We have these special rates going into effect NOW!
TTRH is going to be doing single-rate weekly and monthly fees, starting NOW! These changes are live on the site, and are effective immediately at the physical location, too!
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/new-rates-at-ttrh/
May 16
Our Higher Power’s Will
Page 142
“God’s will for us becomes our own true will for ourselves“
Basic Text, p. 48
The Twelve Steps are a path to spiritual awakening. This awakening takes the form of a developing relationship with a loving Higher Power. Each succeeding step strengthens that relationship. As we continue to work the steps, the relationship grows, becoming ever more important in our lives.
In the course of working the steps, we make a personal decision to allow a loving Higher Power to direct us. That guidance is always available; we need only the patience to seek it. Often, that guidance manifests itself in the inner wisdom we call our conscience.
When we open our hearts wide enough to sense our Higher Power’s guidance, we feel a calm serenity. This peace is the beacon that guides us through our troubled feelings, providing clear direction when our minds are busy and confused. When we seek and follow God’s will in our lives, we find the contentment and joy that often elude us when we strike out on our own. Fear or doubt may plague us when we attempt to carry out our Higher Power’s will, but we’ve learned to trust the moment of clarity. Our greatest happiness lies in following the will of our loving God.
Just for Today:
I will seek to strengthen my relationship with my Higher Power. I know from experience that knowledge of my Higher Power’s will provides a sense of clarity, direction, and peace.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Image credit: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/our-higher-powers-will/
May 03
“Just Maybe…”
Page 128
“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 single 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.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Image credit: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/just-maybe/
May 02
Self-Worth and Service
Page 124
“Being involved in service makes me feel worthwhile.“
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 offer something 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 the 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.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Image credit: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/self-worth-and-service/
May 01
God Does For Us
Page 124
“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. 99
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.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Image credit: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/god-does-for-us/
Apr 01
Love and Addiction
Page 95
“Some of us first saw the effects of addiction on the people closest to us. We were very dependent on them to carry us through life. We felt angry, disappointed, and hurt when they found other interests, friends, and loved ones.”
Basic Text, p. 7
Addiction affected every area of our lives. Just as we sought the drug that would make everything alright, so we sought people to fix us. We made impossible demands, driving away those who had anything of worth to offer us. Often, the only people left were those who were themselves too needy to be capable of denying our unrealistic expectations. It’s no wonder that we were unable to establish and maintain healthy intimate relationships in our addiction.
Today, in recovery, we’ve stopped expecting drugs to fix us. If we still expect people to fix us, perhaps it’s time to extend our recovery program to our relationships. We begin by admitting we have a problem-that we don’t know the first thing about how to have healthy intimate relationships. We seek out members who’ve had similar problems and have found relief. We talk with them and listen to what they share about this aspect of their recovery. We apply the program to all our affairs, seeking the same kind of freedom in our relationships that we find throughout our recovery.
Just for Today:
Loving relationships are within my reach. Today, I will examine the effects of addiction on my relationships so that I can begin seeking recovery.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Image credit: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/love-and-addiction/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/ttrh-turns-7-mud-dance-with-us/
Mar 31
God-Centeredness
Page 92
“Gradually as we become more God-centered than self-centered, our despair turns to hope.”
Basic Text, p. 95
What a glorious thing to have hope! Before coming to Narcotics Anonymous, many of us lived lives of utter hopelessness. We believed we were destined to die from our disease.
Many members speak of being on a “pink cloud” their first months in the program. We’ve stopped using, made some friends, and life looks promising. Things are going great. Then reality sets in. Life is still life-we still lose jobs, our partners still leave us, friends still die, we still get sick. Abstinence is no guarantee that life will always go our way.
When the reality of life on its own terms sets in, we turn to our Higher Power and remember that life happens the way life happens. But no matter what occurs in our recovery we need not despair, for there is always hope. That hope lies in our relationship with our Higher Power.
This relationship, as expressed by the thought in our text, develops over time: “Gradually we become more God-centered”. As we rely more and more on the strength of our Higher Power, life’s struggles don’t have to drag us into the sea of despair. As we focus more on God, we focus less on ourselves.
Just for Today:
I will rely on my Higher Power. I will accept that, regardless of what happens, my Higher Power will provide me with the resources to live with it.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Image credit: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/god-centeredness/
Mar 27
Looking for the Assets
Page 89
“In accordance with the principles of recovery we try not to judge, stereotype, or moralize with each other.”
