69 SEX - In meditation, we ask God what we do about each specific matter. When he angers you, remember that he is very ill. Let him see that you are not there to instruct him in religion. My wife and I abandoned ourselves with enthusiasm to the idea of helping other alcoholics to a solution of their problems. But why not? The great boom of the late twenties was seething and swelling. If you have already made a decision, and an inventory of your grosser handicaps, you have made a good beginning. But we must go further and that means more action. If he does not want to stop drinking, dont waste time trying to persuade him. Dont deal with him when he is very drunk, unless he is ugly and the family needs your help. I ordered a whiskey and poured it into the milk. Mother may complain of inattention. When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. I wanted to throw up my hands in discouragement, for I saw that I had failed to help my banker friend understand. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasnt there. FOR MOST normal folks, drinking means conviviality, companionship and colorful imagination. In addition to these casual get-togethers, it became customary to set apart one night a week for a meeting to be attended by anyone or everyone interested in a spiritual way of life. While you were drinking, you were withdrawing from life little by little. That afternoon he put on his clothes and walked from the hospital a free man. In meditation, we ask God what we should do about each specific matter. He seemed quite rational and well-balanced with respect to other problems. Some of the promises are directly associated with completion of a step. That was great news to us, for we had assumed we could not make use of spiritual principles unless we accepted many things on faith which seemed difficult to believe. One school would allow man no flavor for his fare and the other would have us all on a straight pepper diet. We have three little mottoes which are apropos. Your husband will see at once that he must redouble his spiritual activities if he expects to survive. The free version features the full text of the Big Book, prayers, personal stories, podcasts, meeting finder, and more! Drinking occasionally, and understanding your own reactions, it is possible for you to become quite sure of many things which, so far as the alcoholic is concerned, are not always so. Everybody likes him. All this time our friend of the hotel lobby incident remained in that town. We finally sought employment ourselves as destitution faced us and our families. We have begun to learn tolerance, patience and good will toward all men, even our enemies, for we look on them as sick people. By the time I had completed the course, I knew the law was not for me. So, you see, there were three alcoholics in that town, who now felt they had to give to others what they had found, or be sunk. Hardly one of our crowd now shows any mark of dissipation. Outline the program of action, explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him. I would need it before daylight. Please check back often as we plan to share with you our experience, strength and hope as we guide . They may not see why their love and devotion did not straighten him out. I could laugh at the gin mills. We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as an institution. It is not the matter of giving that is in question, but when and how to give. If he is conscientiously following the program of recovery he can go anywhere your business may call him. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. First Edition of the Big Book. But he is yet a long way from making good to the wife or parents whom for years he has so shockingly treated. That very night, years ago, it disappeared. We had to have Gods help. As a class, alcoholics are energetic people. Yes, we of agnostic temperament have had these thoughts and experiences. Some people cannot be seen-we send them an honest letter. We have a written inventory and we are prepared for a long talk. Everybody knows that those in bad health, and those who seldom play, do not laugh much. The First 164 pages of The Big Book with lined pages opposite text for note taking. Many people lost money-but some became very rich. That All Powerful Idea is found in the first 164 pages of our big book. We hope this book has answered some of them. Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be on other questions. God, they believe, almost owes this recompense on a long overdue account. Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery. We have no right to save our own skin at another persons expense. At once, we commence to outgrow fear. We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better. You are betting, of course, that your changed attitude plus the contents of this book will turn the trick. Sometimes we sensed dimly that we were dealing with sick men. However intelligent we may have been in other respects, where alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane. Nothing more. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to set these matters straight. Next he can be assured that you do not intend to lecture, moralize, or condemn; that if this was done formerly, it was because of misunderstanding. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. I have a shadowy recollection of being in an airplane bound for New York and of finding a friendly taxicab driver at the landing field instead of my wife. To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worth while. He need not, and often should not show it to his alcoholic prospect. They think we do not have enough of it, or that it isnt the right kind. Each day my friends simple talk in our kitchen multiplies itself in a widening circle of peace on earth and good will to men. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Here you will experience much historical and related information on the subject of Alcoholics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous history.Officially begun on December 12th, 2000, silkworth.net is now in its twentieth year and is one of the largest sites of its type in the World a repository, archive, you might say, of Alcoholics Anonymous History If there were a category, I, for one, certainly would not mind registering as a booklet. Occasionally, they will offer assistance. Some of us had this experience, only to enjoy, in a few months, a finer intimacy than ever. By the very act of critiquing Chapter 4, We Agnostics, I admittedly commit AA heresy. We think we are sensible when we urge that you stop this waste and give your worthwhile man a chance. The first 164 pages of the Big Book is the outline for recovery, which constitute the "program" of recovery. Many of us have heard of the Ninth Step Promises from page 83-84 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The man should be sure of his recovery. A reasonable amount of latitude will be helpful. If we belong to a religious denomination which requires a definite morning devotion, we attend to that also. All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented, as well as many political, economic, social, and religious backgrounds. Written as a memoir and study guide, the story follows Phil D who has over 10 years of sobriety as he sponsors Glenn L who has just 3 months of sobriety. Most people approached in this way will be glad to help; they will be honored by our confidence. Keep it always in sight that we are dealing with that most terrible human emotion-jealousy. 