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Before I crawled through the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous, I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief. I wore an aura of guilt. I was afraid that you would find out the truth about me so I kept you, and everyone else, at arm's  length with a full repertoire of character defects. It is fitting that toward the end of my drinking I ended up completely alone in my darkened, messy apartment, getting drunk twice a day.

I rejoined life in Alcoholics Anonymous. I came in from out of the cold. As I began to identify with you, the clenched fist that was my mind began to open. It took quite a few years, but my heart began to open as well. Today, if I am spiritually fit, I can see life through the eyes of compassion rather than judgment.

I'm coming to believe that we are all intimately connected. We are all a tiny, but valuable part of "One", the One that has all power. It's because of this connection that my thoughts, words and deeds have a direct impact on the world. The best thing I can do for the world is to continue my program of recovery: letting go of my faulty beliefs and other worthless ideas and helping others along the way.