Just for today

Just for Today - December 20

"In living the steps, we begin to let go of our self-obsession."

Basic Text p.94

Many of us came to the program convinced that our feelings, our wants, and our needs were of the utmost importance to everyone. We had practiced a lifetime of self-seeking, self-centered behavior and believed it was the only way to live.

Just for Today - December 18

“The fact that we, each and every group, focus on carrying the message provides consistency; addicts can count on us.”

Basic Text, pp. 64-65

Tales of our antics in active addiction may be funny.  Stories of our old bizarre reactions to life when using may be interesting.  But they tend to carry the mess more than the message.  Philosophical arguments on the nature of God are fascinating.  Discussions of current controversies have their place—however, it’s not at an NA meeting.

Just for Today - December 16

“Complacency is the enemy of members with substantial clean time. If we remain complacent for long, the recovery process ceases.”

Basic Text, p. 80

Recognizing complacency in our recovery is like seeing smoke in a room. The “smoke” thickens when our meeting attendance drops, contact with newcomers decreases, or relations with our sponsor aren’t maintained. With continued complacency, we won’t be able to see through the smoke to find our way out. Only our immediate response will prevent an inferno.

Just for Today - December 14

"Addiction is a physical, mental, and spiritual disease that affects every area of our lives."

Basic Text pg. 20

Before we started using, most of us had a stereotype, a mental image of what addicts were supposed to look like. Some of us pictured a junkie robbing convenience markets for drug money. Others imagined a paranoid recluse peering at life from behind perpetually drawn drapes and locked doors. As long as we didn't fit any of the stereotypes, we thought, we couldn't be addicts.

Just for Today - December 12

"By working the steps, we come to accept a Higher Power's will.... We lose our fear of the unknown. We are set free."

Basic Text pg. 16

Life is a series of changes, both large and small. Although we may know and accept this fact intellectually, chances are that our initial emotional reaction to change is fear. For some reason, we assume that each and every change is going to hurt, causing us to be miserable.

Just for Today - December 10

“I started to imitate some of the things the winners were doing. I got caught up in NA. I felt good...”

Basic Text, p. 223

Just for Today - December 8

“When we see how our defects exist in our lives and accept them, we can let go of them and get on with our new life.”

Basic Text, pp. 33-34

Sometimes our readiness to have our character defects removed depends on what we call them. If misnaming our defects makes them seem less “defective,” we may be unable to see the damage they cause. And if they seem to be causing no harm, why would we ever ask our Higher Power to remove them from our lives?

Just for Today - December 6

“Relationships can be a terribly painful area.”

Basic Text, p. 78

Love is like an elixir for some of us. The excitement of a new lover, the intrigue of exploring intimacy, the sense of release we get from allowing ourselves to become vulnerable—these are all powerful emotions. But we can’t forget that we have only a daily reprieve from our addiction. Holding onto this daily reprieve must be the top priority in any recovering addict’s life.

Just for Today - December 4

"We know that if we pray for God's will we will receive what is best for us, regardless of what we think."

Basic Text pg. 44

Just for Today - December 2

"We have to keep our recovery first and our priorities in order."  Basic Text pg. 79

Before coming to NA, we used many excuses to justify our use of drugs: "He yelled at me" "She said this." "My partner left." "I got fired." We used these same excuses for not seeking help for our drug problem. We had to realize that these things kept happening because we kept using drugs. Only when we made recovery our first priority did these situations begin to change.

Just for today - November 30

"Sharing with others keeps us from feeling isolated and alone."   Basic Text pg. 81

Just for today - November 28

"To be truly humble is to accept and honestly try to be ourselves."

Basic Text pg. 35

Humility is a puzzling concept. We know a lot about humiliation, but humility is a new idea. It sounds suspiciously like groveling, bowing, and scraping. But that's not what humility is at all. True humility is, simply, acceptance of who we are.

Just for today - November 26

"A lot happens in one day, both negative and positive. If we do not take the time to appreciate both, perhaps we will miss something that will help us grow."

IP No. 8, "Just For Today"

Just for today - November 24

"We entertained the thought that staying clean was not paying off and the old thinking stirred up self-pity, resentment, and anger."   Basic Text pg. 98