receivingdirection. 'Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideasand the result was nil until we let go absolutely'(Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 58). To let go and let God, Ineed only surrender my old ways to Him; I no longer fightnor do I try to control, but simply believe that, with God'shelp, I am changed and affirming this belief makes meready. I empty myself to be full of awareness, light, andlove, and I am ready to face each day with hope."
  1282.         },
  1283.         {
  1284.             "month": "JUNE",
  1285.             "day": 9,
  1286.             "title": "LIVING IN THE NOW",
  1287.             "quotation": "First, we try living in the now just in order to stay sober—and it works Once the idea has become a part of ourthinking we find that living life in 24-hour segments is aneffective and satisfying way to handle many other mattersas well",
  1288.             "citation": "LIVING SOBER, p. 7",
  1289.             "reading": "'One Day At A Time.' To a newcomer this and other oneliners of A.A. may seem ridiculous. The passwords of theA.A. Fellowship can become lifelines in moments ofstress. Each day can be like a rose unfurling according tothe plan of a Power greater than myself. My programshould be planted in the right location, just as it will needto be groomed, nourished, and protected from disease. Myplanting will require patience, and my realizing that someflowers will be more perfect than others. Each stage of thepetals' unfolding can bring wonder and delight if I do notinterfere or let my expectations override my acceptance—and this brings serenity."
  1290.         },
  1291.         {
  1292.             "month": "JUNE",
  1293.             "day": 10,
  1294.             "title": "IMPATIENT? TRY LEVITATING",
  1295.             "quotation": "We reacted more strongly to frustrations than normalpeople.",
  1296.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. I l l",
  1297.             "reading": "Impatience with other people is one of my principalfailings. Following a slow car in a no-passing lane, orwaiting in a restaurant for the check, drives me todistraction. Before I give God a chance to slow me down, Iexplode, and that's what I call being quicker than God.That repeated experience gave me an idea. I thought if Icould look down on these events from God's point of view,I might better control my feelings and behavior. I tried itand when I encountered the next slow driver, I levitatedand looked down on the other car and upon myself. I sawan elderly couple driving along, happily chatting abouttheir grandchildren. They were followed by me—bug-eyedand red of face—who had no time schedule to meetanyway. I looked so silly that I dropped back into realityand slowed down. Seeing things from God's angle of visioncan be very relaxing."
  1298.         },
  1299.         {
  1300.             "month": "JUNE",
  1301.             "day": 11,
  1302.             "title": "FAMILY OBLIGATIONS",
  1303.             "quotation": ". . . a spiritual life which does not include . . . familyobligations may not be so perfect after all.",
  1304.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 129",
  1305.             "reading": "I can be doing great in the program—applying it atmeetings, at work, and in service activities—and find thatthings have gone to pieces at home. I expect my loved onesto understand, but they cannot. I expect them to see andvalue my progress, but they don't—unless I show them. DoI neglect their needs and desires for my attention andconcern? When I'm around them, am I irritable or boring?Are my 'amends' a mumbled 'Sorry,' or do they take theform of patience and tolerance? Do I preach to them, tryingto reform or 'fix' them? Have I ever really cleaned housewith them! 'The spiritual life is not a theory. We have tolive it' (Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 83)."
  1306.         },
  1307.         {
  1308.             "month": "JUNE",
  1309.             "day": 12,
  1310.             "title": "FORMING TRUE PARTNERSHIPS",
  1311.             "quotation": "But it is from our twisted relations with family, friends, andsociety at large that many of us have suffered the most. Wehave been especially stupid and stubborn about them. Theprimary fact that we fail to recognize is our total inabilityto form a true partnership with another human being.",
  1312.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 53",
  1313.             "reading": "Can these words apply to me, am I still unable to form atrue partnership with another human being? What a terriblehandicap that would be for me to carry into my sober life!In my sobriety I will meditate and pray to discover how Imay be a trusted friend and companion."
  1314.         },
  1315.         {
  1316.             "month": "JUNE",
  1317.             "day": 13,
  1318.             "title": "LIVING OUR AMENDS",
  1319.             "quotation": "'Years of living with an alcoholic is almost sure to makeany wife or child neurotic. The entire family is, to someextent, ill.'",
  1320.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 122",
  1321.             "reading": "It is important for me to realize that, as an alcoholic, I notonly hurt myself, but also those around me. Makingamends to my family, and to the families of alcoholics stillsuffering, will always be important. Understanding thehavoc I created and trying to repair the destruction, will bea lifelong endeavor. The example of my sobriety may giveothers hope, and faith to help themselves."
  1322.         },
  1323.         {
  1324.             "month": "JUNE",
  1325.             "day": 14,
  1326.             "title": "WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH It is a design",
  1327.             "quotation": "for living that works in rough going.",
  1328.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 15",
  1329.             "reading": "When I came to A.A., I realized that A.A. workedwonderfully to help keep me sober. But could it work onreal life problems, not concerned with drinking? I had mydoubts. After being sober for more than two years I got myanswer. I lost my job, developed physical problems, mydiabetic father lost a leg, and someone I loved left me foranother —and all of this happened during a two-week period. Reality crashed in, yet A.A. was there to support,comfort, and strengthen me. The principles I had learnedduring my early days of sobriety became a mainstay of mylife for not only did I come through, but I never stoppedbeing able to help newcomers. A.A. taught me not to beoverwhelmed, but rather to accept and understand my lifeas it unfolded."
  1330.         },
  1331.         {
  1332.             "month": "JUNE",
  1333.             "day": 15,
  1334.             "title": "MAKING A.A. YOUR HIGHER POWER",
  1335.             "quotation": "'. . . You can . . . make A.A. itself your 'higher power.'Here's a very large group of people who have solved theiralcohol problem. . . . many members . . . have crossed thethreshold just this way. . . . their faith broadened anddeepened. . . . transformed, they came to believe in aHigher Power. . . . '",
  1336.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 27-28",
  1337.             "reading": "No one was greater than I, at least in my eyes, when I wasdrinking. Nevertheless, I couldn't smile at myself in themirror, so I came to A.A. where, with others, I heard talk ofa Higher Power. I couldn't accept the concept of a HigherPower because I believed God was cruel and unloving. Indesperation I chose a table, a tree, then my A.A. group, asmy Higher Power. Time passed, my life improved, and Ibegan to wonder about this Higher Power. Gradually, withpatience, humility and a lot of questions, I came to believein God. Now my relationship with my Higher Power givesme the strength to live a happy, sober life."
  1338.         },
  1339.         {
  1340.             "month": "JUNE",
  1341.             "day": 16,
  1342.             "title": "OPEN-MINDEDNESS",
  1343.             "quotation": "We have found that God does not make too hard terms withthose who seek Him. To us, the realm of spirit is broad,roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to thosewho earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.",
  1344.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 7",
  1345.             "reading": "Open-mindedness to concepts of a Higher Power can opendoors to the spirit. Often I find the human spirit in variousdogmas and faiths. I can be spiritual in the sharing ofmyself. The sharing of self joins me to the human race andbrings me closer to God, as I understand Him."
  1346.         },
  1347.         {
  1348.             "month": "JUNE",
  1349.             "day": 17,
  1350.             "title": "'DEEP DOWN WITHIN US'",
  1351.             "quotation": "We found the Great Reality deep down within us. In the lastanalysis it is only there that He may be found. . . . searchdiligently within yourself. . . . With this attitude you cannotfail. The consciousness of your belief is sure to come toyou.",
  1352.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 55",
  1353.             "reading": "It was out of the depths of loneliness, depression anddespair that I sought the help of A.A. As I recovered andbegan to face the emptiness and ruin of my life, I began toopen myself to the possibility of the healing that recoveryoffers through the A.A. program. By coining to meetings,staying sober, and taking the Steps, I had the opportunity tolisten with increasing attentiveness to the depths of mysoul. Daily I waited, in hope and gratitude, for that surebelief and steadfast love I had longed for in my life. In thisprocess, I met my God, as I understand Him."
  1354.         },
  1355.         {
  1356.             "month": "JUNE",
  1357.             "day": 18,
  1358.             "title": "A FELLOWSHIP OF FREEDOM",
  1359.             "quotation": ". . . if only men were granted absolute liberty, and werecompelled to obey no one, they would then voluntarilyassociate themselves in the common interest",
  1360.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 50",
  1361.             "reading": "When I no longer live under the dictates of another or ofalcohol, I live in a new freedom. When I release the pastand all the excess baggage I have carried for so very long, Icome to know freedom. I have been introduced into a lifeand a fellowship of freedom. The Steps are a'recommended' way of finding a new life, there are nocommands or dictates in A.A. I am free to serve fromdesire rather than decree. There is the understanding that Iwill benefit from the growth of other members and I takewhat I learn and bring it back to the group. The 'commonwelfare' finds room to grow in the society of personalfreedom."
  1362.         },
  1363.         {
  1364.             "month": "JUNE",
  1365.             "day": 19,
  1366.             "title": "'A.A. REGENERATION'",
  1367.             "quotation": "Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arisingout of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one's oldlife as a condition for finding a new one.",
  1368.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 46",
  1369.             "reading": "A thousand beatings by John Barleycorn did not encourageme to admit defeat. I believed it was my moral obligationto conquer my 'enemy-friend.' At my first A.A. meeting Iwas blessed with a feeling that it was all right to admitdefeat to a disease which had nothing to do with my 'moralfiber.' I knew instinctively that I was in the presence of agreat love when I entered the doors of A.A. With no efforton my part, I became aware that to love myself was goodand right, as God had intended. My feelings set me free,where my thoughts had held me in bondage. I am grateful."
  1370.         },
  1371.         {
  1372.             "month": "JUNE",
  1373.             "day": 20,
  1374.             "title": "RELEASE FROM FEAR",
  1375.             "quotation": "The problem of resolving fear has two aspects. We shallhave to try for all the freedom from fear that is possible forus to attain. Then we shall need to find both the courageand grace to deal constructively with whatever fearsremain.",
  1376.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 61",
  1377.             "reading": "Most of my decisions were based on fear. Alcohol madelife easier to face, but the time came when alcohol was nolonger an alternative to fear. One of the greatest gifts inA.A. for me has been the courage to take action, which Ican do with God's help. After five years of sobriety I had todeal with a heavy dose of fear. God put the people in mylife to help me do that and, through my working the TwelveSteps, I am becoming the whole person I wish to be and,for that, I am deeply grateful."
  1378.         },
  1379.         {
  1380.             "month": "JUNE",
  1381.             "day": 21,
  1382.             "title": "The achievement of freedom from fear is a lifetime",
  1383.             "quotation": "undertaking, one that can never be wholly completed. Whenunder heavy attack, acute illness, or in other conditions ofserious insecurity, we shall all act to this emotion—well orbadly, as the case may be. Only the self-deceived will claimperfect freedom from fear.AS BILL SEES IT, p. 263Fear has caused suffering when I could have had morefaith. There are times when fear suddenly tears me apart,just when I'm experiencing feelings of joy, happiness and alightness of heart. Faith— and a feeling of self-worthtoward a Higher Power—helps me endure tragedy andecstasy. When I choose to give all of my fears over to myHigher Power, I will be free."
  1384.         },
  1385.         {
  1386.             "month": "JUNE",
  1387.             "day": 22,
  1388.             "title": "TODAY, I'M FREE",
  1389.             "quotation": "This brought me to the good healthy realization that therewere plenty of situations left in the world over which I hadno personal power—that if I was so ready to admit that tobe the case with alcohol, so I must make the same admissionwith respect to much else. I would have to be still and knowthat He, not I, was God.",
  1390.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 114",
  1391.             "reading": "I am learning to practice acceptance in all circumstances ofmy life, so that I may enjoy peace of mind. At one time lifewas a constant battle because I felt I had to go through eachday fighting myself, and everyone else. Eventually, thisbecame a losing battle. I ended up getting drunk and cryingover my misery. When I began to let go and let God takeover my life I began to have peace of mind. Today, I amfree. I do not have to fight anybody or anything anymore."
  1392.         },
  1393.         {
  1394.             "month": "JUNE",
  1395.             "day": 23,
  1396.             "title": "TRUSTING OTHERS",
  1397.             "quotation": "But does trust require that we be blind to other people'smotives or, indeed, to our own? Not at all; this would befolly. Most certainly, we should assess the capacity forharm as well as the capability for good in every person thatwe would trust. Such a private inventory can reveal thedegree of confidence we should extend in any givensituation.",
  1398.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 144",
  1399.             "reading": "I am not a victim of others, but rather a victim of myexpectations, choices and dishonesty. When I expect othersto be what I want them to be and not who they are, whenthey fail to meet my expectations, I am hurt. When mychoices are based on self-centeredness, I find I am lonelyand distrustful. I gain confidence in myself, however, whenI practice honesty in all my affairs. When I search mymotives and am honest and trusting, I am aware of thecapacity for harm in situations and can avoid those that areharmful."
  1400.         },
  1401.         {
  1402.             "month": "JUNE",
  1403.             "day": 24,
  1404.             "title": "A SPIRITUAL KINDERGARTEN",
  1405.             "quotation": "We are only operating a spiritual kindergarten in whichpeople are enabled to get over drinking and find the graceto go on living to better effect",
  1406.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 95",
  1407.             "reading": "When I came to A.A., I was run down by the bottle andwanted to lose the obsession to drink, but I didn't reallyknow how to do that. I decided to stick around long enoughto find out from the ones who went before me. All of asudden I was thinking about God! I was told to get a HigherPower and I had no idea what one looked like. I found outthere are many Higher Powers. I was told to find God, as Iunderstand Him, that there was no doctrine of the Godheadin A.A. I found what worked for me and then asked thatPower to restore me to sanity. The obsession to drink wasremoved and—one day at a time—my life went on, and Ilearned how to five sober."
  1408.         },
  1409.         {
  1410.             "month": "JUNE",
  1411.             "day": 25,
  1412.             "title": "A TWO-WAY STREET",
  1413.             "quotation": "If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But inno case does He render us white as snow and keep us thatway without our cooperation.",
  1414.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 65",
  1415.             "reading": "When I prayed, I used to omit a lot of things for which Ineeded to be forgiven. I thought that if I didn't mentionthese things to God, He would never know about them. Idid not know that if I had just forgiven myself for some ofmy past deeds, God would forgive me also. I was alwaystaught to prepare for the journey through life, neverrealizing until I came to A.A.—when I honestly becamewilling to be taught forgiveness and forgiving—that lifeitself is the journey. The journey of life is a very happyone, as long as I am willing to accept change andresponsibility."
  1416.         },
  1417.         {
  1418.             "month": "JUNE",
  1419.             "day": 26,
  1420.             "title": "A GIFT THAT GROWS WITH TIME",
  1421.             "quotation": "For most normal folks, drinking means conviviality,companionship and colorful imagination. It means releasefrom care, boredom and worry. It is joyous intimacy withfriends and a feeling that life is good",
  1422.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 151",
  1423.             "reading": "The longer I chased these elusive feelings with alcohol, themore out of reach they were. However, by applying thispassage to my sobriety, I found that it described themagnificent new life made available to me by the A.A.program. 'It' truly does 'get better' one day at a time. Thewarmth, the love and the joy so simply expressed in thesewords grow in breadth and depth each time I read it.Sobriety is a gift that grows with time."
  1424.         },
  1425.         {
  1426.             "month": "JUNE",
  1427.             "day": 27,
  1428.             "title": "CONFORMING TO THE A.A. WAY",
  1429.             "quotation": "We obey A.A. 's Steps and Traditions because we reallywant them for ourselves. It is no longer a question of goodor evil; we conform because we genuinely want to conformSuch is our process of growth in unity and function. Such isthe evidence of God's grace and love among us.",
  1430.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 106",
  1431.             "reading": "It is fun to watch myself grow in A.A. I fought conformityto A.A. principles from the moment I entered, but I learnedfrom the pain of my belligerence that, in choosing to livethe A. A. way of life, I opened myself to God's grace andlove. Then I began to know the full meaning of being amember of Alcoholics Anonymous."
  1432.         },
  1433.         {
  1434.             "month": "JUNE",
  1435.             "day": 28,
  1436.             "title": "THE DETERMINATION OF OUR FOUNDERS",
  1437.             "quotation": "A year and six months later these three had succeeded withseven more.",
  1438.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 159",
  1439.             "reading": "If it had not been for the fierce determination of ourfounders, A.A. would have quickly faded like so manyother so-called good causes. I look at the hundreds ofmeetings weekly in the city where I five and I know A.A. isavailable twenty-four hours a day. If I had had to hang onwith nothing but hope and a desire not to drink,experiencing rejection wherever I went, I would havesought the easier, softer way and returned to my previousway of life."
  1440.         },
  1441.         {
  1442.             "month": "JUNE",
  1443.             "day": 29,
  1444.             "title": "A RIPPLING EFFECT",
  1445.             "quotation": "Having learned to live so happily, we'd show everyone elsehow. . . . Yes, we of A.A. did dream those dreams. Hownatural that was, since most alcoholics are bankruptidealists. . . . So why shouldn't we share our way of lifewith everyone?",
  1446.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 156",
  1447.             "reading": "The great discovery of sobriety led me to feel the need tospread the 'good news' to the world around me. Thegrandiose thoughts of my drinking days returned. Later, Ilearned that concentrating on my own recovery was a fulltime process. As I became a sober citizen in this world, Iobserved a rippling effect which, without any consciouseffort on my part, reached any 'related facility or outsideenterprise,' without diverting me from my primary purposeof staying sober and helping other alcoholics to achievesobriety."
  1448.         },
  1449.         {
  1450.             "month": "JUNE",
  1451.             "day": 30,
  1452.             "title": "SACRIFICE = UNITY = SURVIVAL",
  1453.             "quotation": "The unity, the effectiveness, and even the survival of A.A.will always depend upon our continued willingness to giveup some of our personal ambitions and desires for thecommon safety and welfare. Just as sacrifice meanssurvival for the individual alcoholic, so does sacrifice meanunity and survival for the group and for A.A. 's entireFellowship.",
  1454.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 220",
  1455.             "reading": "I have learned that I must sacrifice some of my personalitytraits for the good of A.A. and, as a result, I have beenrewarded with many gifts. False pride can be inflatedthrough prestige but, by living Tradition Six, I receive thegift of humility instead. Cooperation without affiliation isoften deceiving. If I remain unrelated to outside interests, Iam free to keep A.A. autonomous. Then the Fellowship willbe here, healthy and strong for generations to come."
  1456.         },
  1457.         {
  1458.             "month": "JULY",
  1459.             "day": 1,
  1460.             "title": "THE BEST FOR TODAY",
  1461.             "quotation": "The principles we have set down are guides to progress",
  1462.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 60",
  1463.             "reading": "Just as a sculptor will use different tools to achieve desiredeffects in creating a work of art, in Alcoholics Anonymousthe Twelve Steps are used to bring about results in my ownlife. I do not overwhelm myself with life's problems, andhow much more work needs to be done. I let myself becomforted in knowing that my life is now in the hands ofmy Higher Power, a master craftsman who is shaping eachpart of my life into a unique work of art. By working myprogram I can be satisfied, knowing that 'in doing the bestthat we can for today, we are doing all that God asks of us.'"
  1464.         },
  1465.         {
  1466.             "month": "JULY",
  1467.             "day": 2,
  1468.             "title": "THE HEART OF TRUE SOBRIETY",
  1469.             "quotation": "We find that no one need have difficulty with the spiritualityof the program. Willingness, honesty and open-mindednessare the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable.",
  1470.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 570",
  1471.             "reading": "Am I honest enough to accept myself as I am and let thisbe the 'me' that I let others see? Do I have the willingnessto go to any length, to do whatever is necessary to staysober? Do I have the open-mindedness to hear what I haveto hear, to think what I have to think, and to feel what Ihave to feel?If my answer to these questions is 'Yes,' I know enoughabout the spirituality of the program to stay sober. As Icontinue to work the Twelve Steps, I move on to the heartof true sobriety: serenity with myself, with others, and withGod as I understand Him."
  1472.         },
  1473.         {
  1474.             "month": "JULY",
  1475.             "day": 3,
  1476.             "title": "EXPERIENCE: THE BEST TEACHER",
  1477.             "quotation": "Being still inexperienced and having just made consciouscontact with God, it is not probable that we are going to beinspired at all times.",
  1478.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87",
  1479.             "reading": "Some say that experience is the best teacher, but I believethat experience is the only teacher. I have been able to learnof God's love for me only by the experience of mydependence on that love. At first I could not be sure of Hisdirection in my life, but now I see that if I am to be boldenough to ask for His guidance, I must act as if He hasprovided it. I frequently ask God to help me remember thatHe has a path for me."
