From the books ... Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12 & 12)
Click
to display the full page from the Big Book1.
... better.
12&12 p.30,
Step Two
2.
... better.
12&12 p.38,
Step Three
Each of us has had his own near-fatal encounter with the juggernaut of self-will, and has suffered enough under its weight to be willing to look for something better.
3.
... better.
12&12 p.137,
Tradition Two
4.
... better.
BB p.30,
More About Alcoholism
5.
... better.
BB p.75,
Into Action
6.
... better?
BB p.86,
Into Action
What could we have done better?
7.
... better.
BB p.92,
Working With Others
8.
... better.
BB p.94,
Working With Others
9.
... better.
BB p.109,
To Wives
10.
... better.
BB p.120,
To Wives
11.
... better.
BB p.141,
To Employers
If you are sure your man does
not want to stop, he may as well be discharged, the sooner the better.
12.
... better.
BB p.147,
To Employers
So, for one reason or another, they cover these men, hoping matters will take a turn for the better.
13.
... better able
to understand Him.
12&12 p.109,
Step Twelve
The persistent use of meditation and prayer, we
found, did open the channel so that where there had been a trickle, there now was a river which led to sure power and safe guidance from God as we were increasingly better able to understand Him.
14.
... better and
happier.
12&12 p.90,
Step Ten
For these minutes and sometimes hours spent in self-examination are bound to
make all the other hours of our day better and happier.
15.
... better, and
his wife would leave him ...
12&12 p.152,
Tradition Five
He shouts that if his partner would treat him better, and his wife would leave him alone, he'd soon solve his alcohol problem.
16.
... better, and
resolve with God's help to ...
12&12 p.94,
Step Ten
Here we need only recognize that we did act or
think badly, try to visualize how we might
have done better, and resolve with God's help to carry these lessons over into tomorrow, making, of course, any amends still neglected.
17.
... better, as
everyone should have a clear ...
BB p.112,
To Wives
You think he ought to know the subject better, as everyone should have
a clear understanding of the risk he takes if he drinks too much.
18.
... better as
he tried to improve his ...
12&12 p.105,
Step Eleven
Almost any experienced A.A. will tell how his affairs have taken remarkable and unexpected turns for the
better as he tried to improve his conscious contact with God.
19.
... better attitude
toward him, we are still ...
BB p.77,
Into Action
It may be he has done us more
harm than we have done him
and, though we may have acquired a better attitude toward him, we are
still not too keen about admitting our faults.
20.
... better basis,
since the former did not ...
BB p.99,
Working With Others
If their old relationship is to be resumed it must be on a better basis, since the former did not work.
21.
... better be
found out right away.
BB p.120,
To Wives
22.
... better be
postponed, when possible, to times ...
12&12 p.91,
Step Ten
The consideration of long-standing difficulties had better
be postponed, when possible, to times deliberately set aside for that purpose.
23.
... better bet.
BB p.91,
Working With Others
24.
... better, by
as direct contact as possible.
12&12 p.108,
Step Twelve
In Step Eleven we saw that if a Higher Power had restored us to sanity and had enabled us to
live with some peace of mind in a sorely troubled world, then such a Higher Power was worth knowing better, by as direct contact as possible.
25.
... better Catholics."
BB p.572(574),
Appendix V, The Religious View on A.A.
There is something spiritual about A.A. too, and
Catholic participation in it almost invariably results in poor Catholics becoming better Catholics."
26.
... better chance
of getting what we really ...
12&12 p.72,
Step Seven
With a proper display of
honesty and morality,
we'd stand a better chance of getting what we really wanted.
27.
... better chance
of understanding and accepting what ...
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.
28.
... better chance
that the head of the ...
BB p.97,
Working With Others
Should they accept and practice spiritual principles, there is a much
better chance that the head of the family will recover.
29.
... better do
one thing supremely well than ...
12&12 p.150,
Tradition Five
30.
... better do
some Twelfth Step work.
12&12 p.151,
Tradition Five
31.
... better do
Thy will.
BB p.63,
How It Works
32.
... better for
him to feel fully responsible.
BB p.143,
To Employers
33.
... better for
us than some of our ...
