Always Do What I Always Did

A popular AA saying is, “If I always do what I always did, I will always get what I always got.”

An AA brother introduced this aphorism in his share.

Then we learned a lesson — actually a series of lessons.

The first lesson was the next share. An AA sister shared, “I agree with the first fellow; if I want to change my life, I have to change my actions. Changing my beliefs and attitudes is important, but if I keep doing the same things, I am going to be living the same way.”

In the second lesson, an AA brother shared, “I agree with the first two shares, and in addition, I would like to add, if I want to change my character, I must change my actions. Actions set habits; habits set character, and character creates a life. It all starts with actions.”

In the next lesson, another brother commented, “gosh, those are great shares; I want to build on them. I used to think that the world was always against me and that I was dealt a hard hand; now I see that what I got in terms of circumstances and conditions was a direct result of my actions; what I got, in circumstances and conditions, was a result of what I had done.”

The conversation had unfolded brilliantly. This is a great example of sharing at AA meetings, with one good share building on another.

The truth of the expression, “If I always do what I always did, I will always get what I always got,” is a truth that has more depth and layers than one would first suspect.