  1480.         },
  1481.         {
  1482.             "month": "JULY",
  1483.             "day": 4,
  1484.             "title": "A NATURAL FAITH",
  1485.             "quotation": ". . . deep down in every man, woman and child, is thefundamental idea of God. It may be obscured by calamity,by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form orother it is there. For faith in a Power greater thanourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power inhuman lives, are facts as old as man himself.",
  1486.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 55",
  1487.             "reading": "I have seen the workings of the unseen God in A.A. roomsaround the country. Miracles of recovery are everywhere inevidence. I now believe that God is in these rooms and inmy heart. Today faith is as natural to me, a formeragnostic, as breathing, eating and sleeping. The TwelveSteps have helped to change my life in many ways, butnone is more effective than the acquisition of a HigherPower."
  1488.         },
  1489.         {
  1490.             "month": "JULY",
  1491.             "day": 5,
  1492.             "title": "A NEW DIRECTION",
  1493.             "quotation": "Our human resources, as marshaled by the will, were notsufficient; they failed utterly. . . . Every day is a day whenwe must carry the vision of God's will into all our activities.",
  1494.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 45, 85",
  1495.             "reading": "I hear talk of the 'weak-willed' alcoholic, but I am one ofthe strongest-willed people on earth! I now know that myincredible strength of will is not enough to save my life.My problem is not one of 'weakness,' but rather ofdirection. When I, without falsely diminishing myself,accept my honest limitations and turn to God's guidance,my worst faults become my greatest assets. My strong will,rightly directed, keeps me working until the promises of theprogram become my daily reality."
  1496.         },
  1497.         {
  1498.             "month": "JULY",
  1499.             "day": 6,
  1500.             "title": "IDENTIFYING FEAR . . .",
  1501.             "quotation": "The chief activator of our defects has been self-centeredfear. . . .",
  1502.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 76",
  1503.             "reading": "When I feel uncomfortable, irritated, or depressed, I lookfor fear. This 'evil and corroding thread' is the root of mydistress: Fear of failure; fear of others' opinions; fear ofharm, and many other fears. I have found a Higher Powerwho does not want me to live in fear and, as a result, theexperience of A.A. in my life is freedom and joy. I am nolonger willing to live with the multitude of character defects that characterized my life while I was drinking. StepSeven is my vehicle to freedom from these defects. I prayfor help in identifying the fear underneath the defect, andthen I ask God to relieve me of that fear. This methodworks for me without fail and is one of the great miraclesof my life in Alcoholics Anonymous."
  1504.         },
  1505.         {
  1506.             "month": "JULY",
  1507.             "day": 7,
  1508.             "title": ". . . AND LETTING GO OF IT",
  1509.             "quotation": ". . . primarily fear that we would lose something we alreadypossessed or would fail to get something we demanded.Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in astate of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore,no peace was to be had unless we could find a means ofreducing these demands The difference between a demandand a simple request is plain to anyone.",
  1510.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 76",
  1511.             "reading": "Peace is possible for me only when I let go of expectations.When I'm trapped in thoughts about what I want and whatshould be coming to me, I'm in a state of fear or anxiousanticipation and this is not conducive to emotional sobriety.I must surrender —over and over—to the reality of mydependence on God, for then I find peace, gratitude andspiritual security."
  1512.         },
  1513.         {
  1514.             "month": "JULY",
  1515.             "day": 8,
  1516.             "title": "AN EVER-GROWING FREEDOM",
  1517.             "quotation": "The Seventh Step is where we make the change in ourattitude which permits us, with humility as our guide, tomove out from ourselves toward others and toward God.",
  1518.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 76",
  1519.             "reading": "When I finally asked God to remove those things blockingme from Him and the sunlight of the Spirit, I embarked ona journey more glorious than I ever imagined. Iexperienced a freedom from those characteristics that hadme wrapped up in myself. Because of this humbling Step, Ifeel clean.I am especially aware of this Step because I'm now ableto be useful to God and to my fellows. I know that He hasgranted me strength to do His bidding and has prepared mefor anyone, and anything, that comes my way today. I amtruly in His hands, and I give thanks for the joy that I canbe useful today."
  1520.         },
  1521.         {
  1522.             "month": "JULY",
  1523.             "day": 9,
  1524.             "title": "I AM AN INSTRUMENT Humbly asked Him",
  1525.             "quotation": "to remove our shortcomings.",
  1526.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 70",
  1527.             "reading": "The subject of humility is a difficult one. Humility is notthinking less of myself than I ought to; it is acknowledgingthat I do certain things well, it is accepting a complimentgraciously.God can only do for me what He can do through me.Humility is the result of knowing that God is the doer, notme. In the light of this awareness, how can I take pride inmy accomplishments? I am an instrument and any work Iseem to be doing is being done by God through me. I askGod on a daily basis to remove my shortcomings, in orderthat I may more freely go about my A.A. business of 'loveand service.'"
  1528.         },
  1529.         {
  1530.             "month": "JULY",
  1531.             "day": 10,
  1532.             "title": "TOWARD PEACE AND SERENITY",
  1533.             "quotation": ". . . when we have taken a square look at some of thesedefects, have discussed them with another, and havebecome willing to have them removed, our thinking abouthumility commences to have a wider meaning.",
  1534.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 74",
  1535.             "reading": "When situations arise which destroy my serenity, pain oftenmotivates me to ask God for clarity in seeing my part in thesituation. Admitting my powerlessness, I humbly pray foracceptance. I try to see how my character defectscontributed to the situation. Could I have been morepatient? Was I intolerant? Did I insist on having my ownway? Was I afraid? As my defects are revealed, I put selfreliance aside and humbly ask God to remove myshortcomings. The situation may not change, but as Ipractice exercising humility, I enjoy the peace and serenitywhich are the natural benefits of placing my reliance in apower greater than myself."
  1536.         },
  1537.         {
  1538.             "month": "JULY",
  1539.             "day": 11,
  1540.             "title": "A TURNING POINT",
  1541.             "quotation": "A great turning point in our lives came when we sought forhumility as something we really wanted, rather than assomething we must have.",
  1542.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 75",
  1543.             "reading": "Either the A.A. way of life becomes one of joy or I returnto the darkness and despair of alcoholism. Joy comes to mewhen my attitude concerning God and humility turns to oneof desire rather than of burden. The darkness in my lifechanges to radiant light when I arrive at the realization thatbeing truthful and honest in dealing with my inventoryresults in my life being filled with serenity, freedom, andjoy. Trust in my Higher Power deepens, and the flush ofgratitude spreads through my being. I am convinced thatbeing humble is being truthful and honest in dealing withmyself and God. It is then that humility is something I'really want,' rather than being 'something I must have.'"
  1544.         },
  1545.         {
  1546.             "month": "JULY",
  1547.             "day": 12,
  1548.             "title": "GIVING UP CENTER STAGE",
  1549.             "quotation": "For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can staysober at all . . . Without it, they cannot live to much usefulpurpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith thatcan meet any emergency.",
  1550.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 70",
  1551.             "reading": "Why do I balk at the word 'humility?' I am not humblingmyself toward other people, but toward God, as Iunderstand Him. Humility means 'to show submissiverespect,' and by being humble I realize I am not the centerof the universe. When I was drinking, I was consumed bypride and self-centeredness. I felt the entire world revolvedaround me, that I was master of my destiny. Humilityenables me to depend more on God to help me overcomeobstacles, to help me with my own imperfections, so that Imay grow spiritually. I must solve more difficult problemsto increase my proficiency and, as I encounter life'sstumbling blocks, I must learn to overcome them throughGod's help. Daily communion with God demonstrates myhumility and provides me with the realization that an entitymore powerful than I is willing to help me if I cease tryingto play God myself."
  1552.         },
  1553.         {
  1554.             "month": "JULY",
  1555.             "day": 13,
  1556.             "title": "HUMILITY IS A GIFT",
  1557.             "quotation": "As long as we placed self-reliance first, a genuine relianceupon a Higher Power was out of the question. That basicingredient of all humility, a desire to seek and do God'swill, was missing.",
  1558.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 72",
  1559.             "reading": "When I first came to A.A., I wanted to find some of theelusive quality called humility. I didn't realize I was lookingfor humility because I thought it would help me get what Iwanted, and that I would do anything for others if I thoughtGod would somehow reward me for it. I try to remembernow that the people I meet in the course of my day are asclose to God as I am ever going to get while on this earth. Ineed to pray for knowledge of God's will today, and seehow my experience with hope and pain can help otherpeople; if I can do that, I don't need to search for humility,it has found me."
  1560.         },
  1561.         {
  1562.             "month": "JULY",
  1563.             "day": 14,
  1564.             "title": "A NOURISHING INGREDIENT",
  1565.             "quotation": "Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding onhumble pie, it now begins to mean the nourishingingredient which can give us serenity.",
  1566.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 74",
  1567.             "reading": "How often do I focus on my problems and frustrations?When I am having a 'good day' these same problemsshrink in importance and my preoccupation with themdwindles. Wouldn't it be better if I could find a key tounlock the 'magic' of my 'good days' for use on the woesof my 'bad days?'I already have the solution! Instead of trying to run awayfrom my pain and wish my problems away, I can pray forhumility! Humility will heal the pain. Humility will take meout of myself. Humility, that strength granted to me by that'power greater than myself,' is mine for the asking! Humility will bring balance back into my life. Humility will allowme to accept my humanness joyously."
  1568.         },
  1569.         {
  1570.             "month": "JULY",
  1571.             "day": 15,
  1572.             "title": "PRIDE",
  1573.             "quotation": "For thousands of years we have been demanding more thanour share of security, prestige, and romance. When weseemed to be succeeding, we drank to dream still greaterdreams. When we were frustrated, even in part, we drankfor oblivion. Never was there enough of what we thoughtwe wanted.In all these strivings, so many of them well-intentioned,our crippling handicap had been our lack of humility. Wehad lacked the perspective to see that character-buildingand spiritual values had to come first, and that materialsatisfactions were not the purpose of living.",
  1574.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 71",
  1575.             "reading": "Time and again I approached the Seventh Step, only to fallback and regroup. Something was missing and the impactof the Step escaped me. What had I overlooked? A singleword: read but ignored, the foundation of all the Steps,indeed the entire Alcoholics Anonymous program—thatword is 'humbly.'I understood my shortcomings: I constantly put tasksoff; I angered easily; I felt too much self-pity; and Ithought, why me? Then I remembered, 'Pride goeth beforethe fall,' and I eliminated pride from my life."
  1576.         },
  1577.         {
  1578.             "month": "JULY",
  1579.             "day": 16,
  1580.             "title": "'A MEASURE OF HUMILITY'",
  1581.             "quotation": "In every case, pain had been the price of admission into anew life. But this admission price had purchased more thanwe expected It brought a measure of humility, which wesoon discovered to be a healer of pain.",
  1582.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 75",
  1583.             "reading": "It was painful to give up trying to control my life, eventhough success eluded me, and when life got too rough, Idrank to escape. Accepting life on life's terms will bemastered through the humility I experience when I turn mywill and my life over to the care of God, as I understandHim. With my life in God's care, fear, uncertainty, andanger are no longer my response to those portions of lifethat I would rather not have happen to me. The pain ofliving through these times will be healed by the knowledgethat I have received the spiritual strength to survive."
  1584.         },
  1585.         {
  1586.             "month": "JULY",
  1587.             "day": 17,
  1588.             "title": "SURRENDER AND SELF-EXAMINATION",
  1589.             "quotation": "My stability came out of trying to give, not out ofdemanding that I receive.Thus I think it can work out with emotional sobriety. Ifwe examine every disturbance we have, great or small, wewill find at the root of it some unhealthy dependency and itsconsequent unhealthy demand. Let us, with God's help,continually surrender these hobbling demands. Then wecan be set free to live and love; we may then be able toTwelfth Step ourselves and others into emotional sobriety.",
  1590.             "citation": "THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 238",
  1591.             "reading": "Years of dependency on alcohol as a chemical moodchanger deprived me of the capability to interactemotionally with my fellows. I thought I had to be selfsufficient, self-reliant, and self-motivated in a world ofunreliable people. Finally I lost my self-respect and was leftwith dependency, lacking any ability to trust myself or tobelieve in anything. Surrender and self-examination whilesharing with newcomers helped me to ask humbly for help."
  1592.         },
  1593.         {
  1594.             "month": "JULY",
  1595.             "day": 18,
  1596.             "title": "GRATEFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE",
  1597.             "quotation": "During this process of learning more about humility, themost profound result of all was the change in our attitudetoward God.",
  1598.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 75",
  1599.             "reading": "Today my prayers consist mostly of saying thank you tomy Higher Power for my sobriety and for the wonder ofGod's abundance, but I need to ask also for help and thepower to carry out His will for me. I no longer need Godeach minute to rescue me from the situations I get myselfinto by not doing His will. Now my gratitude seems to bedirectly linked to humility. As long as I have the humilityto be grateful for what I have, God continues to provide forme."
  1600.         },
  1601.         {
  1602.             "month": "JULY",
  1603.             "day": 19,
  1604.             "title": "FALSE PRIDE",
  1605.             "quotation": "Many of us who had thought ourselves religious awoke tothe limitations of this attitude. Refusing to place God first,we had deprived ourselves of His help.",
  1606.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 75",
  1607.             "reading": "Many false notions operate in false pride. The need fordirection to live a decent life is satisfied by the hopeexperienced in the A.A. Fellowship. Those who havewalked the way for years—a day at a time—say that a Godcentered life has limitless possibilities for personal growth.This being so, much hope is transmitted by the elder A.A.s.I thank my Higher Power for letting me know that Heworks through other people, and I thank Him for ourtrusted servants in the Fellowship who aid new members toreject their false ideals and to adopt those which lead to alife of compassion and trust. The elders in A.A. challengethe newcomers to 'Come To'—so that they can 'Come toBelieve.' I ask my Higher Power to help my unbelief."
  1608.         },
  1609.         {
  1610.             "month": "JULY",
  1611.             "day": 20,
  1612.             "title": "SHORTCOMINGS REMOVED",
  1613.             "quotation": "But now the words 'Of myself I am nothing, the Fatherdoeth the works' began to carry bright promise andmeaning.",
  1614.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 75",
  1615.             "reading": "When I put the Seventh Step into action I must rememberthat there are no blanks to fill in. It doesn't say, 'Humblyasked Him to (fill in the blank) remove our shortcomings.'For years, I filled in the imaginary blank with 'Help me!''Give me the courage to,' and 'Give me the strength,' etc.The Step says simply that God will remove myshortcomings. The only footwork I must do is 'humblyask,' which for me means asking with the knowledge thatof myself I am nothing, the Father within 'doeth theworks.'"
  1616.         },
  1617.         {
  1618.             "month": "JULY",
  1619.             "day": 21,
  1620.             "title": "A PRICELESS GIFT",
  1621.             "quotation": "By this time in all probability we have gained somemeasure of release from our more devastating handicaps.We enjoy moments in which there is something like realpeace of mind. To those of us who have hitherto known onlyexcitement, depression, or anxiety—in other words, to all ofus—this newfound peace is a priceless gift.",
  1622.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 74",
  1623.             "reading": "I am learning to let go and let God, to have a mind that isopen and a heart that is willing to receive God's grace in allmy affairs; in this way I can experience the peace andfreedom that come as a result of surrender. It has beenproven that an act of surrender, originating in desperationand defeat, can grow into an ongoing act of faith, and thatfaith means freedom and victory."
  1624.         },
  1625.         {
  1626.             "month": "JULY",
  1627.             "day": 22,
  1628.             "title": "'THE GOOD AND THE BAD'",
  1629.             "quotation": "'My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all ofme, good and bad.'",
  1630.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 76",
  1631.             "reading": "The joy of life is in the giving. Being freed of myshortcomings, that I may more freely be of service, allowshumility to grow in me. My shortcomings can be humblyplaced in God's loving care and be removed. The essenceof Step Seven is humility, and what better way to seekhumility than by giving all of myself—good and bad—toGod, so that He may remove the bad and return to me thegood."
  1632.         },
  1633.         {
  1634.             "month": "JULY",
  1635.             "day": 23,
  1636.             "title": "I ASK GOD TO DECIDE",
  1637.             "quotation": "'I pray that you now remove from me every single defect ofcharacter which stands in the way of my usefulness to youand my fellows '",
  1638.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 76",
  1639.             "reading": "Having admitted my powerlessness and made a decision toturn my will and my life over to the care of God, as Iunderstand Him, I don't decide which defects get removed,or the order in which defects get removed, or the timeframe in which they get removed. I ask God to decidewhich defects stand in the way of my usefulness to Himand to others, and then I humbly ask Him to remove them."
  1640.         },
  1641.         {
  1642.             "month": "JULY",
  1643.             "day": 24,
  1644.             "title": "HELPING OTHERS",
  1645.             "quotation": "Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon ourconstant thought of others and how we may help meet theirneeds.",
  1646.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 20",
  1647.             "reading": "Self-centeredness was my problem. All my life people hadbeen doing things for me and I not only expected it, but Iwas ungrateful and resentful they didn't do more. Whyshould I help others, when they were supposed to help me?If others had troubles, didn't they deserve them? I wasfilled with self-pity, anger and resentment. Then I learnedthat by helping others, with no thought of return, I couldovercome this obsession with selfishness, and if Iunderstood humility, I would know peace and serenity. Nolonger do I need to drink."
  1648.         },
  1649.         {
  1650.             "month": "JULY",
  1651.             "day": 25,
  1652.             "title": "THOSE WHO STILL SUFFER",
  1653.             "quotation": "For us, if we neglect those who are still sick, there isunremitting danger to our own lives and sanity.",
  1654.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 151",
  1655.             "reading": "I know the torment of drinking compulsively to quiet mynerves and my fears. I also know the pain of whiteknuckled sobriety. Today, I do not forget the unknownperson who suffers quietly, withdrawn and hiding in thedesperate relief of drinking. I ask my Higher Power to giveme His guidance and the courage to be willing to be Hisinstrument to carry within me compassion and unselfishactions. Let the group continue to give me the strength todo with others what I cannot do alone."
  1656.         },
  1657.         {
  1658.             "month": "JULY",
  1659.             "day": 26,
  1660.             "title": "THE 'WORTH' OF SOBRIETY",
  1661.             "quotation": "Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting,declining outside contributions.",
  1662.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 160",
  1663.             "reading": "When I go shopping I look at the prices and if I need what Isee, I buy it and pay. Now that I am supposed to be inrehabilitation, I have to straighten out my life. When I goto a meeting, I take a coffee with sugar and milk,sometimes more than one. But at the collection time, I ameither too busy to take money out of my purse, or I do nothave enough, but I am there because I need this meeting. Iheard someone suggest dropping the price of a beer into thebasket, and I thought, that's too much! I almost never giveone dollar. Like many others, I rely on the more generousmembers to finance the Fellowship. I forget that it takesmoney to rent the meeting room, buy my milk, sugar andcups. I will pay, without hesitation, ninety cents for a cupof coffee at a restaurant after the meeting; I always havemoney for that. So, how much is my sobriety and my innerpeace worth?"
  1664.         },
  1665.         {
  1666.             "month": "JULY",
  1667.             "day": 27,
  1668.             "title": "GIVING FREELY",
  1669.             "quotation": "We will make every personal sacrifice necessary toinsure the unity of Alcoholics Anonymous. We willdo this because we have learned to love God and oneanother.",
  1670.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 234",
  1671.             "reading": "To be self-supporting through my own contributions wasnever a strong characteristic during my days as a practicingalcoholic. The giving of time or money always demanded aprice tag.As a newcomer I was told 'we have to give it away inorder to keep it.' As I began to adopt the principles ofAlcoholics Anonymous in my life, I soon found it was aprivilege to give to the Fellowship as an expression of thegratitude I felt in my heart. My love of God and of othersbecame the motivating factor in my life, with no thought ofreturn. I realize now that giving freely is God's way ofexpressing Himself through me."
  1672.         },
  1673.         {
  1674.             "month": "JULY",
  1675.             "day": 28,
  1676.             "title": "THOSE WHO STILL SUFFER",
  1677.             "quotation": "Let us resist the proud assumption that since God hasenabled us to do well in one area we are destined to be achannel of saving grace for everybody.",
  1678.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 232",
  1679.             "reading": "A.A. groups exist to help alcoholics achieve sobriety.Large or small, firmly established or brand-new, speaker,discussion or study, each group has but one reason forbeing: to carry the message to the still-suffering alcoholic.The group exists so that the alcoholic can find a new wayof life, a life abundant in happiness, joy, and freedom. Torecover, most alcoholics need the support of a group ofother alcoholics who share their experience, strength andhope. Thus my sobriety, and our program's survival,depend on my determination to put first things first."
