Touchstones
Powerless over Alcohol
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Trudging the Road to Happy Destiny!
Posts: 4,018
Touchstones Saturday, December 29, 2012 You are reading from the book Touchstones
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
After we get a new understanding about ourselves we think, "Now I will never have to make the same mistake again!" But our lessons are usually not that easily learned. We have to get them into our muscles and bones as well as our heads. Some of us have to learn how to be kind; others, how to be good listeners or how to stand up for ourselves in many different ways. Every new situation calls on a little different way of knowing, and perhaps we have to fall a few times in the learning.
The most important asset in our lives is the faith to get up again and continue. We must accept our imperfections. Each time we fall and with each mistake we make, we're vulnerable to doubting and losing faith. By rising again, we make progress in our learning and continue to become better men.
Today, I will have faith, even in the midst of my mistakes.
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
After we get a new understanding about ourselves we think, "Now I will never have to make the same mistake again!" But our lessons are usually not that easily learned. We have to get them into our muscles and bones as well as our heads. Some of us have to learn how to be kind; others, how to be good listeners or how to stand up for ourselves in many different ways. Every new situation calls on a little different way of knowing, and perhaps we have to fall a few times in the learning.
The most important asset in our lives is the faith to get up again and continue. We must accept our imperfections. Each time we fall and with each mistake we make, we're vulnerable to doubting and losing faith. By rising again, we make progress in our learning and continue to become better men.
Today, I will have faith, even in the midst of my mistakes.
Powerless over Alcohol
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Trudging the Road to Happy Destiny!
Posts: 4,018
I am guilt of that also tomsteve... 
But thankfully I today I can not only realize it , but truly care if I was wrong..
And thats why we have a sign of ..
Think ,
Think,
Think....
Because many times my first thought most definately is not the best thought..
But thankfully I today I can not only realize it , but truly care if I was wrong..
And thats why we have a sign of ..
Think ,
Think,
Think....
Because many times my first thought most definately is not the best thought..
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
Think ,
Think,
Think....
boy, did that ever confuse me when i got into AA. i would hear," dont think, dont drink, go to meetings."
i went to meetings and saw ,"thinkthinkthink."
then i would hear," dont go into your own head without adult supervision."
Think,
Think....
boy, did that ever confuse me when i got into AA. i would hear," dont think, dont drink, go to meetings."
i went to meetings and saw ,"thinkthinkthink."
then i would hear," dont go into your own head without adult supervision."
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: NJ
Posts: 594
I always wondered why the "think think think" was upside down 
Also, I have had a lot of rough character deffects uncovered in this past year. If it wasn't for my awesome sponcor, I could have got disscouraged and shut down. This work we have ahead of us is so hard sometimes Inda, and then my sponcor says "simple program, not easy"
Thank you for your post. It's nice to know even here on SR, I'm not alone! I always can identify with you!! :ghug3
Also, I have had a lot of rough character deffects uncovered in this past year. If it wasn't for my awesome sponcor, I could have got disscouraged and shut down. This work we have ahead of us is so hard sometimes Inda, and then my sponcor says "simple program, not easy"
Thank you for your post. It's nice to know even here on SR, I'm not alone! I always can identify with you!! :ghug3
Fellow Traveler and Seeker
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 2,408
I am not a fan of slogans to begin with, but man, "think think think"? Should be preceded by "don't don't don't".. 
Imperfections - I knew of these things during my active days, but refused to let them be known. So I would either have to be perfect at something - anything, or I wouldn't do it, or I would blame it on something or someone else. If I stumbled, I would berate myself for having imperfections. These days, I can actually laugh at myself...whenever I stumble and trip through something (and that happens more often than not), I can sit back and not take myself too seriously. I know that I am learning something. And there's nothing wrong with that
Imperfections - I knew of these things during my active days, but refused to let them be known. So I would either have to be perfect at something - anything, or I wouldn't do it, or I would blame it on something or someone else. If I stumbled, I would berate myself for having imperfections. These days, I can actually laugh at myself...whenever I stumble and trip through something (and that happens more often than not), I can sit back and not take myself too seriously. I know that I am learning something. And there's nothing wrong with that
stepping on my way...
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,079
Stepping = lost? Needs help from my buddies....What does the slogan think, think, think mean? I have never seen/heard of it!
I do agree with the touchstone of the day. I think that when we fall the getting back up part makes us stronger. It's where we learn our lessons and use the opportunity to grow and be better people......if we are smart about it we use the downfalls as something beneficial!
Thanks for sharing Inda
I do agree with the touchstone of the day. I think that when we fall the getting back up part makes us stronger. It's where we learn our lessons and use the opportunity to grow and be better people
......if we are smart about it we use the downfalls as something beneficial!Thanks for sharing Inda
Trudging that road.
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Seattle Wa
Posts: 6,840
I love this reading because it shows me that I don't have to be perfect that I am going to make mistakes and it is okay. I am only human so it would not be very loving or fair to myself to think I would never make a mistake.
As far as the think think think I see it all the time on the walls of the AA meetings I frequent. I always thought it meant never to go with my first thought cause it is usually wrong cause my thinker is broken as some AA members put it. I also think it has to do with thinking that drink through. I know from experience when I have had those thoughts to pick up thinking that all the way through to the sever consequences has stopped me on more than a few occasions.
Thanks for your service Inda:ghug3
As far as the think think think I see it all the time on the walls of the AA meetings I frequent. I always thought it meant never to go with my first thought cause it is usually wrong cause my thinker is broken as some AA members put it. I also think it has to do with thinking that drink through. I know from experience when I have had those thoughts to pick up thinking that all the way through to the sever consequences has stopped me on more than a few occasions.
Thanks for your service Inda:ghug3
stepping on my way...
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,079
Thank you Newb for taking the time to write that to me. I THINK you are right. After some thinking, discussion and your post I am starting to understand. I am a learning every day ...and think, think, thinking every day too! That can not always be a good thing
After some thinking, discussion and your post I am starting to understand. I am a learning every day ...and think, think, thinking every day too! That can not always be a good thing
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