It must never be forgotten that the purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to sober up alcoholics. There is no religious or spiritual requirement for membership. No demands are made on anyone. An experience is offered which members may accept or reject. That is up to them.

Guilt is really the reverse side of the coin of pride. Guilt aims at self-destruction, and pride aims at the destruction of others.

Pain is the touchstone of all growth

Almost without exception alcoholics are tortured by loneliness.

In God's economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, we learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful though it is.

Because of our kinship in suffering, our channels of contact have always been charged with the language of the heart.

Is sobriety all that we are to expect of a spiritual awakening? No, sobriety is only a bare beginning; it is only the first gift of the first awakening. If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on. As it does go on, we find that bit by bit we can discard the old life - the one that did not work - for a new life that can and does work under any conditions whatever.