Give Better

"The best

thing about

giving of

ourselves

is that

what we get

is always

better than

what we give."

Orison Swett Marden

Do not measure life in things, measure your life

by the number of good feelings you have.

Things break, things rust, things tarnish, things are to be

used and abused, but feelings and memories are yours

to keep and cherish for as long as you wish.

You build good memories by doing the next right thing.

It is good to share your things with others

but it is more important that you share your feelings.

Today, be kind, be loving, be patient and tolerant and

be the person your Higher Power expects you to be.

Today, know that by sharing your things and your good

feelings that you will live your life in a win-win position.

Happiness is knowing everyone is a winner.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Repeat After ME

"If you

do

what

you've

always

done,

you'll get

what you've always gotten." ~ Tony Robbins


The alcoholic/ addict who continues to use and abuse

will continue to have poor health, poor thinking and

a soul that is lost in limbo.

It is reported to never get any better.

Recovery means to do something different.

Recovery is a different way of thinking, feeling and living.

Recovery is to have a soul that relies on the will of a loving

Higher Power, a will to do the next right thing.

All people, not just the alcoholic/addict, should be of sober

service to self, others and the God of their understanding.

A willing person can stop repeating a bad habit.

If you get good results from doing what you have always done,

repeat as necessary, share the love and help those who cannot

see the way.

Happiness is getting good results from good habits.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Contentment

"The

world

is full of

people

looking for

spectacular

happiness

while they

snub

contentment. "

~ Doug Larson


Happiness is what you have, not to be compared to

what you think other people have.

Happiness is an attitude, if you are not happy,

change your attitude.

People, places and things are your choices, they are not

the reason for you having good or bad feelings.

Today, choose to be with happy people, go to happy places

and do the things that make everyone happy and you will

not have to regret your choices and you will also see how

good choices can lead to a contented life full of spectacularly

happy moments.

Happiness is a gift from your Higher Power earned as a

reward for doing the next right thing.

Happiness is contentment.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Create the Fact

"Believe

that life

is worth

living

and your

belief will

help create

the fact. "

William James


A Higher Power placed everyone on this planet to do His will.

There is not, has been or will there ever be a perfect person.

Imperfect is in the eye of man, not in the spirit of the Great Creator.

It is apparent that the will of God is to continually improve upon

what was.

By physically, mentally and spiritually striving to seek oneness

with the Spirit of the Universe,

we create the fact that life is worth living.

Today, be kind, be loving, be patient and tolerant and if

you can do nothing to improve this world, do not be an adversary

to those who are trying to do the will of a loving Higher Power.

Plant, animal or human, every life is important to God.

Happiness is believing that every life is worth living.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Be Cheap

"Kind

words

do not

cost much.

Yet

they

accomplish

much."


~ Blaise Pascal

Very few people get to the top of the mountain.

Many people spend their lives in the valley of despair.

The longest journey always begins with the first step.

Life is not about the destination, it is in the journey.

Today, no matter where you are on life's journey, do something

and help make this world be a better place for all.

All is animal, vegetable, mineral and God.

Kind thoughts do not equal kind words.

Be kind, be loving, be patient and tolerant, be cheap if you must,

but just be the person your Higher Power wants you to be.

Happiness is accomplishing much, very cheaply.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Surrender

"When

defeat

is

inevitable,

it is

wisest

to

yield." ~ Quintilian


For the person with a desire to change a bad habit

one must first admit defeat, surrender and put the ego aside,

before a plan of change can be implemented.

Reservations that one may return to a past life must be squashed.

Guilt and shame must be assuaged by amends and restitution.

One day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time,

do not dwell on the defeat, dwell on the victory that lies ahead,

the happy, joyous and free life that has no bad habits.

Surrender to a Higher Power and seek help from the Great Creator,

the God of your understanding, to change for the better.

An old dog can learn a new trick and every day is brand new.

Happiness is giving up all of your problems to a loving Higher Power.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Happiness is God

"Happiness

is neither

without us

nor

within us.

It is in God,

both without us

and within us." ~ Blaise Pascal

The Spirit of the Universe is an energy

that flows without us and through us.

Happiness is embracing that energy to think about

and then be willing to do the will of a loving Great Creator.

To reflect that energy you must be kind, be loving

and be the person who strives to do the next right thing.

You will find your Higher Power and happiness everywhere,

but only if you are willing to let go and let God control

the flow of energy.