  1680.         },
  1681.         {
  1682.             "month": "JULY",
  1683.             "day": 29,
  1684.             "title": "ANONYMOUS GIFTS OF KINDNESS",
  1685.             "quotation": "As active alcoholics we were always looking for a handoutin one way or another.",
  1686.             "citation": "'THE TWELVE TRADITIONS ILLUSTRATED,' p. 14",
  1687.             "reading": "The challenge of the Seventh Tradition is a personalchallenge, reminding me to share and give of myself.Before sobriety the only thing I ever supported was myhabit of drinking. Now my efforts are a smile, a kind word,and kindness.I saw that I had to start carrying my own weight and toallow my new friends to walk with me because, through thepractice of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, I'venever had it so good."
  1688.         },
  1689.         {
  1690.             "month": "JULY",
  1691.             "day": 30,
  1692.             "title": "GIVING BACK",
  1693.             "quotation": ". . . he has struck something better than gold. . . . He maynot see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lodewhich will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest ofhis life and insists on giving away the entire product.",
  1694.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 129",
  1695.             "reading": "My part of the Seventh Tradition means so much more thanjust giving money to pay for the coffee. It means beingaccepted for myself by belonging to a group. For the firsttime I can be responsible, because I have a choice. I canlearn the principles of working out problems in my dailylife by getting involved in the 'business' of A.A. By beingself-supporting, I can give back to A.A. what A.A. gave tome! Giving back to A.A. not only ensures my ownsobriety, but allows me to buy insurance that A.A. will behere for my grandchildren."
  1696.         },
  1697.         {
  1698.             "month": "JULY",
  1699.             "day": 31,
  1700.             "title": "A PRAYER FOR ALL SEASONS",
  1701.             "quotation": "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannotchange, Courage to change the things we can. And wisdomto know the difference.",
  1702.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 125",
  1703.             "reading": "The power of this prayer is overwhelming in that its simplebeauty parallels the A.A. Fellowship. There are times whenI get stuck while reciting it, but if I examine the sectionwhich is troubling me, I find the answer to my problem.The first time this happened I was scared, but now I use itas a valuable tool. By accepting life as it is, I gain serenity.By taking action, I gain courage and I thank God for theability to distinguish between those situations I can workon, and those I must turn over. All that I have now is a giftfrom God: my life, my usefulness, my contentment, andthis program. The serenity enables me to continue walkingforward. Alcoholics Anonymous is the easier, softer way."
  1704.         },
  1705.         {
  1706.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1707.             "day": 1,
  1708.             "title": "LIVING IT",
  1709.             "quotation": "The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.",
  1710.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 83",
  1711.             "reading": "When new in the program, I couldn't comprehend livingthe spiritual aspect of the program, but now that I'm sober,I can't comprehend living without it. Spirituality was whatI had been seeking. God, as I understand Him, has givenme answers to the whys that kept me drinking for twentyyears. By living a spiritual life, by asking God for help, Ihave learned to love, care for and feel compassion for allmy fellow men, and to feel joy in a world where, before, Ifelt only fear."
  1712.         },
  1713.         {
  1714.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1715.             "day": 2,
  1716.             "title": "WE BECOME WILLING . . .",
  1717.             "quotation": "At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. Butthis is not an end in itself.",
  1718.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 77",
  1719.             "reading": "How easily I can become misdirected in approaching theEighth Step! I wish to be free, somehow transformed by mySixth and Seventh Step work. Now, more than ever, I amvulnerable to my own self-interest and hidden agenda. I amcareful to remember that self-satisfaction, which sometimescomes through the spoken forgiveness of those I haveharmed, is not my true objective. I become willing to makeamends, knowing that through this process I am mendedand made fit to move forward, to know and desire God'swill for me."
  1720.         },
  1721.         {
  1722.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1723.             "day": 3,
  1724.             "title": ". . . TO BE OF SERVICE",
  1725.             "quotation": "Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximumservice to God and the people about us.",
  1726.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 77",
  1727.             "reading": "It is clear that God's plan for me is expressed through love.God loved me enough to take me from alleys and jails sothat I could be made a useful participant in His world. Myresponse is to love all of His children through service andby example. I ask God to help me imitate His love for methrough my love for others."
  1728.         },
  1729.         {
  1730.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1731.             "day": 4,
  1732.             "title": "SEEDS OF FAITH",
  1733.             "quotation": "Faith, to be sure, is necessary, but faith alone can availnothing. We can have faith, yet keep God out of our lives.",
  1734.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 34",
  1735.             "reading": "As a child I constantly questioned the existence of God. Toa 'scientific thinker' like me, no answer could withstand athorough dissection, until a very patient woman finally saidto me, 'You must have faith.' With that simple statement,the seeds of my recovery were sown!Today, as I practice my recovery—cutting back theweeds of alcoholism—slowly I am letting those early seedsof faith grow and bloom. Each day of recovery, of ardentgardening, brings the Higher Power of my understandingmore fully into my life. My God has always been with methrough faith, but it is my responsibility to have thewillingness to accept His presence.I ask God to grant me the willingness to do His will."
  1736.         },
  1737.         {
  1738.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1739.             "day": 5,
  1740.             "title": "LISTENING DEEPLY",
  1741.             "quotation": "How persistently we claim the right to decide all byourselves just what we shall think and just how we shall act",
  1742.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 37",
  1743.             "reading": "If I accept and act upon the advice of those who have madethe program work for themselves, I have a chance tooutgrow the limits of the past. Some problems will shrinkto nothingness, while others may require patient, wellthought-out action. Listening deeply when others share candevelop intuition in handling problems which ariseunexpectedly. It is usually best for me to avoid impetuousaction. Attending a meeting or calling a fellow A.A.member will usually reduce tension enough to bring reliefto a desperate sufferer like me. Sharing problems atmeetings with other alcoholics to whom I relate, orprivately with my sponsor, can change aspects of thepositions in which I find myself. Character defects areidentified and I begin to see how they work against me.When I put my faith in the spiritual power of the program,when I trust others to teach me what I need to do to have abetter life, I find that I can trust myself to do what isnecessary."
  1744.         },
  1745.         {
  1746.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1747.             "day": 6,
  1748.             "title": "DRIVEN",
  1749.             "quotation": "Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, selfseeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows andthey retaliate.",
  1750.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 62",
  1751.             "reading": "My selfishness was the driving force behind my drinking. Idrank to celebrate success and I drank to drown mysorrows. Humility is the answer. I learn to turn my will andmy life over to the care of God. My sponsor tells me thatservice keeps me sober. Today I ask myself: Have I soughtknowledge of God's will for me? Have I done service formy A.A. group?"
  1752.         },
  1753.         {
  1754.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1755.             "day": 7,
  1756.             "title": "A 'DESIGN FOR LIVING'",
  1757.             "quotation": "We in our turn, sought the same escape with all thedesperation of drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsyreed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand ofGod. A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, 'adesign for living' that really works.",
  1758.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 28",
  1759.             "reading": "I try each day to raise my heart and hands in thanks to Godfor showing me a 'design for living' that really worksthrough our beautiful Fellowship. But what, exactly, is this'design for living' that 'really works'? For me, it is thepractice of the Twelve Steps to the best of my ability, thecontinued awareness of a God who loves me unconditionally, and the hope that, in each new day, there is a purposefor my being. I am truly, truly blessed in the Fellowship."
  1760.         },
  1761.         {
  1762.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1763.             "day": 8,
  1764.             "title": "'MADE A LIST . . .' Made a list of all",
  1765.             "quotation": "persons we had harmed, . . .",
  1766.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 77",
  1767.             "reading": "When I approached the Eighth Step, I wondered how Icould list all the things that I have done to other peoplesince there were so many people, and some of them weren'talive anymore. Some of the hurts I inflicted weren't bad,but they really bothered me. The main thing to see in thisStep was to become willing to do whatever I had to do tomake these amends to the best of my ability at that particular time. Where there is a will, there's a way, so if Iwant to feel better, I need to unload the guilt feelings Ihave. A peaceful mind has no room for feelings of guilt.With the help of my Higher Power, if I am honest withmyself, I can cleanse my mind of these feelings."
  1768.         },
  1769.         {
  1770.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1771.             "day": 9,
  1772.             "title": "'. . . OF ALL PERSONS WE HAD HARMED'",
  1773.             "quotation": ". . . and became willing to make amends to them all.",
  1774.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 77",
  1775.             "reading": "One of the key words in the Eighth Step is the word all. Iam not free to select a few names for the list and todisregard others. It is a list of all persons I have harmed. Ican see immediately that this Step entails forgivenessbecause if I'm not willing to forgive someone, there is littlechance I will place his name on the list. Before I placed thefirst name on my list, I said a little prayer: 'I forgiveanyone and everyone who has ever harmed me at any timeand under any circumstances.'It is well for me to contemplate a small, but verysignificant, two-letter word every time the Lord's Prayer issaid. The word is as. I ask, 'Forgive us our trespasses, aswe forgive those who trespass against us.' In this case, asmeans, 'in the same manner.' I am asking to be forgiven inthe same manner that I forgive others. As I say this portionof the prayer, if I am harboring hatred or resentment, I aminviting more resentment, when I should be calling on thespirit of forgiveness."
  1776.         },
  1777.         {
  1778.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1779.             "day": 10,
  1780.             "title": "REDOUBLING OUR EFFORTS",
  1781.             "quotation": "To a degree, he has already done this when taking moralinventory, but now the time has come when he ought toredouble his efforts to see how many people he has hurt,and in what ways.",
  1782.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 77",
  1783.             "reading": "As I continue to grow in sobriety, I become more aware ofmyself as a person of worth. In the process, I am better ableto see others as persons, and with this comes the realizationthat these were people whom I had hurt in my drinkingdays. I didn't just lie, I lied about Tom. I didn't just cheat, Icheated Joe. What were seemingly impersonal acts, werereally personal affronts, because it was people —people ofworth—whom I had harmed. I need to do something aboutthe people I have hurt so that I may enjoy a peacefulsobriety."
  1784.         },
  1785.         {
  1786.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1787.             "day": 11,
  1788.             "title": "REMOVING 'THE GROUND GLASS'",
  1789.             "quotation": "The moral inventory is a cool examination of the damagesthat occurred to us during life and a sincere effort to lookat them in a true perspective. This has the effect of takingthe ground glass out of us, the emotional substance thatstill cuts and inhibits.",
  1790.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 140",
  1791.             "reading": "My Eighth Step list used to drag me into a whirlpool ofresentment. After four years of sobriety, I was blocked bydenial connected with an ongoing abusive relationship. Theargument between fear and pride eased as the words of theStep moved from my head to my heart. For the first time inyears I opened my box of paints and poured out an honestrage, an explosion of reds and blacks and yellows. As Ilooked at the drawing, tears of joy and relief flowed downmy cheeks. In my disease, I had given up my art, a selfinflicted punishment far greater than any imposed fromoutside. In my recovery, I learned that the pain of mydefects is the very substance God uses to cleanse mycharacter and to set me free."
  1792.         },
  1793.         {
  1794.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1795.             "day": 12,
  1796.             "title": "A LOOK BACKWARD",
  1797.             "quotation": "First, we take a look backward and try to discover wherewe have been at fault; next we make a vigorous attempt torepair the damage we have done; . . .",
  1798.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 77",
  1799.             "reading": "As a traveler on a fresh and exciting A.A. journey ofrecovery, I experienced a newfound peace of mind and thehorizon appeared clear and bright, rather than obscure anddim. Reviewing my life to discover where I had been atfault seemed to be such an arduous and dangerous task. Itwas painful to pause and look backward. I was afraid Imight stumble! Couldn't I put the past out of my mind andjust live in my new golden present? I realized that those inthe past whom I had harmed stood between me and mydesire to continue my movement toward serenity. I had toask for courage to face those persons from my life who stilllived in my conscience, to recognize and deal with the guiltthat their presence produced in me. I had to look at thedamage I had done, and become willing to make amends.Only then could my journey of the spirit resume."
  1800.         },
  1801.         {
  1802.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1803.             "day": 13,
  1804.             "title": "A CLEAN SWEEP",
  1805.             "quotation": ". . . and third, having thus cleaned away the debris of thepast, we consider how, with our newfound knowledge ofourselves, we may develop the best possible relations withevery human being we know.",
  1806.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 77",
  1807.             "reading": "As I faced the Eighth Step, everything that was required forsuccessful completion of the previous seven Steps cametogether: courage, honesty, sincerity, willingness andthoroughness. I could not muster the strength required forthis task at the beginning, which is why this Step reads'Became willing. . . .'I needed to develop the courage to begin, the honesty tosee where I was wrong, a sincere desire to set things right,thoroughness in making a list, and willingness to take therisks required for true humility. With the help of my HigherPower in developing these virtues, I completed this Stepand continued to move forward in my quest for spiritualgrowth."
  1808.         },
  1809.         {
  1810.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1811.             "day": 14,
  1812.             "title": "REPAIRING THE DAMAGE",
  1813.             "quotation": "We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run theshow ourselves. If we haven't the will to do this, we askuntil it comes. Remember it was agreed at the beginningwe would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol.",
  1814.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 76",
  1815.             "reading": "Making a list of people I had harmed was not a particularlydifficult thing to do. They had showed up in my FourthStep inventory: people towards whom I had resentments,real or imagined, and whom I had hurt by acts ofretaliation. For my recovery to be thorough, I believed itwas not important for those who had legitimately harmedme to make amends to me. What is important in myrelationship with God is that I stand before Him, knowing Ihave done what I can to repair the damage I have done."
  1816.         },
  1817.         {
  1818.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1819.             "day": 15,
  1820.             "title": "DIDN'T WE HURT ANYBODY?",
  1821.             "quotation": "Some of us, though, tripped over a very different snag. Weclung to the claim that when drinking we never hurtanybody but ourselves.",
  1822.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 79",
  1823.             "reading": "This Step seemed so simple. I identified several peoplewhom I had harmed, but they were no longer available.Still, I was uneasy about the Step and avoidedconversations dealing with it. In time I learned toinvestigate those Steps and areas of my life which made meuncomfortable. My search revealed my parents, who hadbeen deeply hurt by my isolation from them; my employer,who worried about my absences, my memory lapses, mytemper; and the friends I had shunned, without explanation.As I faced the reality of the harm I had done, Step Eighttook on new meaning. I am no longer uncomfortable and Ifeel clean and light."
  1824.         },
  1825.         {
  1826.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1827.             "day": 16,
  1828.             "title": "'I HAD DROPPED OUT'",
  1829.             "quotation": "We might next ask ourselves what we mean when we saythat we have 'harmed' other people. What kinds of 'harm'do people do one another, anyway? To define the word'harm' in a practical way, we might call it the result ofinstincts in collision, which cause physical, mental,emotional, or spiritual damage to people.",
  1830.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 80",
  1831.             "reading": "I had been to Eighth Step meetings, always thinking, 'I really haven't harmed many people, mostly myself.' But the time came when I wrote my list out and it was not as shortas I thought it would be. I either liked you, disliked you, or needed something from you—it was that simple. People hadn't done what I wanted them to do and intimate relationships were out of hand because of my partners' unreasonable demands. Were these 'sins of omission'? Because of my drinking, I had 'dropped out'—never sending cards, returning calls, being there for other people,or taking part in their lives. What a grace it has been to look at these relationships, to make my inventories in quiet,alone with the God of my understanding, and to go forth daily, with a willingness to be honest and forthright in my relationships."
  1832.         },
  1833.         {
  1834.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1835.             "day": 17,
  1836.             "title": "RIGHTING THE HARM",
  1837.             "quotation": "In many instances we shall find that though the harm doneothers has not been great, the emotional harm we havedone ourselves has.",
  1838.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 79",
  1839.             "reading": "Have you ever thought that the harm you did a businessassociate, or perhaps a family member, was so slight that itreally didn't deserve an apology because they probablywouldn't remember it anyway? If that person, and thewrong done to him, keeps coming to mind, time and again,causing an uneasy or perhaps guilty feeling, then I put thatperson's name at the top of my 'amends list,' and becomewilling to make a sincere apology, knowing I will feel calmand relaxed about that person once this very important partof my recovery is accomplished."
  1840.         },
  1841.         {
  1842.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1843.             "day": 18,
  1844.             "title": "GETTING WELL",
  1845.             "quotation": "Very deep, sometimes quite forgotten, damaging emotionalconflicts persist below the level of consciousness.",
  1846.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 79-80",
  1847.             "reading": "Only through positive action can I remove the remains ofguilt and shame brought on by alcohol. Throughout mymisadventures when I drank, my friends would say, 'Whyare you doing this? You're only hurting yourself.' Little didI know how true were those words. Although I harmedothers, some of my behavior caused grave wounds to mysoul. Step Eight provides me with a way of forgiving myself. I alleviate much of the hidden damage when I makemy list of those I have hurt. In making amends, I freemyself of burdens, thus contributing to my healing."
  1848.         },
  1849.         {
  1850.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1851.             "day": 19,
  1852.             "title": "A FRAME OF REFERENCE",
  1853.             "quotation": "Referring to our list [inventory] again. Putting out of ourminds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked forour own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest,self-seeking and frightened?",
  1854.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 67",
  1855.             "reading": "There is a wonderful freedom in not needing constantapproval from colleagues at work or from the people I love.I wish I had known about this Step before, because once Ideveloped a frame of reference, I felt able to do the nextright thing, knowing that the action fit the situation and thatit was the correct thing to do."
  1856.         },
  1857.         {
  1858.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1859.             "day": 20,
  1860.             "title": "TOWARD EMOTIONAL FREEDOM",
  1861.             "quotation": "Since defective relations with other human beings havenearly always been the immediate cause of our woes,including our alcoholism, no field of investigation couldyield more satisfying and valuable rewards than this one.",
  1862.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 80",
  1863.             "reading": "Willingness is a peculiar thing for me in that, over a periodof time, it seems to come, first with awareness, but thenwith a feeling of discomfort, making me want to take someaction. As I reflected on taking the Eighth Step, mywillingness to make amends to others came as a desire forforgiveness, of others and myself. I felt forgiveness towardothers after I became aware of my part in the difficulties ofrelationships. I wanted to feel the peace and serenitydescribed in the Promises. From working the first sevenSteps, I became aware of whom I had harmed and that I hadbeen my own worst enemy. In order to restore myrelationships with my fellow human beings, I knew I wouldhave to change. I wanted to learn to live in harmony withmyself and others so that I could also live in emotionalfreedom. The beginning of the end to my isolation— frommy fellows and from God—came when I wrote my EighthStep list."
  1864.         },
  1865.         {
  1866.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1867.             "day": 21,
  1868.             "title": "WE JUST TRY",
  1869.             "quotation": "My stability came out of trying to give, not out ofdemanding that I receive.",
  1870.             "citation": "THE BEST OF BILL, pp. 46-47",
  1871.             "reading": "As long as I try, with all my heart and soul, to pass along toothers what has been passed along to me, and do notdemand anything in return, life is good to me. Beforeentering this program of Alcoholics Anonymous I wasnever able to give without demanding something in return.Little did I know that, once I began to give freely of myself,I would begin to receive, without ever expecting ordemanding anything at all. What I receive today is the giftof 'stability,' as Bill did: stability in my A.A. program;within myself; but most of all, in my relationship with myHigher Power, whom I choose to call God."
  1872.         },
  1873.         {
  1874.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1875.             "day": 22,
  1876.             "title": "SEEKING EMOTIONAL STABILITY",
  1877.             "quotation": "When we developed still more, we discovered the bestpossible source of emotional stability to be God Himself. Wefound that dependence upon His perfect justice, forgiveness,and love was healthy, and that it would work where nothingelse would. If we really depended upon God, we couldn'tvery well play God to our fellows nor would we feel theurge wholly to rely on human protection and care.",
  1878.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 116",
  1879.             "reading": "All my life I depended on people for my emotional needsand security, but today I cannot live that way anymore. Bythe grace of God, I have admitted my powerlessness overpeople, places and things. I had been a real 'people addict';wherever I went there had to be someone who would paysome kind of attention to me. It was the kind of attitude thatcould only get worse, because the more I depended onothers and demanded attention, the less I received.I have given up believing that any human power canrelieve me of that empty feeling. Although I remain afragile human being who needs to work A.A.'s Steps tokeep this particular principle before my personality, it isonly a loving God who can give me inner peace andemotional stability."
  1880.         },
  1881.         {
  1882.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1883.             "day": 23,
  1884.             "title": "BRINGING THE MESSAGE HOME",
  1885.             "quotation": "Can we bring the same spirit of love and tolerance into oursometimes deranged family lives that we bring to our A.A.group?",
  1886.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 111-12",
  1887.             "reading": "My family members suffer from the effects of my disease.Loving and accepting them as they are— just as I love andaccept A.A. members—fosters a return of love, toleranceand harmony to my life. Using common courtesy andrespecting others' personal boundaries are necessarypractices for all areas of my life."
