Endigar 652 ~ The Joy of Living
From the Daily Reflections of December 29;
. . . therefore the joy of good living is the theme of A.A.’s Twelfth Step. (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 125)
A.A. is a joyful program! Even so, I occasionally balk at taking the necessary steps to move ahead, and find myself resisting the very actions that could bring about the joy I want. I would not resist if those actions did not touch some vulnerable area of my life, an area that needs hope and fulfillment. Repeated exposure to joyfulness has a way of softening the hard, outer edges of my ego. Therein lies the power of joyfulness to help all members of A.A.
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I don’t think you should ever fragment a quote, beginning it with the word, therefore, unless you are going to explain what it is there for.
Understanding is the key to right principles and attitudes, and right action is the key to good living; therefore the joy of good living is the theme of A.A.’s Twelfth Step. (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 125)
See, it demonstrates a process with several prerequisites. You cannot have the joy of good living without having the “good living.” You cannot have good living without being able to take right action based on the principles and attitudes revealed in the Twelve Steps. You cannot take right action unless you have a good understanding of the principles and attitudes that are presented in the 12 Steps. It all begins with understanding and applying the principles in all my affairs and continuing that process until I have secured the joy of good living. I like feeling joy, so I will be motivated for even more understanding so that I can experience even more joy, and I will not be satisfied until I habitually experience the joy of good living.
Daily Reprieve 
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