Patience is the way... or, rather, the way to patience is through our higher power and asking for help (apparently every morning). And sometimes I actually remember to reach for that help before I react to stuff! Big Book, page 83. (technically step 9)

Step one is the start -- the place where we come to terms with an inability to control our drinking. But beyond step one, AA offers a way to deal with life that is far beyond just not picking up a drink. Which is why I keep coming back. Reading from Step By Step: Reall AAs, Real Recovery, page 6.

Even though I'm an alcoholic, I'm still a human. And humans have instincts and desires. It's when those run rampant that into trouble. So the trick is to find balance and not got to extremes of either indulgence or deprivation. 12x12 page 65.

Fun little grammatical note: it's the road OF happy destiny, not the road to it. So, it's the road you're on, not the one you're headed toward. And no matter the struggle in sobriety, it's still a hell of a lot better than it used to be. Big Book, page 164.

Oh man. It's been a week of taking everything soooooo seriously. And I very much needed the reminder to stop doing that. It's not great for my sobriety. 12x12 pages 148-149 (Technically Tradition 4).

The phone is there for us no matter how long we've been sober, and that's too easy for me to forget. Getting a call feels really nice, and it's helpful to set down the dumb idea that I'm "bothering" people. Living Sober, page 23-24.

Making the choice to believe in something - a power greater than myself, a spirit of the universe - made life easier. So it ended up being worth doing, 'cause my ideas certainly weren't panning out. Big Book, page 52.

In which I read from the pamphlet "Questions & Answers on Sponsorship" and do a fair bit of rambling about how to pick a sponsor, what sponsorship means, how my sponsor is great, sponsorship is great, and so are my sponsees.

I came into AA to quit drinking, but the extra special bonus prize was a network of people who understand me in a deep and meaningful way. And it's the relationships that keep me coming back. Big Book page 276, "The Keys of the Kingdom."

We are not saints. Nor are we super heroes. Nor are we responsible for all the things all the time. And I often find myself needing that reminder. Big Book, page 60.