From the books ...
Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) and
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12 & 12)
WORK occurs
121 times
(
Definition from Merriam-Webster Online)
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1.
... work?
12&12 p.37,
Step Three
This
brave philosophy,
wherein each
man plays God,
sounds good in the
speaking, but it still has to
meet the
acid test: how well does it
actually work?
2.
... work.
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.
3.
... work.
12&12 p.110,
Step Twelve
Nor is this the only
kind of
Twelfth Step work.
4.
... work.
12&12 p.110,
Step Twelve
Whether our
audience is one or many, it is still
Twelfth Step work.
5.
... work.
12&12 p.110,
Step Twelve
There are many
opportunities even for those
of us who
feel unable to
speak at
meetings or who are
so
situated that we cannot do much
face-to-
face Twelfth Step work.
6.
... work?
12&12 p.112,
Step Twelve
Can we
actually carry the
A.A. spirit into our
daily work?
7.
... work.
12&12 p.112,
Step Twelve
We are
sober and
happy in
our
A.A. work.
8.
... work.
12&12 p.17,
Foreword
9.
... work.
12&12 p.142,
Tradition Three
10.
... work.
12&12 p.151,
Tradition Five
11.
... work.
12&12 p.170,
Tradition Eight
Yet not a
single one of them
had been
hired to do
A.A.'s
Twelfth Step work.
12.
... work.
12&12 p.187,
Tradition Twelve
13.
... work.
BB p.8,
Bill's Story
14.
... work.
BB p.10,
Bill's Story
15.
... work.
BB p.15,
Bill's Story
16.
... work.
BB p.19,
There Is A Solution
A few are
fortunate enough to be so
situated
that they can
give nearly
all their
time to the
work.
17.
... work.
BB p.22,
There Is A Solution
18.
... work.
BB p.52,
We Agnostics
19.
... work.
BB p.62,
How It Works
It didn't work.
20.
... work.
BB p.87,
Into Action
Many of us have
wasted a
lot
of
time doing that and it doesn't
work.
21.
... work.
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.
22.
... work.
BB p.119,
To Wives
23.
... work.
BB p.160,
A Vision For You
This
couple has since
become so
fascinated that
they have
dedicated their
home to the
work.
24.
... work against
marriage partnership and compatible union.
12&12 p.117,
Step Twelve
25.
... work against
their own deepest instinct.
12&12 p.64,
Step Six
They
work against their
own deepest instinct.
26.
... work almost
frantically upon alcoholics arriving in ...
BB xvii,
Foreword to Second Edition
27.
... work, and
even of their sleeping moments, ...
BB xxviii(xxvi),
The Doctor's Opinion
If any
feel that as
psychiatrists directing a
hospital for
alcoholics we
appear
somewhat
sentimental, let them
stand with us a while on the
firing line, see the
tragedies, the
despairing wives, the
little children; let the
solving of these
problems
become a
part of their
daily work, and even of their
sleeping moments, and the
most
cynical will not
wonder that we have
accepted and
encouraged
this
movement.
28.
... work and
live together.
12&12 p.178,
Tradition Ten
They were just
part and
parcel of
learning to
work and
live together.
29.
... work and
self-sacrifice for others, he could ...
BB p.15,
Bill's Story
30.
... work and
the chances it may afford ...
12&12 p.102,
Step Eleven
Perhaps we
think of our
day's
work and the
chances it may
afford us to be
useful and
helpful, or of some
special problem that it may
bring.
31.
... work; and
then he lowered the boom.
12&12 p.143,
Tradition Three
He
paid a
fine tribute to the
Fellowship; he told how his
family had been
reunited;
he
extolled the
virtue
of
honesty; he
recalled
the
joys of
Twelfth Step work; and then he
lowered the
boom.
32.
... work as
a salesman for the business ...
BB p.35,
More About Alcoholism
His
family was
re-
assembled, and he
began to
work as a
salesman for the
business he had
lost
through
drinking.
33.
... work as
individuals in these wider fields.
12&12 p.171,
Tradition Eight
We see that we have no
right or
need to
discourage A.A.'s who
wish to
work as
individuals in these
wider fields.
34.
... work, as
such, needed to be publicized.
12&12 p.186,
Tradition Twelve
Our
work, as such,
needed to
be
publicized.
35.
... work at
Akron continued through the summer ...
BB xvii,
Foreword to Second Edition
This
work at
Akron continued through the
summer of
1935.
