From the books ... Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12 & 12)
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to display the full page from the Big Book1.
... before.
12&12 p.37,
Step Three
2.
... before.
12&12 p.62,
Step Five
3.
... before.
12&12 p.98,
Step Eleven
It is to be hoped that every
A.A. who has a religious connection which emphasizes meditation
will return to the practice of that devotion
as never before.
4.
... before.
12&12 p.116,
Step Twelve
5.
... before.
12&12 p.130,
Tradition One
6.
... before.
BB p.8,
Bill's Story
7.
... before.
BB p.22,
There Is A Solution
8.
... before.
BB p.43,
More About Alcoholism
I have since been brought into a way of living infinitely more satisfying and, I hope, more useful than the life I lived before.
9.
... before.
BB p.51,
We Agnostics
This world of ours has made more material progress in the
last century than in all
the millenniums which went before.
10.
... before?
BB p.51,
We Agnostics
11.
... before.
BB p.108,
To Wives
12.
... before.
BB p.137,
To Employers
13.
... before."
BB p.157,
A Vision For You
14.
... before.
BB xxxi(xxix),
The Doctor's Opinion
I talked with him for some time, but was not able to bring myself to feel that I had known him before.
15.
... before.
BB p.175,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
I drank with moderation
at first, but it took me only
a relatively short time to drift back into the old habits which had wound up so disastrously before.
16.
... before an
awful shriek would go up ...
12&12 p.158,
Tradition Six
17.
... before an
open window, or the medicine ...
BB p.6,
Bill's Story
Again I swayed dizzily before an open window, or the medicine cabinet where
there was poison, cursing
myself for a weakling.
18.
... before and
after make clear three pertinent ...
BB p.60,
How It Works
Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to
the agnostic, and our personal adventures
before and after make clear three pertinent ideas:
19.
... before, and
if they have not been, ...
12&12 p.38,
Step Three
They should have been weaned long before, and if they have not
been, they should wake up to the
fact.
20.
... before any
God.
12&12 p.96,
Step Eleven
We well remember how something deep inside us kept rebelling against the idea of bowing before any God.
21.
... before anyone.
BB p.83,
Into Action
22.
... before been
able to muster.
BB xvi,
Foreword to Second Edition
But when the broker gave him
Dr. Silkworth's description of alcoholism and its hopelessness, the physician began to pursue the spiritual remedy for his malady with a
willingness he had never before been able to muster.
23.
... before civic
organizations, church groups, and medical ...
12&12 p.186,
Tradition Twelve
Soon, groups began to receive requests for A.A. speakers to appear before civic organizations, church
groups, and medical societies.
24.
... before conquering
alcohol, are on the wrong ...
BB p.98,
Working With Others
25.
... before considering
the result.
BB p.140,
To Employers
26.
... before daylight.
BB p.8,
Bill's Story
27.
... before during
this particular dry spell, so ...
BB p.41,
More About Alcoholism
I had been out of town before during this particular dry spell, so there was nothing
new about that.
28.
Before going
into a detailed discussion, it ...
BB p.20,
There Is A Solution
29.
... before going
to bed, so I stepped ...
BB p.41,
More About Alcoholism
When I returned to the hotel it struck me a highball would be fine before going to bed, so I stepped into the bar and had one.
30.
... before going
to sleep, many of us ...
12&12 p.93,
Step Ten
When evening comes, perhaps just before going to sleep, many of us draw up a balance sheet for the day.
31.
... before he
died; these recollections welled up ...
BB p.10,
Bill's Story
I could almost hear the sound of the preacher's voice as I sat, on still Sundays, way over there on the hillside; there was that proffered temperance
pledge I never signed; my grandfather's
good natured contempt of some church folk and their doings; his insistence that the spheres really had their music; but his denial of the
preacher's right to tell him how he must listen; his fearlessness as he spoke
of these things just before he died; these recollections welled
up from the past.
32.
... before he
drank so much, and to ...
BB p.126,
The Family Afterward
They expect him to give them
the nice times they used to have before he drank so much, and to show his contrition for
what they suffered.
33.
... before he
had hanged himself in his ...
BB p.137,
To Employers
34.
... before he
is approached, as he has ...
BB xxvi(xxiv),
The Doctor's Opinion
More often than not, it is imperative that a man's brain be cleared before he is approached, as he
has then a better chance
of understanding and accepting what we have to offer.
