Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   November 3                                                  No matter what

    "We eventually have to stand on our own feet and face life on its own
                      terms, so why not from the start?"

                                                            Basic Text, p. 85

                           ----=----

   Some of us feel that we should protect newcomers by telling them that,
   while everything used to be horrible, now that we're in recovery it's
   all wonderful.  We feel that we might scare someone away if we speak of
   pain or difficulties, broken marriages, being robbed, and the like.  In a
   sincere and well-intentioned desire to carry the message, we tend to talk
   glowingly only about what's going well in our lives.

   But most newcomers already suspect the truth, even if they've only been
   clean for a few days.  Chances are that the "life on life's terms"
   the average newcomer is experiencing is quite a bit more stressful than
   what the average oldtimer deals with each day.   If we do manage to
   convince a newcomer that everything becomes rosy in recovery, we had
   better make sure we are there to support that newcomer when something goes
   wrong in his or her life.

   Perhaps we simply need to share realistically about how we use the
   resources of Narcotics Anonymous to accept "life on life's terms,"
   whatever those terms may be on any given day.  Recovery, and life itself,
   contain equal parts of pain and joy.  It is important to share both so the
   newcomer can know that we stay clean no matter what.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:  I will be honest with the newcomers I share with and let
   them know that, no matter what life brings, we never have to use drugs
   again.