“Every sponsor is necessarily a leader. The stakes are huge. A human life, and usually the happiness of a whole family, hangs in the balance. What the sponsor does and says, how well he estimates the reactions of his prospects, how well he times and makes his presentation, how well he handles criticisms and how well he leads his prospect on by personal spiritual example -- well, these attributes of leadership can make all the difference, often the difference between life and death.”

“A spiritual awakening is easy: any time any alcoholic anywhere understands any part of the truth, that’s a spiritual awakening.”

“Whenever I need strength I just step outside and look for a celestial body like the sun or a star. This allows me to experience again that wonderful feeling of union with my creator.”

“Forgiveness has healed my soul.”

“As individuals and as a Fellowship, we shall surely suffer if we cast the whole job of planning for tomorrow onto a kind Providence. God has endowed us human beings with considerable capability for foresight and he evidently expects us to use it. Therefore we must needs distinguish between wishful dreaming for a happy tomorrow and today's use of our powers of thoughtful estimate -- estimate of the kind which we trust will bring future progress rather than unforeseen woe.”

“Things today are not all ice cream and cake, but it is a new life ... I know that I am still one drink away from the unknown, but for my Higher Power, my sponsor, and the many people in AA who have faith in me.”

“I am a student of life just trying to learn how the universe works. The most powerful lesson I have learned is that it all happens inside me. My perception of any situation is in my control -- I have a choice about which way my mind will react. I try my best to look for positive solutions.”

“Joy comes from living the way my conscience tells me to live.”

“The day came when the members of AA started giving me compliments on how I was doing and the smiles I returned were genuine because I knew I was in fact doing better. I could finally face the woman in the mirror and smile and be absolutely overwhelmed by the gratitude toward God and the members of AA.”

“I can remember ... how the agonies of alcoholism, the pain of rebellion and thwarted pride, have often led me to God’s grace, and so to a new freedom.”

“The day we begin working the Steps, the bottom becomes the foundation.”

“Faith is never a necessity for AA membership ... sobriety can be achieved with an easily acceptable minimum of it ... our concepts of a higher power and God as we understand him afford everyone a nearly unlimited choice of spiritual belief and action.”

“I am easier led by example than ordered to obey. I am grateful to those who have shown me how [Tradition Two] works. Being a trusted servant is humbling. Being an equal part of a spiritual whole is enriching.”

“The Twelve Traditions were slowly evolved during an era when large-scale publicity was causing new groups to spring up like popcorn on a hot griddle. Many a power-driven ego ran hog-wild among us in those days, and it was the Traditions which finally brought order, coherence, and effective functioning out of the noisy anarchy which for a time threatened us with collapse.”

“I found a new definition of sanity. It was bigger than any definition I had heard concerning Step Two, but it was also bigger and better than my wildest imaginings. This sanity offered serenity, a feeling of wellness or well-being, possession of a center of balance from which to operate, and a feeling that my place in this world was just right.”