Happiness is the soul that is conscious of the energy

that flows in and around it.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Choose to Accept

"It is

no use to

grumble

and

complain;

It's just as

cheap and

easy to

rejoice;

When God sorts out the weather and sends rain -

Why, rain's my choice." ~ James Whitcomb Riley

Spirituality is feeling that the Spirit of the Universe

is in control and you have chosen to enjoy the ride.

Choosing spirituality leads to a sense of serenity, contentment,

peace of mind and the willingness to do the next right thing.

Choose to accept God's world and the people in it to be just as

they are and learn to enjoy that which makes you feel

the most comfortable.

Today, avoid mean people, do only nice things

and do not go to evil places.

Happiness is knowing that if you choose to do the next right thing,

you can never make the wrong choice.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Achieve

"Happiness

is that

state of

consciousness

which proceeds

from the

achievement

of one's

values." ~ Ayn Rand


Hold good values close to your heart.

Be kind, be loving, be the person who accepts the will

of a loving Spirit of the Universe.

When you go to bed at night with a smile on your face,

and you are conscious of having had a good day,

you will have found happiness.

Repeat the procedure again today.

Learn that you do not have to wait to go to bed to take

a happiness inventory.

Happiness is consciously striving to achieve good.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Me and theBoss

Speak Kindly

"When ever

the speech

is

corrupted

so is

the mind."

Seneca






Always speak the truth, but if you cannot say anything nice,

do not say anything at all.

The use of foul language only shows that you are either;

lazy, stupid, uneducated and/or you are trying to bolster

your low self esteem by employing a shock value.

A corrupted language is an indication of an evil heart.

Be kind, be loving, be the person your Higher Power wants

you to be and if you cannot find the right words

show it in your actions.

Today, let your favorite words be:

"If no one has told you today, God loves you and so do I."

Happiness is having a heart that speaks well.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Keep It Together

"Depression

is

rage

spread

thin."


~ George
Santayana

Alcohol ingested is a mental, emotional and spiritual depressant.

Addictive behaviors and mood altering drugs give one a false

sense of well being.

Up or Down ??, or just Angry ??

To live an enjoyable productive life, find the middle of the road.

Find a friend or a professional who can show you how to stay

on the right side of the road.

Trust in a Higher Power that the road is wide enough to

make room for you.

Happiness is knowing where your mood swings take you.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Don't Give Up

"Being

defeated

is often a

temporary

condition.

Giving up

is what

makes it

permanent." ~ Marilyn vos Savant

Those who suffer from alcoholism, addictive personalities, and

other common diseases such as cancer and diabetes often feel

that life has defeated them.

The strongest, with the help of the Spirit of the Universe, fight

back and refuse to give up.

The ones who survive have good doctors, friends or sponsors,

and they do what is suggested as a program of recovery.

Many are the heart warming stories of those who did not give up,

who extended their lives and were able to be of service to self,

others and their Higher Power.

Happiness is never giving up.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Prayer From the Heart

"It is

better

in prayer

to have

a heart

without

words

than words

without a heart." ~ Mohandas Gandhi

Change.

You change, I change, we all change and so does the world

of the Great Creator.

Allowing your prayers to change will allow you to change.

You may set aside a time for prayer or better yet

you may learn to pray at any time, anywhere.

Don't know how to pray, find a friend who can show you

where your heart is located.

Learn to pray to say thanks, pray to have God help others,

pray to have God give you the strength and courage to do His will.

Today pray often and pray sincerely and then be ready

to stop, look and listen for an answer to your prayer

because a loving Higher Power answers all prayers

that come from a kind and loving heart.

Happiness is knowing that your prayer s are from the heart.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Pink Cloud

"I

fell

off

my

pink

cloud

with

a

thud." ~ Elizabeth Taylor

Many who stop drinking and drugging and seek to recover from

their affliction find euphoria, a new sense of well being, a sense

of awareness, and many other good feelings that the old timers

best describe as being on a pink cloud.

Please be advised, life, with all of its ups and downs, will go on in

spite of your feelings and/or the color of the lenses in your glasses.

Learn to listen to those who have gone before you and place yourself

on solid spiritual ground if you wish to continue to be sober.

Have faith in a Higher Power who will not let you fall.

Happiness is living in the clouds with silver linings.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Perfectionism

" Perfectionism

is the

enemy

of creation,

as extreme

self-solitude

is the enemy

of well-being."

~ John Updike

Some of the symptoms of the disease of alcoholism/addiction

are that the sufferer wants to isolate, be alone, push away

anyone who loves them, and to kill themselves because

they believe they are not perfect.

Recovery requires other people.

You are never too old to learn to be sociable.