35.
... before he
is himself.
BB p.567(569),
Appendix II, Spiritual Experience
36.
... before him?
BB p.154,
A Vision For You
Of course he couldn't drink, but why not sit hopefully at a table, a bottle of ginger ale before him?
37.
... before him
a way to stop his ...
BB p.108,
To Wives
Especially when he has before him a way to stop his drinking and abuse if he really wants to pay the price.
38.
... before his
Creator guilty of such ruinous ...
BB p.80,
Into Action
After consulting with
his wife and partner he came to the conclusion that
it was better to take those risks than to stand before his Creator guilty of such ruinous slander.
39.
... before his
time.
BB p.21,
There Is A Solution
40.
... before I
could venture out of the ...
BB p.175,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
Finally my father had to
send a doctor out from my home town who managed to get me back there in some way, and I was in bed about two months before I could venture out of the house.
41.
... before I
was drinking at least a ...
BB p.177,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
42.
... before I
would be quite unfit for ...
BB p.176,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
Occasionally, I would yield to the morning craving, but if I did, it would be only a few hours before I would be quite unfit for work.
43.
... before it
is suspected.
BB p.24,
There Is A Solution
44.
Before long,
your listener may well tell ...
12&12 p.62,
Step Five
Before long, your listener may well tell a story or two about himself which will place you even more at ease.
45.
... before me.
BB p.10,
Bill's Story
46.
... before me,
and he made the point-blank ...
BB p.11,
Bill's Story
But my friend sat before me, and he made the point-blank declaration that God had done for him what he could not do for himself.
47.
... before microphones
and cameras.
12&12 p.185,
Tradition Twelve
48.
... before Mother's
Day and I had come ...
BB p.179,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
It was the day before Mother's Day and I had come home plastered, carrying a big potted plant which I set down on the table and forthwith went upstairs and passed out.
49.
... before on
his unaided strength and resources ...
12&12 p.107,
Step Twelve
When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening,
the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do before on his unaided strength and resources
alone.
50.
... before our
drinking got bad and people ...
12&12 p.57,
Step Five
Even before our drinking got bad and people began to cut us off, nearly all of us suffered
the feeling that we didn't quite belong.
51.
... before our
sponsor or spiritual adviser, earnestly ...
12&12 p.86,
Step Nine
Do we lay the matter before our sponsor or spiritual adviser, earnestly asking God's help and guidance -- meanwhile resolving to do the right
thing when it becomes clear, cost what it may?
52.
... before personalities."
12&12 p.184,
Tradition Twelve
"Anonymity is the spiritual foundation
of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities."
53.
... before personalities.
BB p.562(564),
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition
Twelve -- Anonymity is
the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
54.
... before personalities;
that we are actually to ...
12&12 p.192,
Tradition Twelve (Long)
It reminds us that we are to place principles before personalities; that
we are actually to practice a genuine humility.
55.
... before personalities;
that we are actually to ...
BB p.566(568),
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition
It reminds us that we are to place principles before personalities; that
we are actually to practice a genuine humility.
56.
... before personalities,
without exception.
12&12 p.187,
Tradition Twelve
57.
... before possible.
12&12 p.16,
Foreword
The second section of
this volume, though designed for A.A.'s membership, will give such inquirers an inside view of A.A. never before possible.
58.
... before psychological
measures can be of maximum ...
BB xxviii(xxvi),
The Doctor's Opinion
Of course an alcoholic
ought to be freed from his
physical craving for liquor, and this often requires a definite hospital procedure,
before psychological
measures can be of maximum benefit.
59.
... before scores
of people.
12&12 p.142,
Tradition Three
60.
... before serenity.
12&12 p.94,
Step Ten
How heartily we A.A.'s can
agree with him, for we know
that the pains of drinking had to come before sobriety, and emotional turmoil before serenity.
61.
... before sobriety,
and emotional turmoil before serenity.
12&12 p.94,
Step Ten
How heartily we A.A.'s can
agree with him, for we know
that the pains of drinking had to come before sobriety, and emotional turmoil before serenity.
62.
... before some
trivial reason for having a ...
BB p.42,
More About Alcoholism
They had said that though I
did raise a defense, it
would one day give way before some trivial reason for having a drink.
63.
Before tackling
the inventory problem in detail, ...