  1888.         },
  1889.         {
  1890.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1891.             "day": 24,
  1892.             "title": "A RIDDLE THAT WORKS",
  1893.             "quotation": "It may be possible to find explanations of spiritualexperiences such as ours, but I have often tried to explainmy own and have succeeded only in giving the story of it. Iknow the feeling it gave me and the results it has brought,but I realize I may never fully understand its deeper whyand how.",
  1894.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 313",
  1895.             "reading": "I had a profound spiritual experience during an open A.A.meeting, which led me to blurt out, 'I'm an alcoholic!' Ihave not had a drink since that day. I can tell you the wordsI heard just prior to my admission, and how those wordsaffected me, but as to why it happened, I do not know. Ibelieve a power greater than myself chose me to recover,yet I do not know why. I try not to worry or wonder aboutwhat I do not yet know; instead, I trust that if I continue towork the Steps, practice the A.A. principles in my life, andshare my story, I will be guided lovingly toward a deep andmature spirituality in which more will be revealed to me.For the time being, it is a gift for me to trust God, work theSteps and help others."
  1896.         },
  1897.         {
  1898.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1899.             "day": 25,
  1900.             "title": "THE GIFT OF BONDING",
  1901.             "quotation": "Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thywill",
  1902.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 63",
  1903.             "reading": "Many times in my alcoholic state, I drank to establish abond between myself and others, but I succeeded only inestablishing the bondage of alcoholic loneliness. Throughthe A.A. way of life, I have received the gift of bonding—with those who were there before me, with those who arethere now, and with those yet to come. For this graciousgift from God, I am forever grateful."
  1904.         },
  1905.         {
  1906.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1907.             "day": 26,
  1908.             "title": "GIVING IT AWAY",
  1909.             "quotation": "Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if theywould remain sober, that motive became secondary. It wastranscended by the happiness they found in givingthemselves to others.",
  1910.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 159",
  1911.             "reading": "Those words, for me, refer to a transference of power,through which God, as I understand Him, enters my life.Through prayer and meditation, I open channels, then Iestablish and improve my conscious contact with God.Through action I then receive the power I need to maintainmy sobriety each day. By maintaining my spiritualcondition, by giving away what has been so freely given tome, I am granted a daily reprieve."
  1912.         },
  1913.         {
  1914.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1915.             "day": 27,
  1916.             "title": "CENTERING OUR THOUGHTS",
  1917.             "quotation": "When World War II broke out, our A. A. dependence on aHigher Power had its first major test. A.A.'s entered theservices and were scattered all over the world. Would theybe able to take the discipline, stand up under fire, andendure . . . ?",
  1918.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 200",
  1919.             "reading": "I will center my thoughts on a Higher Power. I willsurrender all to this power within me. I will become asoldier for this power, feeling the might of the spiritualarmy as it exists in my life today. I will allow a wave ofspiritual union to connect me through my gratitude,obedience and discipline to this Higher Power. Let meallow this power to lead me through the orders of the day.May the steps I take today strengthen my words and deeds,may I know that the message I carry is mine to share, givenfreely by this power greater than myself."
  1920.         },
  1921.         {
  1922.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1923.             "day": 28,
  1924.             "title": "LIGHTENING THE BURDEN",
  1925.             "quotation": "Showing others who suffer how we were given help is thevery thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now.. . . the dark past is . . . the key to life and happiness forothers.",
  1926.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 124",
  1927.             "reading": "Since I have been sober, I have been healed of many pains:deceiving my partner, deserting my best friend, andspoiling my mother's hopes for my life. In each casesomeone in the program told me of a similar problem, and Iwas able to share what happened to me. When my storywas told, both of us got up with lighter hearts."
  1928.         },
  1929.         {
  1930.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1931.             "day": 29,
  1932.             "title": "I CHOOSE ANONYMITY",
  1933.             "quotation": "We are sure that humility, expressed by anonymity, is thegreatest safeguard that Alcoholics Anonymous can everhave.",
  1934.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 187",
  1935.             "reading": "Since there are no rules in A.A. I place myself where I wantto be, and so I choose anonymity. I want my God to useme, humbly, as one of His tools in this program. Sacrificeis the art of giving of myself freely, allowing humility toreplace my ego. With sobriety, I suppress that urge to cryout to the world, 'I am a member of A.A.' and I experienceinner joy and peace. I let people see the changes in me andhope they will ask what happened to me. I place theprinciples of spirituality ahead of judging, fault-finding,and criticism. I want love and caring in my group, so I cangrow."
  1936.         },
  1937.         {
  1938.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1939.             "day": 30,
  1940.             "title": "THE ONLY REQUIREMENT . . .",
  1941.             "quotation": "'At one time . . . every A. A. group had many membershiprules. Everybody was scared witless that something orsomebody would capsize the boat. . . . The total list was amile long. If all those rules had been in effect everywhere,nobody could have possibly joined A.A. at all, . . . '",
  1942.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 139-40",
  1943.             "reading": "I'm grateful that the Third Tradition only requires of me adesire to stop drinking. I had been breaking promises foryears. In the Fellowship I didn't have to make promises, Ididn't have to concentrate. It only required my attendingone meeting, in a foggy condition, to know I was home. Ididn't have to pledge undying love. Here, strangers huggedme. 'It gets better,' they said, and 'One day at a time, youcan do it.' They were no longer strangers, but caringfriends. I ask God to help me to reach out to people desiringsobriety, and to, please, keep me grateful!"
  1944.         },
  1945.         {
  1946.             "month": "AUGUST",
  1947.             "day": 31,
  1948.             "title": "A UNIQUE PROGRAM",
  1949.             "quotation": "Alcoholics Anonymous will never have a professional class.We have gained some understanding of the ancient words'Freely ye have received, freely give.' We have discoveredthat at the point of professionalism, money and spiritualitydo not mix.",
  1950.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 166",
  1951.             "reading": "I believe that Alcoholics Anonymous stands alone in thetreatment of alcoholism because it is based solely on theprinciple of one alcoholic sharing with another alcoholic.This is what makes the program unique. When I decidedthat I wanted to stay sober, I called a woman who I knewwas a sober member of A.A., and she carried the messageof Alcoholics Anonymous to me. She received no monetarycompensation, but rather was paid by staying sober anotherday herself. Today I could ask for no payment other thananother day free from alcohol, so in that respect, I amgenerously paid for my labor."
  1952.         },
  1953.         {
  1954.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  1955.             "day": 1,
  1956.             "title": "WILLINGNESS TO GROW",
  1957.             "quotation": "If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to goon.",
  1958.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 8",
  1959.             "reading": "Sobriety fills the painful 'hole in the soul' that myalcoholism created. Often I feel so physically well that Ibelieve my work is done. However, joy is not just theabsence of pain; it is the gift of continued spiritualawakening. Joy comes from ongoing and active study, aswell as application of the principles of recovery in myeveryday life, and from sharing that experience with others.My Higher Power presents many opportunities for deeperspiritual awakening. I need only to bring into my recoverythe willingness to grow. Today I am ready to grow."
  1960.         },
  1961.         {
  1962.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  1963.             "day": 2,
  1964.             "title": "FINDING 'A REASON TO BELIEVE'",
  1965.             "quotation": "The willingness to grow is the essence of all spiritualdevelopment.",
  1966.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 171",
  1967.             "reading": "A line from a song goes, '. . . and I look to find a reason tobelieve . . .' It reminds me that at one time I was not able tofind a reason to believe that my life was all right. Eventhough my life had been saved by my coming to A.A.,three months later I went out and drank again. Someonetold me: 'You don't have to believe. Aren't you willing tobelieve that there is a reason for your life, even though youmay not know yourself what that reason is, or that you maynot sometimes know the right way to behave?' When I sawhow willing I was to believe there was a reason for my life,then I could start to work on the Steps. Now when I beginwith, 'I am willing. . . ,' I am using the key that leads to action, honesty, and an openness to a Higher Power movingthrough my life."
  1968.         },
  1969.         {
  1970.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  1971.             "day": 3,
  1972.             "title": "BUILDING A NEW LIFE",
  1973.             "quotation": "We feel a man is unthinking when he says sobriety isenough.",
  1974.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 82",
  1975.             "reading": "When I reflect on Step Nine, I see that physical sobrietymust be enough for me. I need to remember thehopelessness I felt before I found sobriety, and how I waswilling to go to any lengths for it. Physical sobriety is notenough for those around me, however, since I must see thatGod's gift is used to build a new life for my family andloved ones. Just as importantly, I must be available to helpothers who want the A.A. way of life.I ask God to help me share the gift of sobriety so that itsbenefits may be shown to those I know and love."
  1976.         },
  1977.         {
  1978.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  1979.             "day": 4,
  1980.             "title": "RECONSTRUCTION",
  1981.             "quotation": "Yes, there is a long period of reconstruction ahead . . .",
  1982.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 83",
  1983.             "reading": "The reconstruction of my life is the prime goal in myrecovery as I avoid taking that first drink, one day at atime. The task is most successfully accomplished byworking the Steps of our Fellowship. The spiritual life isnot a theory; it works, but I have to live it. Step Twostarted me on my journey to develop a spiritual life; StepNine allows me to move into the final phase of the initialSteps which taught me how to live a spiritual life. Withoutthe guidance and strength of a Higher Power, it would beimpossible to proceed through the various stages ofreconstruction. I realize that God works for me and throughme. Proof comes to me when I realize that God did for mewhat I could not do for myself, by removing that gnawingcompulsion to drink. I must continue daily to seek God'sguidance. He grants me a daily reprieve and will providethe power I need for reconstruction."
  1984.         },
  1985.         {
  1986.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  1987.             "day": 5,
  1988.             "title": "EMOTIONAL BALANCE",
  1989.             "quotation": "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, . . .",
  1990.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 83",
  1991.             "reading": "When I survey my drinking days, I recall many peoplewhom my life touched casually, but whose days I troubledthrough my anger and sarcasm. These people areuntraceable, and direct amends to them are not possible.The only amends I can make to those untraceableindividuals, the only 'changes for the better' I can offer, areindirect amends made to other people, whose paths brieflycross mine. Courtesy and kindness, regularly practiced,help me to live in emotional balance, at peace with myself."
  1992.         },
  1993.         {
  1994.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  1995.             "day": 6,
  1996.             "title": "REMOVING THREATS TO SOBRIETY",
  1997.             "quotation": ". . . except when to do so would injure them or others.",
  1998.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59",
  1999.             "reading": "Step Nine restores in me a feeling of belonging, not only tothe human race but also to the everyday world. First, theStep makes me leave the safety of A.A., so that I may dealwith non-A.A. people 'out there,' on their terms, not mine.It is a frightening but necessary action if I am to get backinto life. Second, Step Nine allows me to remove threats tomy sobriety by healing past relationships. Step Nine pointsthe way to a more serene sobriety by letting me clear awaypast wreckage, lest it bring me down."
  2000.         },
  2001.         {
  2002.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2003.             "day": 7,
  2004.             "title": "'OUR SIDE OF THE STREET'",
  2005.             "quotation": "We are there to sweep off our side of the street, realizingthat nothing worth while can be accomplished until we doso, never trying to tell him what he should do. His faultsare not discussed. We stick to our own.",
  2006.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 77-78",
  2007.             "reading": "I made amends to my dad soon after I quit drinking. Mywords fell on deaf ears since I had blamed him for mytroubles. Several months later I made amends to my dadagain. This time I wrote a letter in which I did not blamehim nor mention his faults. It worked, and at last Iunderstood! My side of the street is all that I'm responsiblefor and— thanks to God and A.A.—it's clean for today."
  2008.         },
  2009.         {
  2010.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2011.             "day": 8,
  2012.             "title": "'WE ASKED HIS PROTECTION'",
  2013.             "quotation": "We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.",
  2014.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59",
  2015.             "reading": "I could not manage my life alone. I had tried that road andfailed. My 'ultimate sin' dragged me down to the lowestlevel I have ever reached and, unable even to function, Iaccepted the fact that I desperately needed help. I stoppedfighting and surrendered entirely to God.Only then did I start growing! God forgave me. AHigher Power had to have saved me, because the doctorsdoubted that I would survive. I have forgiven myself nowand I enjoy a freedom I have never before experienced. I'veopened my heart and mind to Him. The more I learn, theless I know—a humbling fact—but I sincerely want tokeep growing. I enjoy serenity, but only when I entrust mylife totally to God. As long as I am honest with myself andask for His help, I can maintain this rewarding existence.Just for today, I strive to live His will for me— soberly.I thank God that today I can choose not to drink. Today,life is beautiful!"
  2016.         },
  2017.         {
  2018.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2019.             "day": 9,
  2020.             "title": "OPENING NEW DOORS",
  2021.             "quotation": "They [the Promises] are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.",
  2022.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  2023.             "reading": "The Promises talked about in this passage are slowlycoming to life for me. What has given me hope is puttingStep Nine into action. The Step has allowed me to see andset goals for myself in recovery.Old habits and behaviors die hard. Working Step Nineenables me to close the door on the drunk I was, and toopen new avenues for myself as a sober alcoholic. Makingdirect amends is crucial for me. As I repair relationshipsand behavior of the past, I am better able to live a soberlife!Although I have some years of sobriety, there are timeswhen the 'old stuff' from the past needs to be taken careof, and Step Nine always works, when I work it."
  2024.         },
  2025.         {
  2026.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2027.             "day": 10,
  2028.             "title": "RECOVERY BY PROXY?",
  2029.             "quotation": "They [the Promises] will always materialize if we work forthem.",
  2030.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  2031.             "reading": "Sometimes I think: 'Making these amends is going too far!No one should have to humble himself like that!' However,it is this very humbling of myself that brings me that muchcloser to the sunlight of the spirit. A.A. is the only hope Ihave if I am to continue healing and gain a life ofhappiness, friendship and harmony."
  2032.         },
  2033.         {
  2034.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2035.             "day": 11,
  2036.             "title": "MAKING AMENDS",
  2037.             "quotation": "Above all, we should try to be absolutely sure that we arenot delaying because we are afraid.",
  2038.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 87",
  2039.             "reading": "To have courage, to be unafraid, are gifts of my recovery.They empower me to ask for help and to go forth in makingmy amends with a sense of dignity and humility. Makingamends may require a certain amount of honesty that I feelI lack, yet with the help of God and the wisdom of others, Ican reach within and find the strength to act. My amendsmay be accepted, or they may not, but after they arecompleted I can walk with a sense of freedom and knowthat, for today, I am responsible."
  2040.         },
  2041.         {
  2042.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2043.             "day": 12,
  2044.             "title": "I AM RESPONSIBLE",
  2045.             "quotation": "For the readiness to take the full consequences of our pastacts, and to take responsibility for the well-being of othersat the same time, is the very spirit of Step Nine.",
  2046.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 87",
  2047.             "reading": "In recovery, and through the help of AlcoholicsAnonymous, I learn that the very thing I fear is myfreedom. It comes from my tendency to recoil from takingresponsibility for anything: I deny, I ignore, I blame, Iavoid. Then one day, I look, I admit, I accept. The freedom,the healing and the recovery I experience is in the looking,admitting and accepting. I learn to say, 'Yes, I amresponsible.' When I can speak those words with honestyand sincerity, then I am free."
  2048.         },
  2049.         {
  2050.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2051.             "day": 13,
  2052.             "title": "REPAIRING THE DAMAGE",
  2053.             "quotation": "Good judgment, a careful sense of timing courage andprudence—these are the qualities we shall need when wetake Step Nine.",
  2054.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 83",
  2055.             "reading": "To make amends can be viewed two ways: first, that ofrepairing damage, for if I have damaged my neighbor'sfence, I 'make a mend,' and that is a direct amend; thesecond way is by modifying my behavior, for if my actionshave harmed someone, I make a daily effort to cause nofurther harm. I 'mend my ways,' and that is an indirectamend. Which is the best approach? The only right approach, provided that I am causing no further harm in sodoing, is to do both. If harm is done, then I simply 'mendmy ways.' To take action in this manner assures me ofmaking honest amends."
  2056.         },
  2057.         {
  2058.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2059.             "day": 14,
  2060.             "title": "PEACE OF MIND",
  2061.             "quotation": "Do we lay the matter before our sponsor or spiritualadviser, earnestly asking God's help and guidance—meanwhile resolving to do the right thing when it becomesclear, cost what it may?",
  2062.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 86-87",
  2063.             "reading": "My belief in a Higher Power is an essential part of mywork on Step Nine; forgiveness, timing, and right motivesare the other ingredients. My willingness to do the Step is agrowing experience that opens the door for new and honestrelationships with the people I have harmed. Myresponsible action brings me closer to the spiritualprinciples of the program—love and service. Peace ofmind, serenity, and a stronger faith are sure to follow."
  2064.         },
  2065.         {
  2066.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2067.             "day": 15,
  2068.             "title": "A NEW LIFE",
  2069.             "quotation": "Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It isa fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. . . . Life will meansomething at last",
  2070.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 152",
  2071.             "reading": "Life is better without alcohol. A.A. and the presence of aHigher Power keeps me sober, but the grace of God doeseven better; it brings service into my life. Contact with theA.A. program teaches me a new and greater understandingof what Alcoholics Anonymous is and what it does, butmost importantly, it helps to show me who I am: an alcoholic who needs the constant experience of the AlcoholicsAnonymous program so that I may live a life given to meby my Higher Power."
  2072.         },
  2073.         {
  2074.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2075.             "day": 16,
  2076.             "title": "WE STAND—OR FALL—TOGETHER",
  2077.             "quotation": ". . . no society of men and women ever had a more urgentneed for continuous effectiveness and permanent unity. Wealcoholics see that we must work together and hangtogether, else most of us will finally die alone.",
  2078.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 562",
  2079.             "reading": "Just as the Twelve Steps of A.A. are written in a specificsequence for a reason, so it is with the Twelve Traditions.The First Step and the First Tradition attempt to instill inme enough humility to allow me a chance at survival.Together they are the basic foundation upon which theSteps and Traditions that follow are built. It is a process ofego deflation which allows me to grow as an individualthrough the Steps, and as a contributing member of a groupthrough the Traditions. Full acceptance of the FirstTradition allows me to set aside personal ambitions, fearsand anger when they are in conflict with the common good,thus permitting me to work with others for our mutualsurvival. Without Tradition One I stand little chance ofmaintaining the unity required to work with otherseffectively, and I also stand to lose the remainingTraditions, the Fellowship, and my life."
  2080.         },
  2081.         {
  2082.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2083.             "day": 17,
  2084.             "title": "FREEDOM FROM FEAR",
  2085.             "quotation": "When, with God's help, we calmly accepted our lot, then wefound we could live at peace with ourselves and showothers who still suffered the same fears that they could getover them, too. We found that freedom from fear was moreimportant than freedom from want.",
  2086.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 122",
  2087.             "reading": "Material values ruled my life for many years during myactive alcoholism. I believed that all of my possessionswould make me happy, yet I still felt bankrupt after Iobtained them. When I first came into A.A., I found outabout a new way of living. As a result of learning to trustothers, I began to believe in a power greater than myself.Having faith freed me from the bondage of self. As materialgains were replaced by the gifts of the spirit, my lifebecame manageable. I then chose to share my experienceswith other alcoholics."
  2088.         },
  2089.         {
  2090.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2091.             "day": 18,
  2092.             "title": "LOVED BACK TO RECOVERY",
  2093.             "quotation": "Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had tobe cast aside. This had not been done with old-fashionedwillpower; it was instead a matter of developing thewillingness to accept these new facts of living. We neitherran nor fought. But accept we did And then we were free.",
  2094.             "citation": "BEST OF THE GRAPEVINE, Vol. I, p. 198",
  2095.             "reading": "I can be free of my old enslaving self. After a while Irecognize, and believe in, the good within myself. I see thatI have been loved back to recovery by my Higher Power,who envelops me. My Higher Power becomes that sourceof love and strength that is performing a continuing miraclein me. I am sober . . . and I am grateful."
  2096.         },
  2097.         {
  2098.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2099.             "day": 19,
  2100.             "title": "ACCEPTANCE",
  2101.             "quotation": "We admitted we couldn't lick alcohol with our ownremaining resources, and so we accepted the further factthat dependence upon a Higher Power (if only our A.Agroup) could do this hitherto impossible job. The momentwe were able to accept these facts fully, our release fromthe alcohol compulsion had begun.",
  2102.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 109",
  2103.             "reading": "Freedom came to me only with my acceptance that I couldturn my will and my life over to the care of my HigherPower, whom I call God. Serenity seeped into the chaos ofmy life when I accepted that what I was going through waslife, and that God would help me through my difficulties—and much more, as well. Since then He has helped methrough all of my difficulties! When I accept situations asthey are, not as I wish them to be, then I can begin to growand have serenity and peace of mind."
