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When It Works: 12 Basics
Twelve Principles of NA
PRINCIPLE TEN - HUMILITY
Note:
All edits are done in this green color and are to be thrown into the
spirit well-God will handle the rest.
Note:
The yellow highlighted areas are the areas to be omitted
and the red areas are paragraphs
that should be connected.
Note:
Our Middletown, Connecticut NAWOL group is honored to be part of the
process. We have no expectations
other than staying in the process and possibly helping other addicts.
"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."
When
we come to our own understanding of our higher power and turn our will and lives
over to the care of a loving God, we are relieved of our burdens. Many
concerns, ideas Our negative thoughts and destructive
habits are removed because now we can see them as defective.
We have distanced ourselves from our
using. This can not happen
overnight. As we continue to grow spiritually, an attentive serene
calm may settle into our lives. We experience relaxed attention without
desperation. We no longer need desperation to spur us to action. We seem
to have more time, less fear, less guilt,
and a quiet sort of luck. In truth, we are blessed. We have to adjust to living
in the grace of God.
Our
mind becomes our servant and friend, ceasing its endless rambling. Our needs,
our desires, and our wants seem to line up better. Control is less necessary
because of our increased effectiveness. What used to be pressing concerns may
suddenly seem absurd. Our growing wonderment at the power of a loving God and
our experience in recovery leads us into a state of nearly
permanent gratitude, interrupted only occasionally by our disease lashing out to
hurt someone. That
The miracle is that we can find a way to go on living after the pain of active
addiction is
miraculous in itself. That all this comes from such a simple process under the
umbrella of anonymity changes our attitude towards labeling others unfairly as
we ourselves have been labeled.
This miraculous shift from
despair to hope and then eventually fear to faith is possible because the
individual addict is willing to work the twelve steps to the best of their
willingness. We have come to
understand that spiritual principles are earned, not given. We share that the only spiritual principle given away freely
to any addict seeking recovery is hope.
It is up to the individual addict to make the decision to do the work
necessary to get the freedom that humility has to offer.
It becomes obvious when an addict decides to start working steps with a sponsor and actually commits themselves to a program of Narcotics Anonymous. While we are experiencing some of these thoughts and feelings, our appearance to others is totally different from when our faces reflected desperation born of fear and guilt. The profound changes can be seen on the faces of addicts in meetings. This is when others may observe some patient, kind and gentle quality. Many of us experienced a change of expression so dramatic that some or our new friends may think that we are the brother or sister of the person they met when we were just getting clean. We look that different. This exciting peace is a reflection of our new lives. It is a natural state that exists potentially in all people yet is rarely obvious in addicts. Vitality and spirit have replaced loneliness and dispair.
A
part of our individual humility is reflected in our collective ability to keep
to ourselves. We do not dilute our effectiveness as a Fellowship by taking
public stands on outside issues. We do make it known that NA meetings exist. We
do this through our public information services so that we will not fall into
the traps associated with dealing with the media. We have service guidelines to
help us. The purpose of these services is to get an addict to a meeting, not to
challenge various treatment philosophies. It helps nothing to be set at odds
with those trying to help us. We keep to our basics because that is our message.
Total abstinence is not an outside issue. Needless medication is a serious
problem in some cases. We cannot work the 12 Steps under the influence of a
chemical buffer. Most people do not need to take anything but food and water. In
the few cases where someone must take medication, we try to be generous. We can
only help those who are willing
to find a new way of life.not
aware of our way of life by our example.
We stay clean, follow the
twelve step path paved by addicts who have what we want,
and learn to lead a spiritual life.
We also are careful to address only the issues relating to the working of the twelve stepsof
recovery and getting to a meeting.
We have no opinions on outside issues, especially when talking to
a reporter. someone
outside the fellowship.
Just
as we avoid the labels of `addict' in a world that lacks the knowledge that
addicts can experience recovery, we also avoid labeling our program and
Fellowship by taking public stands on outside issues. Within NA, we sometimes
find it necessary to take stands on issues that directly affect our Fellowship
and our members. Many NA's
individuals
have found it easier to revert to old ways when dealing with issues other
rather than to
practice the principles of recovery. It is like they will risk lesser matters to
spiritual principles and then take on major items with the justification,
"This is serious!" They may not see that casting aside a spiritual
principle and resuming old behavior often leads to relapse. It is important to
see the relationship between casting aside a spiritual principle and relapse.
Many of us don't get a second chance at recovery. We are honest, open, and willing because it works for us.
What
we have found in NA is a series of paths that guide us through through
some of the hazards that
and allow
us to maintain both our spiritual integrity and personal effectiveness. Addicts
in recovery `check out' every possible way of doing things and only settle for a
simple solution after the dust settles. We also have a tendency to avoid change
and innovation. It took us twenty years to begin to evolve a service structure
in 1973, another five to set up a basic World Service Office and five years
after that to establish our Basic Text. These observations illustrate the
difficulty we have had to overcome to achieve some of our progress. Our
difficulty seems to lie in our addiction and the inhibiting factor that makes us
cling to the known and avoid risk. Spiritual gain occurs after spiritual work.
If we want to be humble and act with integrity with negative situations
present themselves, then we must be spiritually prepared.
The twelve steps lay the foundation for our spiritual readiness.
Pressure
for change comes from members who see an unaddressed need. When
an area needs a new meeting of Narcotics Anonymous, we start a new meeting.
When addicts discuss the importance of having the twelve basic spiritual
principles as a separate section of our literature, we write.
These members contribute their time and resources to better meet
the needs of the still sick and suffering addict. that
need and begin to work out solutions.
While they are doing this, members who have not studied the issues may criticize
them. It is important that our spiritual
path is followed.they
keep going.
Humility allows us to see the importance of every human being.Their
Critics may never understand or see the reason why addicts continue
to work to help the newcomer.
Just so, Still,
when we see others doing things we don't understand, we learn to ask questions
and become informed before we criticize.
In
all of this, individuals can and do play roles. Yet, the importance of their
roles is more a function of our common welfare than who
plays the role an
individual highlight film.
What gets done is more important to us than who does it. We
simply want to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.
Many blessings we share in NA had to wait long years before members
became willing. Humility is simply doing our part to help.
[7.25.08]
persons have visited this site since July 25, 2008
Reprinted from the
N.A. FELLOWSHIP USE ONLY
Copyright � December 1998
Victor Hugo Sewell, Jr.
NA Foundation Group
6685 Bobby John Road Atlanta, GA 30349 USA
404.312.5166
[email protected]
All rights reserved. This draft may be copied by members of Narcotics Anonymous for the purpose of writing input for future drafts, enhancing the recovery of NA members and for the general welfare of the Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship as a whole. The use of an individual name is simply a registration requirement of the Library of Congress and not a departure from the spirit or letter of the Pledge, Preface or Introduction of this book. Any reproduction by individuals or organizations outside the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous is prohibited. Any reproduction of this document for personal or corporate monetary gain is prohibited.