People who have had a slip are ashamed of themselves-sometimes so ashamed that they fear to go back to A.A. They develop the old inferiority complex and tell themselves that they are no good, that they have let down their friends in A.A., that they are hopeless, and that they can never make it. This state of mind is perhaps worse than it was originally. They have probably been somewhat weakened by their slip. But their A.A. training cannot ever be entirely lost. They always know they can go back if they want to. They know there is still God's help for them if they will ask for it. Do I believe that I can never entirely lose what I have learned in A.A.?
Meditation for the Day ~
Nobody entirely escapes temptation. You must expect it and be ready for it when it comes. None of us is entirely safe. You must try to keep your defenses up by daily thought and prayer. That is why we have these daily meditations. You must be able to recognize temptation when it comes. The first step toward conquering temptation always is to see it clearly as temptation and not to harbor it in your mind. Dissociate yourself from it, put it out of your mind as soon as it appears. Do not think of excuses for yielding to it. Turn at once to the Higher Power for help.
Prayer for the Day ~
I pray that I may be prepared for whatever temptation may come to me. I pray that I may see it clearly and avoid it with the help of God.
Hazelden
(Let it be a God or Higher Power of your own understanding)
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Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!
Hey Doll, Hope all is well with you. You and family are in my prayers nightly!
The great thing about meetings is you can voice your fears regarding a situation and get some feed back to prepare you. When I was going back to work, I was fearful that the stress or habit for that matter, would lead me back to having a few cocktails after work. Or with the holidays approaching, how do you handle going to wet places, families homes or xmas parties. By sharing my fears and knowing in the back of my mind I might drink, I voiced my concerns and got suggestions on what to do. When the situation arose, i was PREPARED. Great tools on how to handle these situations were offered. The biggest thing for me was just recognizing that I might be in a place where I would be tempted and nipping it in the bud! Lani
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