  2104.         },
  2105.         {
  2106.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2107.             "day": 20,
  2108.             "title": "H.P. AS GUIDE",
  2109.             "quotation": "See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and greatevents will come to pass for you and countless others. Thisis the Great Fact for us.",
  2110.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164",
  2111.             "reading": "Having a right relationship with God seemed to be animpossible order. My chaotic past had left me filled withguilt and remorse and I wondered how this 'God business'could work. A.A. told me that I must turn my will and mylife over to the care of God, as I understand Him. Withnowhere else to turn, I went down on my knees and cried,'God, I can't do this. Please help me!' It was when I admitted my powerlessness that a glimmer of light began totouch my soul, and then a willingness emerged to let Godcontrol my life. With Him as my guide, great events beganto happen, and I found the beginning of sobriety."
  2112.         },
  2113.         {
  2114.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2115.             "day": 21,
  2116.             "title": "THE LAST PROMISE",
  2117.             "quotation": "We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what wecould not do for ourselves.",
  2118.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  2119.             "reading": "The last Promise in the Big Book came true for me on thevery first day of sobriety. God kept me sober that day, andon every other day I allowed Him to operate in my life. Hegives me the strength, courage and guidance to meet myresponsibilities in life so that I am then able to reach outand help others stay sober and grow. He manifests withinme, making me a channel of His word, thought and deed.He works with my inner self, while I produce in the outerworld, for He will not do for me what I can do for myself. Imust be willing to do His work, so that He can functionthrough me successfully."
  2120.         },
  2121.         {
  2122.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2123.             "day": 22,
  2124.             "title": "A 'LIMITLESS LODE'",
  2125.             "quotation": "Like a gaunt prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounceof food, our pick struck gold. Joy at our release from alifetime of frustration knew no bounds. Father feels he hasstruck something better than gold. For a time he may try tohug the new treasure to himself. He may not see at oncethat he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will paydividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life andinsists on giving away the entire product.",
  2126.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 128-29",
  2127.             "reading": "When I talk with a newcomer to A.A., my past looks mestraight in the face. I see the pain in those hopeful eyes, Iextend my hand, and then the miracle happens: / becomehealed. My problems vanish as I reach out to this tremblingsoul."
  2128.         },
  2129.         {
  2130.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2131.             "day": 23,
  2132.             "title": "'I WAS AN EXCEPTION'",
  2133.             "quotation": "He [Bill W.] said to me, gently and simply, 'Do you thinkthat you are one of us?'",
  2134.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 413",
  2135.             "reading": "During my drinking life I was convinced I was anexception. I thought I was beyond petty requirements andhad the right to be excused. I never realized that the darkcounterbalance of my attitude was the constant feeling thatI did not 'belong.' At first, in A.A., I identified with othersonly as an alcoholic. What a wonderful awakening for meit has been to realize that, if human beings were doing thebest they could, then so was I! All of the pains, confusionsand joys they feel are not exceptional, but part of my life,just as much as anybody's."
  2136.         },
  2137.         {
  2138.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2139.             "day": 24,
  2140.             "title": "VIGILANCE",
  2141.             "quotation": "We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again:'Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic' Commencing todrink after a period of sobriety, we are in a short time asbad as ever. If we are planning to stop drinking, there mustbe no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion thatsomeday we will be immune to alcohol",
  2142.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 33",
  2143.             "reading": "Today I am an alcoholic. Tomorrow will be no different.My alcoholism lives within me now and forever. I mustnever forget what I am. Alcohol will surely kill me if I failto recognize and acknowledge my disease on a daily basis.I am not playing a game in which a loss is a temporarysetback. I am dealing with my disease, for which there isno cure, only daily acceptance and vigilance."
  2144.         },
  2145.         {
  2146.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2147.             "day": 25,
  2148.             "title": "FIRST THINGS FIRST",
  2149.             "quotation": "Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth:Job or no job—wife or no wife—we simply do not stopdrinking so long as we place dependence upon otherpeople ahead of dependence on God.",
  2150.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 98",
  2151.             "reading": "Before coming to A.A., I always had excuses for taking adrink: 'She said . . . ,' 'He said 'I got fired yesterday,' 'Igot a great job today.' No area of my life could be good if Idrank again. In sobriety my life gets better each day. I mustalways remember not to drink, to trust God, and to stayactive in A.A. Am I putting anything before my sobriety,God, and A.A. today?"
  2152.         },
  2153.         {
  2154.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2155.             "day": 26,
  2156.             "title": "OUR CHILDREN",
  2157.             "quotation": "The alcoholic may find it hard to re-establish friendlyrelations with his children. . . . In time they will see that heis a new man and in their own way they will let him knowit. . . . From that point on, progress will be rapid.Marvelous results often follow such a reunion.",
  2158.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 134",
  2159.             "reading": "While on the road to recovery I received a gift that couldnot be purchased. It was a card from my son in college,saying, 'Dad, you can't imagine how glad I am thateverything is okay. Happy Birthday, I love you.' My sonhad told me that he loved me before. It had been during theprevious Christmas holidays, when he had said to me,while crying, 'Dad, I love you! Can't you see what you'redoing to yourself?' I couldn't. Choked with emotion, I hadcried, but this time, when I received my son's card, my tearswere tears of joy, not desperation."
  2160.         },
  2161.         {
  2162.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2163.             "day": 27,
  2164.             "title": "WITHOUT RESERVATION",
  2165.             "quotation": "When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surelyresult in outgoing love, . . .",
  2166.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 37",
  2167.             "reading": "While practicing service to others, if my successes give riseto grandiosity, I must reflect on what brought me to thispoint. What has been given joyfully, with love, must bepassed on without reservation and without expectation. Foras I grow, I find that no matter how much I give with love,I receive much more in spirit."
  2168.         },
  2169.         {
  2170.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2171.             "day": 28,
  2172.             "title": "LOVE WITHOUT STRINGS",
  2173.             "quotation": "Practical experience shows that nothing will so muchinsure immunity from drinking as intensive work with otheralcoholics.",
  2174.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89",
  2175.             "reading": "Sponsorship held two surprises for me. First, that mysponsees cared about me. What I had thought was gratitudewas more like love. They wanted me to be happy, to growand remain sober. Knowing how they felt kept me fromdrinking more than once. Second, I discovered that I wasable to love someone else responsibly, with respectful andgenuine concern for that person's growth. Before that time,I had thought that my ability to care sincerely aboutanother's well-being had atrophied from lack of use. Tolearn that I can love, without greed or anxiety, has beenone of the deepest gifts the program has given me.Gratitude for that gift has kept me sober many times."
  2176.         },
  2177.         {
  2178.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2179.             "day": 29,
  2180.             "title": "EXACTLY ALIKE",
  2181.             "quotation": "Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other isthe bright spot of our lives.",
  2182.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89",
  2183.             "reading": "A man came to the meeting drunk, interrupted the speakers,stood up and took his shirt off, staggered loudly back andforth for coffee, demanded to talk, and eventually calledthe group's secretary an unquotable name and walked out. Iwas glad he was there—once again I saw what I had beenlike. But I also saw what I still am, and what I still couldbe. I don't have to be drunk to want to be the exception andthe center of attention. I have often felt abused andresponded abusively when I was simply being treated as agarden variety human being. The more the man tried toinsist he was different, the more I realized that he and Iwere exactly alike."
  2184.         },
  2185.         {
  2186.             "month": "SEPTEMBER",
  2187.             "day": 30,
  2188.             "title": "THE CIRCLE AND THE TRIANGLE",
  2189.             "quotation": "The circle stands for the whole world of A.A., and thetriangle stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies of Recovery,Unity, and Service. Within our wonderful new world, wehave found freedom from our fatal obsession.",
  2190.             "citation": "A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 139",
  2191.             "reading": "Early in my A.A. life, I became employed in its servicesand I found the explanation of our society's logo to be veryappropriate. First, a circle of love and service with a wellbalanced triangle inside, the base of which represents ourRecovery through the Twelve Steps. Then the other twosides, representing Unity and Service, respectively. Thethree sides of the triangle are equal. As I grew in A.A. Isoon identified myself with this symbol. I am the circle,and the sides of the triangle represent three aspects of mypersonality: physical, emotional sanity, spirituality, thelatter forming the symbol's base. Taken together, all threeaspects of my personality translate into a sober and happylife."
  2192.         },
  2193.         {
  2194.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2195.             "day": 1,
  2196.             "title": "LEST WE BECOME COMPLACENT",
  2197.             "quotation": "It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action andrest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, foralcohol is a subtle foe.",
  2198.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85",
  2199.             "reading": "When I am in pain it is easy to stay close to the friends Ihave found in the program. Relief from that pain isprovided in the solutions contained in A.A.'s Twelve Steps.But when I am feeling good and things are going well, I canbecome complacent. To put it simply, I become lazy andturn into the problem instead of the solution. I need to getinto action, to take stock: where am I and where am Igoing? A daily inventory will tell me what I must change toregain spiritual balance. Admitting what I find withinmyself, to God and to another human being, keeps mehonest and humble."
  2200.         },
  2201.         {
  2202.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2203.             "day": 2,
  2204.             "title": "'THE ACID TEST'",
  2205.             "quotation": "As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves forthe adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Tenwe commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use,day by day, in fair weather or foul Then comes the acidtest: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and liveto good purpose under all conditions?",
  2206.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 88",
  2207.             "reading": "I know the Promises are being fulfilled in my life, but Iwant to maintain and develop them by the daily applicationof Step Ten. I have learned through this Step that if I amdisturbed, there is something wrong with me. The otherperson may be wrong too, but I can only deal with myfeelings. When I am hurt or upset, I have to continuallylook for the cause in me, and then I have to admit andcorrect my mistakes. It isn't easy, but as long as I know Iam progressing spiritually, I know that I can mark my effortup as a job well done. I have found that pain is a friend; itlets me know there is something wrong with my emotions,just as a physical pain lets me know there is somethingwrong with my body. When I take the appropriate actionthrough the Twelve Steps, the pain gradually goes away."
  2208.         },
  2209.         {
  2210.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2211.             "day": 3,
  2212.             "title": "SERENITY AFTER THE STORM",
  2213.             "quotation": "Someone who knew what he was talking about onceremarked that pain was the touchstone of all spiritualprogress. How heartily we A.A. 's can agree with him. . . .",
  2214.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 93-94",
  2215.             "reading": "When on the roller coaster of emotional turmoil, Iremember that growth is often painful. My evolution in theA.A. program has taught me that I must experience theinner change, however painful, that eventually guides mefrom selfishness to selflessness. If I am to have serenity, Imust STEP my way past emotional turmoil and itssubsequent hangover, and be grateful for continuingspiritual progress."
  2216.         },
  2217.         {
  2218.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2219.             "day": 4,
  2220.             "title": "A NECESSARY PRUNING",
  2221.             "quotation": ". . . we know that the pains of drinking had to come beforesobriety, and emotional turmoil before serenity.",
  2222.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 94",
  2223.             "reading": "I love spending time in my garden feeding and pruning mybeautiful flowers. One day, as I was busily snipping away,a neighbor stopped by. She commented, 'Oh! Your plantsare so beautiful, it seems such a shame to cut them back.' Ireplied, 'I know how you feel, but the excess must beremoved so they can grow stronger and healthier.' Later Ithought that perhaps my plants feel pain, but God and Iknow it's part of the plan and I've seen the results. I wasquickly reminded of my precious A.A. program and howwe all grow through pain. I ask God to prune me when it'stime, so I can grow."
  2224.         },
  2225.         {
  2226.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2227.             "day": 5,
  2228.             "title": "YESTERDAY'S BAGGAGE",
  2229.             "quotation": "For the wise have always known that no one can makemuch of his life until self-searching becomes a regularhabit, until he is able to admit and accept what he finds,and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct whatis wrong.",
  2230.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 88",
  2231.             "reading": "I have more than enough to handle today, without draggingalong yesterday's baggage too. I must balance today'sbooks, if I am to have a chance tomorrow. So I ask myselfif I have erred and how I can avoid repeating that particularbehavior. Did I hurt anyone, did I help anyone, and why?Some of today is bound to spill over into tomorrow, butmost of it need not if I make an honest daily inventory."
  2232.         },
  2233.         {
  2234.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2235.             "day": 6,
  2236.             "title": "FACING OURSELVES . . . and Fear says,",
  2237.             "quotation": "'You dare not look!'",
  2238.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 49",
  2239.             "reading": "How often I avoided a task in my drinking days justbecause it appeared so large! Is it any wonder, even if Ihave been sober for some time, that I will act that sameway when faced with what appears to be a monumentaljob, such as a searching and fearless moral inventory ofmyself? What I discover after I have arrived at the otherside—when my inventory is completed—is that the illusionwas greater than the reality. The fear of facing myself keptme at a standstill and, until I became willing to put pencilto paper, I was arresting my growth based on an intangible."
  2240.         },
  2241.         {
  2242.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2243.             "day": 7,
  2244.             "title": "DAILY MONITORING Continued to take",
  2245.             "quotation": "personal inventory. . . .",
  2246.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 88",
  2247.             "reading": "The spiritual axiom referred to in the Tenth Step— 'everytime we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there issomething wrong with us'—also tells me that there are noexceptions to it. No matter how unreasonable others mayseem, I am responsible for not reacting negatively.Regardless of what is happening around me I will alwayshave the prerogative, and the responsibility, of choosingwhat happens within me. I am the creator of my ownreality.When I take my daily inventory, I know that I must stopjudging others. If I judge others, I am probably judgingmyself. Whoever is upsetting me most is my best teacher. Ihave much to learn from him or her, and in my heart, Ishould thank that person."
  2248.         },
  2249.         {
  2250.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2251.             "day": 8,
  2252.             "title": "DAILY INVENTORY",
  2253.             "quotation": ". . . and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.",
  2254.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 59",
  2255.             "reading": "I was beginning to approach my new life of sobriety withunaccustomed enthusiasm. New friends were cropping upand some of my battered friendships had begun to berepaired. Life was exciting, and I even began to enjoy mywork, becoming so bold as to issue a report on the lack ofproper care for some of our clients. One day a co-workerinformed me that my boss was really sore because acomplaint, submitted over his head, had caused him muchdiscomfort at the hands of his superiors. I knew that myreport had created the problem, and began to feelresponsible for my boss's difficulty. In discussing theaffair, my co-worker tried to reassure me that an apologywas not necessary, but I soon became convinced that I hadto do something, regardless of how it might turn out. WhenI approached my boss and owned up to my hand in hisdifficulties, he was surprised. But unexpected things cameout of our encounter, and my boss and I were able to agreeto interact more directly and effectively in the future."
  2256.         },
  2257.         {
  2258.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2259.             "day": 9,
  2260.             "title": "A SPIRITUAL AXIOM",
  2261.             "quotation": "It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, nomatter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.",
  2262.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 90",
  2263.             "reading": "I never truly understood the Tenth Step's spiritual axiomuntil I had the following experience. I was sitting in mybedroom, reading into the wee hours, when suddenly Iheard my dogs barking in the back yard. My neighborsfrown on this kind of disturbance so, with mixed feelings ofanger and shame, as well as fear of my neighbors'disapproval, I immediately called in my dogs. Severalweeks later the exact situation repeated itself but this time,because I was feeling more at peace with myself, I was ableto accept the situation—dogs will bark—and I calmlycalled in the dogs. Both incidents taught me that when aperson experiences nearly identical events and reacts twodifferent ways, then it is not the event which is of primeimportance, but the person's spiritual condition. Feelingscome from inside, not from outward circumstances. Whenmy spiritual condition is positive, I react positively."
  2264.         },
  2265.         {
  2266.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2267.             "day": 10,
  2268.             "title": "FIXING ME, NOT YOU",
  2269.             "quotation": "If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrongalso.",
  2270.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 90",
  2271.             "reading": "What a freedom I felt when this passage was pointed out tome! Suddenly I saw that I could do something about myanger, I could fix me, instead of trying to fix them. Ibelieve that there are no exceptions to the axiom. When Iam angry, my anger is always self-centered. I must keepreminding myself that I am human, that I am doing the bestI can, even when that best is sometimes poor. So I ask Godto remove my anger and truly set me free."
  2272.         },
  2273.         {
  2274.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2275.             "day": 11,
  2276.             "title": "SELF-RESTRAINT",
  2277.             "quotation": "Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint.",
  2278.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 91",
  2279.             "reading": "My drive to work provides me with an opportunity for selfexamination. One day while making this trip, I began toreview my progress in sobriety, and was not happy withwhat I saw. I hoped that, as the work day progressed, Iwould forget these troublesome thoughts, but as onedisappointment after another kept coming, my discontentonly increased, and the pressures within me kept mounting.I retreated to an isolated table in the lounge, and askedmyself how I could make the most of the rest of the day. Inthe past, when things went wrong, I instinctively wanted tofight back. But during the short time I had been trying tofive the A.A. program I had learned to step back and take alook at myself. I recognized that, although I was not theperson I wanted to be, I had learned to not react in my oldways. Those old patterns of behavior only brought sorrowand hurt, to me and to others. I returned to my work station,determined to make the day a productive one, thankingGod for the chance to make progress that day."
  2280.         },
  2281.         {
  2282.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2283.             "day": 12,
  2284.             "title": "CURBING RASHNESS",
  2285.             "quotation": "When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to befair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.",
  2286.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 91",
  2287.             "reading": "Being fair-minded and tolerant is a goal toward which Imust work daily. I ask God, as I understand Him, to helpme to be loving and tolerant to my loved ones, and to thosewith whom I am in close contact. I ask for guidance to curbmy speech when I am agitated, and I take a moment toreflect on the emotional upheaval my words may cause,not only to someone else, but also to myself. Prayer,meditation and inventories are the key to sound thinkingand positive action for me."
  2288.         },
  2289.         {
  2290.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2291.             "day": 13,
  2292.             "title": "UNREMITTING INVENTORIES",
  2293.             "quotation": "Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment,and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once toremove them. We discuss them with someone immediatelyand make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Thenwe resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help.",
  2294.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  2295.             "reading": "The immediate admission of wrong thoughts or actions is atough task for most human beings, but for recoveringalcoholics like me it is difficult because of my propensitytoward ego, fear and pride. The freedom the A.A. programoffers me becomes more abundant when, throughunremitting inventories of myself, I admit, acknowledgeand accept responsibility for my wrong-doing. It is possiblethen for me to grow into a deeper and better understandingof humility. My willingness to admit when the fault is minefacilitates the progression of my growth and helps me tobecome more understanding and helpful to others."
  2296.         },
  2297.         {
  2298.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2299.             "day": 14,
  2300.             "title": "A PROGRAM FOR LIVING",
  2301.             "quotation": "When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. .. . On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hoursahead. . . . Before we begin, we ask God to direct ourthinking, especially asking that it be divorced from selfpity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.",
  2302.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 86",
  2303.             "reading": "I lacked serenity. With more to do than seemed possible, Ifell further behind, no matter how hard I tried. Worriesabout things not done yesterday and fear of tomorrow'sdeadlines denied me the calm I needed to be effective eachday. Before taking Steps Ten and Eleven, I began to readpassages like the one cited above. I tried to focus on God'swill, not my problems, and to trust that He would managemy day. It worked! Slowly, but it worked!"
  2304.         },
  2305.         {
  2306.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2307.             "day": 15,
  2308.             "title": "MY CHECKLIST, NOT YOURS",
  2309.             "quotation": "Gossip barbed with our anger, a polite form of murder bycharacter assassination, has its satisfactions for us, too.Here we are not trying to help those we criticize; we aretrying to proclaim our own righteousness.",
  2310.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 67",
  2311.             "reading": "Sometimes I don't realize that I gossiped about someoneuntil the end of the day, when I take an inventory of theday's activities, and then, my gossiping appears like ablemish in my beautiful day. How could I have saidsomething like that? Gossip shows its ugly head during acoffee break or lunch with business associates, or I maygossip during the evening, when I'm tired from the day'sactivities, and feel justified in bolstering my ego at theexpense of someone else.Character defects like gossip sneak into my life when Iam not making a constant effort to work the Twelve Steps ofrecovery. I need to remind myself that my uniqueness is theblessing of my being, and that applies equally to everyonewho crosses my path in life's journey. Today the onlyinventory I need to take is my own. I'll leave judgment ofothers to the Final Judge—Divine Providence."
  2312.         },
  2313.         {
  2314.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2315.             "day": 16,
  2316.             "title": "THROUGHOUT EACH DAY",
  2317.             "quotation": "This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for ourlifetime.",
  2318.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 84",
  2319.             "reading": "During my early years in A. A. I saw Step Ten as asuggestion that I periodically look at my behavior andreactions. If there was something wrong, I should admit it;if an apology was necessary, I should give one. After a fewyears of sobriety I felt I should undertake a selfexamination more frequently. Not until several more yearsof sobriety had elapsed did I realize the full meaning ofStep Ten, and the word 'continued.' 'Continued' does notmean occasionally, or frequently. It means throughout eachday."
