An Attitude of Gratitude

Posted on August 18, 2026October 21, 2026 by Jim C.

Today’s Slogan: “An Attitude of Gratitude”

Through attending AA meetings and working the 12-Step program of recovery, I’ve been fortunate to see just how blessed I am—both as part of the group and as an individual. It’s humbling.

What impresses me most is hearing people share their life’s struggles, ambitions, beginnings, tears, and fears. It wakes me up. Pain, disappointment, and joy are all real emotions in recovery. Sometimes they are raw, yet there is joy even in the struggle because, with AA and God’s help, we can overcome adversity. When I identify with others, I see that we all have these moments. We’re all learning as we go. None of us escapes life unscathed. I’m not exempt from life’s issues just because I’m an alcoholic.

We Still Deal With Life on Life’s Terms

I still deal with relationships—some broken, some mending. I face finances, work, housing, illness, death, birth, and marriage. I’ve learned that I’m not avoiding life’s ups and downs; I’m facing them. And when I’m not equipped to handle something, I look for answers and solutions beyond myself. As it says in How It Works, “That God could and would if He were sought.” I seek guidance through prayer, sponsors, and mentors, realizing that I have needs and can’t do this alone.

Recovery, at every stage, teaches me humility. Just because I’m not drinking doesn’t mean I’m free of faults. There are still areas of my life that need work. Humility is truth. It’s recognizing how limited my abilities are, especially when I reflect on the Serenity Prayer. Still, one day at a time, I get through. I handle what comes my way, and I begin to see the Promises come true. As I do, fear and anxiety take a step back. I experience longer periods of stability—as long as I keep working my AA program.

To me, that’s what serenity means: learning to live without being ruled by conflict. As I continue practicing these principles, I begin to see how the program truly works. In church, I read about miracles; in AA, I see and hear them every day. That gives me something to be deeply grateful for.

As an alcoholic in recovery, I’ve struggled with low self-esteem and low self-worth. Those feelings fade over time, but they can still shake me. That’s what makes grace hard to understand. Why would my Higher Power—why would God—want to help me, of all people? I’ve often felt like I don’t deserve a break. Yet grace shows up anyway. When I look back over my life, I see it clearly—grace arriving right on time. It’s not a one-time thing; it appears again and again throughout my sobriety. These are the moments when I recognize God’s love, patience, and direction.

Grace Gives Me A Moment to Pause

Grace gives me the space to pause, to choose wisely, and to act thoughtfully instead of impulsively. In those moments, I realize I’m truly living the Steps, and the Promises are coming true. The only way I can hold on to these gifts is by giving them away. My story isn’t about me—it’s about AA, the 12-Step program, and a loving Higher Power. That’s what it means to share my experience, strength, and hope: so others can find the same path.

I’m deeply grateful to have found a solution to what once felt like a fatal condition and to have discovered joy in this new way of living. When I suddenly realize that God is doing for me what I could not do for myself, I’m reminded to give thanks—and to share that truth with others, so they too can experience the blessings of recovery.

I am richly blessed.

I Came to Believe

Posted on August 17, 2026October 21, 2026 by Jim C.

Today’s Slogan: “I Came, I Came to, I Came to Believe!”

I often share that when I was drinking, I really had no belief in God. As I’ve shared before, alcohol and self-will run riot ruled the day. I came to AA to find out what it was all about, to see if they had a solution to my dilemma, and to find out if they could help me. It was easy to stop drinking; staying stopped was where I had my issues.

On my last day of drinking, I have to note that it was in no way my worst day of drinking. There was nothing dramatic that triggered me to want to stop. But something happened that gave me pause. I really don’t know how to explain it other than to say it was grace. I wasn’t even seeking a solution, but one came. After several days of drinking, I came home and saw my mother praying on her knees. No words passed between us. She wasn’t mad; she was simply deep in prayer, with a smile only a mother can have. It startled me. As I walked away, I suddenly turned and asked God for help. I said I wanted to stop drinking.

It wasn’t a planned moment or a prepared prayer. It was a spontaneous plea. Yet it was a moment in my life when everything changed. It was probably the first time I had ever blamed a drink for anything. But there it was—the truth. My only problem was the drink. It was like a mantra going off in my mind, repeating over and over: “I have to stop drinking. I have to stop…” The next day, I was consumed with one question: How do you stop?

