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Post by majestyjo on Dec 21, 2014 3:34:48 GMT -5
December 21, 2014
Acceptance and Change
Page 371
"Freedom to change seems to come after acceptance of ourselves."
Basic Text p.56
Fear and denial are the opposites of acceptance. None of us are perfect, even in our own eyes; all of us have certain traits that, given the chance, we would like to change. We sometimes become overwhelmed when contemplating how far short we fall of our ideals, so overwhelmed that we fear there's no chance of becoming the people we'd like to be. That's when our defense mechanism of denial kicks in, taking us to the opposite extreme: nothing about ourselves needs changing, we tell ourselves, so why worry? Neither extreme gives us the freedom to change.
Whether we are Iong4ime NA members or new to recovery, the freedom to change is acquired by working the Twelve Steps. When we admit our powerlessness and the unmanageability of our lives, we counteract the lie that says we don't have to change. In coming to believe that a Power greater than we are can help us, we lose our fear that we are damaged beyond repair; we come to believe we can change. We turn ourselves over to the care of the God of our understanding and tap the strength we need to make a thorough, honest examination of ourselves. We admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being what we've found. We accept the good and the bad in ourselves; with this acceptance, we become free to change.
Just for Today: I want to change. By working the steps, I will counter fear and denial and find the acceptance needed to change.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 22, 2014 4:29:07 GMT -5
December 22, 2014
A new way to live
Page 372
"When at the end of the road we find that we can no longer function as a human being, either with or without drugs, we all face the same dilemma.... Either go on as best we can to the bitter ends-jails, institutions, or death-or find a new way to live."
Basic Text p.84
What was the worst aspect of active addiction? For many of us, it wasn't the chance that we might die some day of our disease. The worst part was the living death we experienced every day, the never-ending meaninglessness of life. We felt like walking ghosts, not living, loving parts of the world around us.
In recovery, we've come to believe that we're here for a reason: to love ourselves and to love others. In working the Twelve Steps, we have learned to accept ourselves. With that self-acceptance has come self-respect. We have seen that everything we do has an effect on others; we are a part of the lives of those around us, and they of ours. We've begun to trust other people and to acknowledge our responsibility to them.
Just for Today: I have found a new way to live. Today, I will seek to serve others with love and to love myself.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 23, 2014 0:15:31 GMT -5
My best thinking got me to the doors of recovery, I had no other option, I had to change. Using was no longer an option. For me to use was to die. Just for today, I chose not to use and abuse myself or others.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 24, 2014 2:16:35 GMT -5
December 24, 2014
The Group
Page 374
"The Twelfth Step of our personal program also says that we carry the message to the addict who still suffers.... The group is the most powerful vehicle we have for carrying the message."
Basic Text p.65
When we first come to Narcotics Anonymous meetings, we meet recovering addicts. We know they are addicts because they talk about the same experiences and feelings we've had. We know they are recovering because of their serenity-they've got something we want. We feel hope when other addicts share their recovery with us in NA meetings.
The atmosphere of recovery attracts us to the meetings. That atmosphere is created when group members make a commitment to work together. We try to enhance the atmosphere of recovery by helping set up for meetings, greeting newcomers, and talking with other addicts after the meeting. These demonstrations of our commitment make our meetings attractive and help our groups share their recovery.
Sharing experience in meetings is one way in which we help one another, and it's often the foundation for our sense of belonging. We identify with other addicts, so we trust their message of hope. Many of us would not have stayed in Narcotics Anonymous without that sense of belonging and hope. When we share at group meetings, we support our personal recovery while helping others.
Just for Today: I will reach out to another addict in my group and share my recovery.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 25, 2014 11:37:02 GMT -5
December 25, 2014
Anonymity and Self-Will
Page 375
"The drive for personal gain... which brought so much pain in the past falls by the wayside if we adhere to the principle of anonymity"
Basic Text p.73
The word anonymity itself means namelessness, but there's a larger principle at work in the anonymity of the NA program: the principle of selflessness. When we admit our powerlessness to manage our own lives, we take our first step away from self-will and our first step toward selflessness. The less we try to run our lives on self-will, the more we find the power and direction once so sorely lacking in our lives.
But the principle of selflessness does a lot more than just make us feel better-it helps us live better. Our ideas of how the world should be run begin to lose their importance, and we stop trying to impose our will on everyone and everything around us. And when we abandon our "know-it-all" pretensions and start recognizing the value of other peoples' experience, we start treating them with respect. The interests of others become as important to us as our own; we start to think about what's best for the group, rather than just what's best for us. We start living a life that's bigger than we are, that's more than just us, our name, ourselves - we start living the principle of anonymity.
