Saturday October 31, 2026 - Self Esteem

Good morning. My thought for today is self-esteem. According to an AI definition, self-esteem is an individual’s subjective evaluation of their own worth and value. It reflects the overall emotional attitude a person holds toward themselves—encompassing beliefs about competence, identity, and whether they consider themselves fundamentally worthy of respect and success. 

For most of my life, and due in part to my alcoholism, my self-esteem was very low. I did not feel I was worthy of respect or love. I remained in an unhealthy relationship because I feared being alone and I was utterly convinced that no one else would want to be with me if ever I left.  An animal raised in captivity that is suddenly set free, often returns to its cage because it does not know what to expect outside in the free world. But, it knows what to expect in its cage.

Because of low sef-esteem, I struggled for many years with self-care. I did not feel entitled to a new shirt or a new pair of shoes, or proper eyeglasses. By working the steps with my sponsor, I learned that I am worthy of those things, just as I am worthy of love and respect, so today when I need a new item of clothing, I go purchase it.

Friday October 30, 2026 - Service

Good morning. My thought for today is Service. Service refers broadly to work, assistance, or duties performed for someone else, or a system provided for public or private use. In A.A., service work is anything that makes carrying the message possible. I can be a committee member or I can be the guy making coffee at a meeting. Service comes in many forms and each one is just as important as the other. Service work can be conducted outside in our community or through our church or at home in our family life.

Thursday October 29, 2026

Good morning. My thought for today is the seventh step. I would think that is the seventh step prayer. The seventh step itself is Humbly asked Him [God] to remove our shortcomings. The seventh step prayer is My Creator I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character that stands in the way of my usefulness to you and to my fellows.

In my case, my defects of character were pretty basic. Selfishness, dishonesty, anger, fear. Each day, I ask God as I understand God, to remove from me those defects of character that He could or would based on the conditions of the day I ask. Some days I am less seflish and more honest. Other days, I have less fear. Maybe someday they will all be gone. But, not today.

Wednesday October 28, 2026 - How Important Is It

Good morning. It's a beautiful day to be alive and to be sober. My thought for today is the slogan How Important Is It. Right out of the gate, if "it" is my sobriety or my serenity, then it takes top priority. If, on the other hand, "it" is something that threatens my serenity or my sobriety, then it is not important and must be eliminated from my life, promptly and without regret.

"It" might be a person or "it" might be a situation. As Winnie the Pooh would say.....Think think think.

Tuesday October 27, 2026 - Think Think Think

Good morning. Getting better every day. My thought for today is Think Think Think. As an official recovery slogan, it serves as a mental brake to disrupt emotional reactivity, impulsive decisions, and obsessive thought patterns. The three repetitions typically represent a layered reminder: 

Pause before reacting by halting automatic, emotionally driven responses (anger, anxiety, defensiveness) to evaulate a situation calmly before speaking or acting.

Think the decision through: Considering the full outcome of an impulse (often phrased as think the drink through by looking past immediate gratification to the inevitable fallout)

Check the motive: Assessing whether an action is necessary, kind, and realistic, or merely an attempt to control an outcome outside one's influence.

In popular culture, the phrase is also widely recognized as Winnie the Pooh’s catchphrase, tapping his temple while muttering "Think, think, think..." to puzzle through everyday problems.

In whatever case, it is a worthwhile tool to use.

Monday October 26, 2026 - Hope

Good Morning. My thought for today is Hope. According to the dictionary, Hope is the feeling or expectation that a desired outcome, change, or event is possible, paired with an underlying motivation that things can get better. When I came back into recovery this last time in 1997, I had that expectation, that if I did what I was told, a new concept for me, that I might be able to stay away from alcohol. The end of November, I will be without a drink for 29 years so I'd say the desired outcome was possible.

Sunday October 25, 2026 - Love

Good morning! Happy Sunday! My thought for today is Love. Let's start with the AI, or dictionary, definition. Love is a complex set of emotions, behaviors, and beliefs associated with strong feelings of affection, protectiveness, warmth, and respect for another person, living being, or pursuit. There are, of course, different types of love. Romantic love, familial love, platonic love, altruistic love, and self-love. I tell people I sponsor I love them and that is platonic love. I tell my brother I love him because of our familial bond. I tell Nancy I love her because we are romantically involved, still, after all this time. Concerning romantic love, I prefer Father Martin's definition. Love is not so much two people gazing into each other's eyes as it is two people gazing in the same direction.

