Timothy Edward > Timothy's Quotes

“And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation "some fact of my life" unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous

“I have come to believe that hard times are not just meaningless suffering and that something good might turn up at any moment. That's a big change for someone who used to come to in the morning feeling sentenced to another day of life. When I wake up today, there are lots of possibilities. I can hardly wait to see what's going to happen next.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“When I stopped living in the problem and began living in the answer, the problem went away.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day “Thy will be done.” We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous

“To this day, I am amazed at how many of my problems - most of which had nothing to do with drinking, I believed - have become manageable or have simply disappeared since I quit drinking.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“We have learned that the satisfaction of instincts cannot be the sole aim of our lives.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

“...one of the primary differences between alcoholics and nonalcoholics is that nonalcoholics change their behavior to meet their goals and alcoholics change their goals to meet their behaviors.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“Definition of an alcoholic is an egomaniac with an inferiority complex”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“We sometimes hurt those we love because they need to be “taught a lesson,” when we really want to punish. We were depressed and complained we felt bad, when in fact we were mainly asking for sympathy and attention. This odd trait of mind and emotion, this perverse wish to hide a bad motive underneath a good one, permeates human affairs from top to bottom. This subtle and elusive kind of self-righteousness can underlie the smallest act or thought. Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

“One day at a time.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous

“It will take time to clear away the wreck. Though old buildings will eventually be replaced by finer ones, the new structures will take years to complete.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn't work.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous

“There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“We should be sensible, tactful, considerate and humble without being servile or scraping. As God's people we stand on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“If we were to live, we had to be free of anger.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“I simply had to believe in a Spirit of the Universe, who knew neither time nor limitation.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“It is very difficult for me to come to terms with my spiritual illness because of my great pride, disguised by my material successes and my intellectual power. Intelligence is not incompatible with humility, provided I place humility first. To seek prestige and wealth is the ultimate goal for many in the modern world. To be fashionable and to seem better than I really am is a spiritual illness. To recognize and to admit my weaknesses is the beginning of good spiritual health. It is a sign of spiritual health to be able to ask God every day to enlighten me, to recognize His will, and to have the strength to execute it. My spiritual health is excellent when I realize that the better I get, the more I discover how much help I need from others.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous, Daily Reflections: A Book of Reflections by A.A. Members for A.A. Members

“It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

“We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we make our own misery.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“I've been benefited from a dictionary definition I found that reads: "Rationalization is giving a socially acceptable reason for socially unacceptable behavior, and socially unacceptable behavior is a form of insanity.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous

“Every day I stand at turning points. My thoughts and actions can propel me toward growth or turn me down the road to old habits and to booze. Sometimes turning points are beginnings, as when I decide to start praising, instead of condemning someone. Or when I begin to ask for help instead of going it alone. At other times turning points are endings, such as when I see clearly the need to stop festering resentments or crippling self-seeking. Many shortcomings tempt me daily; therefore, I also have daily opportunities to become aware of them. In one form or another, many of my character defects appear daily: self-condemnation, anger, running away, being prideful, wanting to get even, or acting out of grandiosity. Attempting half measures to eliminate these defects merely paralyzes my efforts to change. It is only when I ask God for help, with complete abandon, that I become willing—and able—to change.”
― Alcoholics Anonymous, Daily Reflections: A Book of Reflections by A.A. Members for A.A. Members