Basic Text, p. 11
How many times in our recovery have we misunderstood the behavior of another, immediately formed a judgment, applied a label, and neatly tucked the individual into a pigeonhole? Perhaps they had developed a different understanding of a Power greater than themselves than we had, so we concluded their beliefs were unspiritual. Or maybe we saw a couple having an argument; we assumed their relationship was sick, only to find out later that their marriage had prospered for many years.
Thoughtlessly tossing our fellows into categories saves us the effort of finding out anything about them. Every time we judge the behavior of another, we cease to see them as potential friends and fellow travelers on the road to recovery.
If we happened to ask those we are judging if they appreciate being stereotyped, we would receive a resounding “no” in response. Would we feel slighted if this were done to us? Yes, indeed. Our best qualities are what we want others to notice. In the same way, our fellow recovering addicts want to be well thought of. Our program of recovery asks us to look positively at life. The more we concentrate on the positive qualities in others, the more we’ll notice them in ourselves.
Just for Today:
I will set aside my negative judgments of others, and concentrate instead on appreciating the favorable qualities in all.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Image credit: http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/looking-for-the-assets/
Mar 25
I Can’t, But We Can
Page 87
“From the isolation of our addiction, we find a fellowship of people with a common bond… Our faith, strength, and hope come from people sharing their recovery…“
Basic Text, p. 98
Admit no weakness, conceal all shortcomings, deny every failure, go it alone-that was the creed many of us followed. We denied that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable, despite all evidence to the contrary. Many of us would not surrender without the assurance there was something worth surrendering to. Many of us took our First Step only when we had evidence that addicts could recover in Narcotics Anonymous.
In NA, we find others who’ve been in the same predicament, with the same needs, who’ve found tools that work for them. These addicts are willing to share those tools with us and give us the emotional support we need as we learn to use them. Recovering addicts know how important the help of others can be because they’ve been given that help themselves. When we become a part of Narcotics Anonymous, we join a society of addicts like ourselves, a group of people who know that we help one another recover.
Just for Today:
I will join in the bond of recovery. I will find the experience, strength, and hope I need in the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/i-cant-but-we-can/
Mar 23
God’s Gifts
Page 85
“We do the footwork and accept what’s being given to us freely on a daily basis.”
Basic Text, p. 47
Our relationship with our Higher Power is a two-way street. In prayer, we speak and God listens. When we meditate, we do our best to listen for the will of our Higher Power. We know that we are responsible for our part of the relationship. If we do not pray and listen, we shut our Higher Power out of our lives.
When we think about our relationship with our Higher Power, it’s important to remember which one we are: the powerless one. We can ask for guidance; we can ask for willingness or strength; we can ask for knowledge of our Higher Power’s will-but we cannot make demands. The God of our understanding-the one with the power-will fulfill that half of the relationship by giving us exactly what we need, when we need it.
We need to take action every day to keep our relationship with a Higher Power alive. One way we do this is by applying the Eleventh Step. Then we remember our own powerlessness and accept the will of a Power greater than ourselves.
Just for Today:
In my relationship with my Higher Power, I am the powerless one. Remembering who I am, today I will humbly accept the gifts of the God I understand.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/gods-gifts/
Mar 18
The Full Message
Page 80“There is a special feeling for addicts when they discover that there are other people who share their difficulties, past and present.”
Basic Text, p. 55-56
The wealth of our recovery is too good to keep to ourselves. Some of us believe that when we talk in meetings, we should “remember the newcomer” and always try to carry a positive message. But sometimes the most positive message we can carry is that we are going through difficult times in our recovery and are staying clean in spite of them!
Yes, it’s gratifying to send out a strong message of hope to our newer members. After all, no one likes a whiner. But distressing things happen, and life on life’s terms can send shock waves even through the recovery of long-time members of Narcotics Anonymous. If we are equipped with the tools of the program, we can walk through such turmoil and stay clean to tell the tale.
Recovery doesn’t happen all at once; it is an ongoing process, sometimes a struggle. When we dilute the fullness of our message by neglecting to share about the tough times we may walk through on our journey, we fail to allow newcomers the chance to see that they, too, can stay clean, no matter what. If we share the full message of our recovery, we may not know who benefits, but we can be sure someone will.
Just for Today:
I will honestly share both the good times and the difficult times of my recovery. I will remember that my experience in walking through adversity may benefit another member.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/the-full-message/
Mar 17
True Courage
Page 79
“Those who make it through these times show a courage not their own.”
Basic Text, p. 86
Before coming to NA, many of us thought we were brave simply because we had never experienced fear. We had drugged all our feelings, fear among them, until we had convinced ourselves that we were tough, courageous people who wouldn’t crack under any circumstances.
