Voices of Recovery

Just for Today meditation for May 14, read by LaurenDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 14Oops!"Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results."Basic Text, p. 23––––=––––Mistakes! We all know how it feels to make them. Many of us feel that our entire lives have been a mistake. We often regard our mistakes with shame or guilt-at the very least, with frustration and impatience. We tend to see mistakes as evidence that we are still sick, crazy, stupid, or too damaged to recover.In truth, mistakes are a very vital and important part of being human. For particularly stubborn people (such as addicts), mistakes are often our best teachers.There is no shame in making mistakes. In fact, making new mistakes often shows our willingness to take risks and grow.It's helpful, though, if we learn from our mistakes; repeating the same ones may be a sign that we're stuck. And expecting different results from the same old mistakes- well, that's what we call "insanity!" It just doesn't work.––––=––––Just for today:Mistakes aren't tragedies. But please, Higher Power, help me learn from them! ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 14, read by LaurenDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 14Autonomy and the Ties That Bind"Autonomy offers us the freedom to try new things, and we demonstrate courage when we make new efforts to better carry our message."—Guiding Principles, Tradition Four, “For Groups”––––=––––When Tradition Four says that “each group should be autonomous,” it opens the gate for creative expressions of our primary purpose. What comes next––“except in matters affecting other groups or NA as a whole”––defines the path beyond that gate. The other eleven Traditions and our spiritual principles guide us along that path. They offer direction to ensure the best possible conditions for our journey and mark potential trouble to keep us from wandering off a cliff.“We don’t just do as we please. We do what’s right,” as one member put it. “At our business meetings, my home group considers two questions: ‘How do our actions carry the message?’ and ‘What else can we do to improve the atmosphere of recovery?’” Keeping our primary purpose foremost in mind has a clarifying effect. It ensures that each innovation is motivated by our desire to carry the message more effectively.Changes in society, in the neighborhood, or in the law can impact our meetings and often call us to innovate. We do our best to let go of that “this is the way we’ve always done it” mindset, which can undermine the courage we need to exercise group autonomy. It may be helpful to distinguish between the capital “T” Traditions that guide all our efforts in NA and the small “t” traditions—local customs or norms—that sometimes feel as important.Longtime members assure us that we won’t break this thing by thinking a bit outside the box. We’re reminded to strive for unity, not uniformity, and to evaluate proposed changes with our hearts open and the guidance of all Twelve Traditions in mind. We can practice our autonomy and pay attention to the ties that bind. When we do, we find that—as promised—all will be well.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I will appreciate both the freedom that group autonomy offers and the continuity that our guiding principles provide.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 13, read by LaurenDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 13Onward on the journey"The progression of recovery is a continuous uphill journey."Basic Text, p. 79––––=––––The longer we stay clean, the steeper and narrower our path seems to become. But God doesn't give us more than we can handle. No matter how difficult the road becomes, no matter how narrow, how winding the turns, there is hope. That hope lies in our spiritual progression.If we keep showing up at meetings and staying clean, life gets... well, different. The continual search for answers to life's ups and downs can lead us to question all aspects of our lives. Life isn't always pleasant. This is when we must turn to our Higher Power with even more faith. Sometimes all we can do is hold on tight, believing that things will get better.In time, our faith will produce understanding. We will begin to see the "bigger picture" of our lives. As our relationship with our Higher Power unfolds and deepens, acceptance becomes almost second nature. No matter what happens as we walk through recovery, we rely on our faith in a loving Higher Power and continue onward.––––=––––Just for today:I accept that I don't have all the answers to life's questions. Nonetheless, I will have faith in the God of my understanding and continue on the journey of recovery. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 13, read by LaurenDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 13Flexibility and Relationships"The flexibility that relationships require comes more easily to us when we are practicing principles in our lives."—Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Romantic Relationships,” ‘The Courage to Trust’––––=––––Most of us are not wired for flexibility. Letting go of control just isn’t in our nature. We struggle with rigid expectations of how people should behave, so we fight or flee when things don’t go our way. Others of us live with minimal boundaries; we put up with anything to avoid conflict, pain, and rejection.Thankfully, we have a program based on spiritual principles and relationships with NA members to help teach us how to live by them. By being real with each other in NA, we support each other in becoming less rigid. We learn to handle the truth. Working with a sponsor helps us to trust and to ask for what we need. Serving in a home group and beyond provides us with opportunities to compromise, speak up for ourselves, and respect boundaries. We become more flexible as we apply other principles, too. Our emotional muscles get more limber with open-mindedness, willingness, honesty, empathy— sometimes tolerance if that’s all we’ve got.Working the Steps and practicing principles helps us to let go of the illusion of control. Our lives improve as we figure out who we are and who we’re not. We come to understand the disease and trust our Higher Power. We allow people to be who they are because we’re learning to be okay with ourselves. Getting to know someone on a deeper level is easier when we know ourselves. As we let go of self-centered patterns of gratification, being cooperative and accommodating allows us to be equal partners in our relationships. Many of us once lived by a policy of “my way or the highway.” By practicing the principles in our program, we gain the flexibility to be able to say, “Your way? Sure. Let’s try it out.”––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Relating well with others involves some give-and-take. I will draw on my NA experience to practice flexibility in all of my relationships.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 12, read by LaurenDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 12Living with spiritual experience"For meditation to be of value, the results must show in our daily lives."Basic Text, p 45-46––––=––––In working our program, we are given many indirect indications of a Higher Power's presence in our lives: the clean feeling that comes to so many of us in taking our Fifth Step; the sense that we are finally on the right track when we make amends; the satisfaction we get from helping another addict. Meditation, however, occasionally brings us extraordinary indications of God's presence in our lives. These experiences do not mean we have become perfect or that we are "cured." They are tastes given us of the source of our recovery itself, reminding us of the true nature of the thing we are pursuing in Narcotics Anonymous and encouraging us to continue walking our spiritual path.Such experiences demonstrate, in no uncertain terms, that we have tapped a Power far greater than our own. But how do we incorporate that extraordinary Power into our ordinary lives? Our NA friends, our sponsor, and others in our communities may be more seasoned in spiritual matters than we are. If we ask, they can help us fit our spiritual experiences into the natural pattern of recovery and spiritual growth.––––=––––Just for today:I will seek whatever answers I may need to understand my spiritual experiences and incorporate them into my daily life. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 12, read by LaurenDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 12Surrender to What?"Surrender . . . is what happens after we’ve accepted the First Step as something that is true for us and have accepted that recovery is the solution."—NA Step Working Guides, Step One, “Surrender”––––=––––Our first introduction to the Steps often stirs up a powerful rebelliousness. “All my life I’ve felt disempowered. Now you’re telling me that I’m powerless and that I have to surrender?Every day?” many of us ask.While NA is truly a program of action, we also strive to understand the ideas, concepts, and spiritual principles that underpin this new way of life. Before we got clean, surrender to most of us meant the inconceivable: showing weakness. In many of the neighborhoods we came up in, surrendering would threaten our very survival. For others, the thought of losing or being wrong—and, worst of all, admitting it!—defied the very core of our being. We’d rather go down fighting than accept defeat, especially if others would know about it.Once we better understand the First Step and the concept of surrender, we realize that we’ve already admitted defeat when we come through the door of an NA meeting. “No one gets here by accident,” our sponsor says.Okay, we now understand that we’ve surrendered our grip on denial. We get that our addiction has worn us down, and we are powerless over it. No matter how we fought, we couldn’t make using work. And, yes, we’ve even surrendered to the idea that surrender is a “process” that we must sustain by working Steps, going to meetings, service, all that.“But what am I surrendering to?” we ask, thinking we are pretty smart.“You’re already doing it,” our sponsor says. “You’re surrendering to recovery as the solution. If you wanna fight for something, fight for that.”Point, sponsor.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I’m going to take a moment to find where in my life I am still resisting recovery as the solution to my problems. I’m still a fighter, but today my fight is for recovery.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 11, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 11Honest Self-Appraisal in the Steps"The steps help us to increase our ability to be honest with ourselves and others."—Living Clean, Chapter 1, “Growing Pains”––––=––––To say that honesty wasn’t a top priority when we were using may be an understatement.We gain a new awareness of honesty’s value once we clean up. With a clear head and a restored conscience, we find that dishonesty comes at a price. Regret is no joke, so we try to avoid it. Practicing honesty with ourselves can be a little more complicated. Self- deception creates some major blind spots that have a nasty habit of reemerging.Fortunately, our ability to be honest with ourselves deepens as we work the Twelve Steps.We admit our powerlessness and begin to reckon with our unmanageability. We come to recognize that we’re, frankly, screwed on our own and decide to accept some help. Taking action that’s aligned with that decision begins with an honest evaluation of how we’ve lived our lives so far. Sometimes we get as many insights in sharing our inventories as we do in writing them. We go on to dig a bit deeper, examining how aspects of our character had become disproportionate to their intended purpose. We turn this bag of dirty tricks over to a Higher Power—and over and over and over again as we strive to be better people with help from that Power, whatever we conceive that to be. Taking another look at the harm we caused, we make an earnest effort to right our past wrongs.Continuing on this path takes daily commitment and, honestly, we all slack off from time to time. Our experience with the Steps means we’re quicker to notice when old patterns of thinking and behavior creep back up on us. Oh, I’m doing that again. We may find that we’ve shut down emotionally, become disconnected from our spiritual lives, resumed a hurtful interior monologue, or taken up some other outmoded approach to life. We put in the work to restore wholehearted honesty to our lives and in our relationships, including those with ourselves and with a Higher Power. We tune in to reality, to the truth, to our higher selves. And we help others to do the same—to live and to thrive through the daily application of spiritual principles.