12&12 p.43,
Step Four
Before tackling the inventory problem in detail, let's have a closer look at what the basic problem is.
64.
Before taking
drastic action which might implicate ...
BB p.80,
Into Action
65.
... before taking
this step making sure we ...
BB p.63,
How It Works
We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we
could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him.
66.
... before that
we could not lend the ...
12&12 p.159,
Tradition Six
67.
... before the
bottle cut us down.
12&12 p.45,
Step Four
No doubt we shall point with pride to the good lives we thought we led before the bottle cut us down.
68.
... before the
dawn!
BB p.8,
Bill's Story
69.
... before the
egg.
12&12 p.97,
Step Eleven
70.
... before the
general public.
12&12 p.187,
Tradition Twelve
Moved by the spirit of anonymity, we try to give up our natural desires for personal distinction
as A.A. members both among fellow alcoholics and
before the general public.
71.
... before the
general public that alcoholics in ...
BB xviii,
Foreword to Second Edition
Then Jack Alexander wrote a feature article in the Saturday Evening Post and placed such a compelling picture of A.A. before the general public that alcoholics in need of help really deluged us.
72.
... before the
horse; we shall be pulled ...
12&12 p.114,
Step Twelve
If we place instincts first, we have got the cart before the horse; we shall be pulled backward into disillusionment.
73.
... before the
onset of extreme difficulties, he ...
12&12 p.23,
Step One
After a few such experiences, often years before the onset of extreme difficulties,
he would return to us convinced.
74.
... before the
whole public.
12&12 p.187,
Tradition Twelve
We simply couldn't afford
to take the chance of letting self-appointed members present themselves as messiahs representing
A.A. before the whole public.
75.
... before the
world.
BB xvii,
Foreword to Second Edition
It was now time, the struggling groups thought, to place their message and unique experience before the world.
76.
Before then,
I had written lots of ...
BB p.5,
Bill's Story
Before then, I had written
lots of sweet promises, but my wife happily observed that this
time I meant business.
77.
... before they
really commence to solve their ...
BB p.43,
More About Alcoholism
Most alcoholics have to be pretty badly mangled before they really commence to solve their problems.
78.
... before those
we have harmed, but amends ...
12&12 p.86,
Step Nine
We needn't wallow in excessive remorse before those we have harmed, but amends at this level should always be forthright and generous.
79.
... before us
in black and white.
BB p.67,
How It Works
80.
... before us
in our respective homes, occupations ...
BB p.19,
There Is A Solution
A much more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes, occupations and affairs.
81.
... before us
was the question "How anonymous ...
12&12 p.185,
Tradition Twelve
82.
... before we
are half way through.
BB p.83,
Into Action
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development,
we will be amazed before we are half way through.
83.
Before we
ask what a spot-check inventory ...
12&12 p.90,
Step Ten
Before we ask what a spot-check inventory is, let's look at the kind of setting in which such an inventory can do its work.
84.
Before we
begin, we ask God to ...
BB p.86,
Into Action
Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it
be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.
85.
... before we
choose the person or persons ...
BB p.74,
Into Action
Rightly and naturally,
we think well before we choose the person or persons with whom
to take this intimate and
confidential step.
86.
Before we
leveled off a bit, A.A. ...
12&12 p.177,
Tradition Ten
Before we leveled off a bit, A.A. looked more like one prodigious squabble
than anything else, at least on the surface.
87.
... before we
realized it we were out ...
12&12 p.23,
Step One
By going back in our own drinking histories, we could show
that years before we realized it we were out of control, that our drinking
even then was no mere habit, that it was indeed the beginning of a
fatal progression.
88.
... before we
try to move toward it.
12&12 p.100,
Step Eleven
Well, meditation is like that, too; it helps to envision our spiritual
objective before we try to move toward it.
89.
... before you
start and that your motive ...
BB p.102,
Working With Others
But be sure you are on solid
spiritual ground before you start and that your motive in going is thoroughly good.
90.
... before your
fire.
BB p.110,
To Wives
Passages from the Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous
and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
are reprinted with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
The A.A. Preamble, copyright ©
The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., is reprinted with permission.
Permission to reprint does not in any way imply affiliation with or
endorsement by either Alcoholics Anonymous or The A.A. Grapevine, Inc.
Copyright © 2005-2012, Recovery Press LLC; All Rights Reserved.