kobe-ja/AsBillSeesIt · Datasets at Hugging Face

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you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual
principles. There is no use arousing any prejudice he may
have against certain theological terms and conceptions,
about which he may already be confused. Don't raise such
issues, no matter what your own convictions are.
Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to
stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step
Three. Isn't it true that, in all matters touching upon alcohol,
each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the
care, protection, and guidance of A.A.?
Already a willingness has been achieved to cast out one's
own ideas about hte alcohol problem in favor of those
suggested by A.A. Now if this is not turning one's will and life
over to a new-found "Providence," then what is it?
Do It Our Way?
In praying, our immediate temptation will be to ask for
specific solutions to specific problems, and for the ability to
help other people as we have already thought they should be
helped. In that case, we are asking God to do it our way.
Therefore, we ought to consider each request carefully to see
what its real merit is.
Even so, when making specific requests, it will be well to add
to each one of them this qualification: "... if it be Thy will."
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 102
To Grow Up
Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for
complete approval, utter security, and perfect romance --
urgesquite appropriate to age seventeen -- prove to be an
impossible way of life at forty-seven or fifty-seven.
Since A.A. began, I've taken huge wallops in all these areas
because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually.
As we grow spiritually, we find that our old attitudes toward
our instinctual drives need to undergo drastic revisions. Our
demands for emotional security and wealth, for personal
prestige and power all have to be tempered and redirected.
We learn that the full satisfaction of these demands cannot
be the sole end and aim of our lives. We cannot place the
cart before the horse, or we shall be pulled backward into
disillusionment. But when we are willing to place spiritual
growth first -- then and only then do we have a real chance to
grow in healthy awareness and mature love.
The Great Fact
We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose
more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation
what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The
answers will come, if your own house is in order.
But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't
got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and
great events will come to pass for you and countless others.
This is the great fact for us.
To the Newcomer:
Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit
your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the
wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join
us. We shall be with you in the fellowship of the spirit, and
you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the road of
happy destiny.
May God bless you and keep you -- until then.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 164
I Am Responsible . . .
When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the
hand of A.A. always to be there.
And for that: I am responsible.
-- DECLARATION OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, 1965
DEAR FRIENDS:
Since 1938, the greatest part of my A.A. life has been spent in
helping to create, design, manage, and insure the solvency
and effectiveness of A.A.'s world services -- the office of
which has enabled our Fellowship to function all over the
globe, and as a unified whole.
It is no exaggeration to say that, under their trustees, these
all important services have accounted for much of our
present size and over-all effectiveness.
The A.A. General Service Office is by far the largest single
carrier of the A.A. message. It has well related A.A. to the
troubled world in which we live. It has fostered the spread of
our Fellowship everywhere. A.A. World Services, Inc., stands
ready to serve the special needs of any group orisolated
individual, no matter the distance or language. Its many
years of accumulated experience are available to us all.
The members of our trusteeship -- the General Service Board
of A.A. -- will, in the future, be our primary leaders in all of
our world affairs. This high responsibility has long since
been delegated to them; they are the successors in world
service to Dr. Bob and to me, and they are directly
accountable to A.A. as a whole.
This is the legacy of world-service responsibility that we
vanishing oldtimers are leaving to you, the A.A.'s of today
and tomorrow. We know that you will guard, support, and
cherish this world legacy as the greatest collective
responsibility that A.A.has or ever can have.
Yours in trust, and in affection,
Bill
Bill W. died on January 24, 1971.
THE TWELVE STEPS
lives had become unmanageable.
could restore us to sanity.
care of God as we understood Him.
ourselves.

you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual

principles. There is no use arousing any prejudice he may

have against certain theological terms and conceptions,

about which he may already be confused. Don't raise such

issues, no matter what your own convictions are.

Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to

stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step

Three. Isn't it true that, in all matters touching upon alcohol,

each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the

care, protection, and guidance of A.A.?

Already a willingness has been achieved to cast out one's

own ideas about hte alcohol problem in favor of those

suggested by A.A. Now if this is not turning one's will and life

over to a new-found "Providence," then what is it?

Do It Our Way?

In praying, our immediate temptation will be to ask for

specific solutions to specific problems, and for the ability to

help other people as we have already thought they should be

helped. In that case, we are asking God to do it our way.

Therefore, we ought to consider each request carefully to see

what its real merit is.

Even so, when making specific requests, it will be well to add

to each one of them this qualification: "... if it be Thy will."

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 102

To Grow Up

Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for

complete approval, utter security, and perfect romance --

urgesquite appropriate to age seventeen -- prove to be an

impossible way of life at forty-seven or fifty-seven.

Since A.A. began, I've taken huge wallops in all these areas

because of my failure to grow up, emotionally and spiritually.

As we grow spiritually, we find that our old attitudes toward

our instinctual drives need to undergo drastic revisions. Our

demands for emotional security and wealth, for personal

prestige and power all have to be tempered and redirected.

We learn that the full satisfaction of these demands cannot

be the sole end and aim of our lives. We cannot place the

cart before the horse, or we shall be pulled backward into

disillusionment. But when we are willing to place spiritual

growth first -- then and only then do we have a real chance to

grow in healthy awareness and mature love.

The Great Fact

We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose

more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation

what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The

answers will come, if your own house is in order.

But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't

got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and

great events will come to pass for you and countless others.

This is the great fact for us.

To the Newcomer:

Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit

your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the

wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join

us. We shall be with you in the fellowship of the spirit, and

you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the road of

happy destiny.

May God bless you and keep you -- until then.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 164

I Am Responsible . . .

When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the

hand of A.A. always to be there.

And for that: I am responsible.

-- DECLARATION OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, 1965

DEAR FRIENDS:

Since 1938, the greatest part of my A.A. life has been spent in

helping to create, design, manage, and insure the solvency

and effectiveness of A.A.'s world services -- the office of

which has enabled our Fellowship to function all over the

globe, and as a unified whole.

It is no exaggeration to say that, under their trustees, these

all important services have accounted for much of our

present size and over-all effectiveness.

The A.A. General Service Office is by far the largest single

carrier of the A.A. message. It has well related A.A. to the

troubled world in which we live. It has fostered the spread of

our Fellowship everywhere. A.A. World Services, Inc., stands

ready to serve the special needs of any group orisolated

individual, no matter the distance or language. Its many

years of accumulated experience are available to us all.

The members of our trusteeship -- the General Service Board

of A.A. -- will, in the future, be our primary leaders in all of

our world affairs. This high responsibility has long since

been delegated to them; they are the successors in world

service to Dr. Bob and to me, and they are directly

accountable to A.A. as a whole.

This is the legacy of world-service responsibility that we

vanishing oldtimers are leaving to you, the A.A.'s of today

and tomorrow. We know that you will guard, support, and

cherish this world legacy as the greatest collective

responsibility that A.A.has or ever can have.

Yours in trust, and in affection,

Bill

Bill W. died on January 24, 1971.

THE TWELVE STEPS

lives had become unmanageable.

could restore us to sanity.

care of God as we understood Him.

ourselves.