Just for Today: God, please free me from self-will. Help me understand the principle of anonymity; help me to live selflessly.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 26, 2014 0:51:56 GMT -5
December 26, 2014
Never-Failing Power
Page 376
"As we learn to trust this Power, we begin to overcome our fear of life."
Basic Text p.24
We are people accustomed to placing all our eggs in one basket. Many of us had one particular drug of choice that was our favorite. We relied on it to get us through each day and make life bearable. We were faithful to that drug; in fact, we committed ourselves to it without reservation. And then it turned on us. We had been betrayed by the only thing we had ever depended on, and the betrayal left us floundering.
Now that we've stumbled into the rooms of recovery, we may be tempted to rely on another human being to meet our needs. We may expect this from our sponsor, our lover, or our best friend. But dependence on human beings is risky. They fall short of perfection. They may be on vacation, sleeping, or in a bad mood when we need them.
Our dependence must rest on a Power greater than ourselves. No human force can restore our sanity, care for our will and our lives, or be unconditionally available and loving whenever we are in need. We place our trust in the God of our understanding, for only that Power will never fail us.
Just for Today: I will place my trust in a Power greater than myself, for only that Power will never let me down.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 27, 2014 4:44:26 GMT -5
As someone once said to me many years ago, "It says could, it doesn't say would.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 28, 2014 2:31:07 GMT -5
December 28, 2014
Depression
Page 378
"We are no longer fighting fear anger guilt, self-pity, or depression."
Basic Text p.26
As addicts, many of us experience depression from time to time. When we feel depressed, we may be tempted to isolate ourselves. However, if we do this, our depression may turn to despair. We can't afford to let depression lead us back to using.
Instead, we try to go about the routine of our lives. We make meeting attendance and contact with our sponsor top priorities. Sharing with others about our feelings may let us know we aren't the only ones who have been depressed in recovery. Working with a newcomer can work wonders for our own state of mind. And, most importantly, prayer and meditation can help us tap the power we need to survive depression.
We practice acceptance and remember that feelings like depression will unquestionably pass in time. Rather than struggle with our feelings, we accept them and ask for the strength to walk through them.
Just for Today: I accept that my feelings of depression won't last forever. I will talk openly about my feelings with my sponsor or another person who understands.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 29, 2014 12:28:27 GMT -5
December 29, 2014
Through Others' Eyes
Page 379
"When someone points out a shortcoming, our first reaction may be defensive....[But] if we truly want to be free, we will take a good look at input from fellow addicts."
Basic Text p.35
At some point in our recovery, we come to the awkward realization that the way we see ourselves is not necessarily the way others do. We are probably neither as bad, as good, as beautiful, or as ugly as we think we are-but we are too close to ourselves to really tell for sure. That's where our friends in the program come in, caring enough to share with us what they see when they look in our direction. They tell us the good things about ourselves we might not know-and they tell us the hard things, too, that we might not be able to see.
We may react defensively to such "help"-and, in some cases, justly so. However, even malicious remarks about our supposed shortcomings can shed light on aspects of our recovery that we cannot see ourselves. Wherever a useful insight comes from, for whatever reason it is offered, we cannot afford to discount it.
We don't need to wait for others to spontaneously offer their insight. When we spend time with our sponsor or other NA members we trust, we can make the first move and ask them to tell us what they see about particular areas of our lives to which we are blind. We want a broader vision of our life than just our own; we can have that vision by seeing ourselves through the eyes of others.
Just for Today: I seek to see myself as I truly am. I will listen to what others say about me, and see myself through their eyes.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 30, 2014 3:34:59 GMT -5
Sometimes all the action we can take is take our situation, thoughts, and feelings to our God in prayer.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 31, 2014 7:46:20 GMT -5
December 31, 2014
Being of Service
Page 381
"Working with others is only the beginning of service work."
Basic Text, p 56
We're in recovery now. Through living the program, we've attained some stability in our lives. Our faith in a Higher Power has grown. Our individual spiritual awakening is progressing comfortably. So now what? Do we simply sit still and enjoy? Of course not. We find a way to be of service.
We tend to think of service only in terms of committee service or holding a position at some level, but service goes far beyond this understanding. In fact, we can find opportunities to be of service in nearly every area of our lives. Our jobs are a form of service to our communities, no matter what our occupation. The work we do in our homes serves our families. Perhaps we do volunteer work in our communities.
What a difference our service efforts make! If we doubt this, we can just imagine what the world would be like if no one bothered to be of service to others. Our work serves humanity. The message we carry goes beyond the rooms of recovery, affecting everything we do.
Just for Today: I will look for opportunities to be of service in everything I do.
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 1, 2017 21:28:06 GMT -5
Readings for December 2017
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. I will be back looking for Lin and others.