Seek a Higher Power who can restore you to sanity and

know that He will speak to you through other people.

Today will be different from yesterday, so be willing

to be imperfect,seek your sanity, and strengthen your

recovery by being social with friends who know

how to help each other.

Happiness is having imperfect friends who know which way is up.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Found Guilty

"Every

man

is

guilty

of all

the

good

he did not do." ~ Voltaire

Lying, cheating, stealing, drinking alcohol and other poisons,

abusing drugs and committing immoral indiscretions are obviously

bad things to do.

However, it is just as wrong, just as bad and we are just as guilty

as the evil mean people when we fail to act on the opportunity

to do good.

Do not go out seeking good to do, have faith, a loving Higher Power

will give you more than enough chances to do good

if your heart is in the right place.

Be kind, be loving, be patient and tolerant and you will do

so much good that you will never have to feel guilty.

Happiness is not missing a chance to do good.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Ignore It

"Learning

to ignore

things

is one

of the

great paths

to inner peace."


Robert J. Sawyer



God will grant me serenity when I know the difference

between what I can change and what I cannot change.

I can change me and my attitudes.

I cannot change others.

I can help my Higher Power by having the courage

to ignore those things which I cannot change.

I can help the Father of Light by trying to be the best example

of His kindness and love, the person who can change the world,

if it is God's will.

Happiness is ignoring those things which I cannot change.

Happiness is helping someone else.

ME and the Boss

Simplicity

"Man

is an

over-complicated

organism.

If he

is doomed

to extinction

he will die out

for want of

simplicity." ~ Ezra Pound

A simple program for complicated people.

Don't think, don't drink, go to meetings and

do not drink between meetings.

Be honest, be the person your Higher Power wants you to be.

Be open-minded, contempt prior to investigation is ignorance.

Be willing, shed the life of lying, cheating, stealing, selfish,

self-centered, arrogant, egotistical, envious, jealous and etc.;

instead, try the life of simplicity; kindness and love.

Happiness is learning to keep it simple.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

In Other Words

"We

can only

be said

to be alive

in those

moments

when our

hearts are conscious of our treasures." ~ Thornton Wilder

Gratitude expressed in other words.

Treasure the moment,

be at peace in your mind and feel contentment in your heart.

Treasure yourself,

a Higher Power made you just the way he needed you to be.

Treasure family and friends,

by helping each other we make the world a better place for all.

Treasure the beauty of the world,

that which we call Mother Nature,

given for all to enjoy by the Great Creator.

Happiness is having a conscious heart.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Face the Sunshine

"Keep your

face

always

toward

the sunshine -

and shadows

will fall

behind you." ~ Walt Whitman

God is the sunshine, the light of our soul.

Evil lurks in the shadows, the darkness of our miseries.

Your Higher Power gives you the chance, the choice is yours.

Sometimes, some people have and illness or a disease that

clouds their vision, distorts their thinking and it becomes

difficult for them to see the sunshine or find the light.

The Great Creator made friends to show those people a way

to find the light and to feel the warmth of the fellowship.

Don't think, don't drink, find a friend and follow the

suggestions of those who have learned to live in the light.

Happiness is giving your will and your life over to the care

of the Sunshine of your understanding.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Practice Love

"Could we

forbear

dispute,

and

practice love,

We should

agree

as angels do above." ~ Edmund Waller

Why must the alcoholic argue every point ??

Why must an alcoholic always be right ??

Why must people dispute the obvious.

To find recovery the ego and the false pride must be stifled.

To find serenity allow your Higher Power to guide your heart.

Be a friend, have a friend, friends agree to disagree.

Be an angel, practice kindness and unconditional love.

Happiness is listening to the angel who sits on your shoulder.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

The Winner Is

"The winner

persistently

programs

his pluses;

the loser

mournfully

magnifies

his minuses." ~ William A. Ward

Everyone has an equal chance to be a winner or a loser,

except for the addict/alcoholic whose denial keeps them

at a loss to know which end is up.

The alcoholic is not a loser, it is just God and everyone else

picking on him.

The alcoholic thinks he is a winner because he believes

that he is doing just as he damn well pleases.

To be a winner, do not drink, do not think, be a person who

knows what their pluses are.

The real winner is the soul who is willing

to do the next right thing.

The next right thing is to be kind, to be loving, patient and

tolerant and to be the person God wants you to be.

Happiness is knowing that God only makes winners.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

The Color Purple

"I think

it pisses

God off

if you

walk by

the color purple

in a field

somewhere

and don't notice it." ~ Alice Walker

Me, myself and I become so self centered, so self important

that we forget to see the beauty in the world around us.

