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alcoholics anonymous
November 2009 
Self-restraint
Posted on Dec 23rd, 2007
by 
Zink
Zink
Thoughtfood for Sunday, December 23, 2007
From the Big Book:
"We have three little mottoes which are apropos. Here they are: First Things First Live and Let Live Easy Does It. " p.135
My share:
How many times have I held my tongue when my brain is screaming at me to expose the hypocrisy, or the self-serving lies, of a given speaker. At times like these I hold my tongue else I judge another, or take his inventory. Whatever my evaluation may be, it behooves me to keep it to myself. Be Good To You, Dave.
Prayer for the Day:
"I pray that I'll listen to that gentle, loving voice inside me. Higher Power, help me make my 'conscious contact' with you better." c.1989, Hazelden Foundation, Dec. 23.
Quote for the Day:
At times, it is better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you're a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
James Sinclair
Self-restraint
Much of the political, economic, and religious life of the world
is dependent upon publicized leadership.
People who symbolize causes and ideas fill a deep human need.
We of AA do not question that,
But we do have to soberly face the fact that
being in the public eye is hazardous, especially for us.
By temperament, nearly every one of us had been an irrepressible promoter,
and the prospect of a society composed of promoters was frightening.
Considering this explosive factor, we knew we had to exercise self-restraint.
c. 1953 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 181
Much of the political, economic, and religious life of the world
is dependent upon publicized leadership.
People who symbolize causes and ideas fill a deep human need.
We of AA do not question that,
But we do have to soberly face the fact that
being in the public eye is hazardous, especially for us.
By temperament, nearly every one of us had been an irrepressible promoter,
and the prospect of a society composed of promoters was frightening.
Considering this explosive factor, we knew we had to exercise self-restraint.
c. 1953 AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 181
From the Big Book:
"We have three little mottoes which are apropos. Here they are: First Things First Live and Let Live Easy Does It. " p.135
My share:
How many times have I held my tongue when my brain is screaming at me to expose the hypocrisy, or the self-serving lies, of a given speaker. At times like these I hold my tongue else I judge another, or take his inventory. Whatever my evaluation may be, it behooves me to keep it to myself. Be Good To You, Dave.
Prayer for the Day:
"I pray that I'll listen to that gentle, loving voice inside me. Higher Power, help me make my 'conscious contact' with you better." c.1989, Hazelden Foundation, Dec. 23.
Quote for the Day:
At times, it is better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder if you're a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
James Sinclair
Access: Public
I'm way past the self-restraint phase. Not that I don't pay for it. I don't know. I don't give a fuck. but what ultimately drove me from regular meeting attendance was MY hypocrisy and self-serving lies, not other people's, although there was plenty of that, too. i simply didn't believe the words coming out of my own mouth, i don't buy into the dogma anymore. i needed to leave. you need people in those meetings who actually believe what is being said, you don't need me there insisting that it's a pack of lies.
There are times when I find myself rehearsing, in that tangled mess I call my brain, what I am going to say in a meeting. When I find myself doing that, I pause and focus on listenng. Usually if I share at those times, I am guilty of self-serving motives, and I concern myself with what other people might think of me. I must remember that what other people think of me is none of my business. I pray for the wisdom to know when sharing is from the heart and not from my diseased brain. But I cannot divorce myself from the support I find in the meetings. I can't do this alone. The danger of relapsing is, for me , a death sentence. Good luck Clifton. I wish you well and I will pray for your peace and serenity wherever your path maytake you.