11 pt type - divide your word count by 425. Most of us have believed that if we remained sober for a long stretch, we could thereafter drink normally. War fever ran high in the New England town to which we new, young officers All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented. This, the first translation of the core 164 pages of the Big Book, is written by a sober 12-year member of AA. If he gets drunk, dont blame yourself. With us it is just like that. Everybody believes them without a murmur of doubt. Big Book Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book This is the year that the first woman joined AA. Remember that we deal with alcohol cunning, baffling, powerful! The papers reported men jumping to death from the towers of High Finance. Im sorry I got disturbed. Can you charge this off as you would a bad account and start fresh with him? Try to have him bring up the subject himself. What usually happens? In a few seconds he was overwhelmed by a conviction of the Presence of God. We told him what we knew of alcoholism and the answer we had found. He will not impose. Jundia, Amparo, Atibaia, And we, who have imposed on the best of employers, can scarcely blame them if they have been short with us. We will seldom be interested in liquor. Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us. The first 164 pages in plain text format. These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric. But they often suspect they are down for the count. Thus we grow. Sometimes you will have to call a doctor and administer sedatives under his direction. There is a good bit of travel between East and West and we foresee a great increase in this helpful interchange. Many of us have been so touchy that even casual reference to spiritual things made us bristle with antagonism. Was it not true that the best mathematical minds had proved man could never fly? Suppose now you are making your second visit to a man. We had to learn these things the hard way. He said, Why dont you choose your own conception of God?. It will not take long for you to decide, if you are honest with yourself about it. Home Read the Big Book and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Alcoholics Anonymous A Vision For You - (pp. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there. We try not to indulge in cynicism over the state of the nations, nor do we carry the worlds troubles on our shoulders. Whatever our protestations, are not most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity? Wasnt it because self-reliance failed us? We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldnt control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldnt make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldnt seem to be of real help to other people was not a basic solution of these bedevilments more important than whether we should see newsreels of lunar flight? Out of this alloy of drink and speculation, I commenced to forge the weapon that one day would turn in its flight like a boomerang and all but cut me to ribbons. If he is enthusiastic your cooperation will mean a great deal. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. I had to concede both propositions. It was his first experience of this kind, and he was much ashamed of it. iii) Author: Viewed on any device capable of viewing PDFs. We must remember that ten or twenty years of drunkenness would make a skeptic out of anyone. We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed. When dealing with such a person, you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual principles. You are not doing him a favor by keeping him on. As each member of a resentful family begins to see his shortcomings and admits them to the others, he lays a basis for helpful discussion. And there often seems no way of entirely getting rid of self without His aid. Available spacing options: single spaced, 1.5, double spaced. What about people who proved that man could never fly? All members of the family should meet upon the common ground of tolerance, understanding and love. Some of us veered from extreme to extreme, ever hoping that one day our loved ones would be themselves once more. These 164 pages are in the Public Domain Alcoholics Anonymous Screen 6 of 703 (free of copyright) in the U.S.A. Memoir Novel 80,000 words The most common rule for a memoir is that it should not go more than 80,000 words. We were burned up.. Cling to the thought that, in Gods hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have-the key to life and happiness for others. Why could they not see that drink meant ruin to them? In 1995 AA's General Service Conference "ruled" by Advisory Action that, "The first 164 pages of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Preface, the Forewords, 'The Doctor's Opinion,' 'Doctor Bob's Nightmare' and the Appendices remain as is." This was reaffirmed by Advisory Actions in 1998, 1999, 2000, and twice in 2001. Friendly hands had stretched out in welcome. Our design for living is not a one-way street. He got in touch with a prominent psychiatrist who had undertaken certain responsibilities for the mental health of the community. It is of little use to argue and only makes the impasse worse. We stick to our own. Sometimes mother and children dont think so. Do you use that word despite it was DELIBERATELY left out by Bill Wilson for a specific reason? I dare to disagree with the words of Bill Wilson. Each individual, in the personal stories, describes in his own language and from his own point of view the way he established his relationship with God. My weary and despairing wife was informed that it would all end with heart failure during delirium tremens, or I would develop a wet brain, perhaps within a year. He is remorseful after serious drinking bouts and tells you he wants to stop. One day they called up the head nurse of a local hospital. If you both show a willingness to remedy your own defects, there will be little need to criticize each other. Husbands and wives have sometimes been obliged to separate for a time until new perspective, new victory over hurt pride could be re-won. We are not cured of alcoholism. But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending gatherings and visiting hospitals. I had no intention of drinking. But this does not mean that we disregard human health measures. He cannot picture life without alcohol. It is open, we believe, to all men. Had we fully understood the nature of the alcoholic illness, we might have behaved differently. Upon a foundation of complete willingness I might build what I saw in my friend. Let the doctor, if he will, tell him he has something in the way of a solution. My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and deficiencies. When you discover a prospect for Alcoholics Anonymous, find out all you can about him. It was fortunate, for my old business associates remained skeptical for a year and a half, during which I found little work. Yet early next morning he searches madly for the bottle he misplaced the night before. He had lived there but a few weeks when he found that the place probably contained more alcoholics per square mile than any city in the country. We are not sure why, once a certain point is reached, little can be done for him. Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation. Step over to the nearest barroom and try some controlled drinking. We still like it. Nearly every modern employer feels a moral responsibility for the well-being of his help, and he tries to meet these responsibilities. To calculate the page count for a 5.5 8.5 book: 10 pt type - divide your word count by 475. Yet he got drunk again. If common words were not discarded, the 164 and More book would be 4 inches thick containing 1,700 pages.