Just for today

Just for Today - January 5

"We can enjoy our families in a new way and may become a credit to them instead of an embarrassment or a burden."  Basic Text p.100

We're doing great in recovery, aren't we?  We go to a meeting every day, we spend every evening with our friends in the fellowship, and every weekend we dash off to a service workshop.  But if things are falling to pieces at home, we're not doing so great after all.

Just for Today - January 2

"Sometimes when we pray, a remarkable thing happens: We find the means, ways, and energies to perform tasks far beyond our capacities."

Basic Text, p. 44

Just for Today - January 1

"We keep what we have only with vigilance. . ."  Basic Text, p. 57

How do we remain vigilant about our recovery?  First, by realizing that we have a disease we will always have.  No matter how long we've been clean, no matter how much better our lives have become, no matter what the extent of our spiritual healing, we are still addicts.  Our disease waits patiently, ready to spring the trap if we give it the opportunity.

Just for Today - December 30

"... growth is not the result of wishing but of action and prayer" Basic Text, pp. 35-36

Sometimes it seems as if our recovery is growing much too slowly. We struggle with the steps; we wrestle with the same problems; we labor under the same uncomfortable feelings day after day. We wish that recovery would move a little faster so we could find some comfort!

Just for Today - December 28

"We are no longer fighting fear anger guilt, self-pity, or depression." Basic Text pg. 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.

Just for Today - December 26

"As we learn to trust this Power, we begin to overcome our fear of life."  Basic Text pg. 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.

Just for Today - December 24

"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 pg. 65

Just for Today - December 22

"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 pg. 84

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