As Bill Sees It....
Over time I have quoted some philosophy from AA. Hopefully, I've tried to stress that AA is a spititual program and that more than not, discussions in meetings focus on a better and more "right" way to live more than any mention of alcohol or quiting drinking. Quiting is a natural prerequisite for attaining the benefits of the spiritual program but many of the things that caused us to drink or stay with drinking to excess were spiritual maladies. Therefore we work on not returning to our old ways of thinking and doing things.
About ten years ago I helped found a noon AA meeting that read from a book of AA co-founder Bill Wilson's thoughts, called "As Bill Sees It". After attending for a few years I stopped going, but have recently returned and am pleased that there are more people attending than ever. Bill Wilson, besides being the co-founder of AA, was also a great intellect, philosopher and gifted writer. His writings were collected for the book and are a great source of wisdom whether liquor has crossed one's lips or not. This philosophy and manner of living is why, I think, that my very mainsteam, large church minister stated to me, "if it were up to me, everyone who wanted to be members would have to spend a year in AA before they joined our church".
I'll try to throw a bit of this wisdom out from time to time. So, as we say in AA, take what you need and leave the rest.....
Over time I have quoted some philosophy from AA. Hopefully, I've tried to stress that AA is a spititual program and that more than not, discussions in meetings focus on a better and more "right" way to live more than any mention of alcohol or quiting drinking. Quiting is a natural prerequisite for attaining the benefits of the spiritual program but many of the things that caused us to drink or stay with drinking to excess were spiritual maladies. Therefore we work on not returning to our old ways of thinking and doing things.
About ten years ago I helped found a noon AA meeting that read from a book of AA co-founder Bill Wilson's thoughts, called "As Bill Sees It". After attending for a few years I stopped going, but have recently returned and am pleased that there are more people attending than ever. Bill Wilson, besides being the co-founder of AA, was also a great intellect, philosopher and gifted writer. His writings were collected for the book and are a great source of wisdom whether liquor has crossed one's lips or not. This philosophy and manner of living is why, I think, that my very mainsteam, large church minister stated to me, "if it were up to me, everyone who wanted to be members would have to spend a year in AA before they joined our church".
I'll try to throw a bit of this wisdom out from time to time. So, as we say in AA, take what you need and leave the rest.....
Daily Acceptance
"Too much of my life has been spent in dwelling upon the faults of others. This is a most subtle and perverse form of self-satisfaction, which permits us to remain comfortably unaware of our own defects. Too often we are heard to say, "If it weren't for her [him], how happy I'd be.
Our very first problem is to accept our present circumstances as they are, ourselves as we are, and the people about us as they are. This is to adopt a realistic humility without which no genuine progress can even begin."
Letter from Bill Wilson, 1966
