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. 68
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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 weve had. We know they are recovering because of their serenitytheyve 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 its 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.
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Just for today: I will reach out to another addict in my group and share my recovery.
Love my homegroup"NEW DAZE" and each day certainly is...We are celebrating our 20+ years anniversary 10th of January.One addict helping another by carrying the message of our group(NA) of hope and freedom from active addiction..Business meetings are very adventurous but isn't that about par for us..Seeing 65 plus addicts each Monday night,, a rough mix of people from all avenues of life,coming together in a common cause!!God definitely in the house....
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Our purpose is to remain clean,just for today,and to carry the message of recovery.
Love the Group name New Daze, my Home Group is Renegades. It's only been my Home Group for two weeks, I didn't have one for a decade.
One of the enemies of Time in Recovery is the pedestal, the guru to god like status that can be put on us by newcomers and yes ourselves. When I was new someone with a year clean in our City was a guru, there was one with 5 years and that was a god of NA in my foggy eyes. It is dangerous to allow ourselves to be anything other than just another recovering addict. I don't know anyone still alive in my Area with more clean time than me. Seen suicide with or without relapse happen with more than 10 or even 20 years clean. Seen relapses and then just living in constant denial and misery instead of physical death with more than 20 years clean.
With more than 20 years Clean, having filled to full term more than 30 Service positions, I went almost a decade with no Home Group and attended MAYBE 10 meetings in 10 years. I haven't died (duh) and didn't get loaded but I couldn't handle always thinking I had to have ALL the answers for my Area just because I was one of the founders. Multiple times multiple Groups Secretary, Treasurer, GSR, our first ASC Treasurer, first ASR, 2nd ASC Chair, first hotline chair with the hotline in my home for two years, co-founder of Area retreat committe treasurer first year then chair twice, Regional Convention Chair 3 years clean, RSC Treasurer, RSC Chair, Regional Convention Chair again at 7 years, a Regional Convention Corportion Board of Director for 5 years etc. etc. etc. So what, there weren't many of us when I got here and some of the few of us wore many hats at a time, me as many as 7 Service positions at once. Again so what, we were doing what we did to stay Clean and carry the message, nothing more nothing less. I am a recovering addict not an NA guru or god.
Yes, while many people did and still do look up to me that way, it was my defects of character that made it a problem in my life and recovery, my problem not theirs. I let it happen by not staying vigilant continually working the Steps. I was out of spiritual balance.
Today I am back attending meetings on a regular basis and active in my new Home Group. Today I fight hard to remain being just another recovering addict who happens to have over 30 years Clean One Day At a Time by the Grace of God through the Power of NA. I've learned again the importance of sharing my Clean time, not to build myself up, but to give Hope to the newcomer that this program actually works, even somewhat long term like I happen to have. I was selfish guarding my poor self not even celebrating my 25 through 29th NA birthdays at a single meeting! How sick was that, too busy in my daily life and yes afraid to share my recovery milestones. I have made amends openly apologizing to my NA Area and recently openly celebrating 30 years Clean with them. Celebrating 30 years Clean, celebrating for me and NA as a whole. I alone can do it but I can't do it alone.
Today it is OK for me to share in meetings I am an addict with 30 years Clean because of NA. Hell yes 30 years Clean is to be celebrated, not because of anything I did but because it's a testament that NA Works IF You Work It! And today it is ok if people look up to me in NA because they are looking at the result of the Power of NA. Today I can handle being called an NA guru or god because I know I'm not one. I can't be put on a pedestal unless I allow it, my Higher Power and NA is on the pedestal so no room for me!
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Work the Steps or Die MF. (My Friend :) Clean One Day At a Time by The Grace of God through The Power of NA
Hey MIke Happy holidays man!! yes I agree ,we do not govern,we are one helping another........here at MIP,, , you get the status "GURU' when you have posted a certain amount of times,i think its 500..Not sure how that came to be but I am just another addict sharing my ESH and reaching out to the still sick and suffering to the best of my ability, different Forums have different guidelines....I believe by the message each one of us carries here and face to face in life reveals our humble status as "one addict reaching out to another..Clean time does not equal recovery and I believe by holding a reservation in our program,getting complacent and thinking we might got this thing.. we all could be "one bad decision away from reinstituting our pain and devastation..Regardless of what we may think of our status,whether we consider ourselves recovered, in recovery,arrested from the disease or in remission,our gift of grace comes from God and I truly believe incorporating spiritual principles in our lives and staying in the solution will help keep us from any perceived elevated staus we may think we have achieved,..this is my stuff and I know it works for me.God comes first in all things in my life......Have a blessed holiday season, a daily walk seeking the will of your Higher Power and keep coming back we need you...peace....
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Our purpose is to remain clean,just for today,and to carry the message of recovery.