36.
... work at
it.
BB p.86,
Into Action
It
works, if we have the
proper attitude and
work at it.
37.
... work at
it very hard, either.
12&12 p.26,
Step Two
You won't have to
work at it very
hard, either.
38.
... 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."
39.
... work, but
not its individual members.
12&12 p.182,
Tradition Eleven
Here was something
rare in the
world -- a
society which said
it
wished to
publicize
its principles and
its work, but not
its individual members.
40.
... work for.
12&12 p.45,
Step Four
This being so, we
think it
logically follows that
sobriety --
first,
last, and all the
time -- is the
only thing we
need to
work
for.
41.
... work for
humility as something to be ...
12&12 p.73,
Step Seven
To get
completely away from our
aversion to the
idea of being
humble, to
gain a
vision of
humility as the
avenue to
true freedom of the
human spirit, to be
willing to
work for
humility as
something to be
desired for itself,
takes most of us a
long,
long time.
42.
... work for
me too."
BB xii,
Preface
If you have a
drinking problem, we
hope that you may
pause in
reading one of
the
forty-
two personal stories and
think: "Yes, that
happened
to me"; or, more
important, "Yes, I've
felt like that"; or, most
important, "Yes, I
believe this
program can
work for me too."
43.
... work for
something new which does?
BB p.52,
We Agnostics
Is not our
age characterized by the
ease with which we
discard old ideas for new, by the
complete readiness with
which we
throw away the
theory or
gadget which does
not
work for something new which does?
44.
... work for
them.
BB p.70,
How It Works
We
think of their
needs and
work for them.
45.
... work for
them.
BB p.84,
Into Action
They will always
materialize if we
work for them.
46.
... work for
us.
12&12 p.117,
Step Twelve
47.
... work for
us.
12&12 p.166,
Tradition Eight
We do not
decry professionalism in other
fields, but we
accept the
sober fact that it does not
work for us.
48.
... work forms
a group, another discovery is ...
12&12 p.130,
Tradition One
The
moment this
Twelfth
Step work forms a
group, another
discovery is made -- that most
individuals cannot
recover unless there is a
group.
49.
... work full
time, and you're broke.
12&12 p.136,
Tradition Two
But you're
giving this
work
full time, and you're
broke.
50.
... work grudgingly
and under half steam.
12&12 p.49,
Step Four
51.
... work hard
and have a knack of ...
BB p.140,
To Employers
When
sober, does he not
work
hard and have a
knack of
getting things done?
52.
... work hard
and they play hard.
BB p.146,
To Employers
They
work hard and they
play hard.
53.
... work hard
at the elimination of the ...
12&12 p.50,
Step Four
54.
... work hard
with no better motive than ...
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."
55.
... work, has
told us of his belief ...
BB p.162,
A Vision For You
We are
greatly indebted
to the
doctor in
attendance there, for he, although it might
prejudice his
own work, has told us of his
belief in
ours.
56.
... work, he
can do this with an ...
BB p.162,
A Vision For You
Understanding our
work, he can do this with an
eye to
selecting those who are
willing and able to
recover
on a
spiritual basis.
57.
... work, he
would surely drink again, and ...
BB p.15,
Bill's Story
If he did not
work, he would
surely drink again, and if he
drank, he would
surely die.
58.
... work, his
wife gets a divorce and ...
BB p.38,
More About Alcoholism
Finally, he can no
longer work, his
wife gets a
divorce and he is
held up to
ridicule.
59.
... work if
I could only believe as ...
BB p.47,
We Agnostics
I'm
sure it would
work if I
could only
believe as he
believes.
60.
... work in
a department store, coming home ...
BB p.4,
Bill's Story
61.
... work in
a human heart which had ...
BB p.11,
Bill's Story
Here was something at
work in a
human heart which had done the
impossible.
62.
... work in
every department of our lives.
BB p.116,
To Wives
Now we
try to
put spiritual principles
to
work in every
department of our
lives.
63.
... work in
here?
12&12 p.136,
Tradition Two
So why don't you
move your
work in here?
64.
... work in
the very best sense of ...
12&12 p.110,
Step Twelve
This is
Twelfth Step work in the very
best sense of the
word.
65.
... work in
unity.
12&12 p.187,
Tradition Twelve
As we
lay aside these very
human aspirations, we
believe that each of us
takes
part in the
weaving of a
protective mantle which
covers our
whole Society and under which we may
grow and
work in
unity.
66.
... work is
an avocation.
BB xiii,
Foreword to First Edition
We would like it
understood that our
alcoholic work is an
avocation.
67.
... work is
my business.
12&12 p.173,
Tradition Nine
Committees have
instructed many an
A.A. to
stop working on a
chronic backslider, only
to be told: "How I do my
Twelfth Step work is my
business.
68.
... work is
necessary to maintain his sobriety.
BB p.146,
To Employers
69.
... work is
never to be paid for.
12&12 p.191,
Tradition Eight (Long)
But our
usual A.A. Twelfth Step work is
never to be
paid for.
70.
... work is
never to be paid for.
BB p.565(567),
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition
But our
usual A.A. "
12 Step"
work is
never to be
paid for.
71.
... work; it
was to make Twelfth Step ...
12&12 p.168,
Tradition Eight
The
job was not to do
Twelfth Step work; it was to make
Twelfth Step work possible.
72.
... work like
the devil and thank you ...
BB p.149,
To Employers
He will
work like the
devil
and
thank you to his
dying
day.
73.
... work long
beyond a reasonable period.
BB p.137,
To Employers
74.
... work must
be done.
BB p.130,
The Family Afterward
That is where our
fellow travelers are, and that is where our
work must be done.
75.
... work, nor
do we think its effectiveness ...
BB p.19,
There Is A Solution
None of us makes a
sole vocation of this
work, nor do
we
think its effectiveness would be
increased if we did.
76.
... work of
a simple matter.
BB p.40,
More About Alcoholism
I had no
trouble refusing drinks, and
began to
wonder if I had not
been
making too
hard work of a
simple matter.
77.
... work of
another alcoholic has accomplished in ...
BB p.118,
To Wives
We do not like the
thought that the
contents of a book or the
work of another
alcoholic has
accomplished in a few
weeks that for which we
struggled for
years.
78.
... work of
present-day staff members has no ...
12&12 p.169,
Tradition Eight (Note)
79.
... work on.
12&12 p.151,
Tradition Five
But
first I'd have to find a
drunk to
work on.
80.
... work on
a service plane, the alcoholic ...
BB p.98,
Working With Others
The
minute we
put our
work on a
service plane, the
alcoholic commences to
rely upon our
assistance rather than upon
God.
81.
... work on
alcohol.
12&12 p.63,
Step Six
My
own willpower just
wouldn't
work on
alcohol.
82.
... work on
them, he might have deprived ...
BB p.96,
Working With Others
He often says that if he had
continued to
work on them, he might have
deprived many others, who have since
recovered, of their
chance.
83.
... work on
Tuesday morning.
BB p.36,
More About Alcoholism
This is his
story: "I
came to
work on
Tuesday morning.
84.
... work, one
alcoholic with another, was vital ...
BB xvii,
Foreword to Second Edition
It also
indicated that
strenuous work, one
alcoholic with another, was
vital to
permanent recovery.
85.
... work only
with the group.
12&12 p.150,
Tradition Five
Every
doctor concerned
would at
times wish he could
devote himself to his
chosen field rather than
work only with the
group.
86.
... work out.
12&12 p.181,
Tradition Eleven
Let's see how these
two contrasting ideas --
attraction and
promotion --
work out.
87.
... work out
our solution on the spiritual ...
BB xxvi(xxiv),
The Doctor's Opinion
Though we
work out our
solution on the
spiritual as well as an
altruistic plane, we
favor hospitalization
for the
alcoholic who is very
jittery or
befogged.
88.
... work-outs should
be regarded as part of ...
BB p.117,
To Wives
These
work-
outs should be
regarded as
part of your
education, for thus you will be
learning to
live.
89.
... work possible.
12&12 p.168,
Tradition Eight
The
job was not to do
Twelfth Step work; it was to make
Twelfth Step work possible.
90.
... work possible,
perhaps arranging for the coffee ...
12&12 p.110,
Step Twelve
91.
... work, shocked
us.
12&12 p.184,
Tradition Twelve
The
bare hint of
publicity, even for our
work,
shocked us.
92.
... work sixteen
hours a day.
BB p.146,
To Employers
You may have to
curb his
desire to
work sixteen hours a
day.
93.
... work so
well.
BB p.93,
Working With Others
But he will be
curious to
learn why his
own convictions have not
worked and why yours
seem to
work so well.
94.
... work solid
so far?
BB p.75,
Into Action
Is our
work solid so far?