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I will engage in some honest self-assessment today. I will shore up my foundation and restore my zest for learning how to live.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 11, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 11Balancing the scales"A lot of our chief concerns and major difficulties come from our inexperience with living without drugs. Often when we ask an old timer what to do, we are amazed at the simplicity of the answer."Basic Text, pp. 41-42––––=––––Finding balance in recovery is quite a bit like sitting down with a set of scales and a pile of sand. The goal is to have an equal amount of sand on each side of the scales, achieving a balance of weight.We do the same thing in recovery. We sit down with the foundation of our clean time and the Twelve Steps, then attempt to add employment, household responsibilities, friends, sponsees, relationships, meetings, and service in equal weights so that the scales balance. Our first try may throw our personal scales out of kilter. We may find that, because of our over-involvement in service, we have upset our employer or our family. But when we try to correct this problem by resigning from NA service altogether, the other side of the scales go out of balance.We can ask for help from members who have stabilized their scales. These people are easy to recognize. They appear serene, composed, and self-assured. They'll smile in recognition at our dilemma and share how they slowed down, added only a few grains of sand at a time to either side of the scales, and were rewarded with balance in recovery.––––=––––Just for today:I seek balance in my life. Today, I will ask others to share their experience in finding that balance.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 10, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 10Perseverance Helps Us Stay"We may tire mentally in repeating our new ideas and tire physically in our new activities, yet we know that if we fail to repeat them we will surely take up our old practices."—Basic Text, Chapter 7: Recovery and Relapse––––=––––Many of us can say: “Relapse is a part of my story.”From our own experience and from listening to each other share, we know the possibility that we might not stay clean is very real. What causes an addict in recovery to choose to get high again? It can be anything, really, but an unaware “I got this” can be especially dangerous. We tire of hearing the message, sharing the message, and, frankly, each other.The sun goes down and comes back up on what seems like the same day. We become increasingly cranky and unfulfilled. Having become disillusioned with life clean but without recovery, maybe we even quit going to meetings. Eventually, we reach outside of ourselves to fix our insides and use again. When we come back to the rooms, we tell our story of complacency and sitting on that stepwork.While there are endless versions of the relapse story, we all have heard the ones that don’t have happy Narcotics Anonymous endings. Not everybody makes it back to NA and has the opportunity for another go at recovery. Knowing we could die out there—or not die but bring ruin to our livelihood and relationships—doesn’t keep us clean. So . . . what does?We know the answer to the question. It’s pushing through with the basics of Steps, service, sponsor, and Higher Power. It’s breathing life into our recovery in whatever ways we can.Start a new meeting? Take on another sponsee? Read the daily “SPAD” entry? It’s doing what we all have done in the past, again, just for today. It’s carrying the message to a newcomer to remind ourselves of where we came from and what was so freely given to us.It’s not picking up, even when we want to. It’s staying, even when we don’t want to.Perseverance can be an antidote to complacency. We want to live, so we have to keep on living.We don’t need a new relapse story, or one at all. It’s preventable, not inevitable.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Today I will honor the rewards of recovery that I’ve worked hard for by persevering in what I know works: the program of NA. I want to stay—and keep what I have so I can give it to others.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 10, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 10Becoming entirely ready"We... get a good look at what these defects are doing to our lives. We begin to long for freedom from these defects."Basic Text, p. 33––––=––––Becoming entirely ready to have our defects of character removed can be a long process, often taking place over the course of a lifetime. Our state of readiness grows in direct proportion to our awareness of these defects and the destruction they cause.We may have trouble seeing the devastation our defects are inflicting on our lives and the lives of those around us. If this is the case, we would do well to ask our Higher Power to reveal those flaws which stand in the way of our progress.As we let go of our shortcomings and find their influence waning, we'll notice that a loving God replaces those defects with quality attributes. Where we were fearful, we find courage. Where we were selfish, we find generosity. Our delusions about ourselves will disappear to be replaced by self-honesty and self-acceptance.Yes, becoming entirely ready means we will change. Each new level of readiness brings new gifts. Our basic nature changes, and we soon find our readiness is no longer sparked only by pain but by a desire to grow spiritually.––––=––––Just for today:I will increase my state of readiness by becoming more aware of my shortcomings. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 9, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 9Love and Step Twelve"When we are practicing Step Twelve to the best of our ability, love becomes central to all that we do—there is no more powerful antidote to the despair and self-destruction of addiction."—Living Clean, Chapter 7, “Love”––––=––––Love in Narcotics Anonymous is the Twelfth Step in action. We felt the power of love when we entered our first meeting and were welcomed, no matter what we looked like, where we came from, how we smelled, or who we came with. We found open arms and true acceptance—perhaps for the first time in our lives. The hugs, genuine care and concern, and offers of support extended to us provide a powerful model of love in action.In the beginning, allowing ourselves to receive this love takes some effort. Eventually, we get to give it away. That sounds simple, but it’s not always easy. Through service, we learn to love even those members we don’t really like. Sometimes we’re surprised by what can happen when we focus on the primary purpose and choose principled actions.One H&I subcommittee member recalled serving on a panel with his least-favorite person in the rooms. “We set our differences aside and focused on our primary purpose,” the member shared. “We’re never going to be best friends, but I could see his heart was in the right place. We both loved NA and wanted to help the addict who still suffers.”As NA members, we understand that sharing the message is an act of love. We share and we care to sustain our own recovery and to help the sick and suffering addict. It’s what saves us all from the desperate and self-destructive lives we’ve known. After being in NA for some time, we also appreciate the love extended to those who’ve been here for a while, who need love just as surely as they did on their first day clean. While love alone may not help us overcome all our problems, it sure does provide a great springboard toward the solution.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I will put love into action by carrying the NA message today.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 9, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 9Write about it!"We sit down with a notebook, ask for guidance, pick up our pen, and start writing."Basic Text, p. 29––––=––––When we're confused or in pain, our sponsor sometimes tells us to "write about it." Though we may groan as we drag out the notebook, we know that it will help. By laying it all out on paper, we give ourselves the chance to sort through what's bothering us. We know we can get to the bottom of our confusion and find out what's really causing our pain when we put the pen to the paper.Writing can be rewarding, especially when working through the steps. Many members maintain a daily journal. Simply thinking about the steps, pondering their meaning, and analyzing their effect is not sufficient for most of us. There's something about the physical action of writing that helps to fix the principles of recovery in our minds and hearts.The rewards we find through the simple action of writing are many. Clarity of thought, keys to locked places inside of us, and the voice of conscience are but a few. Writing helps us be more honest with ourselves. We sit down, quiet our thoughts, and listen to our hearts. What we hear in the stillness are the truths that we put down on paper.––––=––––Just for today:One of the ways I can search for truth in recovery is to write. I will write about my recovery today. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 8, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 8Tolerance and Toxic Relationships"Another member found that amends meant not tolerating abuse anymore, and felt she finally had permission to step away from a destructive household."—Living Clean, Chapter Five, “Family”––––=––––Preparing to make meaningful amends includes plenty of heavy lifting in Steps One through Eight. These Steps give us a new perspective on our place in the world, a better understanding of ourselves, and a conscious contact with a Higher Power. We gain courage and self-respect along the way; these will be vital assets for us as we make our amends. A sponsor’s guidance and the experience of other members shape our approach. With their input, we decide what our direct amends will look like in each situation and how we can avoid “injuring them or others”—including ourselves. The same network of friends and mentors reminds us to put our name on that list.Family dynamics and a lifetime of baggage can complicate some of our amends. Our support group reminds us that holding ourselves to account does not mean tolerating mistreatment. In some cases, we can protect ourselves from harm by setting limits; healthy boundaries make for healthy—or at least healthier—relationships. In other relationships, the toxicity continues to be intolerable, and the amends process often reveals a need for greater distance. We can stop giving headspace to those who disregard our needs and forgive ourselves for tolerating what was never okay. As part of our amends to ourselves, many of us reevaluate how we use our time and energy.Making our way through a list of amends brings clarity. Protecting ourselves by setting limits of what we will and won’t tolerate is often part of the amends we make to ourselves. We take responsibility for our own beliefs, feelings, and actions. Not every relationship can or should be rebuilt, but the one with ourselves is definitely worth the effort.