  2320.         },
  2321.         {
  2322.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2323.             "day": 17,
  2324.             "title": "A DAILY TUNE-UP",
  2325.             "quotation": "Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God'swill into all of our activities.",
  2326.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85",
  2327.             "reading": "How do I maintain my spiritual condition? For me it's quitesimple: on a daily basis I ask my Higher Power to grant methe gift of sobriety for that day! I have talked to manyalcoholics who have gone back to drinking and I always askthem: 'Did you pray for sobriety the day you took your firstdrink?' Not one of them said yes. As I practice Step Tenand try to keep my house in order on a daily basis, I havethe knowledge that if I ask for a daily reprieve, it will begranted."
  2328.         },
  2329.         {
  2330.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2331.             "day": 18,
  2332.             "title": "AN OPEN MIND",
  2333.             "quotation": "True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith, . . .",
  2334.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33",
  2335.             "reading": "My alcoholic thinking led me to believe that I could controlmy drinking, but I couldn't. When I came to A.A., I realizedthat God was speaking to me through my group. My mindwas open just enough to know that I needed His help. Areal, honest acceptance of AA. took more time, but with itcame humility. I know how insane I was, and I am extremely grateful to have my sanity restored to me and to bea sober alcoholic. The new, sober me is a much betterperson than I ever could have been without A.A."
  2336.         },
  2337.         {
  2338.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2339.             "day": 19,
  2340.             "title": "A.A'S 'MAIN TAPROOT'",
  2341.             "quotation": "The principle that we shall find no enduring strength untilwe first admit complete defeat is the main taproot fromwhich our whole Society has sprung and flowered.",
  2342.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 21-22",
  2343.             "reading": "Defeated, and knowing it, I arrived at the doors of A.A.,alone and afraid of the unknown. A power outside ofmyself had picked me up off my bed, guided me to thephone book, then to the bus stop, and through the doors ofAlcoholics Anonymous. Once inside A.A. I experienced asense of being loved and accepted, something I had net feltsince early childhood. May I never lose the sense of wonder I experienced on that first evening with A.A., thegreatest event of my entire life."
  2344.         },
  2345.         {
  2346.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2347.             "day": 20,
  2348.             "title": "SOLACE FOR CONFUSION",
  2349.             "quotation": "Obviously, the dilemma of the wanderer from faith is thatof profound confusion. He thinks himself lost to the comfortof any conviction at all He cannot attain in even a smalldegree the assurance of the believer, the agnostic, or theatheist. He is the bewildered one.",
  2350.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 28",
  2351.             "reading": "The concept of God was one that I struggled with duringmy early years of sobriety. The images that came to me,conjured from my past, were heavy with fear, rejection andcondemnation. Then I heard my friend Ed's image of aHigher Power: As a boy he had been allowed a Utter ofpuppies, provided that he assume responsibility for theircare. Each morning he would find the unavoidable 'byproducts' of the puppies on the kitchen floor. Despitefrustration, Ed said he couldn't get angry because 'that's thenature of puppies.' Ed felt that God viewed our defects andshortcomings with a similar understanding and warmth.I've often found solace from my personal confusion in Ed'scalming concept of God."
  2352.         },
  2353.         {
  2354.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2355.             "day": 21,
  2356.             "title": "NOTHING GROWS IN THE DARK",
  2357.             "quotation": "We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst ofus, to flower and to grow.",
  2358.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 10",
  2359.             "reading": "With the self-discipline and insight gained from practicingStep Ten, I begin to know the gratifications of sobriety—not as mere abstinence from alcohol, but as recovery inevery department of my life.I renew hope, regenerate faith, and regain the dignity ofself-respect. I discover the word 'and' in the phrase 'andwhen we were wrong, promptly admitted it.'Reassured that I am no longer always wrong, I learn toaccept myself as I am, with a new sense of the miracles ofsobriety and serenity."
  2360.         },
  2361.         {
  2362.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2363.             "day": 22,
  2364.             "title": "TRUE TOLERANCE",
  2365.             "quotation": "Finally, we begin to see that all people, includingourselves, are to some extent emotionally ill as well asfrequently wrong and then we approach true tolerance andsee what real love for our fellows actually means",
  2366.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 92",
  2367.             "reading": "The thought occurred to me that all people are emotionallyill to some extent. How could we not be? Who among us isspiritually perfect? Who among us is physically perfect?How could any of us be emotionally perfect? Therefore,what else are we to do but bear with one another and treateach other as we would be treated in similar circumstances? That is what love really is."
  2368.         },
  2369.         {
  2370.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2371.             "day": 23,
  2372.             "title": "WHAT WE KNOW BEST",
  2373.             "quotation": "'Shoemaker, stick to thy last!' . . . better do one thingsupremely well than many badly. That is the central themeof this Tradition [Five]. Around it our Society gathers inunity. The very life of our Fellowship requires thepreservation of this principle.",
  2374.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 150",
  2375.             "reading": "The survival of A.A. depends upon unity. What wouldhappen if a group decided to become an employmentagency, a treatment center or a social service agency? Toomuch specialization leads to no specialization, to fritteringof efforts and, finally, to decline. I have the qualificationsto share my sufferings and my way of recovery with thenewcomer. Conformity to A.A.'s primary purpose insuresthe safety of the wonderful gift of sobriety, so my responsibility is enormous. The life of millions of alcoholicsis closely tied to my competence in 'carrying the messageto the still-suffering alcoholic.'"
  2376.         },
  2377.         {
  2378.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2379.             "day": 24,
  2380.             "title": "'BY FAITH AND BY WORKS'",
  2381.             "quotation": "On anvils of experience, the structure of our Society washammered out. . . . Thus has it been with A.A. By faith andby works we have been able to build upon the lessons of anincredible experience. They live today in the TwelveTraditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, which—Godwilling—shall sustain us in unity for so long as He mayneed us.",
  2382.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 131",
  2383.             "reading": "God has allowed me the right to be wrong in order for ourFellowship to exist as it does today. If I place God's willfirst in my life, it is very likely that A.A. as I know it todaywill remain as it is."
  2384.         },
  2385.         {
  2386.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2387.             "day": 25,
  2388.             "title": "A.A.'s HEARTBEAT",
  2389.             "quotation": "Without unity, the heart of A.A. would cease to beat; . . .",
  2390.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 125",
  2391.             "reading": "Without unity I would be unable to recover in A.A. on adaily basis. By practicing unity within my group, with otherA.A. members and at all levels of this great Fellowship, Ireceive a pronounced feeling of knowing that I am a part ofa miracle that was divinely inspired. The ability of Bill W.and Dr. Bob, working together and passing it on to othermembers, tells me that to give it away is to keep it. Unity isoneness and yet the whole Fellowship is for all of us."
  2392.         },
  2393.         {
  2394.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2395.             "day": 26,
  2396.             "title": "ONE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY",
  2397.             "quotation": "For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our groupconscience.",
  2398.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 132",
  2399.             "reading": "When I am chosen to carry some small responsibility formy fellows, I ask that God grant me the patience, openmindedness, and willingness to listen to those I would lead.I must remind myself that I am the trusted servant of others,not their 'governor,' 'teacher,' or 'instructor.' God guidesmy words and my actions, and my responsibility is to heedHis suggestions. Trust is my watchword, I trust others wholead. In the Fellowship of A.A., I entrust God with theultimate authority of 'running the show.'"
  2400.         },
  2401.         {
  2402.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2403.             "day": 27,
  2404.             "title": "GLOBAL SHARING",
  2405.             "quotation": "The only thing that matters is that he is an alcoholic whohas found a key to sobriety. These legacies of suffering andof recovery are easily passed among alcoholics, one to theother. This is our gift from God, and its bestowal uponothers like us is the one aim that today animates A. A. 's allaround the globe.",
  2406.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 151",
  2407.             "reading": "The strength of Alcoholics Anonymous lies in the desire ofeach member and of each group around the world to sharewith other alcoholics their suffering and the steps taken togain, and maintain, recovery. By keeping a consciouscontact with my Higher Power, I make sure that I alwaysnurture my desire to help other alcoholics, thus insuring thecontinuity of the wonderful fraternity of AlcoholicsAnonymous."
  2408.         },
  2409.         {
  2410.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2411.             "day": 28,
  2412.             "title": "AN UNBROKEN TRADITION",
  2413.             "quotation": "We conceive the survival and spread of AlcoholicsAnonymous to be something of far greater importance thanthe weight we could collectively throw back of any othercause.",
  2414.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 177",
  2415.             "reading": "How much it means to me that an unbroken tradition ofmore than half a century is a thread that connects me to BillW. and Dr. Bob. How much more grounded I feel to be in aFellowship whose aims are constant and unflagging. I amgrateful that the energies of A.A. have never beenscattered, but focused instead on our members and onindividual sobriety.My beliefs are what make me human; I am free to holdany opinion, but A.A.'s purpose—so clearly stated fiftyyears ago—is for me to keep sober. That purpose haspromoted round-the-clock meeting schedules, and thethousands of intergroup and central service offices, withtheir thousands of volunteers. Like the sun focused througha magnifying glass, A.A.'s single vision has lit a fire offaith in sobriety in millions of hearts, including mine."
  2416.         },
  2417.         {
  2418.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2419.             "day": 29,
  2420.             "title": "OUR SURVIVAL",
  2421.             "quotation": "Since recovery from alcoholism is life itself to us, it isimperative that we preserve in full strength our means ofsurvival.",
  2422.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 177",
  2423.             "reading": "The honesty expressed by the members of A.A. in meetingshas the power to open my mind. Nothing can block theflow of energy that honesty carries with it. The onlyobstacle to this flow of energy is inebriation, but even then,no one will find a closed door if he or she has left andchooses to return. Once he or she has received the gift ofsobriety, each A.A. member is challenged on a daily basisto accept a program of honesty.My Higher Power created me for a purpose in life. I askhim to accept my honest efforts to continue on my journeyin the spiritual way of life. I call on Him for strength toknow and seek His will."
  2424.         },
  2425.         {
  2426.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2427.             "day": 30,
  2428.             "title": "LIVE AND LET LIVE",
  2429.             "quotation": "Never since it began has Alcoholics Anonymous beendivided by a major controversial issue. Nor has ourFellowship ever publicly taken sides on any question in anembattled world. This, however, has been no earned virtue.It could almost be said that we were born with it. . . . 'Solong as we don't argue these matters privately, it's a cinchwe never shall publicly.'",
  2430.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 176",
  2431.             "reading": "Do I remember that I have a right to my opinion but thatothers don't have to share it? That's the spirit of 'Live andLet Live.' The Serenity Prayer reminds me, with God'shelp, to 'Accept the things I cannot change.' Am I stilltrying to change others? When it comes to 'Courage tochange the things I can,' do I remember that my opinionsare mine, and yours are yours? Am I still afraid to be me?When it comes to 'Wisdom to know the difference,' do Iremember that my opinions come from my experience? If Ihave a know-it-all attitude, aren't I being deliberatelycontroversial?"
  2432.         },
  2433.         {
  2434.             "month": "OCTOBER",
  2435.             "day": 31,
  2436.             "title": "AVOIDING CONTROVERSY",
  2437.             "quotation": "All history affords us the spectacle of striving nations andgroups finally torn asunder because they were designed for,or tempted into, controversy. Others fell apart because ofsheer self-righteousness while trying to enforce upon therest of mankind some millennium of their own specification.",
  2438.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 176",
  2439.             "reading": "As an A.A. member and sponsor, I know I can cause realdamage if I yield to temptation and give opinions andadvice on another's medical, marital, or religious problems.I am not a doctor, counselor, or lawyer. I cannot tell anyonehow he or she should live; however, I can share how I camethrough similar situations without drinking, and how A.A.'sSteps and Traditions help me in dealing with my life."
  2440.         },
  2441.         {
  2442.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2443.             "day": 1,
  2444.             "title": "I CANNOT CHANGE THE WIND",
  2445.             "quotation": "is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action andrest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, foralcohol is a subtle foe.",
  2446.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85",
  2447.             "reading": "My first sponsor told me there were two things to say aboutprayer and meditation: first, I had to start and second, I hadto continue. When I came to A.A. my spiritual life wasbankrupt; if I considered God at all, He was to be calledupon only when my self-will was incapable of a task orwhen overwhelming fears had eroded my ego.Today I am grateful for a new life, one in which myprayers are those of thanksgiving. My prayer time is morefor listening than for talking. I know today that if I cannotchange the wind, I can adjust my sail. I know the differencebetween superstition and spirituality. I know there is agraceful way of being right, and many ways to be wrong."
  2448.         },
  2449.         {
  2450.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2451.             "day": 2,
  2452.             "title": "KEEPING OPTIMISM AFLOAT",
  2453.             "quotation": "The other Steps can keep most of us sober and somehowfunctioning. But Step Eleven can keep us growing . . .",
  2454.             "citation": "THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 240",
  2455.             "reading": "A sober alcoholic finds it much easier to be optimisticabout life. Optimism is the natural result of my findingmyself gradually able to make the best, rather than theworst, of each situation. As my physical sobriety continues,I come out of the fog, gain a clearer perspective and ambetter able to determine what courses of action to take. Asvital as physical sobriety is, I can achieve a greater potential for myself by developing an ever-increasingwillingness to avail myself of the guidance and direction ofa Higher Power. My ability to do so comes from mylearning—and practicing—the principles of the A.A.program. The melding of my physical and spiritual sobrietyproduces the substance of a more positive life."
  2456.         },
  2457.         {
  2458.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2459.             "day": 3,
  2460.             "title": "FOCUSING AND LISTENING",
  2461.             "quotation": "There is a direct linkage among self-examination,meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practicescan bring much relief and benefit.",
  2462.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98",
  2463.             "reading": "If I do my self-examination first, then surely, I'll haveenough humility to pray and meditate—because I'll see andfeel my need for them. Some wish to begin and end withprayer, leaving the self-examination and meditation to takeplace in between, whereas others start with meditation,listening for advice from God about their still hidden orunacknowledged defects. Still others engage in written andverbal work on their defects, ending with a prayer of praiseand thanksgiving. These three-self-examination, meditationand prayer—form a circle, without a beginning or an end.No matter where, or how, I start, I eventually arrive at mydestination: a better life."
  2464.         },
  2465.         {
  2466.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2467.             "day": 4,
  2468.             "title": "A DAILY DISCIPLINE",
  2469.             "quotation": ". . . when they [self-examination, meditation and prayer]are logically related and interwoven, the result is anunshakable foundation for life.",
  2470.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 98",
  2471.             "reading": "The last three Steps of the program invoke God's lovingdiscipline upon my willful nature. If I devote just a fewmoments every night to a review of the highlights of myday, along with an acknowledgement of those aspects thatdidn't please me so much, I gain a personal history ofmyself, one that is essential to my journey into selfdiscovery. I was able to note my growth, or lack of it, and toask in prayerful meditation to be relieved of those continuing shortcomings that cause me pain. Meditation andprayer also teach me the art of focusing and listening. I findthat the turmoil of the day gets tuned out as I pray for Hiswill and guidance. The practice of asking Him to help me inmy strivings for perfection puts a new slant on the tediumof any day, because I know there is honor in any job donewell. The daily discipline of prayer and meditation willkeep me in fit spiritual condition, able to face whatever theday brings—without the thought of a drink."
  2472.         },
  2473.         {
  2474.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2475.             "day": 5,
  2476.             "title": "'THE QUALITY OF FAITH'",
  2477.             "quotation": "This . . . has to do with the quality of faith. . . . In no deepor meaningful sense had we ever taken stock of ourselves. .. . We had not even prayed rightly. We had always said,'Grant me my wishes' instead of 'Thy will be done.'",
  2478.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 32",
  2479.             "reading": "God does not grant me material possessions, take away mysuffering, or spare me from disasters, but He does give mea good life, the ability to cope, and peace of mind. Myprayers are simple: first, they express my gratitude for thegood things in my life, regardless of how hard I have tosearch for them; and second, I ask only for the strength andthe wisdom to do His will. He answers with solutions to myproblems, sustaining my ability to live through dailyfrustrations with a serenity I did not believe existed, andwith the strength to practice the principles of A.A. in all ofmy everyday affairs."
  2480.         },
  2481.         {
  2482.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2483.             "day": 6,
  2484.             "title": "GOING WITH THE FLOW",
  2485.             "quotation": "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve ourconscious contact with God as we understood Him. . . .",
  2486.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 96",
  2487.             "reading": "The first words I speak when arising in the morning are, 'Iarise, O God, to do Thy will.' This is the shortest prayer Iknow and it is deeply ingrained in me. Prayer doesn'tchange God's attitude toward me; it changes my attitudetoward God. As distinguished from prayer, meditation is aquiet time, without words. To be centered is to bephysically relaxed, emotionally calm, mentally focused andspiritually aware.One way to keep the channel open and to improve myconscious contact with God is to maintain a gratefulattitude. On the days when I am grateful, good things seemto happen in my life. The instant I start cursing things inmy life, however, the flow of good stops. God did notinterrupt the flow; my own negativity did."
  2488.         },
  2489.         {
  2490.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2491.             "day": 7,
  2492.             "title": "LET GO AND LET GOD",
  2493.             "quotation": ". . . praying only for knowledge of His will for us and thepower to carry that out",
  2494.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 96",
  2495.             "reading": "When I 'Let Go and Let God,' I think more clearly andwisely. Without having to think about it, I quickly let go ofthings that cause me immediate pain and discomfort.Because I find it hard to let go of the kind of worrisomethoughts and attitudes that cause me immense anguish, all Ineed do during those times is allow God, as I understandHim, to release them for me, and then and there, I let go ofthe thoughts, memories and attitudes that are troubling me.When I receive help from God, as I understand Him, Ican live my life one day at a time and handle whateverchallenges that come my way. Only then can I live a life ofvictory over alcohol, in comfortable sobriety."
  2496.         },
  2497.         {
  2498.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2499.             "day": 8,
  2500.             "title": "AN INDIVIDUAL ADVENTURE",
  2501.             "quotation": "Meditation is something which can always be furtherdeveloped. It has no boundaries, either of width or height.Aided by such instruction and example as we can find, it isessentially an individual adventure, something which eachone of us works out in his own way.",
  2502.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 101",
  2503.             "reading": "My spiritual growth is with God as I understand Him. WithHim I find my true inner self. Daily meditation and prayerstrengthen and renew my source of well-being. I receivethen the openness to accept all that He has to offer. WithGod I have the reassurance that my journey will be as Hewants for me, and for that I am grateful to have God in mylife."
  2504.         },
  2505.         {
  2506.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2507.             "day": 9,
  2508.             "title": "STEPPING INTO THE SUNLIGHT",
  2509.             "quotation": "But first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing much cangrow in the dark. Meditation is our step out into the sun.",
  2510.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 10",
  2511.             "reading": "Sometimes I think I don't have time for prayer andmeditation, forgetting that I always found the time to drink.It is possible to make time for anything I want to do if Iwant it badly enough. When I start the routine of prayerand meditation, it's a good idea to plan to devote a smallamount of time to it. I read a page from our Fellowship'sbooks in the morning, and say 'Thank You, God,' when Igo to bed at night. As prayer becomes a habit, I will increase the time spent on it, without even noticing the forayit makes into my busy day. If I have trouble praying, I justrepeat the Lord's Prayer because it really coverseverything. Then I think of what I can be grateful for andsay a word of thanks.I don't need to shut myself in a closet to pray. It can bedone even in a room full of people. I just remove myselfmentally for an instant. As the practice of prayer continues,I will find I don't need words, for God can, and does, hearmy thoughts through silence."
  2512.         },
  2513.         {
  2514.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2515.             "day": 10,
  2516.             "title": "A SENSE OF BELONGING",
  2517.             "quotation": "Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of meditation andprayer is the sense of belonging that comes to us.",
  2518.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 105",
  2519.             "reading": "That's what it is—belonging! After a session of meditationI knew that the feeling I was experiencing was a sense ofbelonging because I was so relaxed. I felt quieter inside,more willing to discard little irritations. I appreciated mysense of humor. What I also experience in my dailypractice is the sheer pleasure of belonging to the creativeflow of God's world. How propitious for us that prayer andmeditation are written right into our A.A. way of life."
  2520.         },
  2521.         {
  2522.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2523.             "day": 11,
  2524.             "title": "SELF-ACCEPTANCE",
  2525.             "quotation": "We know that God lovingly watches over us. We know thatwhen we turn to Him, all will be well with us, here andhereafter.",
  2526.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 105",
  2527.             "reading": "I pray for the willingness to remember that I am a child ofGod, a divine soul in human form, and that my most basicand urgent life-task is to accept, know, love and nurturemyself. As I accept myself, I am accepting God's will. As Iknow and love myself, I am knowing and loving God. As Inurture myself I am acting on God's guidance.I pray for the willingness to let go of my arrogant selfcriticism, and to praise God by humbly accepting andcaring for myself."
  2528.         },
  2529.         {
  2530.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2531.             "day": 12,
  2532.             "title": "MORNING THOUGHTS",
  2533.             "quotation": "Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do eachday for the man who is still sick",
  2534.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164",
  2535.             "reading": "For many years I pondered over God's will for me,believing that perhaps a great destiny had been ordained formy life. After all, having been born into a specific faith,hadn't I been told early that I was 'chosen'? It finallyoccurred to me, as I considered the above passage, thatGod's will for me was simply that I practice Step Twelveon a daily basis. Furthermore, I realized I should do this tothe best of my ability. I soon learned that the practice aidsme in keeping my life in the context of the day at hand."
  2536.         },
  2537.         {
  2538.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2539.             "day": 13,
  2540.             "title": "LOOKING OUTWARD",
  2541.             "quotation": "We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and arecareful to make no requests for ourselves only. We may askfor ourselves, however, if others will be helped We arecareful never to pray for our own selfish ends.",
  2542.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87",
  2543.             "reading": "As an active alcoholic, I allowed selfishness to run rampantin my life. I was so attached to my drinking and otherselfish habits that people and moral principles camesecond. Now, when I pray for the good of others ratherthan my 'own selfish ends,' I practice a discipline in lettinggo of selfish attachments, caring for my fellows andpreparing for the day when I will be required to let go of allearthly attachments."
  2544.         },
  2545.         {
  2546.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2547.             "day": 14,
  2548.             "title": "INTUITION AND INSPIRATION",
  2549.             "quotation": ". . we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought >r adecision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle.",
  2550.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 86",
  2551.             "reading": "I invest my time in what I truly love. Step Eleven is adiscipline that allows me and my Higher Power to betogether, reminding me that, with God's help, intuition andinspiration are possible. Practice of the Step brings on selflove. In a consistent attempt to improve my consciouscontact with a Higher Power, I am subtly reminded of myunhealthy past, with its patterns of grandiose thinking andfalse feelings of omnipotence. When I ask for the power tocarry out God's will for me, I am made aware of mypowerlessness. Humility and a healthy self-love arecompatible, a direct result of working Step Eleven."
  2552.         },
  2553.         {
  2554.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2555.             "day": 15,
  2556.             "title": "VITAL SUSTENANCE",
  2557.             "quotation": "Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayerwould no more do without it than we would refuse air, food,or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air,light, or food, the body suffers. And when we turn awayfrom meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds,our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support.",
  2558.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 97",
  2559.             "reading": "Step Eleven doesn't have to overwhelm me. Consciouscontact with God can be as simple, and as profound, asconscious contact with another human being. I can smile. Ican listen. I can forgive. Every encounter with another is anopportunity for prayer, for acknowledging God's presencewithin me.Today I can bring myself a little closer to my HigherPower. The more I choose to seek the beauty of God's workin other people, the more certain of His presence I willbecome."
  2560.         },
  2561.         {
  2562.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2563.             "day": 16,
  2564.             "title": "A DAILY REPRIEVE",
  2565.             "quotation": "What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on themaintenance of our spiritual condition.",
  2566.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85",
  2567.             "reading": "Maintaining my spiritual condition is like working outevery day, planning for the marathon, swimming laps,jogging. It's staying in good shape spiritually, and thatrequires prayer and meditation. The single most importantway for me to improve my conscious contact with a HigherPower is to pray and meditate. I am as powerless overalcohol as I am to turn back the waves of the sea; no humanforce had the power to overcome my alcoholism. Now I amable to breathe the air of joy, happiness and wisdom. I havethe power to love and react to events around me with theeyes of a faith in things that are not readily apparent. Mydaily reprieve means that, no matter how difficult orpainful things appear today, I can draw on the power of theprogram to stay liberated from my cunning, baffling andpowerful illness."
  2568.         },
  2569.         {
  2570.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2571.             "day": 17,
  2572.             "title": "OVERCOMING LONELINESS",
  2573.             "quotation": "Almost without exception, alcoholics are tortured byloneliness Even before our drinking got bad and peoplebegan to cut us off, nearly all of us suffered the feeling thatwe didn't quite belong.",
  2574.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 90",
  2575.             "reading": "The agonies and the void that I often felt inside occur lessand less frequently in my life today. I have learned to copewith solitude. It is only when I am alone and calm that I amable to communicate with God, for He cannot reach mewhen I am in turmoil. It is good to maintain contact withGod at all times, but it is absolutely essential that, wheneverything seems to go wrong, I maintain that contactthrough prayer and meditation."
  2576.         },
  2577.         {
  2578.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2579.             "day": 18,
  2580.             "title": "A SAFETY NET",
  2581.             "quotation": "Occasionally. . . . We are seized with a rebellion sosickening that we simply won't pray. When these thingshappen we should not think too ill of ourselves. We shouldsimply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what weknow to be good for us.",
  2582.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 105",
  2583.             "reading": "Sometimes I scream, stomp my feet, and turn my back onmy Higher Power. Then my disease tells me that I am afailure, and that if I stay angry I'll surely get drunk. In thosemoments of self-will it's as if I've slipped over a cliff andam hanging by one hand. The above passage is my safetynet, in that it urges me to try some new behavior, such asbeing kind and patient with myself. It assures me that myHigher Power will wait until I am willing once again to riskletting go, to land in the net, and to pray."
  2584.         },
  2585.         {
  2586.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2587.             "day": 19,
  2588.             "title": "'I WAS SLIPPING FAST'",
  2589.             "quotation": "We A.A.'s are active folk, enjoying the satisfactions ofdealing with the realities of life, . . . So it isn't surprisingthat we often tend to slight serious meditation and prayer assomething not really necessary.",
  2590.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 96",
  2591.             "reading": "I had been slipping away from the program for some time,but it took a death threat from a terminal disease to bringme back, and particularly to the practice of the EleventhStep of our blessed Fellowship. Although I had fifteen yearsof sobriety and was still very active in the program, I knewthat the quality of my sobriety had slipped badly. Eighteenmonths later, a checkup revealed a malignant tumor and aprognosis of certain death within six months. Despairsettled in when I enrolled in a rehab program, after which Isuffered two small strokes which revealed two large braintumors. As I kept hitting new bottoms I had to ask myselfwhy this was happening to me. God allowed me to recognize my dishonesty and to become teachable again.Miracles began to happen. But primarily I relearned thewhole meaning of the Eleventh Step. My physical conditionhas improved dramatically, but my illness is minorcompared to what I almost lost completely."
  2592.         },
  2593.         {
  2594.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2595.             "day": 20,
  2596.             "title": "'THY WILL, NOT MINE'",
  2597.             "quotation": ". . . when making specific requests, it will be well to add toeach one of them this qualification. '. . . if it be Thy will'",
  2598.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 102",
  2599.             "reading": "I ask simply that throughout the day God place in me thebest understanding of His will that I can have for that day,and that I be given the grace by which I may carry it out. Asthe day goes on, I can pause when facing situations thatmust be met and decisions that must be made, and renewthe simple request: 'Thy will, not mine, be done.'I must always keep in mind that in every situation I amresponsible for the effort and God is responsible for theoutcome. I can 'Let Go and Let God' by humbly repeating:'Thy will, not mine, be done.' Patience and persistence inseeking His will for me will free me from the pain of selfishexpectations."
  2600.         },
  2601.         {
  2602.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2603.             "day": 21,
  2604.             "title": "A CLASSIC PRAYER",
  2605.             "quotation": "Lord, make me a channel for thy peace—that where thereis hatred, I may bring love—that where there is wrong, Imay bring the spirit of forgiveness—that where there isdiscord, I may bring harmony—that where there is error, Imay bring truth—that where there is doubt, I may bringfaith—that where there is despair, I may bring hope—thatwhere there are shadows, I may bring light—that wherethere is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I mayseek rather to comfort than to be comforted—to understand, than to be understood—to love, than to be loved. Forit is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving thatone is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to EternalLife. Amen.",
  2606.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 99",
  2607.             "reading": "No matter where I am in my spiritual growth, the St.Francis prayer helps me improve my conscious contactwith the God of my understanding. I think that one of thegreat advantages of my faith in God is that I do notunderstand Him, or Her, or It. It may be that myrelationship with my Higher Power is so fruitful that I donot have to understand. All that I am certain of is that if Iwork the Eleventh Step regularly, as best I can, I willcontinue to improve my conscious contact, I will know Hiswill"
  2608.         },
  2609.         {
  2610.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2611.             "day": 22,
  2612.             "title": "ONLY TWO SINS",
  2613.             "quotation": ". . . there are only two sins; the first is to interfere with thegrowth of another human being, and the second is tointerfere with one's own growth.",
  2614.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 542",
  2615.             "reading": "Happiness is such an elusive state. How often do my'prayers' for others involve 'hidden' prayers for my ownagenda? How often is my search for happiness a boulder inthe path of growth for another, or even myself? Seekinggrowth through humility and acceptance brings things thatappear to be anything but good, wholesome and vital. Yetin looking back, I can see that pain, struggles and setbackshave all contributed eventually to serenity through growthin the program.I ask my Higher Power to help me not cause another'slack of growth today—or my own."
  2616.         },
  2617.         {
  2618.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2619.             "day": 23,
  2620.             "title": "'HOLD YOUR FACE TO THE LIGHT'",
  2621.             "quotation": "Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, eventhough for the moment you do not see.",
  2622.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 3",
  2623.             "reading": "One Sunday in October, during my morning meditation, Iglanced out the window at the ash tree in our front yard. Atonce I was overwhelmed by its magnificent, golden color!As I stared in awe at God's work of art, the leaves began tofall and, within minutes, the branches were bare. Sadnesscame over me as I thought of the winter months ahead, butjust as I was reflecting on autumn's annual process, God'smessage came through. Like the trees, stripped of theirleaves in the fall, sprout new blossoms in the spring, I hadhad my compulsive, selfish ways removed by God in orderfor me to blossom into a sober, joyful member of A.A.Thank you, God, for the changing seasons and for my everchanging life."
  2624.         },
  2625.         {
  2626.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2627.             "day": 24,
  2628.             "title": "A UNIVERSAL SEARCH",
  2629.             "quotation": "Be quick to see where religious people are right Make useof what they offer.",
  2630.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 87",
  2631.             "reading": "I do not claim to have all the answers in spiritual matters,any more than I claim to have all the answers aboutalcoholism. There are others who are also engaged in aspiritual search. If I keep an open mind about what othershave to say, I have much to gain. My sobriety is greatlyenriched, and my practice of the Eleventh Step morefruitful, when I use both the literature and practices of myJudeo-Christian tradition, and the resources of other religions. Thus, I receive support from many sources instaying away from the first drink."
  2632.         },
  2633.         {
  2634.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2635.             "day": 25,
  2636.             "title": "A POWERFUL TRADITION",
  2637.             "quotation": "In the years before the publication of the book, 'AlcoholicsAnonymous,' we had no name. . . . By a narrow majoritythe verdict was for naming our book 'The Way Out' . . .One of our early lone members . . . found exactly twelvebooks already titled 'The Way Out' . . . So 'AlcoholicsAnonymous' became first choice. That's how we got a namefor our book of experience, a name for our movement and,as we are now beginning to see, a tradition of the greatestspiritual import.",
  2638.             "citation": "'A.A. TRADITION: HOW IT DEVELOPED,' pp. 35-36",
  2639.             "reading": "Beginning with Bill's momentous decision in Akron tomake a telephone call rather than a visit to the hotel bar,how often has a Higher Power made itself felt at crucialmoments in our history! The eventual importance that theprinciple of anonymity would acquire was but dimlyperceived, if at all, in those early days. There seems to havebeen an element of chance even in the choice of a name forour Fellowship.God is no stranger to anonymity and often appears inhuman affairs in the guises of 'luck,' 'chance,' or'coincidence.' If anonymity, somewhat fortuitously,became the spiritual basis for all of our Traditions, perhapsGod was acting anonymously on our behalf."
  2640.         },
  2641.         {
  2642.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2643.             "day": 26,
  2644.             "title": "THE HAZARDS OF PUBLICITY",
  2645.             "quotation": "People who symbolize causes and ideas fill a deep humanneed. We of A.A. do not question that. But we do have tosoberly face the fact that being in the public eye ishazardous, especially for us.",
  2646.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 181",
  2647.             "reading": "As a recovered alcoholic I must make an effort to put intopractice the principles of the AA. program, which arefounded on honesty, truth and humility. While I wasdrinking I was constantly trying to be in the limelight. Nowthat I am conscious of my mistakes and of my former lackof integrity, it would not be honest to seek prestige, evenfor the justifiable purpose of promoting the A.A. messageof recovery. Is the publicity that centers around the A.A.Fellowship and the miracles it produces not worth muchmore? Why not let the people around us appreciate bythemselves the changes that A.A. has brought in us, for thatwill be a far better recommendation for the Fellowship thanany I could make."
  2648.         },
  2649.         {
  2650.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2651.             "day": 27,
  2652.             "title": "THE PERILS OF THE LIMELIGHT",
  2653.             "quotation": "In the beginning, the press could not understand ourrefusal of all personal publicity. They were genuinelybaffled by our insistence upon anonymity. Then they got thepoint. Here was something rare in the world —a societywhich said it wished to publicize its principles and its work,but not its individual members. The press was delightedwith this attitude. Ever since, these friends have reportedA.A. with an enthusiasm which the most ardent memberswould find hard to match.",
  2654.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 182",
  2655.             "reading": "It is essential for my personal survival and that of theFellowship that I not use A.A. to put myself in thelimelight. Anonymity is a way for me to work on myhumility. Since pride is one of my most dangerousshortcomings, practicing humility is one of the best ways toovercome it. The Fellowship of A.A. gains worldwiderecognition by its various methods of publicizing itsprinciples and its work, not by its individual membersadvertising themselves. The attraction created by mychanging attitudes and my altruism contributes much moreto the welfare of A.A. than self-promotion."
  2656.         },
  2657.         {
  2658.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2659.             "day": 28,
  2660.             "title": "ATTRACTION, NOT PROMOTION",
  2661.             "quotation": "Through many painful experiences, we think we havearrived at what that policy ought to be. It is the opposite inmany ways of usual promotional practice. We found that wehad to rely upon the principle of attraction rather than ofpromotion.",
  2662.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 180-81",
  2663.             "reading": "While I was drinking I reacted with anger, self-pity anddefiance against anyone who wanted to change me. All Iwanted then was to be accepted by another human simplyas I was and, curiously, that is what I found in A.A. Ibecame the custodian of this concept of attraction, which isthe principle of our Fellowship's public relations. It is byattraction that I can best reach the alcoholic who stillsuffers.I thank God for having given me the attraction of a wellplanned and established program of Steps and Traditions.Through humility and the support of my fellow sobermembers, I have been able to practice the A.A. way of lifethrough attraction, not promotion."
  2664.         },
  2665.         {
  2666.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2667.             "day": 29,
  2668.             "title": "'ACTIVE GUARDIANS'",
  2669.             "quotation": "To us, however, it represents far more than a sound publicrelations policy. It is more than a denial of self-seeking.This Tradition is a constant and practical reminder thatpersonal ambition has no place in A A. In it, each memberbecomes an active guardian of our Fellowship.",
  2670.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 183",
  2671.             "reading": "The basic concept of humility is expressed in the EleventhTradition: it allows me to participate completely in theprogram in such a simple, yet profound, manner; it fulfillsmy need to be an integral part of a significant whole.Humility brings me closer to the actual spirit oftogetherness and oneness, without which I could not staysober. In remembering that every member is an example ofsobriety, each one living the Eleventh Tradition, I am ableto experience freedom because each one of us isanonymous."
  2672.         },
  2673.         {
  2674.             "month": "NOVEMBER",
  2675.             "day": 30,
  2676.             "title": "PROTECTION FOR ALL",
  2677.             "quotation": "At the personal level, anonymity provides protection or allmembers from identification as alcoholics, a safeguardoften of special importance to newcomers, i t the level ofpress, radio, TV, and films, anonymity tresses the equalityin the Fellowship of all members by putting the brake onthose who might otherwise exploit their A.A. affiliation toachieve recognition, power, or personal gain.",
  2678.             "citation": "'UNDERSTANDING ANONYMITY,' p. 5",
  2679.             "reading": "Attraction is the main force in the Fellowship of A.A. Themiracle of continuous sobriety of alcoholics within A.A.confirms this fact every day. It would be harmful if theFellowship promoted itself by publicizing, through themedia of radio and TV, the sobriety of well-known publicpersonalities who became members of A.A. If thesepersonalities happened to have slips, outsiders would thinkour movement is not strong and they might question theveracity of the miracle of the century. AlcoholicsAnonymous is not anonymous, but its members should be."
  2680.         },
  2681.         {
  2682.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2683.             "day": 1,
  2684.             "title": "'SUGGESTED' STEPS",
  2685.             "quotation": "Our Twelfth Step also says that as a result of practicing allthe Steps, we have each found something called a spiritualawakening. . . . A. A.'s manner of making ready to receivethis gift lies in the practice of the Twelve Steps in ourprogram.'",
  2686.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 106-07",
  2687.             "reading": "I remember my sponsor's answer when I told him that theSteps were 'suggested.' He replied that they are'suggested' in the same way that, if you were to jump outof an airplane with a parachute, it is 'suggested' that youpull the ripcord to save your life. He pointed out that it was'suggested' I practice the Twelve Steps, if I wanted to savemy life. So I try to remember daily that I have a wholeprogram of recovery based on all Twelve of the'suggested' Steps."
  2688.         },
  2689.         {
  2690.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2691.             "day": 2,
  2692.             "title": "SERENITY",
  2693.             "quotation": "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, . ..",
  2694.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106",
  2695.             "reading": "As I continued to go to meetings and work the Steps, somethingbegan to happen to me. I felt confused because I wasn't surewhat it was that I was feeling, and then I realized I wasexperiencing serenity. It was a good feeling, but where had itcome from? Then I realized it had come ' . . . as the result ofthese steps.' The program may not always be easy to practice,but I had to acknowledge that my serenity had come to me afterworking the Steps. As I work the Steps in everything I do, practicing these principles in all my affairs, now I find that I amawake to God, to others, and to myself. The spiritual awakeningI have enjoyed as the result of working the Steps is theawareness that I am no longer alone."
  2696.         },
  2697.         {
  2698.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2699.             "day": 3,
  2700.             "title": "IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS",
  2701.             "quotation": ". . . we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and topractice these principles in all our affairs.",
  2702.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106",
  2703.             "reading": "I find that carrying the message of recovery to otheralcoholics is easy because it helps me to stay sober and itprovides me with a sense of well-being about my ownrecovery. The hard part is practicing these principles in allmy affairs. It is important that I share the benefits I receivefrom A.A., especially at home. Doesn't my family deservethe same patience, tolerance and understanding I so readilygive to the alcoholic? When reviewing my day I try to ask,'Did I have a chance to be a friend today and miss it?' 'DidI have a chance to rise above a nasty situation and avoidit?' 'Did I have a chance to say 'I'm sorry,' and refuse to?'Just as I ask God for help with my alcoholism each day,I ask for help in extending my recovery to include allsituations and all people!"
  2704.         },
  2705.         {
  2706.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2707.             "day": 4,
  2708.             "title": "INTO ACTION",
  2709.             "quotation": "A. A. is more than a set of principles; it is a society ofalcoholics in action. We must carry the message, else weourselves can wither and those who haven't been given thetruth may die.",
  2710.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 13",
  2711.             "reading": "I desperately wanted to live, but if I was to succeed, I had tobecome active in our God-given program. I joined whatbecame my group, where I opened the hall, made coffee,and cleaned up. I had been sober about three months whenan oldtimer told me I was doing Twelfth-Step work. What asatisfying realization that was! I felt I was reallyaccomplishing something. God had given me a secondchance, A.A. had shown me the way, and these gifts werenot only free—they were also priceless! Now the joy ofseeing newcomers grow reminds me of where I have comefrom, where I am now, and the limitless possibilities that heahead. I need to attend meetings because they recharge mybatteries so that I have light when it's needed. I'm still abeginner in service work, but already I am receiving morethan I'm giving. I can't keep it unless I give it away. I amresponsible when another reaches out for help. I want to bethere—sober."
