The Minnesota Region of Narcotics Anonymous has created this website to help carry our message “that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.” If you find that you cannot stop using drugs, you are not alone.
Give yourself a break and call our helpline at 1-877-767-7676 or better yet come to one of our Meetings.
Just For Today
As we examine our beliefs, our actions, and our motives in recovery, we'll find that sometimes we do things for the wrong reasons. In our early recovery, we may have spent a great deal of money and time on people, wanting only for them to like us. Later on, we may find that we still spend money on people, but our motives have changed. We do it because we like them. Or perhaps we used to get romantically involved because we felt hollow inside and were seeking fulfillment through another person. Now our reasons for romantic involvement are based in a desire to share our already rewarding lives with an equal partner. Maybe we used to work the steps because we were afraid we'd relapse if we didn't. Today we work the steps because we want to grow spiritually.
We have a new purpose in life today, and our changing motives reflect that. We have so much more to offer than our neediness and insecurities. We have developed a wholesomeness of spirit and a peace of mind that moves our recovery into a new realm. We extend our love and share our recovery with complete generosity, and the difference we make is the legacy we leave to those who have yet to join us.
Spiritual Principle a Day
Tradition Eleven—which seems to be about public relations but can be applied to other aspects of recovery—reminds us that the message of NA is what's most important, not the messenger. Respect and anonymity are the keys to deciphering the difference between "attraction" and "promotion." An opportunity to share NA's message of hope outside the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous is a privilege for any member and a responsibility not to be taken lightly. Whether it's a public relations activity like speaking to a group of medical professionals, being part of an H&I panel, or helping to explain NA to the family of a sponsee who's just relapsed, we must avoid our impulse to make the message about us instead of NA. Rather than seeking respect for ourselves, we show our respect for the program—and for our listenersby sharing the NA basics or the impact the program has on our lives, while being real about what NA is and what it's not.
The same can be said for what happens inside the rooms. We keep it real whether we're talking one-on-one with a new member, speaking at a meeting (whether small and intimate, or large and spirited), or representing our region at the World Service Conference. These are moments when our recovery is best served by the clarity of our message and the integrity of our role, not by seeking attention or validation. There's no need to make inflated claims about our lives in recovery. And look, if we're sharing at a huge convention, we will get attention and very likely validation! That's part of the deal. Speaking with genuine humility and gratitude shows respect for NA and preserves our self-respect, too.
Yes, that's the bottom line right there: We show respect, rather than seek it. With that as our goal, we can walk with dignity. Keeping our self-promotion in check and leading with attraction enhances our self-respect.