I call these the big three.I know I had to learn how to use all three of these in my recovery.Honesty to admit I was an addict and needed help bad and learn how to ask for it.Openmindedness to let in the knowledge that is there to teach me a new way of life.I have to be open for suggestion rather than jusy my way.Now it is the NA Way,12 Steps and Traditions to a new life.Willingness to use what I have learned in my life daily and to pass it on to others.Being willing to volunteer at NA events ,rather than taking ,I have learned how to give it back what was so freely given to me.
HONESTY: BECAUSE SECRETS MAKE US SICK! GETTING HONEST WITH OTHERS AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY TO OURSELVES.
OPENMINDEDNESS: BECAUSE OUR CLOSED MINDS AND DOING IT OUR WAY JUST WASNT GETTING IT DONE NOW WAS IT? THROW "STINKIN THINKIN " OUT THE WINDOW!
WILLINGNESS: BECAUSE WE WILL STAY SICK UNLESS WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE SUGGESTIONS WE ARE GIVEN AND APPLY THEM TO OUR DAILY LIVES. ( WHEN WE DONT WANT TO AND EVEN WHEN WE DONT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY YET!!)
** BABY STEPS TOWARDS SANITY, SERENITY AND HOPE.***
In my experience, honesty is the quality that will allow me to be myself, and acknowledge my thoughts and feelings.
Openmindedness has been the gift that got me to see other viewpoints and change my own attitude, ionstead of trying to change the world around me. It seems to me that when those negatives comeup, I need to know " Why is this person doing what they are doing ?", a learning process about those we care for, and share with on a daily basis.
And willingness has shown me how to turn the trick on the most troubling situations. I know that being a recovering addict, I will be given just that much that I can cope with in recovery.
Finally , I believe that the most important, but most boverlooked Principle is HUMILITY.
Without that quality, without being humble, an addict like me can sound arrogant and violent when Im trying to be honest, what I think is openmindedness may simply be false security and people pleasing and willingness can appear like a trip after fools gold !
IMHO, HUMILITY is the turning point !
__________________
Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
HUMILITY: BECAUSE WITHOUT HUMILITY, OUR DISEASE CAN MAKE US BELIEVE WE ARE PRACTICING THE OTHER 3 PRINCIPLES WHEN WE ARE NOT! IT IS CUNNING AND BAFFLING!!!!!
-- Edited by 2ndtimearound on Wednesday 14th of October 2009 04:00:39 PM
Also brings to mind a proverb I once heard in a Convention main share many years ago
" If I am humble, I will not feel humiliated, but getting humiliated will not make me humble".
I have felt a very big difference beyween eating humble pie on one hand and being humble on the other. Although there are many definitions of humility, Ive found the one that appears in the Basic Text to be most relevant to my context; " Humility is an understanding of our strengths and weaknesses".
__________________
Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
I call these the big three.I know I had to learn how to use all three of these in my recovery.Honesty to admit I was an addict and needed help bad and learn how to ask for it.Openmindedness to let in the knowledge that is there to teach me a new way of life.I have to be open for suggestion rather than jusy my way.Now it is the NA Way,12 Steps and Traditions to a new life.Willingness to use what I have learned in my life daily and to pass it on to others.Being willing to volunteer at NA events ,rather than taking ,I have learned how to give it back what was so freely given to me.
AMEN RAMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!