I found some AA literature, especially the AA brochure, Is AA For You?—the 12 questions for an alcoholic. To my surprise, I passed the test with flying colors. Next, I called AA Intergroup and found a meeting later that day. When I arrived, I ran into someone I used to drink with. He explained to me how AA worked, gave me a meeting list, and offered some good suggestions, especially that I try 90 meetings in 90 days.

AA Meetings Helped

What I found in AA were answers for living. Meeting topics focused on how to deal with the disease and how to live sober. Those meetings became a great source of suggestions for someone new in sobriety and trying to move forward in this new life. It was funny, but I always left a meeting feeling better than when I walked in. One-on-ones, meetings before and after the main meeting, and sponsorship all offered the uncanny grace of a loving God with an abundant heart of love and an abundance of hope.

It was through the day-to-day action of the Second Step that I came to believe the group could be my Higher Power. Then, as I progressed through the Steps of recovery, my Higher Power became more personal. His grace became more apparent and tangible.

I’m forever blessed to have found AA, stayed, trusted, and had faith in the solutions it offered. Those solutions made me a believer that there could be a loving God who had my back each and every day.

Like I said: “I came, I came to, and then I came to believe!”

AA Works

Posted on August 16, 2026October 21, 2026 by Jim C.

Today’s Slogan: “AA works if you want it to work”

Over the years I’ve been in this program, one day at a time, I’ve come to realize that sobriety can be what you want it to be. If I just stopped drinking and attended meetings for my recovery, but did not share or participate in the fellowship, I would be merely abstinent. All that means is that I am avoiding or not indulging in alcohol.

I can easily identify with that because when things went sideways, I would go on the wagon. I would do the same things and hang out with the same crowd. The dry spell would not be any different from the others. My resentments, anxieties, and anger would build a head of steam, waiting to blow—and, of course, that meant drinking again. Then again, drinking was always in the back of my mind. In AA, we call that a “dry drunk,” but that isn’t sobriety.

Abstinence is really just being without something. The basic definition of sobriety is clear, sound thinking. In my own opinion, that can only be attained by working the Steps of recovery, and to me, that takes commitment. Sobriety is not measured by the number of meetings I attend; it takes personal action.

Yes, I try to make a certain number of meetings, help others, and participate in meetings. However, I also need to do some type of service work, read the literature, work with newcomers, and share where I am at in my sobriety.

Personally, I like to arrive early for meetings and help with setting up. That is my “meeting before the meeting.” At the end of the meeting, I may talk to a newcomer or simply help clean up. I am committed to my own recovery and to this spiritual fellowship, and that means reaching out to others. Not only do I want to succeed, but I also want everyone to have that opportunity.

Quality of Sobriety

The quality of my own sobriety is not based on the number of days I have stayed sober, but rather on my spiritual connection to my own conception of a Higher Power. It is also about being able to admit that I still have a lot of work to do to improve my quality of life. When my quality of life improves, it also improves the lives of those around me.

I really believe that can be achieved through rigorous self-honesty. AA sobriety in my own life should never be based solely on attendance at AA meetings or past accomplishments. That can lead to complacency—resting on our laurels and past accomplishments.

This is not a program of osmosis. For me, recovery requires work, participation, and prioritizing the values I hold dear in sobriety.

AA works if you work it.

AA An Education without Graduation

Posted on August 13, 2026October 21, 2026 by Jim C.

AA Lessons Learned – We Don’t Graduate in AA

Over the years in AA, I’ve noticed that many people try to rush through the steps, crossing them off as they go—another one completed. Many look for a quick fix. But our work never ends. There is no easier, softer way. You will not find diplomas or certificates of completion in AA.

To me, sobriety means trying to become a better person today than I was yesterday. Some days go great; other days are so-so. I measure the success of my own program by how I live at the end of each day.

When I came to my first AA meeting, I ran into a guy I used to drink with at the bar. He had six months of sobriety, and he was glowing—full of energy and new life. He took the time to explain that AA is a 24-hour program.

One day at a time. He told me not to fret about the past. If I did not drink today, he said, my future would likely turn out much better.

When I first got sober in the 1970s, AA did not give out chips of any kind. That included Bill Wilson’s home group. Instead, we talked about having a daily reprieve from a fatal malady, contingent upon our spiritual condition. People encouraged me to work the Twelve Steps as suggested, attend meetings, get active, and help the newcomer.

I learned early that AA works if you work it.