PREFACE
Inspiration for this came in winter of 1998 after extensive edit of NA Way of Life. There is a need for people who are not dodging, making excuses or delaying their recovery any longer but want to dive into 12 Step recovery, are working their Steps and need specific help in changing from a habitually ineffective and unhappy person into someone who is balanced, effective and taking time to do the things they really care about in life.
INTRODUCTION
This is totally new material so all NA members reading it should send input as the Spirit moves you.
NA BOOK OF CHANGESFree Time
The time and attention we use to spend in futile activity become available as our recovery progresses. With little of no energy, we will see and become more aware of things happening around us. Sometimes, we will discover that others have exploited and even agravated our addiction to take advantage of us. Since the advantage disappears as our recovery progresses, these people may be angry at our recovery and try to get us loaded. They may bring us free dope or try to get us excited beyond our control. As we gently adjust the situation, we try not to hate them. After all, it was natural for them to take advantage, since we offered it. Our role in our problems can be a hard thing to admit at times. But when we do, our admission of fault and acceptance of responsibility frees us to go on with our lives from there.
One of the things our newcomers notice is that people with recovery have time to sit around a listen to us. As you become that oldtimer, you realize how much of your time and other resources were wasted in active addiction. Even in early recovery, we spend much time just fooling around and may not really know where our time goes. One of the benefits of living clean is it takes us less time to do what we really have to do, we don't take on things that aren't our problem and we have more time to share with others. It is as if we have developed real 'free time,' perhaps for the first time in our lives.
Life Changes
Life throws us changes whether we want them or not. Unpleasant and perhaps unexplained, these changes can be confusing, distracting and interruptive to recovery. The main lesson is to keep ourselves focued on what we really care about, in other words our recovery. We have deaths in the family and among friends, benefits and responsibilities that come our way, and things we discover that give us the fulfillment and happiness we always hope to find someday.
Getting older, putting on weight, helping our children and advancing in our work or profession have less chance of become problems when we can think clearly and our bodies are not in turmoil.
Clues
While we are careful to share from personal experience, certain obvious elements may apply to us. If we are by nature quiet, we will loosen up to find balance. If we are bouncy and outgoing, we may have to just slow down to get balanced. If we are extroverted and loud, we may have to slow down a lot to achieve new zones of balance and introspection.
Spiritual Guidance
Asking our Higher Power to guide us and reveal what we need to know seems to make a tremendous difference. It is one thing that may need to be repeated often if we want to insure our getting all the help we can get. Seeking out specific people, asking them for help and writing down later what they say can be one way to double check whether we are running on self will or taking seriously the experience others share with us at our request.
Reprinted from the
N.A. FELLOWSHIP USE ONLY
Copyright � December 1998
Victor Hugo Sewell, Jr.
NA Foundation Group
P.O. Box 213
Cleveland, Ohio 44022-0213
[email protected]
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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.
Last update August 28, 2004