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I can forgive myself for tolerating mistreatment in the past and make amends to myself by rethinking my approach to one of my most challenging relationships. What limits might I need to introduce or reinforce?––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 8, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 8Teachable"We have learned that it is okay to not know all the answers, for then we are teachable and can learn to live our new life successfully."Basic Text, p. 93––––=––––In a way, addiction is a great teacher. And if addiction teaches us nothing else, it will teach us humility. We hear it said that it took our very best thinking to get to NA.Now that we're here, we're here to learn.The NA Fellowship is a wonderful learning environment for the recovering addict. We aren't made to feel stupid at meetings. Instead, we find others who've been exactly where we've been and who've found a way out. All we have to do is admit that we don't have all the answers, then listen as others share what's worked for them.As recovering addicts and as human beings, we have much to learn. Other addicts- and other humans-have much to teach us about what works and what doesn't. As long as we remain teachable, we can take advantage of the experience of others.––––=––––Just for today:I will admit that I don't have all the answers. I will look and listen to the experience of others for the answers I need. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 7, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 7Powerlessness and the Second Step"By admitting our own powerlessness, we open our minds to an entirely new idea: the possibility that something greater than ourselves might be powerful enough to relieve our obsession to use drugs."—It Works, Step Two––––=––––Our literature describes how the Second Step helps us to fill the gap created when we admit our powerlessness in Step One. If we are powerless over our disease, what can we do about it? For many of us, simply seeing there are other addicts like us who have lost the desire to use is enough to open our minds to the possibility that something might be able to help us, too—even if we don’t know what that something might be.The catch to accepting help from a power greater than ourselves is that we have to stop exerting our own power first. Practicing powerlessness over our disease means that we stop trying to manage and control it. So many of us have shared about trying to limit our using, hiding our stash from ourselves, using only certain substances or on certain days of the week, and many other ways of trying to be clever or tricky enough to outsmart our addiction. If anyone had success with those types of tricks, they’re probably not NA members. (Yet?) That’s the way it is with addiction. If we try to overpower or outmaneuver our disease, we’re bound to fail. It might not even happen right away, but eventually we find ourselves surrounded by unmanageability, wondering what happened to our well-laid plans. Rather than exerting great control over ourselves to behave in a highly predictable and consistent manner, we let go of the illusion of control and open ourselves to a power from elsewhere.Unlimited examples of experience, strength, and hope are available to us when we share with other addicts in recovery.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Rather than trying to go it alone, I will rely on a power greater than myself.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 7, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 7Turning turmoil into peace"With the world in such a turmoil, I feel I have been blessed to be where I am."Basic Text, p. 155––––=––––Some days it doesn't pay to turn on the news, we hear so many stories about violence and mayhem. When we used, many of us grew accustomed to violence.Through the fog of our addiction, we rarely got too disturbed by the state of the world. When we are clean, however, many of us find we are particularly sensitive to the world around us. As recovering people, what can we do to make it a better place?When we find ourselves disturbed by the turmoil of our world, we can find comfort in prayer and meditation. When it seems like everything is turned upside down, our contact with our Higher Power can be our calm in the midst of any storm. When we are centered on our spiritual path, we can respond to our fear with peace. And by living peaceably ourselves, we invite a spirit of peace to enter our world. As recovering people, we can affect positive change by doing our best to practice the principles of our program.––––=––––Just for today:I will enhance peace in the world by living, speaking, and acting peacefully in my own life. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 6, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 6The Discernment Dimmer Switch"Discernment comes from hard experience: trusting people we shouldn’t, being hurt, and coming back anyway."—Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Friendship”––––=––––Addicts seem especially prone to being all-or-nothing people. We either know or have been the kind of people who flip between manipulation and brutal honesty, who exercise eight days a week or not at all, or who have love/hate relationships with everything and everybody. One member described their approach to relationships this way: “Either I’m all in or you’re dead to me.” Suspicion, cynicism, and self-reliance were survival skills.It doesn’t take much cleantime for us to realize this dark and fearful view of the world won’t serve our recovery well. Hope for a better life creeps up on us, crowding out our previously dark outlook. Some of us even adopt an uncharacteristically sunny disposition as the renowned “pink cloud” colors our entire approach to life for a time. Not to knock this glorious phase of early recovery or those lucky enough to experience it, but blind optimism carries its own risks. We can trust NA with saving our lives without entrusting every member with all of our secrets. It’s important to modulate our openness, discerning the difference between sharing at group level, confiding in a friend, and baring our soul in a Fifth Step. Of course, some of our best lessons come from our mistakes.This is where discernment comes in. Discernment introduces us to the brake pedal so that we don’t have to lurch between extremes. Tapping the brakes on our thinking and behavior allows us to practice good judgment instead of impulsiveness. Discernment turns a toggle switch into a dial. Instead of binary choices like trust or don’t trust, we discern the useful territory between poles. We discern not just right from wrong, but also right from almost right.Discernment helps us make better choices and learn from experience. We’ll still get things wrong, but we take the time to discern a better approach and try again.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Do I have toggle switches for some of my emotions or behaviors that should be converted to dials? How can a discernment dimmer switch tone down some of my excesses?––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 6, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 6Are we having fun yet?"In time, we can relax and enjoy the atmosphere of recovery."Basic Text, pp. 53-54––––=––––Imagine what would happen if a newcomer walked into one of our meetings and was met by a group of grim-faced people gripping the arms of their chairs with white knuckles. That newcomer would probably bolt, perhaps muttering, "I thought I could get off drugs and be happy." Thankfully, our newcomers are usually met by a group of friendly, smiling folks who are obviously fairly content with the lives they've found in Narcotics Anonymous.What an enormous amount of hope this provides! A newcomer, whose life has been deadly serious, is strongly attracted by an atmosphere of laughter and relaxation.Coming from a place where everything is taken seriously, where disaster always waits around the next corner, it's a welcome relief to enter a room and find people who generally don't take themselves too seriously, who are ready for something wonderful.We learn to lighten up in recovery. We laugh at the absurdity of our addiction. Our meetings-those rooms filled with the lively, happy sounds of percolating coffee, clattering chairs, and laughing addicts-are the gathering places where we first welcome our newcomers and let them know that, yes, we're having fun now.––––=––––Just for today:I can laugh at myself. I can take a joke. I will lighten up and have some fun today. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Kicking off the finale of our podcast in the May “Spirituality in Recovery” series, is the story of Moe—a journey of relapse and return, where spirituality became the foundation of his recovery.Born into a family that straddled two worlds, Moe grew up balancing cultural expectations—raised in a Muslim household that still tried to blend into American traditions. It wasn’t until hardship struck, when his father fell ill, that religious faith began to take on deeper meaning in his family's life. But like many of us, it would take years before he would develop a connection to "God."At 18, Moe’s life took a turn into incarceration. Ironically, behind the walls, others looked to him for spiritual guidance because of his name and native language—but he felt like an imposter. That discomfort became a turning point: he began seeking knowledge, not just of religion, but of himself.Then came 2001. In the aftermath of 9/11, Moe found himself carrying the weight of judgment and isolation as a Muslim New Yorker. His addiction escalated, and though he found his way into Narcotics Anonymous, he struggled to feel like he belonged. Sitting in church basements, unsure if his beliefs had a place, he held back. He would collect clean time—but without connection, without step work, he kept falling back into old patterns. Institutions became a revolving door, and each time he left NA, he felt the absence deeply.In 2008, facing his longest sentence yet, something shifted. For the first time, Moe truly asked for help—not just to get out, but to change. A connection made inside led him to someone on the outside who believed in him. That support helped him find treatment and moments of hope—but still, the program hadn’t fully taken root.It wasn’t until his most recent incarceration from 2021 to 2024 that everything changed. Near the end of his sentence, Moe took a 10-week meditation course. That experience became the turning point—not just talking to a Higher Power, but learning to listen. In that stillness, he found something transformative.Meditation opened the door to a new kind of recovery—one that lives in the body, mind, and soul. He began paying attention to himself in a way he never had before. A simple decision to buy a bicycle became the start of a physical transformation, too. Today, Moe is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist, living proof that recovery can be holistic and deeply embodied.But what truly sets this chapter apart is his commitment. Moe isn’t just attending meetings—he’s living the program. Through step work, service, and connection to other recovering addicts, he shows up differently. And the fellowship sees it. And this time, it’s not about trying to fit in—it’s about belonging.Moe’s story reminds us that recovery isn’t a straight line, and spirituality isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s something we discover, refine, and live—one day at a time.

