TRUE AMBITION
Recovery Einstein's Big Book perspective on the AA Daily Reflection for December 7.
True ambition, in the Big Book’s sense, is not about climbing ladders or chasing personal glory. It’s the quiet, steady desire to align your will with God’s — to become the person you were meant to be. On page 63, the Third Step Prayer asks God to relieve us of the bondage of self, so we may better carry out His will. That’s the heart of real ambition: the willingness to let go of our own schemes and trust a Higher Power’s plan.
Later, Step 11 (pages 86-87) deepens this by urging us to seek through prayer and meditation “only the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” True ambition is therefore a daily practice of listening and surrendering — not striving for more, but becoming more useful. As the Promises (pages 83-84) remind us, when we stop fighting anyone or anything, we grow in humility and find a new freedom. That freedom is the fruit of true ambition: to serve, to grow, and to stay sober.
What would it look like to measure your ambition today not by what you accomplish, but by how closely you follow God’s will in each moment?
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 December 7?
The theme for December 7 is “True Ambition.” True ambition, in the Big Book’s sense, is not about climbing ladders or chasing personal glory.
What would it look like to measure your ambition today not by what you accomplish, but by how closely you follow God’s will in each moment?
That’s the heart of real ambition: the willingness to let go of our own schemes and trust a Higher Power’s plan. (Big Book: Chapter 6, pages 83-87)