  2712.         },
  2713.         {
  2714.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2715.             "day": 5,
  2716.             "title": "A NEW STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS",
  2717.             "quotation": "He has been granted a gift which amounts to a new state ofconsciousness and being.",
  2718.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 107",
  2719.             "reading": "Many of us in AA. puzzle over what is a spiritualawakening. I tended to look for a miracle, somethingdramatic and earth-shattering. But what usually happens isthat a sense of well-being, a feeling of peace, transforms usinto a new level of awareness. That's what happened to me.My insanity and inner turmoil disappeared and I enteredinto a new dimension of hope, love and peace. I think thedegree to which I continue to experience this new dimension is in direct proportion to the sincerity, depth anddevotion with which I practice the Twelve Steps of A.A."
  2720.         },
  2721.         {
  2722.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2723.             "day": 6,
  2724.             "title": "WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN",
  2725.             "quotation": "When we developed still more, we discovered the bestpossible source of emotional stability to be God Himself.We found that dependence upon His perfect justice,forgiveness, and love was healthy, and that it would workwhere nothing else would. If we really depended upon God,we couldn't very well play God to our fellows nor would wefeel the urge wholly to rely on human protection and care.",
  2726.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 116",
  2727.             "reading": "It has been my experience that, when all human resourcesappear to have failed, there is always One who will neverdesert me. Moreover, He is always there to share my joy,to steer me down the right path, and to confide in when noone else will do. While my well-being and happiness canbe added to, or diminished, by human efforts, only God canprovide the loving nourishment upon which I depend formy daily spiritual health."
  2728.         },
  2729.         {
  2730.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2731.             "day": 7,
  2732.             "title": "TRUE AMBITION",
  2733.             "quotation": "True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambitionis the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly underthe grace of God.",
  2734.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 124-25",
  2735.             "reading": "During my drinking years, my one and only concern was tohave my fellow man think highly of me. My ambition ineverything I did was to have the power to be at the top. Myinner self kept telling me something else but I couldn'taccept it. I didn't even allow myself to realize that I wore amask continually. Finally, when the mask came off and Icried out to the only God I could conceive, the Fellowshipof A.A., my group and the Twelve Steps were there. Ilearned how to change resentments into acceptance, fearinto hope and anger into love. I have learned also, throughloving without undue expectations, through sharing myconcerns and caring for my fellow man, that each day canbe joyous and fruitful. I begin and end my day with thanksto God, who has so generously shed His grace on me."
  2736.         },
  2737.         {
  2738.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2739.             "day": 8,
  2740.             "title": "SERVICE",
  2741.             "quotation": "Life will take on new meaning. To watch people re-over, tosee them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see afellowship grow up about you, to have host of friends—thisis an experience you must not miss. . . . Frequent contactwith newcomers and nth each other is the bright spot ofour lives.",
  2742.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89",
  2743.             "reading": "t is through service that the greatest rewards are to befound. But to be in a position of offering true, useful andeffective service to others, I must first work on myself.This means that I have to abandon myself to God,admitting my faults and clearing away the wreckage of mypast. Work on myself has aught me how to find thenecessary peace and serenity to successfully mergeinspiration and experience. I have learned how to be, in thetruest sense, in open channel of sobriety."
  2744.         },
  2745.         {
  2746.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2747.             "day": 9,
  2748.             "title": "LOVE WITH NO PRICE TAG",
  2749.             "quotation": "When the Twelfth Step is seen in its full implication, it isreally talking about the kind of love that has no price tag onit",
  2750.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106",
  2751.             "reading": "In order for me to start working the Twelfth Step, I had towork on sincerity, honesty, and to learn to act withhumility. Carrying the message is a gift of myself, nomatter how many years of sobriety I may haveaccumulated. My dreams can become reality. I solidify mysobriety by sharing what I have received freely. As I lookback to that time when I began my recovery, there wasalready a seed of hope that I could help another drunk pullhimself out of his alcoholic mire. My wish to help anotherdrunk is the key to my spiritual health. But I never forgetthat God acts through me. I am only His instrument.Even if the other person is not ready, there is success,because my effort in his behalf has helped me to remainsober and to become stronger. To act, to never grow wearyin my Twelfth Step work, is the key. If I am capable oflaughing today, let me not forget those days when I cried.God reminds me that I can feel compassion!"
  2752.         },
  2753.         {
  2754.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2755.             "day": 10,
  2756.             "title": "CARRYING THE MESSAGE",
  2757.             "quotation": "Now, what about the rest of the Twelfth Step? Thewonderful energy it releases and the eager action by whichit carries our message to the next suffering alcoholic andwhich finally translates the Twelve Steps into action uponall our affairs is the payoff, the magnificent reality, ofAlcoholics Anonymous.",
  2758.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 109",
  2759.             "reading": "To renounce the alcoholic world is not to abandon it, but to act upon principles I have come to love and cherish, and torestore in others who still suffer the serenity I have come toknow. When I am truly committed to this purpose, itmatters little what clothes I wear or how I make a living.My task is to carry the message, and to lead by example,not design."
  2760.         },
  2761.         {
  2762.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2763.             "day": 11,
  2764.             "title": "'A GENUINE HUMILITY'",
  2765.             "quotation": ". . . we are actually to practice a genuine humility. This isto the end that our great blessings may never spoil us; thatwe shall forever live in thankful contemplation of Him whopresides over us all.",
  2766.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 192",
  2767.             "reading": "Experience has taught me that my alcoholic personalitytends to be grandiose. While having seemingly goodintentions, I can go off on tangents in pursuit of my'causes.' My ego takes over and I lose sight of my primarypurpose. I may even take credit for God's handiwork in mylife. Such an overstated feeling of my own importance isdangerous to my sobriety and could cause great harm toA.A. as a whole.My safeguard, the Twelfth Tradition, serves to keep mehumble. I realize, both as an individual and as a member ofthe Fellowship, that I cannot boast of my accomplishments,and that 'God is doing for us what we could not do forourselves.'"
  2768.         },
  2769.         {
  2770.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2771.             "day": 12,
  2772.             "title": "A COMMON SOLUTION",
  2773.             "quotation": "The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we havediscovered a common solution. We have a way out onwhich we can absolutely agree, and upon which we canjoin in brotherly and harmonious ac-ion. This is the greatnews this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.",
  2774.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 17",
  2775.             "reading": "The most far-reaching Twelfth Step work was thepublication of our Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Fewcan equal that book for carrying the message. My idea is toget out of myself and simply do what I can. Even if Ihaven't been asked to sponsor and my phone rarely rings, Iam still able to do Twelfth Step work. I get involved in'brotherly and harmonious action.' At meetings I show upearly to greet people and to help set up, and to share myexperience, strength and hope. I also do what I can withservice work. My Higher Power gives me exactly what Hewants me to do at any given point in my recovery and, if Ilet Him, my willingness will bring Twelfth Step workautomatically."
  2776.         },
  2777.         {
  2778.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2779.             "day": 13,
  2780.             "title": "THINKING OF OTHERS",
  2781.             "quotation": "Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon ourconstant thought of others and how we may help meet theirneeds.",
  2782.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 20",
  2783.             "reading": "Thinking of others has never come easily to me. Even whenI try to work the A.A. program, I'm prone to thinking,'How do I feel today. Am I happy, joyous and free?'The program tells me that my thoughts must reach out tothose around me: 'Would that newcomer welcomesomeone to talk to?' 'That person looks a little unhappytoday, maybe I could cheer him up.' It is only when Iforget my problems, and reach out to contribute somethingto others that I can begin to attain the serenity and Godconsciousness I seek."
  2784.         },
  2785.         {
  2786.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2787.             "day": 14,
  2788.             "title": "REACHING OUT",
  2789.             "quotation": "Never talk down to an alcoholic from any moral orspiritual hilltop; simply lay out the kit of spiritual looks forhis inspection. Show him how they worked with you.",
  2790.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 95",
  2791.             "reading": "When I come into contact with a newcomer, do I have atendency to look at him from my perceived ingle ofsuccess in A.A.? Do I compare him with the large numberof acquaintances I have made in the Fellowship? Do Ipoint out to him in a magisterial way the voice of A.A.?What is my real attitude toward him? I must examinemyself whenever I meet a newcomer to make sure that Iam carrying the message with simplicity, humility andgenerosity. The one who still suffers from the terrible disease of alcoholism must find in me a friend who will allowhim to get to know the A.A. way, because I had such afriend when I arrived in A.A. Today it is my turn to holdout my hand, with love, to my sister or brother alcoholic,and to show her or him the way to happiness."
  2792.         },
  2793.         {
  2794.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2795.             "day": 15,
  2796.             "title": "DOING ANYTHING TO HELP",
  2797.             "quotation": "Offer him [the alcoholic] friendship and fellowship. Tellhim that if he wants to get well you will do anything tohelp.",
  2798.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 95",
  2799.             "reading": "I remember how attracted I was to the two men from A.A.who Twelfth-Stepped me. They said I could have whatthey had, with no conditions attached, that all I had to dowas make my own decision to join them on the pathway torecovery. When I start convincing a newcomer to do thingsmy way, I forget how helpful those two men were to me intheir open-minded generosity."
  2800.         },
  2801.         {
  2802.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2803.             "day": 16,
  2804.             "title": "PARTNERS IN RECOVERY",
  2805.             "quotation": ". . nothing will so much insure immunity from finking asintensive work with other alcoholics. . . Both you and thenew man must walk day by ay in the path of spiritualprogress. . . . Follow the dictates of a Higher Power andyou will presently live in a new and wonderful world, nomatter what your resent circumstances!",
  2806.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 89, 100",
  2807.             "reading": "Doing the right things for the right reasons—this is myway of controlling my selfishness and self-centeredness. Irealize that my dependency on a higher Power clears theway for peace of mind, happiness and sobriety. I pray eachday that I will avoid my previous actions, so that I will behelpful o others."
  2808.         },
  2809.         {
  2810.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2811.             "day": 17,
  2812.             "title": "A PRICELESS REWARD",
  2813.             "quotation": ". . . work with other alcoholics. . . . It work when otheractivities fail.",
  2814.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 8",
  2815.             "reading": "'Life will take on new meaning,' as the Big Book says(p.89). This promise has helped me to avow self-seekingand self-pity. To watch others grow in this wonderfulprogram, to see them improve the quality of their lives, is apriceless reward for my effort to help others. Selfexamination is yet another reward for an ongoing recovery,as are serenity, peace and contentment. The energy derivedfrom seeing others on a successful path, of sharing withthem the joys of the journey, gives to my life a newmeaning."
  2816.         },
  2817.         {
  2818.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2819.             "day": 18,
  2820.             "title": "HONESTY WITH NEWCOMERS",
  2821.             "quotation": "'ell him exactly what happened to you. Stress the spiritualfeature freely.",
  2822.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 93",
  2823.             "reading": "The marvel of A.A. is that I tell only what happened to me.I don't waste time offering advice to potential newcomers,for if advice worked, nobody would get to A.A. All I haveto do is show what has brought me sobriety and what haschanged my life. If I fail to stress the spiritual feature ofA.A.'s program, I am being dishonest. The newcomershould not be given a false impression of sobriety. I amsober only through the grace of my Higher Power, and thatmakes it possible for me to share with others."
  2824.         },
  2825.         {
  2826.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2827.             "day": 19,
  2828.             "title": "UNDERSTANDING THE MALADY",
  2829.             "quotation": "When dealing with an alcoholic, there may be a naturalannoyance that a man could be so weak, stupid andirresponsible. Even when you understand the maladybetter, you may feel this feeling rising.",
  2830.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 139",
  2831.             "reading": "Having suffered from alcoholism, I should understand theillness, but sometimes I feel annoyance, even contempt,toward a person who cannot make it in A.A. When I feelthat way, I am satisfying my false sense of superiority and Imust remember, but for the grace of God, there go I."
  2832.         },
  2833.         {
  2834.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2835.             "day": 20,
  2836.             "title": "THE REWARDS OF GIVING",
  2837.             "quotation": "This is indeed the kind of giving that actually demandsnothing. He does not expect his brother sufferer to pay him,or even to love him. And then he discovers that by thedivine paradox of this kind of giving he has found his ownreward, whether his brother has yet received anything ornot.",
  2838.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 109",
  2839.             "reading": "Through experience with Twelfth Step work, I came tounderstand the rewards of giving that demands nothing inreturn. At first I expected recovery in others, but I soonlearned that this did not happen. Once I acquired thehumility to accept the fact that every Twelfth Step call wasnot going to result in a success, then I was open to receivethe rewards of selfless giving."
  2840.         },
  2841.         {
  2842.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2843.             "day": 21,
  2844.             "title": "LISTEN, SHARE AND PRAY",
  2845.             "quotation": "When working with a man and his family, you should takecare not to participate in their quarrels. You may spoilyour chance of being helpful if you do.",
  2846.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 100",
  2847.             "reading": "When trying to help a fellow alcoholic, I've given in to animpulse to give advice, and perhaps that's inevitable. Butallowing others the right to be wrong reaps its ownbenefits. The best I can do— and it sounds easier than it isto put into practice— is to listen, share personalexperience, and pray for others."
  2848.         },
  2849.         {
  2850.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2851.             "day": 22,
  2852.             "title": "PRINCIPLES, NOT PERSONALITIES",
  2853.             "quotation": "The way our 'worthy' alcoholics have sometimes tried tojudge the 'less worthy' is, as we look back on it, rathercomical. Imagine, if you can, one alcoholic judginganother!",
  2854.             "citation": "THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 37",
  2855.             "reading": "Who am I to judge anyone? When I first entered theFellowship I found that I liked everyone. After all, A.A.was going to help me to a better way of life withoutalcohol. The reality was that I couldn't possibly likeeveryone, nor they me. As I've grown in the Fellowship,I've learned to love everyone just from listening to whatthey had to say. That person over there, or the one righthere, may be the one God has chosen to give me themessage I need for today. I must always remember to placeprinciples above personalities."
  2856.         },
  2857.         {
  2858.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2859.             "day": 23,
  2860.             "title": "RECOVERY, UNITY, SERVICE",
  2861.             "quotation": "Our Twelfth Step—carrying the message—is the basicservice that AA's Fellowship gives; this is our principal aimand the main reason for our existence.",
  2862.             "citation": "THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 160",
  2863.             "reading": "I thank God for those who came before me, those who toldme not to forget the Three Legacies: Recovery, Unity andService. In my home group, the Three Legacies weredescribed on a sign which said: 'You take a three-leggedstool, try to balance it on only one leg, or two. Our ThreeLegacies must be kept intact. In Recovery, we get sobertogether; in Unity, we work together for the good of ourSteps and Traditions; and through Service—we give awayfreely what has been given to us.'One of the chief gifts of my life has been to know that Iwill have no message to give, unless I recover in unity withA.A. principles."
  2864.         },
  2865.         {
  2866.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2867.             "day": 24,
  2868.             "title": "A 'SANE AND HAPPY USEFULNESS'",
  2869.             "quotation": "We have come to believe He would like us to keep our headsin the clouds with Him, but that our feet ought to be firmlyplanted on earth. That is where our fellow travelers are,and that is where our work must be done. These are therealities for us. We have found nothing incompatiblebetween a powerful spiritual experience and a life of saneand happy usefulness",
  2870.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 130",
  2871.             "reading": "All the prayer and meditation in the world will not help meunless they are accompanied by action. Practicing theprinciples in all my affairs shows me the care that Godtakes in all parts of my life. God appears in my world whenI move aside, and allow Him to step into it."
  2872.         },
  2873.         {
  2874.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2875.             "day": 25,
  2876.             "title": "AT PEACE WITH LIFE",
  2877.             "quotation": "Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God'swill into all of our activities 'How can I best serve Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done.'",
  2878.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85",
  2879.             "reading": "I read this passage each morning, to start off my day,because it is a continual reminder to 'practice theseprinciples in all my affairs.' When I keep God's will at theforefront of my mind, I am able to do what I should bedoing, and that puts me at peace with life, with myself andwith God."
  2880.         },
  2881.         {
  2882.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2883.             "day": 26,
  2884.             "title": "ACCEPTING SUCCESS OR FAILURE",
  2885.             "quotation": "Furthermore, how shall we come to terms with seemingfailure or success? Can we now accept and adjust to eitherwithout despair or pride? Can we accept poverty, sickness,loneliness, and bereavement with courage and serenity?Can we steadfastly content ourselves with the humbler, yetsometimes more durable, satisfactions when the brighter,more glittering achievements are denied us?",
  2886.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 112",
  2887.             "reading": "After I found A.A. and stopped drinking, it took a whilebefore I understood why the First Step contained two parts:my powerlessness over alcohol, and my life'sunmanageability. In the same way, I believed for a longtime that, in order to be in tune with the Twelve Steps, itwas enough for me 'to carry this message to alcoholics.'That was rushing things. I was forgetting that there were atotal of Twelve Steps and that the Twelfth Step also hadmore than one part. Eventually I learned that it wasnecessary for me to 'practice these principles' in all areasof my life. In working all the Steps thoroughly, I not onlystay sober and help someone else to achieve sobriety, butalso I transform my difficulty with living into a joy ofliving."
  2888.         },
  2889.         {
  2890.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2891.             "day": 27,
  2892.             "title": "PROBLEM SOLVING",
  2893.             "quotation": "'Quite as important was the discovery that spiritualprinciples would solve all my problems.'",
  2894.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 42",
  2895.             "reading": "Through the recovery process described in the Big Book, Ihave come to realize that the same instructions that work onmy alcoholism, work on much more. Whenever I am angryor frustrated, I consider the matter a manifestation of themain problem within me, alcoholism. As I 'walk' throughthe Steps, my difficulty is usually dealt with long before Ireach the Twelfth 'suggestion,' and those difficulties thatpersist are remedied when I make an effort to carry themessage to someone else. These principles do solve myproblems! I have not encountered an exception, and I havebeen brought to a way of living which is satisfying anduseful."
  2896.         },
  2897.         {
  2898.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2899.             "day": 28,
  2900.             "title": "SUIT UP AND SHOW UP",
  2901.             "quotation": "In A.A. we aim not only for sobriety—we try again tobecome citizens of the world that we rejected, and of theworld that once rejected us. This is the ultimatedemonstration toward which Twelfth Step work is the firstbut not the final step.",
  2902.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 21",
  2903.             "reading": "The old line says, 'Suit up and show up.' That action is soimportant that I like to think of it as my motto. I can chooseeach day to suit up and show up, or not. Showing up atmeetings starts me toward feeling a part of that meeting, forthen I can do what I say I'll do at meetings. I can talk withnewcomers, and I can share my experience; that's whatcredibility, honesty, and courtesy really are. Suiting up andshowing up are the concrete actions I take in my ongoingreturn to normal living."
  2904.         },
  2905.         {
  2906.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2907.             "day": 29,
  2908.             "title": "THE JOY OF LIVING",
  2909.             "quotation": ". . . therefore the joy of good living is the theme of A.A.'sTwelfth Step.",
  2910.             "citation": "TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 125",
  2911.             "reading": "A.A. is a joyful program! Even so, I occasionally balk attaking the necessary steps to move ahead, and find myselfresisting the very actions that could bring about the joy Iwant. I would not resist if those actions did not touch somevulnerable area of my life, an area that needs hope andfulfillment. Repeated exposure to joyfulness has a way ofsoftening the hard, outer edges of my ego. Therein lies thepower of joyfulness to help all members of A.A."
  2912.         },
  2913.         {
  2914.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2915.             "day": 30,
  2916.             "title": "ANONYMITY",
  2917.             "quotation": "Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions,ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.",
  2918.             "citation": "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 564",
  2919.             "reading": "Tradition Twelve became important early in my sobrietyand, along with the Twelve Steps, it continues to be a mustin my recovery. I became aware after I joined theFellowship that I had personality problems, so that when Ifirst heard it, the Tradition's message was very clear: thereexists an immediate way for me to face, with others, myalcoholismandattendantanger,defensiveness,offensiveness. I saw Tradition Twelve as being a great egodeflator; it relieved my anger and gave me a chance toutilize the principles of the program. All of the Steps, andthis particular Tradition, have guided me over decades ofcontinuous sobriety. I am grateful to those who were herewhen I needed them."
  2920.         },
  2921.         {
  2922.             "month": "DECEMBER",
  2923.             "day": 31,
  2924.             "title": "DAILY RESOLUTIONS",
  2925.             "quotation": "The idea of 'twenty-four-hour living' applies primarily tothe emotional life of the individual. Emotionally speaking,we must not live in yesterday, nor in tomorrow.",
  2926.             "citation": "AS BILL SEES IT, p. 284",
  2927.             "reading": "A New Year: 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours,525,600 minutes—a time to consider directions, goals, andactions. I must make some plans to live a normal life, butalso I must live emotionally within a twenty-four-hourframe, for if I do, I don't have to make New Year'sresolutions! I can make every day a New Year's day! I candecide, 'Today I will do this . . . Today I will do that.'Each day I can measure my life by trying to do a littlebetter, by deciding to follow God's will and by making aneffort to put the principles of our A.A. program into action."
  2928.         }
  2929.     ]
  2930. }
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