Psychology and Spirituality come together in this scintillating collection of stories, insights and humorous quips from 25 years in Recovery. The addict or alcoholic committed to change has to deal with normal human challenges without reaching for the bottle or drug that had become habitual. Recovering alcoholics seek far and wide and incorporate many sources of wisdom into their search for living life with greater awareness, consciousness and self-understanding. And they know how to laugh.

This is more than just daily meditation book—this is a book of Twelve Step quotes and daily reflections that come right from the meeting rooms of recovery. These are the ‘Aha' moments shared by people in the program, like: "Humility is not thinking less about yourself, but rather thinking about yourself less." Each timeless piece of practical recovery wisdom like this is followed by a three-paragraph reflection of "What it was like, what happened, and what it's like now." The most loved recovery quotes, across our Twelve Step programs are here: "There are no victims, only volunteers—you always have a choice," and they instantly offer the perspective we need to keep growing along spiritual lines. Fill your spiritual toolkit with your favorite quotes, "Once you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change," and see why these unique quotes resonate deeply with members—because they come directly from the meeting rooms of recovery. These quotes—by newcomers as well as old timers—offer people in recovery the experience, strength, and hope, they need, just when they need it: one day at a time. This book will remind you that "It is what it is, but it will become what you make it." The 365 Twelve Step Quotes collected here are the ones we hear in meetings, the quotes and sayings that offer us instant relief and revelation—the ones we wish we had written down and saved. Now you have them all at your fingertips. Quotes like, "We go to meetings for relief; but we work the Steps for recovery," and "Half measures do avail us something—it's just the half we don't want," and "When I say NO to you I'm saying YES to me," and hundreds of others help us all in the Fellowship both develop our practice of daily meditation and deepen our experience in the program. The Wisdom of the Rooms aids in our individual practice of recovery as well as provides inspiration for group discussions, reminding us all that "I'll never be all right, until it's all right, right now." Other Wisdom examples include quotes such as: "Instead of telling God how big your fears are, start telling your fears how big your God is." "The most spiritual thing you can do today is to help someone else." "Wisdom is the knowledge you learn after you know it all." "Let go of your old ideas, even the good ones." "When you own your part, you own your power." "Anger is one letter away from danger." And hundreds more…

Co-founder Bill W. was keenly aware of the importance of personal stories, writing, “The story section of the Big Book ... is our principal means of identifying with the reader outside of A.A., it is the written equivalent of hearing speakers at an A.A. meeting; it is our show window of the results.” Experience, Strength and Hope offers back to the A.A. Fellowship the candor, wisdom and wit of 56 members whose stories are no longer available in the fourth edition of Alcoholics Anonymous. With each edition, new stories were added to reflect A.A.’s changing membership, while others had to be dropped. Numerous requests from A.A. members led to the publication of this book, where now can be found such classics as “A Feminine Victory,” written by one of A.A.’s very first female members, and “The Car Smasher,” by “A.A. Number 3” — third after the co-founders themselves. A.A. membership continues to grow and change, but the voices contained here will never be outdated. From poignant accounts of sorrow and loss to more raucous tales laced with deprecating humor, this collection of stories offer today’s A.A. members the timeless gift of experience, strength and hope. Experience, Strength and Hope has been approved by the General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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Provides a unique perspective of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Born nearly four years after her father began his sobriety, "the first baby of the Armistead Group" chronicles her parent's commitment to the AA program as they applied the Twelve Steps to daily life, and offers an intimate look into the life defining experiences of a little girl growing up in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. -- From back cover.

It is hard to find Alcoholic Anonymous literature that has the same flavor as your favorite meeting... until now. This book was written in the same spirit that claims - "We are not a glum lot." This book has been received with such favor that I have now written a second book to add to it, another 101 cliches, so people now have more cliches and commentary to ponder and enjoy. In the Big Book, an alcoholic' states, "...the most compelling part of A.A., the part that made me want to try this sober thing, was the laughter, the pure joy of the laughter that I heard only from sober alcoholics." This book was written first, with the hope to spread this laughter to the newcomer that has lost all hope. Secondly, it serves to enlighten and dispel rumors about AA, to inform people who are simply curious about the teachings of A.A. It tells what it is really like from someone who has taken the journey and recovered. It is filled with witty heartfelt clichés that are so true, so sharp, they make the old-timers smile and the newcomers cringe. The clichés are used to teach newcomers the greater truths about the cure for alcoholism. Each cliché is a parable, an allegorical truth that is then explained using plainly stated information from knowledgable sponsors and the Big Book with humorous commentary from a recovered alcoholic. This book is not fluff, nor is it for the faint hearted. The world of alcohol and drug abuse is not pretty, nor one easily explained or understood. This book is gritty, informative, and at the same time inspirational and full of joy and hope, but most of all it was written with the newcomer in mind, so it does a balancing act just for them. It is meant to be simple, when I was first getting sober I had the attention span of a gnat. It is honest and funny and gives a glimpse of just how ugly addiction gets and how attractive real recovery can be. After reading about us, our cliches and our solution to a condition described as cunning, baffling and powerful, it is my hope at least some will say, "Yes, I am one of them, too; I, too, must have this thing." NOTE: the font size in this book is very close to LARGE PRINT

Grateful To Have Been There