Saturday October 24, 2026 - God could and would

Good morning. Starting to feel better maybe I think. My thought for today is God could and would. if He were sought. It's like the psaage in the Bible. Seek ye the Kingdom of righteousness. It doesn't say anything about finding that, just talks about looking for it. Same thing here. We don't have to find God, we just have to look. When I went looking for God many wondrous things happened. For one, I lost the obsession to kill myself with alcohol. 

Friday, October 23, 2026 - Sobriety First

Good morning. My thought for today is Sobriety First. or Serenity First. For me, the two words are synonymous. Can't have one without the other. I was taught early on that I would need to put recovery first above everything, because without recovery I would have nothing anyway. Even when Nancy and I got together, way back in 1998, I think I had 4 months sobriety and I told Nancy that the program was the most important thing in my life and if she ever got in between my program and me that there would be a fight and she would lose. That's when she told me about her black belt in Al-Anon. Here we are, almost 29 years later and sobriety still comes first.

Thursday October 22, 2026 - Surrender

Good morning. Hanging in there. My thought for today is Surrender. It is defined as to stop resisting, fighting, or trying to control something and to accept a reality, outcome, or authority beyond our control. In a spiritual sense surrender means letting go of our insistence on controlling everything and placing our trust in God or a Higher Power. It doesn't mean becoming passive or abandoning responsibility. It means recognizing the difference between what we can change and what we cannot. In AA, surrender is often the beginning of genuine change. It means recognizing that our own efforts to control our drinking have failed and becoming willing to accept help. Surrender is not necessarily giving up. Sometimes it means giving up the fight that prevents us from moving forward. “Surrender is not the end of the struggle to live. It is the beginning of learning how to live without struggling against everything.”

Wednesday October 21, 2026 - Fear

Good morning. My thought for today is Fear. Along with pride, fear has been called a chief stumbling block to true progress. Pride says, I don't need to do that. Fear says, I better not do that. What if I screw it up? What if I disappoint everyone? Somewhere in our literature, I don't remember where, it calls our fear self centered fear because after all doesn't everything go back to step three. Self-centered fear is fear that we will either lose a thing we possess or fear that we will fail.....to get something we demand. Fear of failing is a very real fear, but in the end it is only a fear and not a reality. My best course of action through fear is to ask God to remove my fear and direct me to what He woukd have me do.

Tuesday October 20, 2026 - Procrastination

Good morning. Still sick. My thought for today is Procrastination.The AI definition of the word is putting off a task you meant to do, often until the last minute, even though you know that delaying the task will probably make it worse. And it is usually choosing something easier or more pleasant right now over the thing that's actually important. I'm working on that, I just need to reorganize the spice rack first. A friend of mine says procrastination is a five syllable word meaning sloth and we akk know that sloth is just laziness with a cool name. I woke up at 7 am, did my readings and my prayers. One thing led to another and here I am at 930, still writing my thought of the day. Procrastination? Maybe a little. Laziness? Maybe a lot. And I still didnt get that spice rack reorganized.

Monday October 19, 2026 - Envy

Good morning. My thought for today is Envy.  According to the dictionary, envy is an unpleasant emotion characterized by discontent, resentment, or longing aroused by someone else’s qualities, achievements, possessions, or perceived advantages. Simply put, I want what you have and I am angry because you have it and I don't. In AA literature it says, "If you have decided you want we have and are willing to go to any length to get it, then you are ready to take certain steps." It's almost an encouragement to be envious. But, it gives you the answer, it tells you what to do. If you want the sobriety time that I or others like me have, you'll have to put in the time, that's how we did it. If you want the connection to God that I or others like me have, you'll have to put in the work, do the steps. That's how we did it. 

Sunday October 18, 2026 - Self Restraint

Good morning. My thought for today is self restraint. It reminds that before I speak or act, I need to consider what I will do or say, so that I do not damage a friendship or other type of relationship. I had a situation happen yesterday that didn't make me angry, but I was disappointed. I stopped for a few minutes before I reacted and thought of her reasons and they made sense. I was then able to view the situation realistically and to handle it more maturely. I wish I was able to do that every time something happened that I did not like, but oh well I am a work in progress.

Saturday October 17, 2026 - Tradition Three

Good morning. My thought for today is Tradition Three. The only requirement for membership in AA is a desire to stop drinking. Some people are confused and think that says a desire not to drink. Those are two different things. If I have never had a drink in my life but have seen what it does to others in my life, then I might have a desire not to drink, but that does not mean I am alcoholic. I am grateful there were no other entrance requirements because when I got here I had nothing anyway. I did have a desire to stop drinking and I did stop drinking on November 30, 1997. You do the math.

