Daily Reflection January 4 - Begin Where You Are

A daily reading from the book “Daily Reflections” by Alcoholics Anonymous.*
The cessation of dumping poison into my body was just the beginning. I had to start somewhere! But what I didn't know was that there was so much more to quitting drinking than just quitting drinking. In fact, quitting drinking was only the start of a whole new life. I wish you well if you are new on the journey, and if you've traveled this path for many years, you know there is always more growth available.

Transcript

Daily Reflection January 4th Begin where you are.

We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning.

A much more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes,

Occupations,

And affairs.

Alcoholics Anonymous,

Page 19.

It's usually pretty easy for me to be pleasant to the people in an AA setting.

While I'm working to stay sober,

I'm celebrating with my fellow AAs our common release from the hell of drinking.

It's often not so hard to spread glad tidings to my old and new friends in the program.

At home or at work,

Though,

It can be a different story.

It is in situations arising in both of these areas that the little day-to-day frustrations are most evident,

And where it can be tough to smile or reach out with a kind word or an attentive ear.

It's outside of the AA rooms that I face the real test of the effectiveness of my walk through AA's 12 steps.