Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   July 6                                                         "I'm sorry"

   "The main thing [the Eighth Step] does for us is to help build awareness
    that, little by little, we are gaining new attitudes about ourselves and
                       how we deal with other people."

                                                            Basic Text, p. 39

                           ----=----

   To say "I'm sorry" probably isn't such a foreign idea to most of
   us.  In our active addiction, it may have been a very familiar phrase.  We
   were always telling people how sorry we were, and were probably deeply
   surprised when someone, tired of our meaningless apologies, responded
   with, "You sure are.  In fact, you're the sorriest excuse for..."
   That may have been our first clue that an "I'm sorry" didn't
   really make any difference to those we harmed, especially when we both
   knew that we'd just do the same thing again.

   Many of us thought that making amends would be another "I'm sorry."
    However, the action we take in those steps is entirely different.  Making
   amends means to make changes and, above all, to make the situation right.
   If we stole money, we don't just say, "I'm sorry.  I'll never do
   it again now that I'm clean." We pay the money back.  If we neglected
   or abused our families, we don't just apologize.  We begin to treat them
   with respect.

   Amending our behavior and the way we treat ourselves and others is the
   whole purpose of working the steps.   We're no longer just "sorry";
   we're responsible.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:   I  accept responsibility for myself and my recovery.
   Today, I will amend some particular thing I'm sorry for.