Voices of Recovery

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 31, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 31Finding Balance in Our Lives"Each of us seeks our own balance that allows us to participate in the world without sacrificing our recovery or putting ourselves at risk."—Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Bridging Two Worlds”––––=––––Imagine life as a pie chart. The sections of this pie represent the different areas of our lives.We have a portion for Narcotics Anonymous and sections for family, friends, work, our community, our interests, and many other categories we could add to this list. While we often hear that recovery should be our priority, maybe even the biggest segment, there’s no prescribed ideal balance for how much time we dedicate to NA versus the world outside of NA.While we were using, our addiction took up most of the pie. Everything else was reduced to a sliver. For a lot of us, when we’re new in the program, NA becomes the lion’s share of our pie chart. As newcomers, we tend to stick very close to the Fellowship because it’s suggested by our sponsor and other members—and because NA is where we begin to find comfort and safety in being who we are.But as we transform in recovery, our lives tend to fill up. Our pie chart diversifies! Even though our aim may be to sustain the same level of participation in meetings and Steps and service, there are only so many hours in a day—and space in our chart. As we seek to maintain balance in our busy lives, we may find ourselves obsessing about one area and neglecting others. No matter what we have going on, we have to remember that our number-one priority must be to stay clean or we risk losing the rest of the pie—along with our cleantime.We can seek the balance we need without worrying about perfecting it. We can learn how to assess when things are off-kilter and a dose of the NA basics is needed. We can adapt as the demands of our lives keep shifting. We can enjoy a full life without posing unnecessary risks to our recovery.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:How’s my pie chart sectioned these days? How am I balancing my NA program with my other responsibilities and pursuits?––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 30, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 30Accepting Another’s Path"I have learned to love and to accept the people I sponsor as the people they are—not little mirror-images of me or any other model of recovery."—Sponsorship, Chapter 3, “To the Sponsor”––––=––––Each of us looks for a sponsor who does the deal: trusts a Higher Power, cleans house, and helps other addicts. We seek out experienced members who have what we want and will accept us without judgment. Most importantly, we look for sponsors who will offer loving guidance through the Twelve Steps of NA.Such love takes many forms. Some of us rely on our sponsors for an unbiased perspective on our thoughts and behaviors. Others appreciate being offered gentle guidance, tempered with loads of support and empathy. Whether our sponsors apply a firm hand or a soft touch, we learn to confide in them. Their acceptance of us—warts and all—helps us to accept that everything is as it should be.Working Steps is a process of self-discovery. With a sponsor to hold the flashlight, our hands are free to dig deep. They help us figure out who we are and who we’re not. As one member described it, “This process taught me not to fear the truth about myself. It turns out that I’m not as good or as bad as I thought I was.”We can learn a lot about recovery by talking to more experienced members. To find what’s true for ourselves, however, it’s helpful to have someone to question our ideas. As one member put it, “Instead of telling me what to do, my sponsor helped me figure out my own answers about who I am.” We may aspire to be like our sponsors at first, but few sponsors are looking to mold a mini-me. Instead, they help us to be ourselves.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:My sponsor’s love and acceptance helped me discover who I am, who I’m not, and who I want to be. Today I’ll try to practice those same principles and help someone else on their recovery journey.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 29, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 29Vigilance for the Long Haul"Many of us leave not when things are horrible, but when we have one more spiritual hump to get over. We lose our way right before the miracle— sometimes again and again. Living Clean, Chapter 1, Growing Pains ––––=––––Most of us have heard the saying, Don't leave before the miracle happens. For newcomers, that can mean staying in a meeting even when the urge to leave feels like more than we can handle. After a little time clean, it might mean taking one more phone call from the sponsee who hears nothing we say or choosing not to react when our boss or significant other pushes our last button —again (and again and again). But how do we get there? How does the newcomer stay in the seat when everything in them screams: Get up! Get out of here! How does the sponsor dig deep and offer experience, strength, and hope to the troubled sponsee, instead of just sighing deeply and asking, Have you prayed about it? How do we shift our focus from the momentary frustration of an argument to the fulfillment we experience in our relationship or career? It's easy to do the right thing when things are going well, when we're getting what we