Friday October 16, 2026 - Unity

My thought for today is Unity. Safeguarding the unity of the fellowship I am in, or the unity of the church I belong to or the relationship I have at home, with Nancy, all those things are important to me. I remember one time I cut the grass and made our lawn look nice. I went even further and cut my neighbours grass so that the whole corner would look nice. That was a way to practice unity in my neighbourhood. 

Thursday October 15, 2026 - Gratitude

My thought for today is gratitude. I am grateful every day, for the obvious things. Roof over our heads, food to eat. Sobriety, etc.Today, I am especially grateful that Nancy did not have a major illness and that it was just something that could be fixed with medication and puffers. I am also grateful for all the friends we obviously have who sent love and thoughts and prayers. It was a long day yesterday. We got to Emerg about 9:45 am and Nancy didn't walk back into our home until 8:15 pm. Somewhere along the way, I picked up that bug or maybe another one while at Emerg. I don't feel too sick at this point, so I'll just take buckleys. It tastes bad but it works. Gratitude, I'm told, is an action word. So, don't just tell me you're grateful. Show me you're grateful. I'm attending the men's lunch at church today and I baked cookies for that to let the men of the church know how grateful I am that they accept me.

Wednesday October 14, 2026 - Carry The Message

My thought for today is Carry the Message. It is the suggestion made in Step Twelve. I can do that when I tell my story to others, either by speaking at a meeting or even by sharing at a discussion meeting. I carry the message through sponsorship. I carry the message by doing service work and service work in AA is anything that helps to make a 12th step possible. It is all connected. I wondered in the beginning what "the message" was. It states that in the twelfth step. If I do the first eleven steps, I will get a spiritual awakening. I can get it suddenly or I can get the educational kind that happens over time. But, I will get it. Recovery in AA involves establishing a relationship with God. Considering the way my life had been before I recovered, why would I not want a relationship with God. The simplest message I have carried is that if I can do it, you can do it.

October 13, 2026 - Powerless

My thought for today is Powerless. The dictionary definition is lacking the strength, ability, or control to change or influence something. As an alcoholic I have lost the ability to control what will happen once I start drinking, despite my intentions or determination. Powerlessness is not the absence of choices. It is recognizing where our power ends. I always have choices. First and foremost I can choose not to drink and I can choose to seek help and I can choose to practice recovery. Alcoghol is not the only thing I am powerless over. I am also powerless over people, places, and things. In the serenity prayer it talks about things I cannot change or control - other people - and about having the courage to change the things I can - myself. So, again, I have choices. I can choose to live in the solution or to die by staying in the problem. Most good ideas are simple.

October 12, 2026 - Listen to Learn

My thought for today is another slogan. Listen to Learn. Sometimes I think I have all the answers and that I no longer need to listen to what my sponsor says or to follow what my higher power is directing me to do. It is at those times that I ought to listen more and by listening I may learn more. A common spin on that slogan is Learn to Listen. 

October 11, 2026 - First Things First

Good morning! Happy Thanksgiving! My thought for today is First Things First. As a slogan, first things first reminds me that first and foremost I need to stay sober because without sobriety, I will have nothing else anyway. One of the ways I stay sober is through prayer, meditation, and reflection. My morning practice of that keeps me centered. It helps me remember that every day is a day to bring the vision of god's will into all my activities.

October 10, 2026 - Gossip

My thought for today is Gossip. It's nobody's friend, that's for sure. It has even be called a polite form of murder by character assassination. I like to think I'm helping someone when they're not there. Sometimes I should just mind my own business. What's that old saying? When I am pointing a finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at me. At the end of the day, gossip is not an attempt to help them, it is an attempt to make us look good by pointing out that at least we don't do what they are doing. But, is what we are doing any better? 

October 9, 2026 - Third Step Prayer

My thought for today is the Third Step Prayer. "God, I offer myself to you, to build with me and do with me as you will. Relieve me of the bondage of self so that I may better do your will. Take away my difficulties, so that victory over them will bear witness to Your power, Your love and Your way of life. May I do Your will always. Amen." When I took the third step, which was in the form of a prayer, I made a decision that I would do what I thought God as I understood Him wanted me to do. I asked to be freed from the bondage of self, from the prison that selfishness and self-centeredness had placed me in, where it had kept me locked away from the sunlight of His spirit and i asked for freedom from that so I would be able to do better what I thought was His will. I also asked for God as I understood God to take away my difficulties, my selfishness, my dishonesty, my anger, my fear and vowed that if He could do that, then I would be a living testament to His power, His love, and His way of life. He has kept His word, now it is my turn to do as I said I would do. can I get a Amen.

