We must use what we learn or we will lose it, no matter how long we have been clean.
Basic Text, p. 85
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After putting some clean time together, some of us have a tendency to forget what our most important priority is. Once a week or less we say, Ive gotta get to a meeting tonight. Its been... Weve been caught up in other things, important for sure, but no more so than our continued participation in Narcotics Anonymous.
It happens gradually. We get jobs. We reunite with our families. Were raising children, the dog is sick, or were going to school at night. The house needs to be cleaned. The lawn needs to be mowed. We have to work late. Were tired. Theres a good show at the theater tonight. And all of a sudden, we notice that we havent called our sponsor, been to a meeting, spoken to a newcomer, or even talked to God in quite a while.
What do we do at this point? Well, we either renew our commitment to our recovery, or we continue being too busy to recover until something happens and our lives become unmanageable. Quite a choice! Our best bet is to put more of our energy into maintaining the foundation of recovery on which our lives are built. That foundation makes everything else possible, and it will surely crumble if we get too busy with everything else.
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Just for today: I cant afford to be too busy to recover. I will do something today that sustains my recovery.
First things first. Without recovery, I wouldn't have a family, a job and other wonderful things that can distract me from what I need to do to stay clean.
One of my favorite and most pertinent ,for me, writings, from Recovery and Relapse"Complacency is the enenmy of those with substantial clean time,if we are complacent too long our recovery then ceases!!Thats sure puts it on the head for me,just when I don't feel like showing up is when I push to ensure I do,and I always feel better afterward!!Have a blessed and productive day.....
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Our purpose is to remain clean,just for today,and to carry the message of recovery.
For me it's not a matter of wanting or feeling like showing up for my home group. It's a matter of fighting tooth and nail to squeeze out the time from working 80 90 hour weeks keeping my businesses afloat. At the moment I'm tired, bone tired. Recently realized the last full day I've taken off was NY Eve to spend with Debi. A day off is only working 7 or 8 hours. Yeah, my HALTS are out of whack. But the doors are still open at all three coffeehouse locations and my 11 employees all paid every payday...
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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