Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   September 4                                              Cluttered spirits

       "We try to remember that when we make amends we are doing it for
                                 ourselves."

                                                            Basic Text, p. 40

                           ----=----

   As long as we still owe amends, our spirits are cluttered with things we
   don't need.   We're carrying the extra load of an apology owed, a
   resentment held, or unexpressed remorse.   It's like having a messy
   house.  We could leave so we don't have to see the mess, or maybe just
   step over the piles of debris and pretend they aren't there.    But
   ignoring the disorder won't make it disappear.   In the end, the dirty
   dishes, the crumb-filled carpet, and the overflowing wastebaskets are
   still there, waiting to be cleaned up.

   A cluttered spirit is just as hard to live with as a messy home.   We
   always seem to be tripping over yesterday's leavings.   Every time we
   turn around and try to go somewhere, there is something blocking our
   path.  The more we neglect our responsibility to make amends, the more
   cluttered our spirits become.  And we can't even hire someone to clean
   up.  We have to do the work ourselves.

   We gain a deep sense of satisfaction from making our own amends.  Just as
   we would feel after we've cleaned our homes and have time to enjoy a bit
   of sunshine through sparkling windows, so will our spirits rejoice at our
   freedom to truly enjoy our recovery.  And once the big mess is cleaned up,
   all we have to do is pick up after ourselves as we go along.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:  I will clear away what's cluttering my spirit by making
   the amends I owe.