April 3

April 3 – AM          Page 111, To Wives, Chapter 8

The first principle of success is that you should never be angry.  Even though your husband becomes unbearable and you have to leave him temporarily, you should, if you can, go without rancor.  Patience and good temper are most necessary.
Our next thought is that you should never tell him what he must do about his drinking.  If he gets the idea that you are a nag or a killjoy, your chance of accomplishing anything useful may be zero.  He will use that as an excuse to drink more.  He will tell you he is misunderstood.  This may lead to lonely evenings for you.  He may seek someone else to console him—not always another man.

April 3 – PM          Page 96, Working With Others, Chapter 7

Do not be discouraged if your prospect does not respond at once.  Search out another alcoholic and try again.  You are sure to find someone desperate enough to accept with eagerness what you offer.  We find it a waste of time to keep chasing a man who cannot or will not work with you.  If you leave such a person alone, he may soon become convinced that he cannot recover by himself.  To spend too much time on any one situation is to deny some other alcoholic an opportunity to live and be happy.  One of our Fellowship failed entirely with his first half dozen prospects.  He often says that if he had continued to work on them, he might have deprived many others, who have since recovered, of their chance.
Suppose now you are making your second visit to a man.  He has read this volume and says he is prepared to go through with the Twelve Steps of the program of recovery.  Having had the experience yourself, you can give him much practical advice.  Let him know you are available if he wishes to make a decision and tell his story, but do not insist upon it if he prefers to consult someone else.