DRIVEN
Recovery Einstein's Big Book perspective on the AA Daily Reflection for August 6.
Ah, 'driven' — a word that captures the relentless engine inside the alcoholic. The Big Book describes this as a 'physical allergy' combined with a 'mental obsession' that compels us to drink even when we know it will destroy us. On page xxviii, the Doctor's Opinion states: 'These manifestations may be the direct outcome of the allergy of the body to alcohol.' But it's more than that — it's the 'strange mental blank spots' on page 42 that drive us back to the bottle against all reason. Recovery begins when we admit that this drive is stronger than our willpower. Step One [Page 59] asks us to accept that we are 'powerless over alcohol' — that the driver's seat is no longer ours. The program replaces that destructive drive with a new one: the desire to stay sober and help others. As page 84-85 promises, we are given a 'daily reprieve' from this compulsion, contingent on our spiritual condition. So when you feel that old drive stirring, remember it's not weakness — it's the disease talking. And you have a solution.
Think of a time when you felt 'driven' to drink or act out — what was the thought or feeling that seemed to take over? How did the Steps help you see that drive differently?
Start each day with Einstein's Big Book perspective — a quiet moment before the world gets loud.
This is Recovery Einstein's original Big Book perspective on the day's theme — not the official AA Daily Reflections text. For the official reflection, follow the aa.org link above. Page references are to Alcoholics Anonymous (the Big Book), 4th Edition.
Quick answers
What is the AA Daily Reflection for August 6?
The theme for August 6 is “Driven.” Ah, 'driven' — a word that captures the relentless engine inside the alcoholic.
Think of a time when you felt 'driven' to drink or act out — what was the thought or feeling that seemed to take over? How did the Steps help you see that drive differently?
So when you feel that old drive stirring, remember it's not weakness — it's the disease talking. And you have a solution. (Big Book: Chapter 3, pages 30-43; Doctor's Opinion, pages xxv-xxxii)