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 5, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 5Gratitude for All of Life’s Challenges"When we feel the deepest gratitude, we can look back and see that our path to that moment was neither short nor straight."—Living Clean, Chapter 1, “Keys to Freedom”––––=––––“I’m so grateful for the life I have, thanks to NA.” The speaker was then quiet for a moment, wiping away tears, before continuing: “Grateful for my sponsor and the Steps . . . and even for the bad stuff that’s happened along the way.”For someone who’s new, witnessing gratitude from a member for “bad stuff” can sound illogical, overly virtuous, impossible, even undesirable. Why on earth should we be grateful for our addiction, our mistakes, and our poor decision making? Do we really have to feel grateful for pain and loss to recover in NA?Reframing our past hardships or current challenges with a deep awareness of gratitude is not an easy path, nor is it a quick one. For one thing, we rarely, if ever, start our journey in recovery with a clear and broad perspective on our lives. This doesn’t happen just from being abstinent and going to a few meetings—and talking about being grateful. It requires effort, a lot of it. We do our stepwork thoroughly. We develop and learn to rely on a power greater than ourselves. We try to apply spiritual principles in all our relationships. We work on forgiving others and ourselves. We make amends for our mistakes and find compassion for ourselves when we mess up again. We consistently surrender in the face of new adversity and strive to find the lesson in it.“My flaws and mistakes are part of what makes me who I am today,” the speaker continued. “They are what inspire me to work to be a better person. My ability to get through some of the worst times in my life—bruised and battered but still clean—is a huge gift. I am grateful for this life.”Gratitude is not a destination. It’s an awareness and a process. Though we recovering addicts don’t feel grateful all the time, there are times when we do feel it deeply. When we’re feeling ungrateful, we’ve learned what to do: help another person on their journey in recovery.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Today I will do some work to learn from my mistakes and from hardships. I will strive for gratitude for the “bad stuff” as well as the good.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 5, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 5Any lengths"...I was ready to go to any lengths to stay clean."Basic Text, p. 217––––=––––"Any lengths?" newcomers ask. "What do you mean, any lengths?" Looking back at our active addiction and the lengths we were willing to go in order to stay high can help to explain. Were we willing to drive many miles to get drugs? Yes, we usually were. Then it makes sense that, if we are as concerned about staying clean as we were about using, we will try anything to find a ride to a meeting.In our addiction, didn't we often do crazy, insane things or use unknown substances at the direction of others? Then why do we often find it so hard to take direction in recovery, especially when the direction is designed to help us grow? And when we used, didn't we often, in desperation, turn to our Higher Power, saying, "Please, just get me out of this one!" Then why do we find it so hard to ask for God's help in our recovery?When we used, we usually had an open mind when it came to finding ways and means to get more drugs. If we can apply the same principle of open-mindedness to our recovery, we may surprise ourselves by how easily we begin to grasp the NA program. Our best thinking, it is often said, got us into the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous. If we are willing to go to any lengths, follow directions, and stay open- minded, we can stay clean.––––=––––Just for today:I am willing to go to any lengths to stay clean. I will become as open- minded and ready to take direction as I need to be. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 4, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 4Willingness Gets Us into Action"Willingness without action is fantasy."—Living Clean, Chapter 6, “Commitment”––––=––––Those of us who weren’t stoned out of our minds for middle school science may recall the law of inertia: “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.” In other words, things tend to keep doing what they’re doing unless something intervenes. The same might be said for people.When humans experience inertia, it can signal our resistance to change. Addicts sometimes take this to extremes—imagine that! When we get stuck in place or in constant motion, a powerful force may be needed to provoke change. That’s why getting through the doors of our first meeting is so extraordinary. This first, often tentative action demonstrates a sublime willingness. Looking back on this first hint of surrender, many of us might sense the presence of an external force that propelled us into action. Individually and collectively, you might say that the force is strong with us.Then and now, meetings can provide a potent antidote to inertia. They offer inspiration and help us imagine a future without drugs. Beyond fantasizing, we learn from each other’s experience and try out practical new tools. We give ourselves a break and learn to let momentary or even obsessive thoughts of using come and go. By attending meetings regularly, we get frequent reminders about the kinds of actions we can take to sustain our cleantime or delve more intensely into recovery.The NA program holds the potential to change the direction or speed of the addict who still suffers, but it takes some cooperation and effort on our part. As one member pointed out, “We say, ‘It works if you work it,’ not ‘It works if you fantasize about it.’” We’re not strangers to wishing things were different. In NA, we still hope and pray, but then we roll up our sleeves and get to work. As the age-old saying goes, “If nothing changes, nothing changes.”––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Whether I’ve let complacency grind my forward momentum to a halt or let constant motion block my awareness, I invite a loving force greater than myself to nudge me out of inertia.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 4, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 4What about the newcomer?"Each group has but one primary purpose-to carry the message to the addict who still suffers."Tradition Five––––=––––Our home group means a lot to us. After all, where would we be without our favorite NA meeting? Our group sometimes sponsors picnics or other activities. Often, home group members get together to see a movie or go bowling. We have all made good friendships through our home group, and we wouldn't trade that warmth for the world.But sometimes we must take inventory of what our group is doing to fulfill its primary purpose-to carry the message to the still-suffering addict. Sometimes when we go to our meetings, we know almost everyone and get caught up in the laughter and fun. But what about the newcomer? Have we remembered to reach out to the new people who may be sitting by themselves, lonely and frightened? Do we remember to welcome those visiting our group?The love found in the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous helps us recover from addiction. But once we have gotten clean, we must remember to give to others what was so freely given to us. We need to reach out to the addict who still suffers. After all. "the newcomer is the most important person at any meeting."––––=––––Just for today:I'm grateful for the warm fellowship I've found in my home group. I will reach out my hand to the still-suffering addict, offering that same fellowship to others. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 3, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 3Sharing our gratitude"My gratitude speaks when I care and when I share with others the NA way." Gratitude Prayer ––––=––––The longer we stay clean, the more we experience feelings of gratitude for our recovery. These feelings of gratitude aren't limited to particular gifts like new friends or the ability to be employed. More frequently, they arise from the overall sense of joy we feel in our new lives. These feelings are enhanced by the certainty of the course our lives would have taken if it weren't for the miracle we've experienced in Narcotics Anonymous. These feelings are so all-encompassing, so wondrous, and sometimes so overwhelming that we often can't find words for them. We sometimes openly weep with happiness while sharing in a meeting, yet we grope for words to express what we're feeling. We want so badly to convey to newcomers the gratitude we feel, but it seems that our language lacks the superlatives to describe it. When we share with tears in our eyes, when we choke up and can't talk at all-these are the times when our gratitude speaks most clearly. We share our gratitude directly from our hearts; with their hearts, others hear and understand. Our gratitude speaks eloquently, though our words may not."––––=––––Just for today:My gratitude has a voice of its own; when it speaks, the heart understands. Today, I will share my gratitude with others, whether I can find the words or not. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 3, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 3The Attraction of Goodwill"Like so many things in recovery, how we do the work is as important as the work we do."—Guiding Principles, Tradition Eleven, Opening Essay––––=––––Many of us have had the experience of encountering a newcomer at a meeting or working with a sponsee who just can’t seem to get this recovery thing. We have wished that we could just pour experience, strength, and hope into their minds and hearts, but we know it simply doesn’t work that way.By participating in the hospitals and institutions and public relations service committees, many of us get a front-row seat to newcomers’ awakening when we take H&I meetings to inmates or present PR panels to local schools. Initially, some students might attend to get out of class and prisoners to get out of their cells. Regardless of the motivation, many can’t help but identify. We see the looks on their faces change from indifference and apathy to relief and understanding. The NA message has a way of penetrating through that tough exterior and getting right to the heart of the still-suffering addict. Sharing openly and honestly, from the heart, is the most attractive thing we have to offer.If we were to run around like fanatics, proclaiming the spoils of recovery based on our specific gains and achievements, this would be a misrepresentation of the truth. The practice of goodwill in Tradition Eleven comes when we exercise discretion and deliver a simple message: Narcotics Anonymous can work for anyone with a desire to stop using.When the message is clear, recovery can take root.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Today I will be mindful of how I represent myself inside and outside of the rooms, knowing that my story is not the Narcotics Anonymous program and that I might be the only Basic Text some people ever see.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 2, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 2"Just maybe...""There is one thing more than anything else that will defeat us in our recovery; this is an attitude of indifference or intolerance toward spiritual principles."Basic Text, p, 18––––=––––When we first came to NA, many of us had great difficulty accepting the spiritual principles underlying this program-and for good reason. No matter how we'd tried to control our addiction, we'd found ourselves powerless. We grew angry and frustrated with anyone who suggested there was hope for us, because we knew better.Spiritual ideas may have had some bearing on other peoples' lives, but not on ours.Despite our indifference or intolerance toward spiritual principles, we were drawn to Narcotics Anonymous. There, we met other addicts. They'd been where we'd been, powerless and hopeless, yet they'd found a way not only to stop using but to live and enjoy life clean. They spoke of the spiritual principles that had pointed the way for them to this new life of recovery. For them, these principles were not just theories but a part of their practical experience. Yes, we had good reason to be skeptical, but these spiritual principles spoken of by other NA members really seemed to work.Once we admitted this, we didn't necessarily accept every spiritual idea we heard.But we did start to think that, if these principles had worked for others, just maybe they'd work for us, too. For a beginning, that willingness was enough.