When we do something that falls below our best behavior, we give power to our worst enemy and each time we overcome irritation and self pity, we draw near our best friend. Our worst enemy, the Cherokee calls adagagi, and our best friend, unalii are one. They live in us and everywhere we go, they go. They speak to us, act through us, and vie for our attention. One is stronger than the other at times. But it is our decision which will rule and which one we nurture, because we are the life and the strength of each one. Our lives, our health, and our prosperity are all evidence of what we let rule us.

J.S. Hifler   Cherokee

So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible. And there often seems no way of entirely getting rid of self without His aid. Many of us had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live up to them even though we would have liked to. Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God's help.

Big Book  pg. 62

Reprinted with permission A.A.W.S.

Yet we had been seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose above their problems. They said God made these things possible, and we only smiled. We had seen spiritual release, but we liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true.

Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God.

Big Book  pg. 55

Reprinted with permission A.A.W.S.

Grandfather help me to understand both my sides, help me to nurture the good wolf.