But finding our courage in drugs has nothing to do with the way we live our lives today. Clean and in recovery, we are bound to feel frightened at times. When we first realize we are feeling frightened, we may think we are cowards. Were afraid to pick up the phone because the person on the other end might not understand. We’re afraid to ask someone to sponsor us because they might say no. We’re afraid to look for a job. We’re afraid to be honest with our friends. But all of these fears are natural, even healthy. What’s not healthy is allowing fear to paralyze us.
When we permit our fear to stop our growth, we will be defeated. True courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the willingness to walk through it.
Just for Today:
I will be courageous today. When I’m afraid, I’ll do what I need to do to grow in recovery.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/true-courage/
Mar 02
Success
Page 64
“Any form of success was frightening and unfamiliar.“
Basic Text, p. 14
Before coming to NA, few of us had much experience with success. Every attempt to stop using on our own had ended in failure. We had begun to give up hope of finding any relief from active addiction. We had grown accustomed to failure, expecting it, accepting it, thinking it was just part of our makeup.
When we stay clean, we begin to experience success in our lives. We begin to take pride in our accomplishments. We start to take healthy risks. We may take some knocks in the process, but even these can be counted as successes if we learn from them.
Sometimes when we fulfill a goal, we hesitate to “pat ourselves on the back” for fear that we will seem arrogant. But our Higher Power wants us to succeed, and wants us to share with our loved ones the pride we take in our accomplishments. When we share our successes with others in NA, they often begin to believe that they can achieve their goals as well. When we succeed, we help lay the groundwork for others who follow in our path.
Just for Today:
I will take time to savor my successes. I will share my victories with an “attitude of gratitude.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/success/
Mar 01
Anxiety Attack?
Page 63
“[The] Power that brought us to this program is still with us and will continue to guide us if we allow it.“
Basic Text, p. 27
Ever had a panic attack? Everywhere we turn, life’s demands overwhelm us. We’re paralyzed, and we don’t know what to do about it. How do we break an anxiety attack?
First, we stop. We can’t deal with everything at once, so we stop for a moment to let things settle. Then we take a “spot inventory” of the things that are bothering us. We examine each item, asking ourselves this question: “How important is it, really?” In most cases, we’ll find that most of our fears and concerns don’t need our immediate attention. We can put those aside, and focus on the issues that really need to be resolved right away. Then we stop again and ask ourselves, “Who’s in control here, anyway?” This helps remind us that our Higher Power is in control. We seek our Higher Power’s will for the situation, whatever it is. We can do this in any number of ways: through prayer, talks with our sponsor or NA friends, or by attending a meeting and asking others to share their experience. When our Higher Power’s will becomes clear to us, we pray for the ability to carry it out. Finally, we take action.
Anxiety attacks need not paralyze us. We can utilize the resources of the NA program to deal with anything that comes our way.
Just for Today:
My Higher Power has not brought me all this way in recovery only to abandon me! When anxiety strikes, I will take specific steps to seek God’s continuing care and guidance.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/anxiety-attack/
Feb 27
“Pure” Motives
Page 59
“We examine our actions, reactions, and motives. We often find that we’ve been doing better than we’ve been feeling.“
Basic Text, p. 43
Imagine a daily meditation book with this kind of message: “When you wake up in the morning, before you rise from your bed, take a moment for reflection. Lie back, gather your thoughts, and consider your plans for the day. One by one, review the motives behind those plans. If your motives are not entirely pure, roll over and go back to sleep.” Nonsense, isn’t it?
No matter how long we’ve been clean, almost all of us have mixed motives behind almost everything we do. However, that’s no reason to put our lives on hold. We don’t have to wait for our motives to become perfectly pure before we can start living our recovery.
As the program works its way into our lives, we begin acting less frequently on our more questionable motives. We regularly examine ourselves, and we talk with our sponsor about what we find. We pray for knowledge of our Higher Power’s will for us, and we seek the power to act on the knowledge we’re given. The result? We don’t get perfect, but we do get better.
We’ve begun working a spiritual program. We won’t ever become spiritual giants. But if we look at ourselves realistically, we’ll probably realize that we’ve been doing better than we’ve been feeling.