––––=––––Just for today:Just maybe the spiritual principles I hear spoken of in NA might work for me. I am willing, at least, to open my mind to the possibility. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 2, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 2Empathy in Hard Times"We find people who have been through what we’re going through, and got through it clean. We need other people to walk us through hard times, and we need to reach out and help others as we heal."—Living Clean, Chapter 1, “Growing Pains”––––=––––For many of us, when we were new to NA, getting clean—and staying clean—was the hardest thing we’d ever been through. Our life seemed impossibly dark, and it took every bit of effort not to go back to our old lives. But we didn’t pick up, no matter what. We survived that time, in large part, because of our connection to other recovering addicts. A member shared: “In my first meeting someone told me, ‘I understand you, and you don’t have to go through this alone.’ For years, people had said so many things to me, trying to help, but until NA, no one said they’d had the same experience—and that they’d survived it.”However, staying clean doesn’t mean the difficult times are over. Inevitably, “no matter what” situations await all of us. Sometimes these challenges can add to our lives in significant ways: We get off the street and live on our own for the first time or we buy property or start a family or a business. For many of us, we experience catastrophic events that easily eclipse the suffering of early recovery. We have to care for an aging parent or we lose a child to the disease of addiction. There’s economic hardship, divorce or widowhood, infertility, cancer or chronic pain; the list is endless.And so is the depth of the empathy and experience of our NA Fellowship. None of us has to go through any hardship alone. We get through these times clean, just as we did when we were new—with willingness to accept help from those who understand us and who have endured similar situations.The member continued: “Without each other, we are stumbling around in the dark. I let people in, not only because I needed help, but because allowing others who love us to support us in our time of need also shows compassion and generosity.” Speaking about the loss of his spouse to suicide, he added, “Ultimately, my own struggle became more bearable because I helped someone going through the same thing. That mutual aid is empathy in action.”––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I am committed to being there for others who have been down similar roads. We can walk together and welcome others along the way.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 1, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 1Self-worth and service"Being involved in service makes me feel worthwhile."Basic Text, p. 212––––=––––When most of us arrived in Narcotics Anonymous, we had very little self-worth left to salvage. Many members say that they began to develop self-esteem through being of service early in their recovery. Something just short of a miracle occurs when we begin to have a positive impact on others' lives through our service efforts.Most of us don't have a lot of experience, strength, or hope to share at thirty days clean. In fact, some members will tell us in no uncertain terms that what we can do best is listen. But at thirty days, we do have something to offer to that addict just coming into the rooms of NA, struggling to get twenty-four hours clean. The very newest NA member, the one with only a desire to stop using and none of the tools, can hardly imagine anyone staying clean for a year, or two years, or ten. But he or she can relate to those people with thirty days clean, picking up a keytag with a look of pride and disbelief emblazoned on their faces.Service is something that is our unique gift-something that no one can take away from us. We give, and we get. Through service, many of us start on the sometimes long road back to becoming productive members of society.––––=––––Just for today:I will be grateful for the opportunity to be of service. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 1, read by MoeDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 1Service as an Expression of Love and Gratitude"Service changes our relationship to our own lives. We learn to put love and gratitude into action, and when we mobilize our good feelings they have a way of spreading through all our affairs."—Living Clean, Chapter 7, “Being of Service”––––=––––The Basic Text tells us that “we can only keep what we have by giving it away.” That’s as true for us as individuals as it is for NA as a whole. When we share our experience with new members, we’re reminded where we came from and exactly how far we’ve come. We don’t need loads of cleantime to start reaping the benefits of service. One member recalled, “My sponsor taught me to carry a pen to every meeting so that I could give my phone number to newcomers. I asked, ‘But aren’t I still a newcomer?’ and was reminded that I had 30 more days than the person that just walked in the door.” Reflecting on service in early recovery, another member shared, “I was making more than just coffee, I was making friends and beginning to feel a part of my home group.” We gain a sense of belonging as we give of ourselves. It feels good, and we want more. We put love and gratitude into action as we serve.We focus on carrying the message and let the other details—in life, in meetings, in our heads—sort themselves out in their own time. A shared commitment to service helps us to hear each other and to choose to believe that we’re all doing our best. We love and, therefore, serve NA even when we disagree about the best way to go about it. We contribute to the lively and loving atmosphere of recovery in our meetings and participate in the countless incognito efforts that make this thing work. We arrive at meetings early to welcome each new face or stay late to clean up and put away chairs. Each of these actions expresses our gratitude.We bring this mindset with us into the world outside NA. We recognize our capacity to help others and know that it feels good to do good. We get some freedom from self-obsession and the opportunity to practice loving kindness in our affairs. We gain a sense of fulfillment as we engage in acts of service inside and outside Narcotics Anonymous.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I will express love and gratitude by serving the greater good.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 30, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 30God does for us"Ongoing recovery is dependent on our relationship with a loving God who cares for us and will do for us what we find impossible to do for ourselves."Basic Text, p. 96––––=––––How often have we heard it said in meetings that "God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves"? At times we may get stuck in our recovery, unable, afraid, or unwilling to make the decisions we know we must make to move forward. Perhaps we are unable to end a relationship that just isn't working. Maybe our job has become a source of too much conflict. Or perhaps we feel we need to find a new sponsor but are afraid to begin the search. Through the grace of our Higher Power, unexpected change may occur in precisely the area we felt unable to alter.We sometimes allow ourselves to become stuck in the problem instead of moving forward toward the solution. At these times, we often find that our Higher Power does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Perhaps our partner decides to end our relationship. We may get fired or laid off. Or our sponsor tells us that he or she can no longer work with us, forcing us to look for a new one.Sometimes what occurs in our lives can be frightening, as change often seems. But we also hear that "God never closes a door without opening another one." As we move forward with faith, the strength of our Higher Power is never far from us. Our recovery is strengthened by these changes.––––=––––Just for today:I trust that the God of my understanding will do for me what I cannot do for myself.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 30, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 30The Value of Consistency"When we attend meetings regularly, people get to know us and see us over time."—Living Clean, Chapter 2, “Connection to Others”––––=––––The principle of consistency offers great benefits at any phase in our recovery, even though how it might look in practice evolves over time. Early on, consistency tends to mean a meeting a day for the first 90 days, as our Basic Text suggests. A likely outcome of completing a “90-in-90” challenge is knowing and being known by quite a few other NA members. Making ourselves visible in this way exposes our disease to people who see it for what it is. The compassion, concern, and care we receive from other members is a vital part of knowing we are not alone, especially in early recovery. Consistency allows people to know and care for us, and it can save our lives.The value of practicing consistency changes the longer we’re around. Our lives improve, and we are able to practice consistency in other areas: NA service, family relationships, friendships, and any other place we go. Those of us who were able to show up physically for our family and friends find, over time, that we are able to be more fully present in the spaces we inhabit. “I used to just send someone who looked like me,” one speaker recalled.“My family got a person with my face, my eyes, my smile. But behind all that was empty.Showing up for real in NA taught me how to bring the real me to other places I go. I’m not sending the imposter anymore.”The magic of consistency in NA goes beyond just showing up. Simply dragging our body to meetings on a regular basis, whether that’s daily or slightly less often, wouldn’t be enough on its own. Something special happens in our meetings, though—we see and recognize each other beyond the surface level. We hear others share and we relate; we share with others and tell on our disease. Consistency helps keep us from going back into hiding, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Our recovery depends on it.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Simply having my butt in a seat at a meeting won’t keep me clean or magically make me recover. But it’s a damn good place to start!––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 29, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 29"What if....""Living just for today relieves the burden of the past and the fear of the future. We learned to take whatever actions are necessary and to leave the results in the hands of our Higher Power."Basic Text, pp. 90-91––––=––––In our active addiction, fear of the future and what might happen was a reality for many of us. What if we got arrested? lost our job? our spouse died? we went bankrupt? and on, and on, and on. It was not unusual for us to spend hours, even whole days thinking about what might happen. We played out entire conversations and scenarios before they ever occurred, then charted our course on the basis of "what if..." By doing this, we set ourselves up for disappointment after disappointment.From listening in meetings, we learn that living in the present, not the world of "what if," is the only way to short-circuit our self-fulfilling prophecies of doom and gloom.We can only deal with what is real today, not our fearful fantasies of the future.Coming to believe that our Higher Power has only the best in store for us is one way we can combat that fear. We hear in meetings that our Higher Power won't give us more than we can handle in one day. And we know from experience that, if we ask, the God we've come to understand will surely care for us. We stay clean through adverse situations by practicing our faith in the care of a Power greater than ourselves. Each time we do, we become less fearful of "what if" and more comfortable with what is.