on awakening let us think about the 24 hours ahead we consider our plans
for the day before we begin we ask God to direct our thinking
especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity dishonest or self seeking motives
under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance
for after all God gave us brains to use our thought life will be placed
in a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives in thinking about
our day we may face indecision we may not be able to determine which course to take
here we ask God for inspiration and intuitive thought or a decision
we relax and take it easy we don't struggle we are often surprised how
the right answers come after we have tried this for a while what used to
be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind
being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God it is not
probable that we are going to be inspired at all times we might pay for this presumption
and all sorts of absurd actions and ideas nevertheless we find that our thinking will
as time passes be more and more on the plane of inspiration we come to rely upon it we
usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day
what our next step is to be that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems
we ask especially for freedom from self-will and are careful to make no request for ourselves only
we may ask for ourselves however if others will be helped we are careful never to pray
for our own selfish ends many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work you
can easily see why if circumstances warrant we ask our wives or friends to join us in
morning meditation if we belong to a religious denomination which requires a definite morning
devotion we attend to that also if not members of religious bodies we sometimes select and
memorize a few set prayers which emphasize the principles we have been discussing there are
many helpful books also suggestions about these may be obtained from one's priests
minister or rabbi be quick to see where religious people are right make use of what they offer
as we go through the day we pause when agitated or doubtful and ask for the right thought or action
we constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show
humbly saying to ourselves many times each day thy will be done
we are then a much less danger of excitement fear anger worry self-pity or foolish decisions
we become much more efficient we do not tire so easily for we are not burning up energy
foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves it works it really does
we alcoholics are undisciplined so we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just
outlined but this is not all there is action and more action faith without works is dead
brah a better way we think so for we are now on a different basis the
basis of trusting and relying upon God We Trust infinite God
rather than our finite selves
we are in the world to play the role he assigns just to the extent that we do as
we think he would have us and humbly rely on him does he enable us to match calamity with
serenity we never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator we can
laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness paradoxically it is the way of strength
the verdict of the ages is that faith means courage all men of faith have courage they
trust their God we never apologize for God instead we let him demonstrate through us what he can do
we asked him to remove our fear and direct our
attention to what he would have us be at once we commenced to outgrow fear
in other words we treat sex as we would any other problem in meditation we ask God what we should
do about each specific matter the right answer will come if we want it God alone can judge our
sex situation counsel with persons is often desirable but we let God be the final judge
we realize that some people are as fanatical about sex as others aloose we avoid hysterical thinking
or advice suppose we fall short of the chosen ideal and stumble does this mean we are going
to get drunk some people tell us so but this is only a half-truth it depends on us and on our
motives if we are sorry for what we have done and have the honest desire to let God take us
to better things we believe we will be forgiven and we'll have learned our lesson if we are not
sorry and our conduct continues to harm others we are quite sure to drink we are not theorizing
these are effects out of our experience to sum up about sex we earnestly pray for the right ideal
for guidance in each questionable situation for sanity and for the strength to do the right thing
if sex is very troublesome we throw ourselves the harder into helping others we think of their needs
and work for them this takes us out of ourselves it quiets the imperious urge when to yield would
mean heartache seeing much of each other scares an evening past that someone's home did not shelter
a little gathering of men and women happy in their release and constantly thinking how they
might present their discovery to some newcomer 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 aside from the fellowship and sociability the prime
object was to provide a time and place where new people might bring their problems Outsiders became
interested one man and his wife placed their large home at the disposal at this strangely assorted
crowd this couple has since become so fascinated that they have dedicated their home to the work
many a distracted wife has visited this house to find loving and understanding companionship
among women who knew her problem to hear from the lips of their husbands what had happened to them
to be advised how her own wayward mate might be hospitalized and approached when next he stumbled
many a man yet dazed from his hospital experience has stepped over the threshold of that home into
freedom many an alcoholic who entered there came away with an answer he succumbed to that gay crowd
inside who laughed at their own misfortunes and understood his impressed by those who visited him
at the hospital he capitulated entirely when later in an upper room of this house he heard the story
of some man whose experience closely tallied with his own the expression on the faces of the women
that indefinable something in the eyes of the men the stimulating and electric atmosphere of
the place conspired to let him know that here was Haven at last the very practical approach
to his problems the absence of intolerance of any kind the informality the genuine democracy
see the uncanny understanding which these people had were irresistible he and his wife would leave
elated by the thought of what they could now do for some stricken acquaintances and his family
they knew they had a host of new friends it seemed they had known these strangers always they had
seen miracles and one was to come to them they had visioned the great reality their loving and
all-powerful creator now this house will hardly accommodate its weekly visitors for they number
60 or 80 as a rule alcoholics are being attracted from fara near from surrounding towns families
drive long distances to be present a community 30 miles away has 15 fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous
being a large place we think that some day its fellowship will number many hundreds footnote this
was written in 1939 but life among alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending gatherings
and visiting hospitals cleaning up old scrapes helping to settle family differences explaining
the disinherited son to his irate parents lending money as securing jobs for each other when
justified these are everyday occurrences no one is to discredited or as sunk too low to be welcomed
cordially if he means business social distinctions petty rivalries and jealousies these are laughed
out of countenance being wrecked in the same vessel being restored and united under one God
with hearts and minds attuned to the welfare of others the things which matters so much to some
people no longer signify much to them how could they under only slightly different conditions the
same thing is taking place in many Eastern cities in one of these there is a well-known hospital for
the treatment of alcoholic and drug addiction six years ago one of our number was a patient
there many of us have felt for the first time the presence and power of God within its walls we are
greatly indebted at the doctor in attendance there for he although it might prejudice his
own work has told us of his belief in ours every few days this doctor suggests our approach to one
of his patients understanding our work he can do this with an eye to selecting those who are
willing and able to recover on a spiritual basis many of us former patients go there to help then
in this Eastern City there are informal meetings such as we have described to you where you may
now see scores of members there are the same fast friendships there is the same helpfulness to one
another as you find among our Western friends there is a good bit of travel between East and
West and we foresee a great increase in this helpful interchange someday we hope that every
alcoholic who journeys will find a fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous at his destination