Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   March 6                                    Rationalizing away our recovery

   "As a result of the Twelve Steps, I'm not able to hold on to old ways
                            of deceiving myself."

                           ----=----

   We all rationalize.  Sometimes we know we are rationalizing, admit we are
   rationalizing, yet continue to behave according to our rationalizations!
   Recovery can become very painful when we decide that, for one reason or
   another, the simple principles of the program don't apply to us.

   With the help of our sponsor and others in NA, we can begin to look at the
   excuses we use for our behavior.   Do we find that some principles just
   don't apply to us?  Do we believe that we know more than everyone else
   in Narcotics Anonymous, even those who have been clean for many years?
   What makes us think that we're so special?

   There is no doubt, we can successfully rationalize our way through part of
   our recovery.  But, eventually, we must squarely face the truth and start
   acting accordingly.  The principles in the Twelve Steps guide us to a new
   life in recovery.  There is little room for rationalization there.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:   I cannot work the steps and also continue deceiving
   myself.  I will examine my thinking for rationalizations, reveal them to
   my sponsor, and be rid of them.