––––=––––Just for today:I will look forward to the future with faith in my Higher Power. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 29, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 29Our Willingness Makes a Difference"When we show up with an open mind and a willingness to be of service, the rewards can be far greater than our efforts."—Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Family”––––=––––A nudge from a sponsor, a longing to be a part of NA, a hunger for validation—any of these might be our initial inspiration to serve. Regardless of what motivates us, the rewards of service quickly become apparent. It feels good to be part of the beehive of activity that goes into keeping the doors open and meetings running smoothly. We feel a sense of belonging as home-group members greet us by name and invite us to check out other meetings. We welcome new members and introduce them to others who have their best interest at heart.Realizing that we fit that description, too, we offer our phone number and some advice: “If you don’t pick up, you can’t get high. Call one of us if the disease starts talking to you.”We’re humbled to think that our willingness to be of service might make a difference for a potential new member. Viewed with an open mind, we realize that it’s already made a difference for us.While groups remain the most powerful vehicle for carrying the message, the NA service infrastructure exists to amplify our ability to fulfill this primary purpose. Members contribute to the good and necessary work organized by service bodies large and small. All of these efforts are geared to helping more addicts find their way to the rooms. We offer our time and effort and find ourselves becoming more invested, more connected, and more alive. Our willingness to show up and pitch in means that our groups have current meeting directories, that cops and doctors send addicts our way, that websites provide the latest information, and that incarcerated members get sponsors and NA literature.Our primary purpose inspires all of these service efforts and more. We show up with the still-suffering addict in mind and find that our burdens are lessened by our generosity. Our service to NA affects who we are and how we interact with the world. Within NA and beyond, we do loving things for our families and communities and experience love in return.Our insights compel us to keep showing up and giving back and enjoying the rewards.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I am willing to show up and give of myself today. It will keep me clean and remind me of the abundance I enjoy as a result of the life I found in Narcotics Anonymous.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 28, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 28Inspired to Understand"We begin to understand that other people have real feelings and that we are capable of hurting them if we are careless."—It Works, Step Nine––––=––––Active addiction causes us shame, and shame feels lousy. We learned to shut down our feelings, to turn our backs to our emotional well-being. Before drugs were a problem, they were our solution. Our preferred state—a drug-induced haze—made it easier to shut down those pesky feelings.When we get to NA, we start to feel better; we start to feel everything better. Early recovery can seem like a feelings roller coaster that takes us from uncomfortable to exhilarated with every turn. Since numbing our feelings isn’t a viable option, we take a stab at understanding ourselves and the effects of the disease. Step One helps us to see how powerlessness and unmanageability shaped our every attempt to control our drug use. We begin to identify our feelings and verbalize our thoughts and emotions. When members nod and laugh in recognition as we share, we experience how good it feels to be understood.We are inspired to be more understanding and empathetic. We practice being thoughtful and kind, and others reciprocate. We gain an awareness of how our behavior affects others.We learn to practice discretion and keep our unsolicited opinions to ourselves at times. This is new! Where once we were careless, practicing understanding calls on us to be considerate of others.We gain valuable insight as we inventory our behavior. Most of us find that we’ve been on both sides of hurt feelings. This brings our understanding of ourselves and others to a whole new level.We gain additional clarity in the amends process. We rally the courage and willingness to meet with the people we have harmed, to own our mistakes, and to change our behavior.We apply the principle of understanding by moving through our lives with more care and concern. Because we’re human, there will be missteps, but as members of NA we have a process for staying clear and current.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I have a choice about my behavior today. I choose to be considerate of other people’s feelings and my own emotional well-being. I will allow understanding to influence my actions.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 28, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 28Who really gets better?"We can also use the steps to improve our attitudes. Our best thinking got us into trouble. We recognize the need for change."Basic Text, p. 53––––=––––When new in recovery, most of us had at least one person we just couldn't stand.We thought that person was the rudest, most obnoxious person in the program. We knew there was something we could do, some principle of recovery we could practice to get over the way we felt about this person but what? We asked our sponsor for guidance. We were probably assured, with an amused smile, that if we just kept coming back, we'd see the person get better. That made sense to us. We believed that the steps of NA worked in the lives of everyone. If they could work for us, they could work for this horrible person, too.Time passed, and at some point we noticed that the person didn't seem as rude or obnoxious as before. In fact, he or she had become downright tolerable, maybe even likeable. We got a pleasant jolt as we realized who had really gotten better. Because we had kept coming back, because we had kept working the steps, our perception of this person had changed. The person who'd plagued us had become "tolerable" because we'd developed some tolerance; he or she had become "likeable" because we'd developed the ability to love.So who really gets better? We do! As we practice the program, we gain a whole new outlook on those around us by gaining a new outlook on ourselves.––––=––––Just for today:As I get better, so will others. Today, I will practice tolerance and try to love those I meet. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 27, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 27Pursuing Equanimity"When we feel dignity, we are not turned by a passing breeze, and we no longer need to defend ourselves from every shadow."—Guiding Principles, Tradition One, Opening Reflection––––=––––When we were using, we adapted to the dangerous and hostile environments around us by developing survival skills. Even once we leave that life, we take these defenses with us. Early in our recovery, everything can seem like a threat to our well-being. Our responses are often knee-jerk, reactive, and based on a life we are no longer living, not our present-tense recovery journey.Over time, we find our emotional and spiritual footing. Equanimity is the art of maintaining this steadiness. We are not so easily thrown off balance by whatever waves may come our way. We find ourselves less drawn to drama, and we don’t view challenges as crises so often. The tide comes in and goes out, and we acquire, through our own and others’ experiences, a deep-seated belief that we can get through this—that we will be okay no matter what.The emotional wobbliness we have when we first come to NA subsides as we gain perspective. How we see the world changes and how we respond to what we see changes.Real-life difficulties may emerge, but we can respond differently. When we are rigid, we are apt to get knocked down every time there is a storm at sea. In recovery, we learn to adjust our sails as we acquire “the wisdom to know the difference.”We get more comfortable being who we are without justifying or explaining our feelings, thoughts, and actions. We relax into a new relationship with life and no longer need to be on guard, defensive, or reactive. Through the Eleventh Step, we learn to pause before reacting. In service, instead of acting impulsively, we can make choices that benefit NA’s common welfare. Meditation teaches us to slow down and listen. We don’t have to fix everything. We’re more open to the world as it is and to solutions that we may not have anticipated. We learn to be fully present and less guarded. We can stand in the middle of what is.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Being part of something bigger than myself can serve as a life preserver. When I am tired of swimming, I can lean back and float. I can’t always see what’s under the water but can trust my buoyancy.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 27, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 27Recognizing and releasing resentments"We want to look our past in the face, see it for what it really was, and release it so we can live today."Basic Text, p. 28––––=––––Many of us had trouble identifying our resentments when we were new in recovery.There we sat with our Fourth Step in front of us, thinking and thinking, Finally deciding that we just didn't have any resentments. Perhaps we talked ourselves into believing that we weren't so sick after all.Such unwitting denial of our resentments stems from the conditioning of our addiction. Most of our feelings were buried, and buried deep. After some time in recovery, a new sense of understanding develops. Our most deeply buried feelings begin to surface, and those resentments we thought we didn't have suddenly emerge.As we examine these resentments, we may feel tempted to hold onto some of them, especially if we think they are "justified." But what we need to remember is that "justified" resentments are just as burdensome as any other resentment.As our awareness of our liabilities grows, so does our responsibility to let go. We no longer need to hang on to our resentments. We want to rid ourselves of what's undesirable and set ourselves free to recover.––––=––––Just for today:When I discover a resentment, I'll see it for what it is and let it go. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 26, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 26Caring for Ourselves, Caring for Others"We need to develop empathy and concern for others, and to let go of self- obsession without losing sight of ourselves."—Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Friendship”––––=––––Negotiating a balance between caring for ourselves and for others takes much self- awareness. It requires ongoing focus, discernment, and thoughtful action. Finding that combination of loving generosity in helping others while maintaining appropriate boundaries—the healthy interplay between independence and interdependence—is a lifelong pursuit for a recovering addict.Through the work we do on ourselves, our bent toward self-obsessiveness lessens as our empathy for others tends to deepen. What used to be a single-minded concern for “this addict” often becomes tempered with a genuine concern for other NA members. Many of us roll up our sleeves and get to work helping new members because we want them to experience the same relief and connection that we did. We have found a new way of life and want to share with them how we did it. Fair enough. But we may end up feeling like we need to save them and that we are the only ones who can do it. We take it personally when our suggestions are rebuffed. We mistakenly blame ourselves if they don’t stay clean.This perspective is detrimental to our own recovery, reflecting a bit of that self-obsession we thought we had exchanged for kindness. We must show ourselves some care—and demonstrate some humility, even self-respect, often by taking a step back while still making ourselves available to help when asked. Knowing where support ends and enabling begins can be a baffling process that we revisit again and again throughout our recovery. Some of us develop excellent instincts in this regard and can support other addicts through the process of discovery for themselves.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I can care about others while still caring for myself. I can help others find what I’m finding in NA while maintaining my self-respect and being pragmatic about my powerlessness over other people.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 26, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 26Self-acceptance"The most effective means of achieving self-acceptance is through applying the Twelve Steps of recovery."IP No. 19, "Self-Acceptance"––––=––––Most of us came to Narcotics Anonymous without much self-acceptance. We looked at the havoc we had wreaked in our active addiction, and we loathed ourselves. We had difficulty accepting our past and the self-image produced by it.Self-acceptance comes more quickly when we first accept that we have a disease called addiction, because it's easier to accept ourselves as sick people than as bad people. And the easier it is to accept ourselves, the easier it becomes to accept responsibility for ourselves.We achieve self-acceptance through the process of ongoing recovery. Working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous teaches us to accept ourselves and our lives.Spiritual principles like surrender, honesty, faith, and humility help relieve us of the burden of our past mistakes. Our attitude changes with the application of these principles in our daily lives. Self-acceptance grows as we grow in recovery.––––=––––Just for today:Self-acceptance is a process set in motion by the Twelve Steps. Today, I will trust the process, practice the steps, and learn to better accept myself. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Closing out our April "Working in Recovery" series is the powerful story of Laurie—a woman who transformed nearly three decades of substance use into a life of purpose, service, and lasting recovery.Laurie used drugs for 29 consecutive years, a journey that took her from a brief marriage in her twenties to San Francisco, where codependency led her deeper into addiction, even using substances she once swore she never would. Although she first encountered Narcotics Anonymous in 1997, she wasn’t ready to stay, comparing herself to others and eventually continuing her use after moving to Manhattan. It wasn’t until 2004, when she reached her breaking point after being introduced to crack cocaine, that she fully surrendered and sought change.Her path to recovery truly began at a treatment facility on Eastern Long Island, where she embraced the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous. Today, more than 20 years later, Laurie remains clean, grounded in her recovery with a home group, a sponsor, and a deep commitment to practicing the steps in her daily life.Laurie got clean at 41 years old. For many years in recovery, she worked various odd jobs without fully committing to a career path. A former bartender, her turning point came 15 years into her recovery when her therapist encouraged her to consider working in the recovery field. Inspired by a peer advocate she met through Co-Dependents Anonymous meetings, Laurie applied for a scholarship to become a recovery advocate and coach. Not only did she receive the scholarship, but her test-taking fees were also covered—paving the way for her to become a certified peer recovery advocate.At a career fair, Laurie showed up without a resume and without even knowing how to type. Despite this, she made a connection with someone who would become her boss—and was hired on the spot. Today, Laurie is a certified addiction recovery coach with eight professional credentials to her name, all without a college degree.Laurie loves the work she does, but she remains grounded in the principle that her job is not her recovery. She continues to attend meetings regularly and prioritizes her program above all else. Now a proud and active member of the recovery community, Laurie is grateful to be a functioning member of society, giving back and helping others find their own path to healing.Her story is a testament to resilience, growth, and the idea that it’s never too late to build a meaningful, impactful life in recovery.

Just for Today meditation for April 25, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 25Embracing reality"Recovery is a reality for us today."Basic Text, p. 97––––=––––Pain and misery were realities in our using lives. We were unwilling either to accept our living situation or to change what was unacceptable in our lives. We attempted to escape life's pain by taking drugs, but using only compounded our troubles. Our altered sense of reality became a nightmare.Through living the program of Narcotics Anonymous, we learn that our dreams can replace our nightmares. We grow and change. We acquire the freedom of choice. We are able to give and receive love. We can share honestly about ourselves, no longer magnifying or minimizing the truth. We accept the challenges real life offers us, facing them in a mature, responsible way.Although recovery does not give us immunity from the realities of life, in the NA Fellowship we can find the support, genuine care, and concern we need to face those realities. We need never hide from reality by using drugs again, for our unity with other recovering addicts gives us strength. Today the support, the care, and the empathy of recovery give us a clean, clear window through which to view, experience, and appreciate reality as it is.––––=––––Just for today:A gift of my recovery is living and enjoying life as it truly is. Today, I will embrace reality. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 25, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 25Compassion Toward All"I have a deep compassion for the still-suffering addict, be it the addict who is sitting in the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous, the addict who has yet to find the rooms, or especially the addict who left and has yet to find the way back again."—Basic Text, Coming Home, “Second Chance”––––=––––One of the most painful lessons we learn in recovery is that we are each on our own path.No matter how much we want to help, close friends or partners sometimes relapse.Sponsees or other members we’ve tried to help may choose to get loaded. The same goes for members with significant cleantime whom we admire, and sometimes our sponsor (who’s just another addict like we are) will be suffering in the rooms and keeping it to themselves—and will end up using again. The pain we feel in these situations takes many forms: grief, anger, betrayal, confusion, fear for our own recovery.But we also feel deep compassion for another addict’s pain. We try to let that compassion, rather than our pain, drive our actions.NA members have different ideas about what compassion looks like. Some of us believe that if an addict is using and not coming to meetings, no contact should be made. Tough love. Others reach out to still-using addicts believing it’s absolutely necessary to maintain that connection.In some meetings, an empty chair is set out to represent the still-suffering addict, and—as a sort of collective compassion—we pray that seat gets filled. The most important thing we can do is to stay clean ourselves so that when the time comes, we will be there for any addict who is seeking help. The power of living by example should never be underestimated. Whatever our judgments, we can all agree that addicts should always be welcomed to meetings regardless of how many times they’ve relapsed, what they look or smell like, or what our history with them has been. As a Fellowship, our job is to practice compassion no matter what.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:During the moment of silence at my next meeting, I’ll pray for a specific addict who’s suffering: I am here for you. I’m saving a chair for you.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 24, read by Sophie X.Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 24Faith and Step Three"In the Third Step, faith gives us the capacity to actually make a decision and carry that decision into action."—NA Step Working Guides, Step Three, “Spiritual Principles”––––=––––When we look back at early recovery—regardless of how recent or distant that may be—we can see how faith inspired some of our decisions and helped us to act on them. Many of us credit some sort of blind faith for getting us through the doors of our first meeting. We decided to get some help and found our way to Narcotics Anonymous.As our heads cleared, we saw that our every effort to clean up on our own had failed.Consciously or not, we surrendered and made that crucial admission in Step One. We took another leap of faith by entertaining the possibility that we could stay clean and be restored to sanity. Faith that the recovery that we’d seen work for others could also work for us brought us to Step Three.Deciding to turn our will and life over to the care of the God of our understanding was huge.It might have seemed too big, really. Other members reassured us, “You’re just making a decision. You’ll have a lifetime to figure out what that looks like, plenty of time to practice.”So, okay, we decide . . . now what?Some of us get stuck here or find ourselves cycling through the first three Steps, sure that we’ve dropped a stitch. We get lucky—as we do so often in NA—when we’re sitting in a meeting, only half listening, and we hear just what we need to propel us into action: “The footwork of Step Three is Step Four.” And so on.The faith we practice as NA members gives us the courage to make other momentous decisions: to change careers, to exercise more, to marry, to end a marriage. When we’re secure in our recovery, faith enables us to ask ourselves some really tough questions, like “What do I want?” and “What’s holding me back?” Faith steadies us as we make decisions, supports us as we clear the way forward, and keeps us humble as we find out what we’re capable of.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Faith will show in my actions today, as I make the time to do the things I ought to do and say the things I need to say.