95.
... work spreads
and our numbers increase, we ...
BB p.144,
To Employers
As our
work spreads and our
numbers increase, we
hope your
employees may be
put in
personal contact with some of us.
96.
... Work staff,
says, "Alcoholics Anonymous is natural; ...
BB p.572(574),
Appendix V, The Religious View on A.A.
97.
... work the
first nine Steps, we prepare ...
12&12 p.88,
Step Ten
As we
work the
first nine Steps, we
prepare ourselves for the
adventure of a new
life.
98.
... work to
be restored financially, but he ...
BB p.123,
The Family Afterward
Father knows he is to
blame; it may take him many
seasons of
hard work to be
restored financially, but he shouldn't be
reproached.
99.
... work together?
BB xviii,
Foreword to Second Edition
100.
... work together
and hang together, else most ...
BB p.561(563),
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition
We
alcoholics see that we
must work together and
hang together, else most of us will finally
die alone.
101.
... work together
as groups became the prime ...
12&12 p.130,
Tradition One
102.
... work together
with harmony and good effect.
12&12 p.18,
Foreword
But it was by no
means sure
that such
great numbers of
yet erratic people could
live and
work together with
harmony and
good effect.
103.
... work took
me about Wall Street and ...
BB p.2,
Bill's Story
My
work took me about
Wall Street and
little by
little I
became interested in the
market.
104.
... work toward
ourselves.
12&12 p.65,
Step Six
That is something we are
supposed to be
willing to
work toward ourselves.
105.
... work twenty-four
hours a day in and ...
BB p.16,
Bill's Story
Faith has to
work twenty-
four hours a
day in and through us, or
we
perish.
106.
... work we
sometimes carry the message to ...
12&12 p.111,
Step Twelve
By a
great deal of
ardent Twelfth Step work we sometimes
carry the
message to so many
alcoholics that they place us in a
position of
trust.
107.
... work, we
stay lazy.
12&12 p.49,
Step Four
And with
genuine alarm at
the
prospect of
work, we
stay lazy.
108.
... work we
were great successes or dismal ...
12&12 p.47,
Step Four
We had to
drink because at
work we were
great successes or
dismal failures.
109.
... work well.
BB p.63,
How It Works
Being all
powerful, He
provided what we
needed, if
we
kept close to Him and
performed His
work well.
110.
... work where
nothing else would.
12&12 p.116,
Step Twelve
We
found that
dependence upon His
perfect justice,
forgiveness, and
love was
healthy, and that it would
work where
nothing else would.
111.
... work with
another alcoholic instead!
BB p.102,
Working With Others
But if you are
shaky, you had
better work with another
alcoholic instead!
112.
... work with
another alcoholic would save the ...
BB p.15,
Bill's Story
This sometimes
nearly drove
me back to
drink, but I soon
found that when all other
measures failed,
work with another
alcoholic
would
save the
day.
113.
... work with
other alcoholics.
BB p.89,
Working With Others
114.
... work with
other alcoholics.
BB xiv,
Foreword to First Edition
We shall be
interested to
hear from those who are
getting results from this
book,
particularly from those who have
commenced work with other
alcoholics.
115.
... work with
other alcoholics, he remains sober ...
BB p.570(572),
Appendix III, The Medical View on A.A.
Learning to
depend upon
a
higher power and
absorb himself in his
work with
other
alcoholics, he
remains sober day by
day.
116.
... work with
other people to maintain his ...
BB p.119,
To Wives
The
fact is that he should
work with other people to
maintain his
own sobriety.
117.
... work with
others.
BB p.14,
Bill's Story
They in
turn might
work with
others.
118.
... work with
others as he had worked ...
BB p.14,
Bill's Story
Particularly was it
imperative to
work with
others as he had
worked with me.
119.
... work with
the alcoholic who suffers could ...
12&12 p.166,
Tradition Eight
Almost from the
beginning, we have been
positive that
face-to-
face work with the
alcoholic who
suffers
could be
based only on the
desire to
help and be
helped.
120.
... work with
you.
BB p.96,
Working With Others
We find it a
waste of
time to
keep chasing a
man who cannot or will not
work
with you.
121.
... work would
depend the answer for sufferers ...
12&12 p.150,
Tradition Five
Alcoholics Anonymous can be
likened
to a
group of
physicians who might find a
cure for
cancer, and upon whose
concerted work would
depend the
answer for
sufferers of this
disease.
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.
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