HUMILITY

Many concerns, ideas and habits are removed because we see them as defective. This may not happen overnight. As we continue to grow spiritually, an attentive calm may settle in our lives.

We experience relaxed attention without the desperation that used to spur us. We seem to have more time, less fear and guilt and a quiet sort of luck. In truth, we are blessed.

Our mind becomes our servant and friend, ceasing its incessant 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 the thrashing of our deprived disease. That we can find a way to do 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.

While we are experiencing some of these thoughts and feelings, our appearance to others is totally different from when out faces reflected desperation born of fear and guilt. This is when others may observe some patient, kind and gentle quality that exists potentially in all people yet is rarely obvious in addicts, even clean addicts.

A part of our individual humility is reflected in our collective ability to keep to ourselves and not dilute our effectiveness as a Fellowship by taking public stands beyond making it known that NA meetings and recovery exist through our public information services. The purpose of these services is to get an addict to a meeting, not to challenge various treatment philosophies of political climates.

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. Many NA's have found it easier to revert to old ways when dealing with issues other than recovery. It is like they will risk lesser matters to spiritual principles and then take on major items with the justification, "This is serious!"

What we have found in NA is a series of paths through some of the hazards that allow us to maintain both our spiritual integrity and personal effectiveness.

Historically, addicts in recovery have shown a tendency to `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 ten to twenty years to begin to evolve a service structure, another ten to set up a basic World Service Office and ten more years to have a BasicText. These observations may seem critical but they are true. Our difficulty seems to lie in our addiction and the inhibiting factor that makes us cling to the known and avoid risk.

Pressure for change comes from a joining of members who see an unaddressed need and members who are willing to contribute the time and resources to meet that need. 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. What gets done is more important to us than who does it.