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 24, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 24Twelve steps of life"Through abstinence and through working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous, our lives have become useful."Basic Text, p. 8––––=––––Before coming to Narcotics Anonymous, our lives were centered around using. For the most part, we had very little energy left over for jobs, relationships, or other activities. We served only our addiction.The Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous provide a simple way to turn our lives around. We start by staying clean, a day at a time. When our energy is no longer channeled into our addiction, we find that we have the energy to pursue other interests. As we grow in recovery, we become able to sustain healthy relationships.We become trustworthy employees. Hobbies and recreation seem more inviting.Through participation in Narcotics Anonymous, we help others.Narcotics Anonymous does not promise us that we will find good jobs, loving relationships, or a fulfilling life. But when we work the Twelve Steps to the best of our ability, we find that we can become the type of people who are capable of finding employment, sustaining loving relationships, and helping others. We stop serving our disease, and begin serving God and others. The Twelve Steps are the key to transforming our lives.––––=––––Just for today:I will have the wisdom to use the Twelve Steps in my life, and the courage to grow in my recovery. I will practice my program to become a responsible, productive member of society. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 23, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 23A God of our own understanding"Many of us understand God to be simply whatever force keeps us clean."Basic Text, p. 25––––=––––Some of us enter recovery with a working understanding of a Higher Power. For a lot of us, however, "God" is a troublesome word. We may doubt the existence of any sort of Power greater than ourselves. Or we may remember uncomfortable experiences with religion and shy away from "the God stuff." Starting over in recovery means we can start over in our spiritual life, too. If we're not comfortable with what we learned when we were growing up, we can try a different approach to our spirituality. We don't have to understand everything all at once or find the answers to all our questions right away. Sometimes it's enough just to know that other NA members believe and that their belief helps keep them clean.––––=––––Just for today:All I have to know right now about my Higher Power is that it is the Power that helps keep me clean. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 23, read by LaurieDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 23The Value of Our Individuality"We are mindful of our behavior and our surroundings without giving up our individuality."—Living Clean, Chapter 6, “Moving Beyond ‘Social Acceptability’”––––=––––Rock bottom means different things to different addicts. We come to NA in various states of unwellness, some more visible than others. No matter what kind of shape we appear to be in when we get here, we each find ourselves at the edge of our own learning curve.Although our minds may try to get ahead of us with all kinds of knotty questions, our journeys almost always start with going to meetings and staying clean between them.It may occur to us that we wouldn’t have used with a lot of these people—unless it was their stuff, of course; no need to be rude. We can’t imagine them using with each other either, but there they go again, hanging out together in the parking lot for an hour after the meeting. We find this mildly troubling. As using addicts, we thought we could suss out any situation and be who we needed to be. Here . . . what? Am I supposed to be myself? That seems to be the idea. Yikes!In fact, that’s part of our charge: to figure out who we are and be that on purpose. In It Works: How and Why, we read about the value of our diversity and the “rough-and-tumble liveliness” found in NA. This rings true. We’re told there’s no one right way to be an addict in recovery. This seems reassuring or disconcerting, depending on our mood. We aspire to be as comfortable in our uniqueness as some of those eccentric oldtimers. Like them, we grow secure in our own individuality and learn to express it in context-appropriate ways.Accepting that our value lies in being ourselves frees up all that energy we used to spend shape-shifting. We no longer feel a need to blend in with the wallpaper or shine like the brightest star. We get to be ourselves, each of us uniquely contributing to the lively whole.We don’t need to fit in—because we belong.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Knowing that my individuality contributes to the liveliness of the NA Fellowship encourages me to be wholly myself, which I’ll do to the best of my ability.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 22, read by Sophie X.Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 22Traveling the open road"This is our road to spiritual growth."Basic Text, p. 35––––=––––When we arrived at our first NA meeting, it looked like the end of the road to many of us. We weren't going to be able to use anymore. We were spiritually bankrupt.Most of us were totally isolated and didn't think we had much to live for. Little did we realize that, as we began our program of recovery, we were stepping onto a road of unlimited possibilities.At first, just not using was tough enough. Yet, as we watched other addicts working the steps and applying those principles in their lives, we began to see that recovery was more than just not using. The lives of our NA friends had changed. They had a relationship with the God of their understanding. They were responsible members of the fellowship and of society. They had a reason to live. We began to believe these things were possible for us, too.As we continue our recovery journey, we can get sidetracked by complacency, intolerance, or dishonesty. When we do, we need to recognize the signs quickly and get back on our path-the open road to freedom and growth.––––=––––Just for today:I am continuing to develop my spiritual, social, and general living skills by applying the principles of my program. I can travel as far as I wish on the open road of recovery. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 22, read by Sophie X.Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 22The Creative Action of Sharing Ourselves"Sharing with others keeps us from feeling isolated and alone. This process is a creative action of the spirit."—Basic Text, Chapter 7: Recovery and Relapse––––=––––Many of us, even with time clean, find ourselves with a problem or a situation we have no idea how to deal with. For example, grateful as we are that we’ve been released from prison, we are petrified by the prospect of rebuilding our lives outside of the structure we’d become used to. Or, having fallen out of love with our spouse—who shares the same home group, no less—we want to move on. But how? Or, our supervisor at work is in active addiction. We pick up her slack because we don’t want her to get fired. But the stress is killing us.Shame, indecision, and fear prevent us from talking about our problem with anyone. Or our ego takes over: I can figure this out on my own. We’ve been down this road before and know where it leads: denial, dishonesty, resentments, isolation. But we can make a different choice now, just as we did about our addiction.If we share what we’re going through—with a trusted NA member, with our sponsor, or on a group level—we are acting differently, even creatively. We can rely on someone else’s creativity to take us down a road we had never considered. We just have to open our minds to their experience and perspective.Other times it’s the act of sharing that’s the solution. Creative action of the spirit requires us to have the courage to open our hearts to share what has seemed impossible for us to talk about. In these cases, we depend on another’s empathy to get us through a situation that has no resolution but to accept it.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Today I’ll ask myself: “What am I keeping to myself?” and “Who can I ask to share their creative problem-solving skills with me?” Then, I’ll seek that person out and be open to what gets revealed in the process.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for April 21, read by Sophie X.Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 21Fear"We have found that we had no choice except to completely change our old ways of thinking or go back to using."Basic Text, p. 21––––=––––Many of us find that our old ways of thinking were dominated by fear. We were afraid that we wouldn't be able to get our drugs or that there wouldn't be enough.We feared discovery, arrest, and incarceration. Further down the list were fears of financial problems, homelessness, overdose, and illness. And our fear controlled our actions.The early days of recovery weren't a great deal different for many of us; then, too, fear dominated our thinking. "What if staying clean hurts too much?" we asked ourselves. "What if I can't make it? What if the people in NA don't like me? What if NA doesn't work?" The fear behind these thoughts can still control our behavior, keeping us from taking the risks necessary to stay clean and grow. It may seem easier to resign ourselves to certain failure, giving up before we start, than to risk everything on a slim hope. But that kind of thinking leads only to relapse.To stay clean, we must find the willingness to change our old ways of thinking. What has worked for other addicts can work for us-but we must be willing to try it. We must trade in our old cynical doubts for new affirmations of hope. When we do, we'll find it's worth the risk.––––=––––Just for today:I pray for the willingness to change my old ways of thinking, and for the ability to overcome my fears. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for April 21, read by Sophie X.Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:[email protected] 21Communicating Respect"When we regard one another with respect, we open the door to a different kind of communication."—Living Clean, Chapter 7, “Principles, Practice, and Perspective”––––=––––Outside NA, in our specific cultures or neighborhoods, respect was often something we demanded of others or felt we were entitled to based on our status in the community or our egos. Our communication around respect had one purpose: getting our own way. What mattered was how superbly articulate we were about our beliefs, our willingness to go to battle for every one of our opinions, and the sheer loudness of our voice. And if we weren’t among those with status or volume, we usually gave in to their demands.Inside NA, practicing respect as a spiritual principle has nothing to do with getting our own way or handing over our power to those who command it. Regarding others with respect includes paying attention to how we are communicating—with our voice, facial expressions, body language, or our silence—and then honestly examining how people hear and respond to us. “If I approach another member with my claws out,” one member shared, “I shouldn’t be surprised if they react by slashing back.”Ideally, practicing respect results in more inclusivity of opinions and more equality in participation. Communicating our respect prioritizes listening over speaking, our common welfare over selfishness. We try to make space for others rather than cutting them out. In NA, respect breeds trust, safety, and well-being—not fear, fragility, and oversized egos.This perspective takes plenty of work—and plenty of unlearning. For one thing, we must work against our own feelings of superiority, inferiority, or indifference. A member who’s been around for a while described their experience: “Working the NA Steps has made my own beliefs less fragile. I don’t have to defend them as fiercely as I did before. And I don’t have to express my opinion about everything.” Just because someone else’s or the group’s opinion is different from ours doesn’t mean they’re wrong. And if they are wrong, is this a battle that must be fought, or can we make peace and be part of a solution?––––=––––Spiritual Principle:How am I communicating respect to my fellow NA members today? How am I being respectful to the meeting, to the group’s conscience, to the Traditions, to NA as a whole?––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom