1. THINK is it..?: Thoughtful. Honest. Intelligent. Necessary. Kind. “If only I can learn to quiet my mind before I
speak! I do not want to act with impatience and hostility, for I know it will react on me. It is a mistake to think
this requires self-control; patience can be acquired by learning to let go of self-will. Jonathan Swift said:
“Whoever is out of patience is out of possession of his soul. Men must not turn into bees who kill themselves in
stinging others.” (One day At a Time in Al-Anon pg. 20)
2. HALT if you’re… : Hungry. Angry. Lonely. Tired. Be aware when these four physical or emotion conditions arise.
When these do arise we are in a vulnerable position to have a severe emotional react.
3. FEAR: False. Evidence. Appearing. Real. “In Al-Anon, the answer to “What if? Is: “Don’t project! Don’t imagine
the worst; deal with your problems as they arise. Live one day at a time.” I cannot do anything about things that
haven’t happened; I will not let the past experiences make me dread the unknown future. “It is a vain and
unprofitable thing to conceive either grief or joy for future things which perhaps will never come about.” (One
day At a Time in Al-Anon pg. 193)
4. HOPE: Happy. Our. Program. Exists. “The first gift a newcomer receives from contact with Al-Anon is hope.
Seeing how other rise above their problems, listening to situations worse than their own, absorbing the
atmosphere of love and goodwill, send them home with a new lease on life.” (One Day At a Time in Al-Anon,
pg.94)
5. NUTS: Not. Using. The. Steps. “When I read a step and think about it deeply, I find it opens the door to new
insights. When I read that same step again, it reveals new spiritual ideas. They seem to dig into our
consciousness and unearth for us the wonderful potential for good in all our relationships with life.” One Day At a
Time in Al-Anon, pg.141)
6. DETACH: Don’t. Even. Think. About. Changing. Him/Her. “How can I best help the alcoholic? By not interfering
when he gets into difficulties. I must detach myself from his shortcoming, neither making up for them nor
criticizing them. Let me learn to play my own role, and leave his to him. If he fails in it, the failure is not mine, no
matter what others may think or say about it.” One Day At a Time in Al-Anon, pg.29)
7. HOW: Honest. Open. Willing. Honesty, open-mindedness and willingness are the three primary principles in
laying down a solid foundation for recovery. Honest with oneself. Being open to Power Greater than our selves
and willing to take certain steps.
8. STEPS: Solutions. To. Every. Problem. “If we have Al-anon, there is no need to stand in our own light and try
to solve our problems in darkness. The ways and means that Al-anon offers have lighted the way for so many
thousands of despairing people that no one can question their power. “When I am faced with a problem that
seems impossible to solve, when I feel trapped in a situation and can see no way out, let me ask myself whether
I am standing in my own light. I must find the vantage point where I can most clearly see my difficulty as it is;
then answers will come.” (One Day At a Time in Al-Anon, pg.297)
9. QTIP: Quit. Taking. It. Personally. “When the guilt of the alcoholic explodes, I must realize that it is always
aimed at those nearest, and often dearest. I want to remind myself that such outbursts only reveal the drinker’s
own unhappiness. I will not make the situation worse by taking seriously what the alcoholic says at such times.
(One Day At a Time in Al-Anon, pg.55)
LOVE: Let. Others. Voluntarily. Evolve. “The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not
to twist them to fit our image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” (Thomas Merton: No
Man Is an Island)