Aim for perfection - Settle for excellence

In AA in my experience

The impossible has become possible
Not by accident

I have had to put in the work
I have had to be openminded
I have had to trust God (of my understnading)
I have had to do all the steps
I have to continue to practice the principles in all my affairs
Go for Gold
Go to anylengths in all life areas
make a decision to turn all my difficulties over to this
Keep on Keeping on
Know God Know Peace

"Aim for perfection, or strive for perfection and settle for excellence"
is something I heard the other evening when I spent time
with a group of musicians

or

We claim spiritual progress not spiritual perfection P60

It reminded me of how easy it can be to believe that this is our lot
Is this it ?
As humans we have very limited thinking
In AA you showed me how to open my mind
How to fire up my imagination
Infact you probably lit the fire and fanned it
at times when i dint couldnt or wouldnt

heres whats on offer IN MY EXPERIENCE in AA
I agree and its IS excellent and its Free
In AA you can have all of this and more!!
Am sure you will find more, as they ARE revealed to you

If you are a pesimist, cynical and skeptical,
you may be thinking
"oh its too long to read yawn, and its God stuff again
i'll never get that lot"
How about reading it anyway?

There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
- Herbert Spencer P570

We want to leave you with the feeling that no situation is too difficult and no unhappiness too great to be overcome. p105

We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free.P133

Stick with the winners AA Q&A Sponsorship P9
He had that starry-eyed look. Yes, the old boy was on fire all right.P9

Half measures availed us nothing P59

This dream world has been replaced by a great sense of purpose p130

He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. P63

Yet we do go to great extremes to provide each other with these very things, when such action is warranted.p98

We found the Great Reality deep down within us.P55

Every one of them has gained access to, and believe in, a Power greater than himself. This Power has in each case accomplished the miraculous, the humanly impossible.P50

Here are thousands of men and women, worldly indeed. They flatly declare that since they have come to believe in a Power greater than themselves, to take a certain attitude toward that Power, and to do certain simple things.P50

There has been a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking.P50

In the face of collapse and despair, in the face of the total failure of their human resources, they found that a new power, peace, happiness, and sense of direction flowed into them.p50

This happened soon after they wholeheartedly met a few simple requirements. P50

There you will find release from care, boredom and worry. P152

Your imagination will be fired. P152

Life will mean something at last.P152

Life will take on new meaning.P90

To watch people recover to see them help others P90

to watch loneliness vanish P90

to see a fellowship grow up about you P90

to have a host of friends-this is an experience you must not miss. P90

we found ourselves accepting many things which then seemed entirely out of reach p47

We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built. P47

When we sincerely took such a position, all sorts of remarkable things followed P63

When many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith.p51

Show any longshoreman a Sunday supplement describing a proposal to explore the moon by means of a rocket and he will say, "I bet they do it-maybe not so long either." p52 (written in the 1930's)

When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did. p52

The Wright brothers´ almost childish faith that they could build a machine which would fly was the mainspring of their accomplishment. Without that, nothing could have happened.p52

We had seen spiritual release p55

Yet we had been seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose above their problems p55

think honestly, encourages you to search diligently within yourself, then, if you wish, you can join us on the Broad Highway. With this attitude you cannot fail.p55

This man recounts that he tumbled out of bed to his knees. In a few seconds he was overwhelmed by a conviction of the Presence of God. It poured over and through him with the certainty and majesty of a great tide at flood. The barriers he had built through the years were swept away. He stood in the Presence of Infinite Power and Love. He had stepped from bridge to shore. For the first time, he lived in conscious companionship with his Creator.

Thus was our friend´s cornerstone fixed in place. No later vicissitude has shaken it. His alcoholic problem was taken away. That very night, years ago, appeared. Save for a few brief moments of temptation the though of drink has never returned; and at such times a great revulsion has risen up in him. Seemingly he could not drink even if he would. God had restored his sanity. p56

What is this but a miracle of healing? p57

Even so has God restored us all to our right minds.p57

But He has come to all who have honestly sought Him.p57

That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God´s universe.p25

our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous p25

He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves. p25

Father feels he has struck something better than gold.p129

Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds.p129

Father feels he has struck something better than gold.p129

The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.p83

we will know peace p84

No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others p84

That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.p84

We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

Self-seeking will slip away.p84

Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.p84

Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.p84

We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.p84

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.p84

And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone-even alcohol p84

For by this time sanity will have returned. p84

We will seldom be interested in liquor.p84

We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it.p85

We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation.p85

We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality—safe and protected.p85

Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid.p85

That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition.p85

It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.p85

Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. “How can I best serve Thee-Thy will (not mine) be done.” These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.p85

If we have carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us. p85

We have begun to develop this vital sixth sense. But we must go further and that means more action.p85

We are convinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most powerful health restorative.P133

We have found nothing incompatible between a powerful spiritual experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness. P130

Defeat seemed certain. Yet often such men had spectacular and powerful recoveries. P113

Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well.p63

A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, a design for living that really works.p28

What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God. p28

We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed p25

I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. p8

I was to know happiness, peace, and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes.p8

I stood in the sunlight at last.p12

These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric p14

There was a sense of victory, followed by such a peace and serenity as I had never know.p14

There was utter confidence. p14

I felt lifted up, as though the great clean wind of a mountain top blew through and through p14

The joy of living we really have, even under pressure and difficulty. p15

There is scarcely any form of trouble and misery which has not been overcome among us. P15

Most of us feel we need look no further for Utopia. We have it with us right here and now. Each day my friend´s simple talk in our kitchen multiplies itself in a widening circle of peace on earth and good will to men. P16

If God can solve the age-old riddle of alcoholism, He can solve your problems too.P116

When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe P52

Quite as important was the discovery that spiritual principles would solve all my problems. P42

If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it-then you are ready to take certain steps.p58

Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery: p59

God will constantly disclose more to you and to us.p163

See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us. p163

Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. p163

Still you may say: "But I will not have the benefit of contact with you who wrote this book." We cannot be sure. God will determine that, so you must remember that your real reliance is always upon Him. He will show you how to create the fellowship you crave. P163

May God bless you and keep you-until then. P163

I never thought it would be excellent
But it is, it really is

Do not delay dudes
do Steps 1-12
and Keep on Keeping on:)
maintain
Improve
Carry the message

Ps. Course tutor is now on the hunt for my entrance exam
paper.... And Acceptance is the Answer P417

And dont take yourself so damn seriously :D

All page refs AA big Book 4th edition
Except AA Q&A on sponsorship leaflet link