Just for Today:
I will examine myself realistically. I will seek the power to act on my best motives, and not to act on my worst.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/pure-motives/
Feb 26
Remorse
Page 58
“The Eighth Step offers a big change from a life dominated by guilt and remorse.“
Basic Text, p. 39
Remorse was one of the feelings that kept us using. We had stumbled our way through active addiction, leaving a trail of heartbreak and devastation too painful to consider. Our remorse was often intensified by our perception that we couldn’t do anything about the damage we had caused; there was no way to make it right.
We remove some of the power of remorse when we face it squarely. We begin the Eighth Step by actually making a list of all the people we have harmed. We own our part in our painful past.
But the Eighth Step does not ask us to make right all of our mistakes, merely to become willing to make amends to all those people. As we become willing to clean up the damage we’ve caused, we acknowledge our readiness to change. We affirm the healing process of recovery.
Remorse is no longer an instrument we use to torture ourselves. Remorse has become a tool we can use to achieve self-forgiveness.
Just for Today:
I will use any feelings of remorse I may have as a stepping-stone to healing through the Twelve Steps.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/remorse/
Feb 25
Sick As Our Secrets
Page 57
“It would be tragic to write [out an inventory only to] shove it in a drawer. These defects grow in the dark and die in the light of exposure“
Basic Text, p. 32
How many times have we heard it said that we are only as sick as our secrets? While many members choose not to use meetings to share the intimate details of their lives, it is important that we each discover what works best for us. What about those behaviors we have carried into our recovery that, if discovered, would cause us shame? How much are we comfortable disclosing, and to whom? If we are uncomfortable sharing some details of our lives in meetings, to whom do we turn?
We have found the answer to these questions in sponsorship. Although a relationship with a sponsor takes time to build, it is important that we come to trust our sponsor enough to be completely honest. Our defects only have power as long as they stay hidden. If we want to be free of those defects, we must uncover them. Secrets are only secrets until we share them with another human being.
Just for Today:
I will uncover my secrets. I will practice being honest with my sponsor.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/sick-as-our-secrets/
Feb 23
Messages and Messengers
Page 55
“Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.“
Tradition Twelve
The Twelfth Tradition reminds us of the importance of putting “principles before personalities.” In recovery meetings, this might be paraphrased, “don’t shoot the messenger!.” We often get the message confused with the messenger, and negate what someone shares at a meeting because we have personality conflicts with the person speaking.
If we are having problems with what certain people have to share at meetings, we might want to seek the guidance of our sponsor. Our sponsor can help us concentrate on what’s being said rather than who’s saying it. Our sponsor can also help us address the resentments that may be keeping us from acknowledging the value of some particular person’s recovery experience. It is surprising how much more we can get out of meetings when we allow ourselves to do as our Twelfth Tradition suggests, focusing on recovery principles rather than personalities.
Just for Today:
I will practice the principle of anonymity in today’s NA meeting. I will focus on the message of recovery, not the personality of the messenger.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/messages-and-messengers/
Feb 22
God’s Will, or Mine?
Page 54
“We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.“
Step 10
In Narcotics Anonymous, we’ve found that the more we live in harmony with our Higher Power’s will for us, the greater the harmony in our lives. We use the Tenth Step to help us maintain that harmony. On a daily basis, we take time to look at our behavior. Some of us measure each action with a very simple question: “God’s will, or mine?”
In many cases, we find that our actions have been in tune with our Higher Power’s will for us, and we in turn have been in tune with the world around us. In some cases, however, we will discover inconsistencies between our behavior and our values. We’ve been acting on our own will, not God’s, and the result has been dissonance in our lives.
When we discover such inconsistencies, we admit we’ve been wrong and take corrective action. With greater awareness of what we believe God’s will for us to be in such situations, we are less likely to repeat those actions. And we are more likely to live in greater concord with our Higher Power’s will for us and with the world around us.
Just for Today:
I wish to live in harmony with my world. Today, I will examine my actions, asking, “God’s will, or mine?”Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/gods-will-or-mine/
Feb 21
Self-Pity or Recovery – It’s Our Choice
Page 53
“Self-pity is one of the most destructive of defects; it will drain us of all positive energy.“
Basic Text, p. 80
In active addiction, many of us used self-pity as a survival mechanism. We didn’t believe there was an alternative to living in our disease – or perhaps we didn’t want to believe. As long as we could feel sorry for ourselves and blame someone else for our troubles, we didn’t have to accept the consequences of our actions; believing ourselves powerless to change, we didn’t have to accept the need for change. Using this “survival mechanism” kept us from entering recovery and led us closer, day by day, to self-destruction. Self-pity is a tool of our disease; we need to stop using it and learn instead to use the new tools we find in the NA program.
