Voices of Recovery

May 27: Just for Today meditation, read by Craig

Just for Today meditation for May 27, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 27 Meeting the day's challenge ". . . the decision to ask for God's help is our greatest source of strength and courage." Basic Text, p.26 ––––=–––– A challenge is anything that dares us to succeed. Things new and unfamiliar serve as challenges, whether those things appear good or bad to us. We are challenged by obstacles and opposition from within ourselves and from without. New and difficult things, obstacles and opposition, all are a part of "life on life's terms." Living clean means learning to meet challenge. Many of us, consciously or unconsciously, took drugs to avoid meeting challenge. Many of us were equally afraid of failure and success. Each time we declined the day's challenge, we suffered a loss of self-esteem. Some of us used drugs to mask the shame we felt. Each time we did that, we became even less able to meet our challenges and more likely to use. By working the NA program, we've found the tools we need to successfully meet any challenge. We've come to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, a Power that cares for our will and our lives. We've asked that Power to remove our character defects, those things that made our lives unmanageable. We've taken action to improve our conscious contact with that Higher Power. Through the steps, we've been given the ability to stop using drugs and start living. Each day, we are faced with new challenges. And each day, through working our program of recovery, we are given the grace to meet those challenges. ––––=–––– Just for today: I will ask my Higher Power to help me squarely meet today's challenge. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

May 27: Spiritual Principle a Day, read by Craig

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 27, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 27 Showing Up with Integrity "Integrity is the state of being fully integrated: Our actions, our thinking, our feelings, our ideals, and our values all match up." —Living Clean, Chapter 3, “Spirituality Is Practical” ––––=–––– Most of us think of having integrity as being honest and reliable, as keeping our word. While that’s certainly true, integrity has a deeper and more nuanced meaning we don’t always consider: being whole, being wholly ourselves, being our whole selves at any given moment, no matter whose presence we’re in. As active addicts, we often demonstrated a lack of integrity. We weren’t dependable, trustworthy, or responsible, and we weren’t whole. We omitted parts of the truth and parts of ourselves. “I was like a three-legged table,” a member joked. “Yeah, I could stand, but don’t try leaning on me.” We compartmentalized our existence: We behaved in certain ways with some but not with others, and we led double—sometimes multiple—lives. These ways of being can follow us into recovery. How we act and appear on the outside doesn’t always match who we really are—or strive to be—on the inside. A member put it like this: “Today, I know I’m out of alignment with my values when my emotions reflect my defects—like fear and judgment— and I act on them. Instead, I try to show up as honestly and entirely ‘me’ as possible. That includes the ‘ideal me’ I want to be in relationships and interactions.” It’s unlikely our feelings will “match up” with our ideals and values all the time. This friction can be productive; we learn to take actions of love even when we don’t necessarily feel the love. For instance, we can treat a member we don’t like with kindness and respect. We can serve right alongside someone even if we sometimes fantasize about pushing them into a swamp full of alligators. Other times, our feelings are less reactive; they match our conscience rather than our defects. In those cases, it may be necessary and right to address someone’s behavior. Integrity guides our decisions and how we express ourselves in those moments. It allows us to risk others’ disappointment and anger. That’s being true to ourselves. That’s honesty and reliability. That’s love. ––––=–––– Spiritual Principle: I’ll practice integrity by reliably being all that I am, ensuring that my actions reflect what’s inside me. I’ll keep on this path of distinguishing my conscience from my reactions—and, of course, I’ll show up when I say I will. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