October 8, 2026 - Surrender

My thought for today is Surrender. The defintion of surrender is the act of relinquishing control, power, or possession to another authority, force, or circumstance. On December 4, 1997, I surrendered control of my alcoholism to a power greater than myself. A little later, on January 29, 1998, I surrendered control of my life to that same higher power. Back then, I was sober but homeless and I said the Third Step Prayer when I was under the bridge. From that day until this, my life has been noticeably different. For one thing, I have not taken a drink or a drug and I have not wanted to take either. And that in itself is enough, to have silenced the voice that always spoke to me.

October 7, 2026 - God as I Understand Him

My thought for today is God as I understand Him. The dictionary definition of God is the supreme or almighty reality; the ultimate creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe. In major monotheistic traditions, God is understood to be a singular, eternal spirit who is perfect in power, wisdom, and absolute goodness. As a boy, I was raised to be Anglican. I went to Sunday School, followed the Ten Commandments, etc. At the age of twelve, I joined a street gang and stopped going to church. It would be over 50 years before I returned. During my separation from God, I did try to make my way back home a few times, trying various interpretations and finding all of them lacking somehow. In the end, I went back to the God I grew up with, the Christian God whose son gave his life for our sins. But, that is the God that I understand. It might not be the God that you understand and maybe you do not even understand God. Maybe you are still trying to find your way home. Or maybe you still trudge the Black Road of spiritual darkness. I have been on that road and it is not a pleasant space. I do not pretend to know all there is to know about God, but I know a lot more now then I knew when I was in the darkness. 

October 6, 2026 - Self-Seeking

My thought for today is self-seeking. Self-seeking means being primarily concerned with getting what I want or need—my advantage, recognition, comfort, control, or satisfaction—sometimes without adequately considering how it affects others. The Big Book reminds me that selfishness and self-centeredness is the root of my trouble, that I am driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking and self-pity. That is an indirect quote from page 62. I must be careful that I do not hide self-seeking with self-care. Maybe I hide a selfish motive behind a selfless act. I can ask myself "Am I trying to be helpful here or am I trying to control the outcome?"

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October 5, 2026 - Insanity

My thought for today is Insanity. Some people credit Albert Einstein as saying that the definition of insanity is Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Websters dictionary defines insanity as a state of severe mental disturbance or irrationality. I heard a speaker from Kentucky say that the definition of insanity was being in a twelve step program and not doing the twelve steps. I don't know which definition is appropriate. I do know that insofar as drinking was concerned, my attitude toward it was strangely insane. I drank regardless of what the consequences would be and even though I sometimes knew what the consequences would be, I drank anyway. Step Two reminds me that I can come to believe that a Power greater than myself will restore me to sanity, so there is a solution to my problem.

October 4, 2026 - Intimacy

My thought for today is Intimacy. Intimacy is a feeling of deep closeness, trust, openness, and connection between people. It involves allowing another person to know something of your genuine inner self—your thoughts, feelings, hopes, fears, vulnerabilities, and experiences—and feeling safe enough to be known. Intimacy is not always sexual or romantic closeness but can also be of a spiritual nature or it can be intellectual or emotional. Simply put, it is the closeness that develops when we allow ourselves to know and be known by another. A popular pun is Into Me See.

October 3, 2026 - Humility

My thought for today is Humility. The first thing that comes to mind is that humility is not thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less. Humility is having an honest understanding of myself without needing to think of myself as either better or worse than I really am. Humility, to me, is not having all the answers and being open to guidance, change, and service to others.

October 2, 2026 - Keep it simple

My thought for today is Keep it Simple. It is easy for me to complicate the shit out of things, so I try to keep all things simple. The thing for me to remember is I am an alcoholic. I have not had a drink for 10, 533 days, but that does not mean that it is safe for me to take one. I begin each day with prayer, meditation, and reflection. Every day. Not just the days when it's convenient, but every day. I go to a meeting every day and again not when it is convenient, but every day. I do a tenth step every evening. these are the things I did to get sober in the first place so to keep my day to day life simple, these are the things I continue to do each day. Complacency is a tricky foe and will complicate my life if given the opportunity.

October 1, 2026 - Easy Does It But Do It

My thought for today is Easy Does It...But Do It. I'm supposed to start working on my garden today, getting it ready for the winter. It needs to be weeded, and I have fresh soil to put on it and some tulip bulbs to plant in the new soil. It will be a lot of work and I'll need to take it easy as I do it, making sure I don't over extend myself, but I'll also need to be sure that I do it.That's what this slogan reminds me. Don't take on too much, but at least do what is required of me.