TOLERANCE

We are constantly developing our ability to tolerate others from our last usage. We learn part of this by developing a tolerance for our own inadequacies. In NA, we find the people who can share their pain and growth. We also find a lot of people who are going through almost exactly the same things we are at any given time. All we have to do is get to enough meetings and share honestly the nature of our pain.

Tolerance, even as a spiritual principle, does not force or require us to permit wrong doing or a dangerous, illegal or really insulting nature. It simply frees us to decide what we want to get involved in and also when we are ready to take action.

Often, tolerance seems like it would limit us or habituate us to merely not reacting. Not over reacting is more like spiritual tolerance. It means we have more say over our lives.

Some of our wrongdoing may consist of using others without their consent or knowledge for selfish gain. Our Fellowship is a great churning mass of such problems. It is probably one reason why NA works for us so well. It gives us a chance to see ourselves and the games we play in others. A real paradox is met head on when we attempt to be useful without being used.

In service, where all of our principles have application, wrongdoing consists of setting up elections, falsifying documents, biasing reports, especially on matters dealing with group conscience, stealing or misapplying funds, and any other actions that would betray or dispirit those who entrust us to serve them.

Where we see these things, we should act as of we are helping difficult children who, while we may love them dearly, are capable of great mischief. The spirit often provides us with interesting alternatives in response to actual, verified wrong doing.

Our tolerance in principle helps us make sure what we perceive is actually happening. If a real disorder is involved, others will see to it also. We never have to be alone in NA. Most all problems are repeat performances of past events with new names and faces involved. We have withstood such an array of sabotage and disorder that in truth we have little to fear, as a Fellowship. As individuals, we avoid traps that may threaten or sour our recovery by praying, consulting other members and then acting on faith to help make things better.

Our tolerance level may be great in some areas yet in general, it is well to remember our past and seek positive action than to drift into a seemingly endless morass of inaction.

If you find yourself feeling defeated or alone, reach out to someone for help. You cut a fear in half when you share it with just one other person.

Probably nothing has helped us work on our individual tolerating ability than our enormous success as a Fellowship and our explosive growth. As the density of our meetings increases in any given area, the system of recovery shared out from those who have it to those who need it becomes increasingly complex and sensitive. Member must find ways to remain anonymous yet place key roles. There was a time, not long ago, when NA as a whole, was glad to have just one more meeting in a whole state and just one more member in regular attendance. Tolerance is greater when you feel you need someone or their recovery is important to you.

Today, we have so many people, so many ideas and varieties of experience! Even with the commonality of our desire for recovery, we have need of tolerance just to watch it all go by.

Tolerance is not being passive though it is the principle that frees us from acting badly just because someone else is. The time we gain by this can be spent working towards real lasting solutions.