Here are 100 smart sayings from AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings. These sayings offer wisdom and guidance for those in recovery:
1. “One day at a time.”
2. “Keep it simple.”
3. “Let go and let God.”
4. “Progress, not perfection.”
5. “Easy does it.”
6. “First things first.”
7. “You can’t think your way into right action, but you can act your way into right thinking.”
8. “Feelings aren’t facts.”
9. “Willingness is the key.”
10. “We are only as sick as our secrets.”
11. “It works if you work it.”
12. “Take what you need and leave the rest.”
13. “The only way out is through.”
14. “One drink is too many, and a thousand is never enough.”
15. “Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
16. “To thine own self be true.”
17. “This too shall pass.”
18. “Your best thinking got you here.”
19. “You didn’t get sick overnight, you won’t get well overnight.”
20. “Keep coming back.”
21. “Don’t quit before the miracle happens.”
22. “You’re only as close to a drink as you are to your Higher Power.”
23. “Attitude of gratitude.”
24. “Faith without works is dead.”
25. “Live and let live.”
26. “There is no problem too big that a drink won’t make worse.”
27. “Resentment is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.”
28. “Stick with the winners.”
29. “Your head is a dangerous neighborhood; don’t go there alone.”
30. “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.”
31. “Don’t compare, identify.”
32. “Change is a process, not an event.”
33. “You are not responsible for your first thought, but you are responsible for your first action.”
34. “Get out of your own way.”
35. “When you’re in your head, you’re behind enemy lines.”
36. “We recover better together.”
37. “Your story could be the key that unlocks someone else’s prison.”
38. “Expectations are premeditated resentments.”
39. “Take your will back and you’re drunk again.”
40. “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
41. “People don’t fail the program; they fail to work the program.”
42. “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
43. “Sobriety is a journey, not a destination.”
44. “Turn it over.”
45. “Your worth is not tied to your past mistakes.”
46. “You only have to change one thing: everything.”
47. “Surrender to win.”
48. “When in doubt, do the next right thing.”
49. “Feelings are temporary; they will pass.”
50. “Take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth.”
51. “It’s okay not to be okay.”
52. “You can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge.”
53. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”
54. “Stay out of the results.”
55. “If nothing changes, nothing changes.”
56. “Pain is the touchstone of all spiritual growth.”
57. “Fear is a liar.”
58. “Do the footwork and leave the results to God.”
59. “You are not alone.”
60. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
61. “Keep your side of the street clean.”
62. “It’s a simple program for complicated people.”
63. “Take responsibility for your actions, not your disease.”
64. “Don’t let your ego write checks your soul can’t cash.”
65. “Stick with the program even when life gets better.”
66. “Trust the process.”
67. “One step at a time.”
68. “Don’t pick up no matter what.”
69. “Your story is still being written.”
70. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
71. “Keep the focus on yourself.”
72. “What you resist persists.”
73. “Recovery is a gift.”
74. “Stop living in the wreckage of the future.”
75. “Let it begin with me.”
76. “God doesn’t make junk.”
77. “Don’t let the disease win.”
78. “Be where your feet are.”
79. “The solution is simple, but not easy.”
80. “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”
81. “The 12 steps are suggestions, but so is pulling the ripcord on a parachute.”
82. “Don’t drink, go to meetings, and don’t lie.”
83. “Give time, time.”
84. “The price of serenity is self-sacrifice.”
85. “Worry is like praying for something bad to happen.”
86. “The program is for people who want it, not for people who need it.”
87. “Courage is fear walking.”
88. “You can’t give away what you don’t have.”
89. “Let your past be a lesson, not a life sentence.”
90. “You can’t solve all your problems in one day, but you can make a start.”
91. “We can do together what we can’t do alone.”
92. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
93. “Today is a good day to stay sober.”
94. “There is no growth in the comfort zone.”
95. “Take the action and the feelings will follow.”
96. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
97. “Don’t drink over people, places, and things.”
98. “An attitude of gratitude changes everything.”
99. “Recovery is about progression, not perfection.”
100. “You can start your day over at any time.”
These sayings emphasize core AA principles of humility, acceptance, perseverance, and connection with a higher power, all while keeping a grounded focus on staying sober and healthy.
