Growth

 Growth

 

"We admitted that we were powerless—

that our lives had become unmanageable"

and "we made a decision to turn our wills and our lives

over to God as we understood Him.”

Every one of us who could make and fairly well

maintain this humbling admission and sweeping decision

had found relief from obsession

and had begun to grow into

a totally and wonderfully different mental,

physical, and spiritual existence.

 

Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age:

page 45, paragraph 2, and line 2.

 

So, these sometimes-frightening experiences

were not bad for us after all.

They helped everybody to grow.

 

Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age:

page 141, paragraph 4, and line 19.

 

...spiritual rebirth may be

the only alternative to extinction.

In the years ahead we shall, of course, make mistakes.

Experience has taught us

 that we need have no fear of doing this

providing that we always remain

willing to confess our faults

and to correct them promptly.

Our growth as individuals has depended upon

this healthy process of trial and error.

So will our growth as a fellowship.

Let us always remember

that any society of men and women

that cannot freely correct its own faults

must surely fall into decay if not into collapse.

Such is the universal penalty

 for the failure to go on growing.

Just as each A.A. must continue

to take his moral inventory and act upon it,

so must our whole society do if we are to survive

and if we are to serve usefully and well.

 

Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age:

page 230, paragraph 5, line 13.

 

The essence of all growth

 is a willingness to change for the better

and then an unremitting willingness

to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.

 

As Bill Sees It: page 115, paragraph 2.

 

The real question is whether we can

learn anything from our experiences

upon which we may grow

and help others to grow

in the likeness and image of God.

 

As Bill Sees It: page 159.

 

The willingness to grow

 is the essence of all spiritual development.

 

As Bill Sees It: page 171,

paragraph 2, line 6.

 

...the primary object of any human being is to grow,

 as God intended,

that being the nature of all growing things.

 

As Bill Sees It: page 294.

 

It was found that A.A. groups, like A.A. members,

didn't always have to learn through their own experience.

They could learn and grow through the experience of others.

 

Dr. Bob and the Good Old Timers:

page 259, paragraph 6, line 9.

 

...turned this bitter experience

into an opportunity for personal growth.

 

Pass It On: page 257, paragraph 2.

 

Such, after all, is the purpose of the trial and error

by which we all learn and grow.

 

The Language of the Heart:

page 46,

paragraph 1, line 3.

 

If poor in pocket, he could often be rich in spirit,

an eager worker and servant of our Society.

I now see that awakening and growing is something

that never need stop and that growing pains

are never to be feared,

provided I am willing to learn

 the truth about myself from them.

 

The Language of the Heart: page 235,

paragraph 2, line 13.

 

...a God who intends for me a purpose,

a meaning, and a destiny to grow...

 

The Language of the Heart:

page 266, paragraph 4, line 4.

 

A.A. has 12 Steps for recovery and for spiritual growth.

 

The Language of the Heart:

page 301, paragraph 3, line 4.

 

But the future would still lack its full use and meaning

did it not bring us fresh problems and even acute perils—

problems and perils through which we can grow

into true greatness of action and spirit.

 

The Language of the Heart:

page 320, paragraph 7.

 

We have to grow or else deteriorate.

The Language of the Heart:

 page 321, paragraph 4, line 5

The essence of all growth is a willingness to change

for the better

and then an unremitting willingness

to shoulder whatever the responsibility.

 

The Language of the Heart:

page 334,

paragraph 2, line 5.