May 26: Just for Today meditation, read by Craig

Just for Today meditation for May 26, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 26 The Power in the group "Our understanding of a Higher Power is up to us.... We can call it the group, the program, or we can call it God." Basic Text, p.24 ––––=–––– Many of us have a hard time with the idea of a Higher Power until we fully accept the depth of our own powerlessness over addiction. Once we do, most of us are at least willing to consider seeking the help of some Power greater than our disease. The first practical exposure many of us have to that kind of Power is in the NA group. Perhaps that's where we should start in developing our own understanding of God. One evidence of the Power in the group is the unconditional love shown when NA members help one another without expectation of reward. The group's collective experience in recovery is itself a Power greater than our own, for the group has practical knowledge of what works and what doesn't. And the fact that addicts keep coming to NA meetings, day after day, is a demonstration of the presence of a Higher Power, some attractive, caring force at work that helps addicts stay clean and grow. All these things are evidence of a Power that can be found in NA groups. When we look around with an open mind, each of us will be able to identify other signs of that Power. It doesn't matter if we call it God, a Higher Power, or anything else-just as long as we find a way to incorporate that Power into our daily lives. ––––=–––– Just for today: I will open my eyes and my mind to signs of a Power that exists in my NA group. I will call upon that Power to help me stay clean. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

May 26: Spiritual Principle a Day, read by Craig

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 26, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 26 Forgiveness, Acceptance, and Healing "Walking with the knowledge that someone has not forgiven us is hard, but through it we find levels of forgiveness and acceptance that we may not have known were possible." —Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Amends and Reconciliation” ––––=–––– Over time in NA, we learn that we are worthy of forgiveness. That discovery comes, in part, as a result of making our Step Nine amends. Part of our preparation for this process is to understand why we are doing it. To make meaningful and lasting change in our lives, we must make peace with the consequences of our actions and the harm we’ve caused. While being forgiven by those we’ve hurt is a blessing, finding self-acceptance cannot be conditional on another’s actions. We must reconcile with ourselves to heal from our past. Forgiving ourselves is not contingent on receiving forgiveness from those we’ve harmed. Reconciliation may not always be possible. Though we may believe we deserve to be heard and forgiven, some will understandably stonewall our efforts. What then? It’s pretty hard to gain the courage to undertake this process—but then we have to be humble enough to accept the reaction, even if it’s a flat-out rejection? That rejection may be excruciating for those of us whose self-esteem hinges entirely on being liked by others. We ask ourselves, “Am I even still worthy of forgiveness? How do I walk through this?” No one is obligated to forgive us. We are powerless over other people’s willingness or readiness. In a situation like this one, we have one option for healing: move forward. That may take time because rejection is painful. As hard as it is to accept, we have to find a way to live with that pain without inflicting it on others. We must try to forgive ourselves for the consequences of our actions. Not being forgiven is its own beast—and its own lesson in practicing spiritual principles. This experience might give us pause the next time we want to rebuff someone else’s amends. We may be quicker to forgive because we know what it’s like to experience that wall and how much effort it takes to live with that and let it go. ––––=–––– Spiritual Principle: Today I will strive to accept my past and move on from it, though others may not. All I can do—today and every day—is to do better. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

May 25: Just for Today meditation, read by Craig

Just for Today meditation for May 25, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 25 "Good" and "bad" feelings "A lot happens in one day, both negative and positive. If we do not take time to appreciate both, perhaps we will miss something that will help us grow." IP No.8, "Just for Today" ––––=–––– Most of us seem to unconsciously judge what happens in our lives each day as good or bad, success or failure. We tend to feel happy about the "good" and angry, frustrated, or guilty about the "bad." Good and bad feelings, though, often have little to do with what's truly good or bad for us. We may learn more from our failures than our successes, especially if failure has come from taking a risk. Attaching value judgments to our emotional reactions ties us to our old ways of thinking. We can change the way we think about the incidents of everyday life, viewing them as opportunities for growth, not as good or bad. We can search for lessons rather than assigning value. When we do this, we learn something from each day. Our daily Tenth Step is an excellent tool for evaluating the day's events and learning from both success and failure. ––––=–––– Just for today: I am offered an opportunity to apply the principles of recovery so that I will learn and grow. When I learn from life's events, I succeed. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom