ACA WSO

07/08/2026

The promises - by working the program we can see the promises coming true for us. Get the printable PDF list here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxnk937

07/08/2026

Willingness

“In ACA we become willing to apply what we learn in the program to our daily lives and to relationships.”
BRB p. 401

When we first got to ACA, some of us couldn’t wait for recovery to be finished. How long was this going to take, because we had better things to do than hang out with damaged people. After all, our story wasn’t that bad. We just wanted to fix the little things that were holding us back so we could get on with our real lives.

Now Step work and service are two of our favorite things to do. Creating a safe place for ourselves and others – to acknowledge the wounds we all carry – and then begin to grow is the most exciting adventure we have ever been on. The 12 Steps are a design for living that is better than anything else we have tried up to this point in our lives. We are grateful for those who came before us who kept the doors open.

In our homes and in our jobs we practice what we learn at meetings – like listening. We allow others to speak their truth. We learn not to control others and not let ourselves be controlled or manipulated. We trust that the principles of the program that have worked for so many others will continue to work for us in all our affairs. We are becoming fearless in our pursuit of a healthy life. We now have joy, and others can see that.

On this day I will be real in all that I do. By doing so, I make space for others to own their truths.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

07/07/2026

Many of us were taught that it was virtuous to "put up with" whatever was doled out, shut up about whatever was going on, and deny our feelings in the process. This led us to doubt our own perceptions, which led us to doubt our own self-worth. Because we actually survived, some of us interpreted our ability to deal with unacceptable situations as resilience.

Unfortunately, we didn't learn that it was acceptable to set boundaries and limits, and that it was okay to say "no" to unacceptable behavior. This is what we learn in ACA. We don't have to be stoic, or pretend that things don't bother us when they do. We don't have to apologize for stuff that's not ours or feel ashamed when we feel triggered. We have the right to our reality, our experiences, and our feelings.
With the help of our recovery support system, we are now learning to trust, to feel, and to talk; this is a wonderful way to live. We can surround ourselves with people who listen to us and acknowledge our feelings. We can be more human, vulnerable, and safe.

On this day I remind myself that being resilient (tolerating abuse) is not the way I want to live my life. I can relax and trust safe people.

The excerpt in this caption is from Daily Affirmations: Strengthening My Recovery.
Get your copy here: https://tinyurl.com/2vy873ff

07/07/2026

People Pleasing

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

Change in the Workplace

“By using our program and the support of our fellowship, we learn that we can affect changes in our working lives.” BRB p. 425

At work many of us noticed we were extremely uncomfortable. When we talked about our job difficulties, an ACA member asked if we’d ever read Chapter 14, “Taking Our Program to Work.”

When we read it, we couldn’t believe how true it was. Again, ACA literature told us things about ourselves we didn’t know. We started to see ourselves and our jobs with fresh eyes. We learned that we related to people at our jobs as though they were our families of origin. We saw them through the filter of our Laundry List Traits, and we acted accordingly with each person, depending on their mood and/or who they reminded us of from our family.

By relying on a Higher Power, the support of our meetings and fellow travelers, and our continuing work on the Steps, we now notice little changes here and there. We are able to pause and ask ourselves, “Is this big reaction I’m feeling based on the here and now? What does it remind me of?” We use our recovery tools and call or email our recovery supporters during these times to process our experiences. Before we know it, our recovery is present in all parts of our lives, especially on the job.

On this day I will remember that I am safe and important, whether I am home, at work, or somewhere in between.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

07/05/2026

Inner Loving Parent

07/04/2026

Long-Term Trauma

“Through the first 18 years of our lives, our families had 6,570 days to shame, belittle, ignore, criticize, or manipulate us during the formative years of our being.” BRB p. 105

How could we have turned out any other way? We grew up in dysfunction, and it’s not our fault we were affected by it. We were just children. All we knew of the world was what we were shown by our parents – the people we were hardwired to trust and emulate. It’s not our fault we didn’t find a way to stop the abuse. We learned the language of abuse, just as we learned to speak our native tongue – it was automatic.

We’re not whining, over-thinking it, or making mountains out of molehills. Our Laundry List Traits are a legitimate reaction to long-term trauma.

The good news is that something magical happens when we accept we are powerless over our childhood trauma and its effect on us. It doesn’t mean we give up and let it have power over us. The opposite happens. It loses power over us. We begin to have a choice about how we respond when the dysfunction manifests itself in our adult lives. It’s like admitting there’s a leak in the roof, and now we can put a bucket on the floor, change out of our wet clothes, and fix the roof. And we can do it without guilt because the leak was already there before we came along.

On this day I embrace the freedom that comes from accepting there is nothing I could have done to prevent the dysfunction I grew up in and the effect it has had on me.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

07/03/2026

Step Seven

“Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.” BRB p. 217

As we begin to find peace in ACA, we listen for when the wheels get squeaky and learn to seek appropriate help, knowing that we don’t have to do this alone. We see our Higher Power everywhere we go, especially in the people around us in our meetings.

We are no longer fearful. Our shortcomings are being removed and they no longer define us. We are not a collection of wrongs. We realize that recovery is a process – that there is no race to the finish line.

But we don’t take the slow route either. We have sobered up to the grim reality of the effects of dysfunction in our families and have decided we are out of their game. It no longer pays any dividends. We have been on that other side for so long and we simply don’t want to be there anymore. The way we related to the world no longer works.

We see the results of our efforts in recovery, and we like ourselves better as we allow the process to work within us. We begin to attract healthier people, leaving behind the dysfunctional relationships that show no promise. There is nothing better than this new feeling as we move into the future. We are walking out of the fog of dysfunction towards who we truly are.

On this day I will continue on this journey to work with my Higher Power to remove my shortcomings. I choose to be healthy.

© COPYRIGHT ACA WSO INC.

07/02/2026

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