Then we shall need to find both the courage and the grace to deal constructively with whatever fears remain.

“Indeed, that was the essence of A.A. itself: trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage, trouble lessened and often transcended. This was the A.A. story, and we became a part of it. Such demonstrations became our stock in trade for the next sufferer.” LETTER, 1966

We have found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him.

We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we began to be free.

when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support.

Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for complete approval, utter security, and perfect romance—urges quite appropriate to age seventeen—prove to be an impossible way of life at forty-seven or fifty-seven.

To define the word “harm” in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual damage to those about us.

Just how and when we tell the truth—or keep silent—can often reveal the difference between genuine integrity and none at all.

“Day by day, we try to move a little toward God’s perfection. So we need not be consumed by maudlin guilt for failure to achieve His likeness and image by Thursday next. Progress is our aim, and His perfection is the beacon, light-years away, that draws us on.”