want or think we deserve. Sometimes, though, the rewards might seem minimal or feel like they're taking forever to arrive. Some members have described recovery as being a marathon, not a sprint. Marathoners call it hitting the wall-that point in the race when it feels impossible to keep going, and there's no end in sight. It happens in recovery, too: We live by these principles for months, years, even decades, but some of our hopes and dreams still seem so out of reach. We can't even see the finish line yet, and we are TIRED. We have to remember that there is no finish line in a just-for-today program. We're not here for the reward at the end. We keep the pace. Even if it's slow and steady, we keep moving forward whether we feel like it or not. We might need to stop at an aid station -for runners, a cup of cold water or sports drink every couple of miles makes it possible to go the distance. In recovery, coffee or tea with another addict can get us over that next spiritual hump—to the miracle on the other side.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:When I feel like quitting, I’ll take a moment to remember that recovery is a journey, not a destination. I will be vigilant and keep moving forward.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 28, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 28Equality in Anonymity"NA has no classes of membership and no second-class members. The common denominator in NA is the disease of addiction. We are all equally subject to its devastation. We share an equal right to recovery."—It Works, Tradition Three, “Applying Spiritual Principles”––––=––––Tradition Three, which insists that there’s only one requirement for NA members, comes easy to some of us. We found recovery in NA, after all, and no one asked us about our qualifications. We may take for granted that everyone else finds it that simple. Maybe we’d lived a fortunate life with a tight circle of friends despite our addiction, so the idea of not belonging had never occurred to us. If we shared a language and culture with others in attendance, fitting in may not have been a challenge for us. Maybe we looked around the room and saw faces that looked like our own. Or maybe our desperation had dulled our cynicism just enough to allow us to receive the warm welcome we found in our first meetings, despite any outward differences. No matter the specifics, many of us unthinkingly assumed that others felt equally welcome. The disease of addiction tries to weaponize our differences to keep us sick.The fact is that barriers exist for many potential members despite our individual efforts to extend that classic NA welcome. Some of us struggle with accepting hospitality from members who seem different from us in all of the ways that society deems important. “I constantly disqualified myself from NA,” one member wrote. “I got clean young, didn’t use certain drugs, and I am transgender. My disease tells me that I don’t belong, that I somehow deserved to stay separate and alone.” Before we set aside our differences—as practicing anonymity would suggest—it may be helpful to recognize that identification may be a little more difficult to come by if we don’t yet see other members like ourselves in meetings.Established NA members do well to emphasize our common disease. Regardless of the specifics in our experience, using brought us all to isolation, shame, and degradation.Identifying on an emotional level is often a good place to start. Our common path to a better life is summed up by the NA message: “An addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.” The disease does not discriminate. NA must not either.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Recovery is precious, so I will strive to make it more accessible by emphasizing our similarities and taking no addict for granted. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 27, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 27Showing Up with Integrity"Integrity is the state of being fully integrated: Our actions, our thinking, our feelings, our ideals, and our values all match up."—Living Clean, Chapter 3, “Spirituality Is Practical”––––=––––Most of us think of having integrity as being honest and reliable, as keeping our word. While that’s certainly true, integrity has a deeper and more nuanced meaning we don’t always consider: being whole, being wholly ourselves, being our whole selves at any given moment, no matter whose presence we’re in.As active addicts, we often demonstrated a lack of integrity. We weren’t dependable, trustworthy, or responsible, and we weren’t whole. We omitted parts of the truth and parts of ourselves. “I was like a three-legged table,” a member joked. “Yeah, I could stand, but don’t try leaning on me.”We compartmentalized our existence: We behaved in certain ways with some but not with others, and we led double—sometimes multiple—lives. These ways of being can follow us into recovery. How we act and appear on the outside doesn’t always match who we really are—or strive to be—on the inside. A member put it like this: “Today, I know I’m out of alignment with my values when my emotions reflect my defects—like fear and judgment— and I act on them. Instead, I try to show up as honestly and entirely ‘me’ as possible. That includes the ‘ideal me’ I want to be in relationships and interactions.”It’s unlikely our feelings will “match up” with our ideals and values all the time. This friction can be productive; we learn to take actions of love even when we don’t necessarily feel the love. For instance, we can treat a member we don’t like with kindness and respect. We can serve right alongside someone even if we sometimes fantasize about pushing them into a swamp full of alligators. Other times, our feelings are less reactive; they match our conscience rather than our defects. In those cases, it may be necessary and right to address someone’s behavior. Integrity guides our decisions and how we express ourselves in those moments. It allows us to risk others’ disappointment and anger. That’s being true to ourselves. That’s honesty and reliability. That’s love.