We have come to believe that effective help is available for us; when we seek that help, finding it in the NA program, self-pity is displaced by gratitude. Many tools are at our disposal: the Twelve Steps, the support of our sponsor, the fellowship of other recovering addicts, and the care of our Higher Power. The availability of all these tools is more than enough reason to be grateful. We no longer live in isolation, without hope; we have certain help at hand for anything we may face. The surest way to become grateful is to take advantage of the help available to us in the NA program and to experience the improvement the program will bring in our lives.
Just for Today:
I will be grateful for the hope NA has given me. I will cultivate my recovery and stop cultivating self-pity.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/self-pity-or-recovery-its-our-choice/
Feb 04
Feeling Good Isn’t the Point
Page 36
“For us, recovery is more than just pleasure.“
Basic Text, p. 4
In our active addiction, most of us knew exactly how we were going to feel from one day to the next. All we had to do was read the label on the bottle or know what was in the bag. We planned our feelings, and our goal for each day was to feel good.
In recovery, we’re liable to feel anything from one day to the next, even from one minute to the next. We may feel energetic and happy in the morning, then strangely let down and sad in the afternoon. Because we no longer plan our feelings for the day each morning, we could end up having feelings that are somewhat inconvenient, like feeling tired in the morning and wide-awake at bedtime.
Of course, there’s always the possibility we could feel good, but that isn’t the point. Today, our main concern is not feeling good but learning to understand and deal with our feelings, no matter what they are. We do this by working the steps and sharing our feelings with others.
Just for Today:
I will accept my feelings, whatever they may be, just as they are. I will practice the program and learn to live with my feelings.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/feeling-good-isnt-the-point/
Jan 14
A Loving God
Page 14
“Our understanding of a Higher Power is up to us…. The only suggested guidelines are that this Power be loving, caring, and greater than ourselves.“
Basic Text, p. 24
We’ve been told that we can believe in any kind of Higher Power we want as long as it is loving and, of course, greater than ourselves. Some of us, however, have trouble with these requirements. We either believe in nothing but ourselves, or we believe that anything that could be called “God” could only be cold-hearted and unreasonable, sending us bad luck on a whim.
Believing in a loving Power is quite a leap for some of us, for many reasons. The thought of turning our will and lives over to the care of something we think might hurt us is sure to fill us with reluctance. If we come into the program believing that God is judgmental and unforgiving, we must overcome those beliefs before we can be truly comfortable with the Third Step.
Our positive experiences in recovery can help us come to believe in a loving God of our own understanding. We’ve been given relief from a disease that has afflicted us for a long time. We’ve found the guidance and support we need to develop a new way of life. We’ve begun to experience a fullness of spirit where once there was only emptiness. These aspects of our recovery have their source in a loving God, not a harsh, hateful one. And the more we experience recovery, the more we’ll trust that loving Higher Power.
Just for Today:
I will open my mind and my heart to believe that God is loving, and trust my loving Higher Power to do for me what I cannot do for myself.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/a-loving-god/
Jan 05
Recovery at Home
Page 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. 104
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.
We expect our families to understand. After all, we’re not using drugs anymore. Why don’t they recognize our progress? Don’t they understand how important our meetings, our service, and our involvement with the fellowship are?
Our families will not appreciate the change NA is working in our lives unless we show them. If we rush off to a meeting the same way we rushed off to use drugs, what has changed? If we continue to ignore the needs and desires of our partners and children, failing to accept our responsibilities at home, we aren’t “practicing these principles in all our affairs.”
We must live the program everywhere we go, in everything we do. If we want the spiritual life to be more than a theory, we have to live it at home. When we do this, the people we share our lives with are sure to notice the change and be grateful that we’ve found NA.
Just for Today:
I will take my recovery home with me.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/recovery-at-home/
Dec 30
Action and Prayer
Page 380
“...growth is not the result of wishing but of action and prayer.“
Basic Text, p. 37
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!
Wishing doesn’t work in recovery; this isn’t a program of magic. If wishes cured addiction, we all would have been well long ago! What does give us relief in recovery is action and prayer.
Narcotics Anonymous has worked for so many addicts because it is a carefully designed program of action and prayer. The actions we undertake in each of the steps bring more and more recovery to each area of our lives. And prayer keeps us connected to our Higher Power. Together, action and prayer keep us well-grounded in recovery.
Just for Today:
My recovery is too precious to just wish about it. Today is a good day for action and prayer.Copyright (c) 2012, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source credit: http://www.jftna.org/jft/
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.ttrh.org/action-and-prayer/