Speaker Meetings – I Came to Believe I Came to AA to Stop Drinking As a committed non-believer, when I drank, my life was devoid of peace of mind until I came to AA. I was a know-it-all. I never came to AA to find God; I came to see if there was a solution…
Author: Jim C.
Don’t Project
Don’t Project Learning What “Don’t Project” Means One of the earliest suggestions I heard in AA—probably during my first 90 days—was, “Don’t project.” At first, the idea was beyond my pay grade; I had no idea what people meant by this. But I heard the phrase often enough in meetings that I began to pay…
Sober Firsts
Sober Firsts Sobriety brings a renewed sense of life. During the first year of recovery, each day presents unfamiliar situations and experiences—many faced sober for the first time. There are a lot of “sober first times.” Some first sober experiences are awkward or uncomfortable; others are joyful and exciting. Still others stir up fear, anxiety, or…
Telephone Therapy in AA
Telephone Therapy in AA Meeting Lists and Telephone Numbers When I was just starting out in AA and making meetings, there was a printed meeting list with all the local meetings. On the back was usually a blank page for phone numbers. Those pamphlets also had space to jot down notes. I found them priceless….
The Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer Learning to Live Without Alcohol In early sobriety, every nerve seemed raw and exposed. Since I was no longer drinking, my usual defense against life was gone. Alcohol had always been my solution, and now I had to face life without it. I was usually okay at meetings. Meetings were a safe…
Living One Day at a Time
Living One Day at a Time The concept of living one day at a time never occurred to me before I came to the rooms of AA. It may have sounded like a nice theory, but it wasn’t something I ever thought I could attain, much less apply to my own life. Before AA, I…