Search

“Beaten into complete defeat by alcohol, confronted by the living proof of release, and surrounded by those who can speak to us from the heart, we have finally surrendered. And then, paradoxically, we have found ourselves in a new dimension, the real world of spirit and of faith. Enough willingness, enough open-mindedness -- and there it is!”

“Believing that I was powerless ultimately reduced the size of my world -- down to me in the moment.”

“I was, am, and always will be powerless over alcohol. My life was, is, and always will be unmanageable. Today, because I'm a recovering alcoholic, that's okay.”

"Every newcomer, every friend who looks at AA for the first time is vastly puzzled. They see liberty verging on license, yet they recognize at once that AA has an irresistible strength of purpose and action. ‘How,’ they ask, ‘can such a crowd of anarchists function at all? How can they possibly place their common welfare first? What, in heaven's name, holds them together?’ “Those who look well soon have the key to this strange paradox. The AA member has to conform to the principles of recovery. His life actually depends upon obedience to spiritual principles. If he deviates too far, the penalty is sure and swift; he sickens and dies. At first, he goes along because he must, but later he discovers a way of life he really wants to live. Moreover, he finds he cannot keep this priceless gift unless he gives it away.”

“AA has taught me that being ‘a small part of the great whole’ carries with it a responsibility and that there is always something that I can do to contribute to ‘our common welfare.’”

“Every sponsor is necessarily a leader. The stakes are huge. A human life, and usually the happiness of a whole family, hangs in the balance. What the sponsor does and says, how well he estimates the reactions of his prospects, how well he times and makes his presentation, how well he handles criticisms and how well he leads his prospect on by personal spiritual example -- well, these attributes of leadership can make all the difference, often the difference between life and death.”

“A spiritual awakening is easy: any time any alcoholic anywhere understands any part of the truth, that’s a spiritual awakening.”

“Whenever I need strength I just step outside and look for a celestial body like the sun or a star. This allows me to experience again that wonderful feeling of union with my creator.”

“Forgiveness has healed my soul.”

“As individuals and as a Fellowship, we shall surely suffer if we cast the whole job of planning for tomorrow onto a kind Providence. God has endowed us human beings with considerable capability for foresight and he evidently expects us to use it. Therefore we must needs distinguish between wishful dreaming for a happy tomorrow and today's use of our powers of thoughtful estimate -- estimate of the kind which we trust will bring future progress rather than unforeseen woe.”

“Things today are not all ice cream and cake, but it is a new life ... I know that I am still one drink away from the unknown, but for my Higher Power, my sponsor, and the many people in AA who have faith in me.”

“I am a student of life just trying to learn how the universe works. The most powerful lesson I have learned is that it all happens inside me. My perception of any situation is in my control -- I have a choice about which way my mind will react. I try my best to look for positive solutions.”

“Joy comes from living the way my conscience tells me to live.”

“The day came when the members of AA started giving me compliments on how I was doing and the smiles I returned were genuine because I knew I was in fact doing better. I could finally face the woman in the mirror and smile and be absolutely overwhelmed by the gratitude toward God and the members of AA.”

“Let it never be said that the spiritual way is a cowardly or escapist approach to life. On the contrary, it requires maximum diligence and persistence to seek divine guidance when all the evidence of our eyes and ears tries to tell us that life is largely physical, intellectual and emotional.”