ATTRACTION, NOT PROMOTION

The phrase 'attraction, not promotion' is a cornerstone of how we carry the message. As Bill W. wrote in the Twelve Traditions, 'Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion' [Page 564]. This means we don't sell AA or push it on anyone. Instead, we live the program so fully that others see the peace and freedom we've found, and they want what we have. The Big Book tells us, 'Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics' [Page 89]. When we focus on helping another sufferer, we stay sober and become living examples. Promotion—using big talk, gimmicks, or pressure—only repels those still struggling. Attraction comes from a changed life, one that demonstrates the promises: 'We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves' [Page 84]. So I ask myself daily: am I living in a way that draws others to this way of life, or am I just talking about it?