12&12 p.182,
Tradition Eleven
There was actually a time
when the press of America
thought the anonymity
of A.A. was better for us than
some of our own members did.
34.
... better get
his brand of spirituality while ...
BB p.128,
The Family Afterward
He may tell mother, who has
been religious all her life, that she doesn't know what
it's all about, and that she had better get his brand of spirituality while there
is yet time.
35.
... better go
to Canada.
BB p.4,
Bill's Story
36.
... better hang
on to it.
BB p.14,
Bill's Story
But you had better hang on to
it.
37.
... better. Having
a better time."
BB p.151,
A Vision For You
Now and then a serious drinker, being dry at the moment says, "I don't miss it at all. Feel better. Work better. Having a better time."
38.
... better, however,
that one does not needlessly ...
BB p.82,
Into Action
39.
... better husbands
and fathers than ever before.
BB p.108,
To Wives
40.
... better idea
of how you ought to ...
BB p.91,
Working With Others
41.
... better if
placed in such physical condition ...
BB p.143,
To Employers
Your man will fare better if placed in such physical condition that
he can think straight and
no longer craves liquor.
42.
... better in
order to keep our balance.
12&12 p.92,
Step Ten
Although these attitudes are common enough, we A.A.'s find we need something much better in order to keep our balance.
43.
... better, it
is usually safe to talk ...
12&12 p.85,
Step Nine
As soon as we begin to feel confident in our new way of life and have begun, by our behavior and example, to
convince those about us
that we are indeed changing for the better, it
is usually safe to talk in complete frankness with those who
have been seriously affected, even those who may be only a little
or not at all aware of what we have done to them.
44.
... better job
of living than he has.
12&12 p.118,
Step Twelve
45.
... better jobs
when we deserved them; we ...
12&12 p.121,
Step Twelve
We forgot that most alcoholics in A.A. have an earning power considerably above average; we forgot the immense goodwill of our brother A.A.'s who were only too
eager to help us to better jobs when we deserved them; we forgot
the actual or potential
financial insecurity of every human being in the world.
46.
... better leave.
BB p.108,
To Wives
47.
... better life
is when lived on a ...
BB p.116,
To Wives
48.
Better men
than we are using it ...
BB p.85,
Into Action
49.
... better motive,
had we not worshipfully beheld ...
BB p.54,
We Agnostics
50.
... better motive
than to be secure and ...
12&12 p.67,
Step Six
And how often we work hard with no better motive than to be secure and slothful later on -- only we call that
"retiring."
51.
... better next
time, but I might as ...
BB p.6,
Bill's Story
As the whisky rose to my head I told myself I would manage better next time, but I might as well get good and drunk then.
52.
... better philosophy
of life were sufficient to ...
BB p.44,
We Agnostics
If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome
alcoholism, many of us
would have recovered long
ago.
53.
... better position.
BB p.146,
To Employers
An alcoholic who has recovered, but holds a relatively unimportant job, can talk to a man with a better position.
54.
... better practical
use of it.
BB p.130,
The Family Afterward
Nothing will help the man who is off on a spiritual tangent so much as the wife who adopts a sane spiritual program, making a better practical use of it.
55.
... better qualified
to handle it.
12&12 p.90,
Step Ten
56.
... better realization
of the gravity of the ...
BB p.103,
Working With Others
Some day we hope that Alcoholics Anonymous
will help the public to a better realization of the gravity of the alcoholic
problem, but we shall be
of little use if our attitude is one of bitterness or hostility.
57.
... better researcher,
educator, personnel officer, then why ...
12&12 p.171,
Tradition Eight
If an A.A. member acting as a citizen can become a better researcher, educator,
personnel officer,
then why not?
58.
... better return
and continue my work.
BB p.173,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
When I got the fog out of my brain, I decided that quitting school was very foolish and that I had better
return and continue my
work.
59.
... better self.
BB p.108,
To Wives
60.
... better taught
in religious matters than I.
12&12 p.153,
Tradition Five
61.
... better than
anything we could have planned.
BB p.100,
Working With Others
When we look back, we realize that the things
which came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than anything we could have planned.
62.
... better than
gold.
BB p.129,
The Family Afterward
63.
... better than
most of my fellow drinkers, ...
