It's 7 AM, morning prayer and mediation is done, the coffee is brewing, first cig of the day is sitting in the ash tray. (just haven't found the willingness or desperation to put them down).
Each morning I pick up my NA Basic Text and just randomly open it and read a paragraph or two. This morning it opened on pg 97 and the first thing that my eyes saw, and my heart felt was...
As our recovery progressed, we became increasingly aware of ourselves and the world around us. Our needs and wants, our assets and liabilities, were revealed to us. We came to realize that we had no power to change the outside world; we could only change ourselves. The program of Narcotics Anonymous provides an opportunity for us to ease the pain of living, through spiritual principles.
"...to ease the pain of living, through spiritual principles."
This is so true. By adopting these spiritual principles as a means by which to live on a daily basis, I haven't felt like I was at war with myself, others, the world around me or with my HP in any way. Surrender, closely followed by Honesty, Open-mindedness, and Willingness started the path towards recovery for me. Hearing the words of other recovering addicts provided me with a sense of Hope, and a small touch of Faith that, I might be able to stay clean and live a life of relative peace. This morning, I would like to share the 12 Spiritual principles that have made my life much easier, and less painful to endure on a daily basis for over 24 years now.
1. Hope gives us something positive to look for and move towards. We can admit our need for help as we begin to share in our common welfare.
2. Surrender to the things we cannot change through our own power is a way to get on with our lives. We seek a Higher Power of our own understanding and that becomes our ultimate guide and source of strength.
3. Acceptance allows evasion and denial to give way to reality and peace. With the care of God, we are granted the power to welcome new people and new ideas into our lives.
4. Honesty is the ability to match up our insides with our outsides. It allows what we don't care about to go away and what we really want to appear and develop in our lives.
5. Open mindedness is our bridge to the experience of others. It is the passageway out of loneliness into the life of the Spirit.
6. Willingness to try is the beginning of doing our part. However grand or humble that might be, it is a state of readiness replacing depression and anxiety.
7. Faith is the evidence of our trust in God. True faith is the result of surrender coupled with experience that God can and will do for us if we ask for help.
8. Tolerance is knowing the other person has the same spirit in them as us and being curious about what that spirit is trying to do.
9. Patience is taking time for things to move into place without force or breakage.
10. Humility is knowing the importance of doing our part well and being open to the many forms of help required for a full and abundant life.
11. Unconditional love is given where we sense our spirit in another human being.
12. Sharing and caring is the active and passive forms of love that keeps us alive and allowing God to use us as instruments.
Today, because of this program, a great sponsor who guided me through my early days, the literature of NA, and a HP that doesn't keep a score board outside of today...
,,thanks for sharing John,,your words bring me a feeling of calm,,and thanks also for listing the spiritual principles.
,,I'm reminded of surrender,,,although I don't automatically remember on waking each day,
,,I've come to a point that I'm able to remember that each struggle I feel is an invitation to a new level of surrender
....day by day,I find there's some benefit to stopping, focusing on whatever the issue I face,,and 'letting it go',,,
,,,,,,an answer ,well beyond my imagining, usually comes along!
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...gawd,,,please don't let me -ever- forget why I came here in the first place!!(my 'senility' prayer)
11. Unconditional love is given where we sense our spirit in another human being.
John this one SLAMMED MY FACE when I read it, i honestly wept, I told my friend a little over a year ago to leave my life she was irratating the hell out of me, since then , actually 3 months after I told her that she married another person and it seems I can not let go of this whole thing, I become consumed by it, this is so embarrasing to talk about I cant even share in meetings how I really hurt, I am talking with God about it often, but I need to get honest and really share how deeply at a loss I am for whats happened, I really did have a soul connection with her, I even talked with her after she married and she told me she made a mistake but was stuck with her decision and I do understand that, I even saw her once and then finally I told her just to get on with her life and leave me alone, but i miss her deeply and regret what i have done, but its done, I just havent moved on...
.....ah,HUuu,,,thanks for sharing these tender thoughts V,,, ......they bring me to remember the many regrets I have of the past,,,the dear ones I let go! ...I'm grateful that today I can hold such painful memories without needing to annihilate those memories,,,or myself
...as I get clean,,and learn more of myself,,to be 'of the heart',just for today,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I look forwards to a day I can fully face these memories,,,perhaps through amends.,
...... for now,,I send a wish of hope,,of love ,,,,,of a most special valentines for all!!
..........may the joy of all creation flow through my heart.........
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...gawd,,,please don't let me -ever- forget why I came here in the first place!!(my 'senility' prayer)
