THE ILLUSION OF CONTROL CAN TAKE MANY FORMS – “When we tried to control ourselves, we wound up demoralized. Even when we succeeded, it wasn’t enough to make us happy. We hid from our pain by eating … .” (Overeaters Anon., p. 5)
“The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.” – William Hazlitt (1778 – 1830) English
humanist / writer
IT MIGHT TAKE UP TO 10 YEARS JUST TO MASTER THE BASIC PROGRAM –
“When our lives
seem to be falling apart,
we reapply ourselves to
the basics of the … program.
We stay in close contact with
our sponsor, work the steps,
and go to meetings. We sur-
render again, knowing that
victory lies in the ad-
mission of defeat.”
(It Works, How &
Why, p. 10)
HOW POWERLESSNESS MAKES ROOM FOR GRACE -“We are not cured … . What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.” (The Big Book, p. 85)
“In his state of complete powerlessness the individual perceives the time he has left to live as a brief reprieve.”
– Theodor Adorno (1903 – 1969) German philosopher
“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING … IS THAT THEY WORK” –
“Our program is
a set of principles
written so simply that
we can follow them in our
daily lives. The most im
portant thing about
them is that they
work.” (The Basic
Text, p. 9)
“A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide, and whose opinion we can value at once for its justness and its sincerity.” – Robert Hall (1764 – 1831) British clergyman (on friendships including w/ an addict)
“The exodus
from Egypt occurs
in every human being,
in every era, in every
year, and in every
day.”
– Rabbi Nachman Breslov (1772 – 1810) Ukrainian Rabbi who revived the Hasidic movement
“All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals– usually brief–were inevitably followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization.” “Over any considerable period, we get worse, never better.” (The Big Book, p. 30)
Today’s
“When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.” – Bernard Bailey (1916 – 1996) U.S. comic book founding-father
HAPPY, SLAPPY JOY & FUN CAN BE CONTAGIOUS – “… we are not a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn’t, want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life.” (Life with Hope, p. 162)