Daily Readings
Just for Today & Spiritual Principle a DayJust For Today
Something's not working. In fact, something's been wrong for a long time, causing us pain and complicating our lives. The problem is that, at any given moment, it always appears easier to continue bearing the pain of our defects than to submit to the total upheaval involved in changing the way we live. We may long to be free of pain, but only rarely are we willing to do what's truly necessary to remove the source of pain from our lives.
Most of didn't begin seeking recovery from addiction until we were "sick and tired of being tired and sick." The same is true of the lingering character defects we've carried through our lives. Only when we can't bear our shortcomings one moment longer, only when we know that the pain of change can't be as bad as the pain we're in today, are most of us willing to try something different.
Thankfully, the steps are always there, no matter what we're sick and tired of. The irony is that, as soon as we make the decision to begin the Twelve Step process, we realize our fears of change were groundless. The steps offer a gentle program of change, one step at a time. No single step is so frightening that we can't work it, by itself. As we apply the steps to our lives, we experience a change that frees us.
Spiritual Principle a Day
When we are new in NA, we may hear someone say they will love us until we learn to love ourselves. Despite our self-centeredness, many of us arrive in the program devoid of self-esteem and incapable of loving anyone, perhaps most especially ourselves.
Over time we learn how to value ourselves. Simple acts of self-care at the beginning of each day can be a good place to start. Maybe we make the bed, set an intention for the day, or do a daily reading. In the Basic Text story "Just Say Yes" one member shared, "I discovered that breakfast is a spiritual principle: With honesty, open-mindedness, willingness, and breakfast, we're well on our way."
NA is a practical program that we use in every area of our lives. Sometimes this means nurturing our physical selves or contemplating HALTS as suggested in the Basic Text: "Are we too hungry, angry, lonely or tired? Are we taking ourselves too seriously?" It's easy to forget how the state of our body can deeply affect our sense of well-being.
The contrast between a life in recovery and a life of active addiction is clear. We can find gratitude in the simple benefits of recovery, like food in the cupboard and a safe place to eat it. If we think about the mornings we experienced before we got clean, we might remember feeling sick and desperate or cold and hungry. The NA program gives us a way out of that darkness and into a day full of possibilities.
Through working the Steps, we learn to love ourselves and the world around us. We find ways to take care of ourselves and treat ourselves with kindness. And we share that love with others, perhaps telling a newcomer we will love them until they learn to love themselves.
Meetings Every Day of the Week!
The meeting list page of the Passaic County Area Service Committee website lists all of the meetings happening every week in our area as well as information about meetings happening in all the other areas of New Jersey, across the nation and even around the world!!