Happiness, kindness, love, serenity and most of the feelings

we enjoy the most are those we receive from interacting with

the people, places and things that a loving Higher Power,

the God of your understanding, has made for us to appreciate.

If you are not happy, it is your own fault.

Today, be grateful, look for the colors, smells and sounds that

the Spirit of the Universe has made for you to enjoy

Happiness is not pissing God off.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Doing God's Will

"Often the

presence of

mind and

energy of

a person

remote from

the spotlight

will decide the course of history for centuries to come."

~ Stefan Zweig

Doing God's will does not mean that you must be in the spotlight.

Doing God's will does not mean that you must be in control.

God's will is for you to do the next right thing, be kind, be loving,

be the person your Higher Power wants you to be and you may

influence the lives of those who may eventually stand in the

spotlight of historical events.

Rome was not built in a day.

Pray that all of your influences will make this world

a better place for you having been here.

Happiness is doing right and not demanding the kudos.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Feel Good

"See

that

each

hour's

feelings,

and thoughts

and actions

are pure

and true;

then your life will be also.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

We can't stop having feelings

but we can change the feelings we have

from bad ones to good ones, those that are pure and true.

Feel good about yourself, know that your Higher Power

made everyone exactly perfect to do His will.

Feel good about others, but if the feelings are still not that good,

find someone else, one who has the good feelings that you want.

Feel good about God, know that whatever He brings to you in life

He will give you the strength and courage to get through it.

Happiness is the good feeling that just will not go away.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Wise Man

"The

wise man

sees in the

misfortune

of others

what he

should avoid." ~ Marcus Aurelius

A smart man learns from his own mistakes,

the wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

We join the fellowship of AA to hear others share

their experience, strength and hope.

We learn to listen and listen to learn.

By listening closely and learning well we become wise.

"In seeking wisdom thou art wise;
in imagining that thou hast attained it,
thou art a fool." ~ Rabbi Ben Azai

Do not stop going to meetings.

Happiness is learning to be wise.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

A Step At A Time

"Habit

is

habit,

and not

to be

flung out

of the

window

by any man,

but coaxed downstairs a step at a time." Mark Twain

It is only by working the 12 steps of AA in our daily lives

that we can rid ourselves of the habits which can destroy

us physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The twelfth step is not a destination.

The steps are guides to living a good life, one day at a time.

You must look for a friend, one who has traveled the steps,

who can help you to learn how to live the steps.

You will recognize that friend because he will know

how to laugh, love and live life to it's fullest.

Happiness is seeing a step working in your life.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Sweet Patience

"Face your

deficiencies

and

acknowledge

them;

but do not

let them

master you.

Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight." ~ Helen Keller

Remember, easy does it and this to shall pass.

It is rare that change is instantaneous.

Seek sweet patience by waiting for the fog to lift

so that your insights can be improved.

Seek sweet patience to await the good consequences

of the changes you make, for the better or for the worse.

Happiness is knowing that he who has a Higher Power lacks nothing.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Spiritual Energy

"Spiritual

energy

flows in

and

produces

effects

in the

phenomenal

world."

~ William James

The Spirit of the Universe inside of us allows our senses

to feel and see the material world outside of us.

Emotions are the junction between spiritual and physical.

The drunk is so absorbed in self that he is unable to

know spirituality or emotions.

Don't drink, don't think, go to meetings and search out those

who have the glow of spirituality.

Follow the light and you will find the material world

that is happy, joyous and free.

Happiness is the serenity that spirituality brings to our world.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

Me and the Boss

Better Hope

"In

all

things

it is

better

to hope

than to

despair." ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Just when the caterpillar thought life was over,

it became a butterfly.

A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day.

When the sun goes down, the stars come out.

Were it not for hope the heart would break.

Were it not for hope, no alcoholic would ever find recovery.

Hope is the dream of a soul awake.

The safest hope is in heaven.

Happiness is hoping for the best, but being prepared for the worst.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss

Cured By Love

"We can

cure

physical

diseases

with

medicine,

but the only

cure for loneliness,

despair, and

hopelessness is love. ~ Mother Teresa

By staying sober today and by seeking out the will of a loving

Spirit of the Universe, you choose to do the next right thing.

When your virtuous deeds are acknowledged be quick to give

credit to your Higher Power, your Mother, your Father,

your teachers and all those who kindly helped you along

and taught you the difference between right and wrong.

Happiness is being cured by love every day.

Happiness is helping someone help themselves.

ME and the Boss