BB p.172,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
I seemed to be able to snap back the next morning better than most of my fellow drinkers, who were cursed
(or perhaps blessed)
with a great deal of morning-after nausea.
64.
... better than
the best he had ever ...
BB p.11,
Bill's Story
Then he had, in effect, been raised from the dead, suddenly taken from the scrap heap to a level of life better than the best he had ever known!
65.
... better than
the way you were."
BB p.14,
Bill's Story
66.
... better that
he have no relapse at ...
BB p.120,
To Wives
Though it is infinitely better that he
have no relapse at all, as
has been true with many of our
men, it is by no means a bad thing in some cases.
67.
... better, the
doctor might suggest a visit ...
BB p.91,
Working With Others
68.
... better things.
12&12 p.111,
Step Twelve
These will appear as big setbacks at the time, but will be seen later as stepping-stones to better things.
69.
... better things.
12&12 p.149,
Tradition Four
70.
... better things
tomorrow will be the permanent ...
12&12 p.95,
Step Ten
An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and
a willingness to try for
better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.
71.
... better things,
we believe we will be ...
BB p.70,
How It Works
If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson.
72.
... better time."
BB p.151,
A Vision For You
Now and then a serious drinker, being dry at the moment says, "I don't miss it at all. Feel better. Work better. Having a better time."
73.
... better to
comfort than to be comforted, ...
12&12 p.103,
Step Eleven
At these critical moments, if we remind ourselves that "it is better
to comfort than to be comforted, to understand than to be understood, to love than to
be loved," we will be following the intent of Step Eleven.
74.
... better to
forgive than to be forgiven.
12&12 p.101,
Step Eleven
He thought it better to give comfort than to receive it; better to understand than to be understood; better to forgive than to be forgiven.
75.
... better to
give comfort than to receive ...
12&12 p.101,
Step Eleven
He thought it better to give comfort than to receive it; better to understand than to be understood; better to forgive than to be forgiven.
76.
... better to
let our friends do this ...
12&12 p.181,
Tradition Eleven
Obviously, A.A. had to be
publicized somehow,
so we resorted to the idea
that it would be far better to
let our friends do this for
us.
77.
... better to
let our friends recommend us.
12&12 p.192,
Tradition Eleven (Long)
78.
... better to
let our friends recommend us.
BB p.565(567),
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition
79.
... better to
let someone outside the family ...
BB p.113,
To Wives
80.
... better to
meet God alone than with ...
BB p.63,
How It Works
81.
... better to
risk it.
BB p.90,
Working With Others
The family may object to
this, but unless he is in a dangerous physical condition, it is better to
risk it.
82.
... better to
take those risks than to ...
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.
83.
... better to
understand than to be understood; ...
12&12 p.101,
Step Eleven
He thought it better to give comfort than to receive it; better to understand than to be understood; better to forgive than to be forgiven.
84.
... better understand
the alcoholic.
BB xiii,
Foreword to First Edition
85.
... better understanding
all around.
BB p.115,
To Wives
86.
... better understanding
all around.
BB p.137,
To Employers
We think the business fabric is shot through with a situation
which might be helped by better understanding all around.
87.
... better use
everyday language to describe spiritual ...
BB p.93,
Working With Others
When dealing with such a person, you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual principles.
88.
... better way
of life will emerge when ...
BB p.117,
To Wives
89.
... better way
-- we think so.
BB p.68,
How It Works
90.
... better, we'd
be all right.
12&12 p.46,
Step Four
91.
... better we'd
like it.
12&12 p.156,
Tradition Six
We'd form groups of depressive and paranoid
folks; the deeper the neurosis, the better we'd like it.
92.
... better, when
possible, to stick to our ...
BB p.125,
The Family Afterward
93.
... better without
its "God nonsense."
12&12 p.143,
Tradition Three
94.
... better. Work
better. Having a better time."
BB p.151,
A Vision For You
Now and then a serious drinker, being dry at the moment says, "I don't miss it at all. Feel better. Work better. Having a better time."
95.
... better work
with another alcoholic instead!
BB p.102,
Working With Others
96.
... better, you
may feel this feeling rising.
BB p.139,
To Employers
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.