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I’ll practice integrity by reliably being all that I am, ensuring that my actions reflect what’s inside me. I’ll keep on this path of distinguishing my conscience from my reactions—and, of course, I’ll show up when I say I will.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 26, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 26Forgiveness, Acceptance, and Healing"Walking with the knowledge that someone has not forgiven us is hard, but through it we find levels of forgiveness and acceptance that we may not have known were possible."—Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Amends and Reconciliation”––––=––––Over time in NA, we learn that we are worthy of forgiveness. That discovery comes, in part, as a result of making our Step Nine amends. Part of our preparation for this process is to understand why we are doing it. To make meaningful and lasting change in our lives, we must make peace with the consequences of our actions and the harm we’ve caused.While being forgiven by those we’ve hurt is a blessing, finding self-acceptance cannot be conditional on another’s actions. We must reconcile with ourselves to heal from our past.Forgiving ourselves is not contingent on receiving forgiveness from those we’ve harmed.Reconciliation may not always be possible. Though we may believe we deserve to be heard and forgiven, some will understandably stonewall our efforts. What then? It’s pretty hard to gain the courage to undertake this process—but then we have to be humble enough to accept the reaction, even if it’s a flat-out rejection? That rejection may be excruciating for those of us whose self-esteem hinges entirely on being liked by others. We ask ourselves, “Am I even still worthy of forgiveness? How do I walk through this?”No one is obligated to forgive us. We are powerless over other people’s willingness or readiness. In a situation like this one, we have one option for healing: move forward. That may take time because rejection is painful. As hard as it is to accept, we have to find a way to live with that pain without inflicting it on others. We must try to forgive ourselves for the consequences of our actions.Not being forgiven is its own beast—and its own lesson in practicing spiritual principles. This experience might give us pause the next time we want to rebuff someone else’s amends.We may be quicker to forgive because we know what it’s like to experience that wall and how much effort it takes to live with that and let it go.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:Today I will strive to accept my past and move on from it, though others may not. All I can do—today and every day—is to do better.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Closing out our “Spirituality in Recovery” series and the Voices of Recovery finale is the story of Craig—a story about identity, faith, and finally learning that recovery and spirituality are one and the same.Raised in a loving Jewish home, Craig grew up surrounded by tradition, but not necessarily a deep connection to a Higher Power. Even as a child, he felt different from everyone around him. His father, a survivor of Nazi Germany, taught him never to hide his faith—a lesson rooted in pain, resilience, and pride. But when Craig was still very young, his father passed away, leaving behind both a spiritual legacy and an emptiness Craig would spend years trying to fill.What began with nicotine eventually progressed to marijuana, pills, and cocaine. As his addiction deepened, so did his isolation. Family and friends no longer wanted to be around him, and he slowly became the person others were warned not to become. The farther his addiction progressed, the farther he drifted from both himself and his faith.Yet even then, Craig never truly believed he was an addict.Around that same time, Craig met the woman who would later become his wife. She met him while he was still using and saw him at some of his darkest moments. Their relationship was complicated, and they even separated a few times. After his sisters pushed him into rehab, he heard the message of recovery for the first time—but it still had not fully landed. Later, at a rehab for Jewish men, something deeper began to awaken in him. Alongside recovery, he started reconnecting with his faith and identity. After Craig returned home from rehab this first time, they found their way back to one another.While he had quit everything else, marijuana still held him captive. Behind closed doors, Craig lived in quiet misery—crying, buying, using, and crying again. Every day became the same painful cycle, and no matter how badly he wanted to stop, he could not do it alone.Finally, he made the decision to return to rehab. When he came home, his wife handed him a positive pregnancy test—and in that moment, everything changed. That became the true beginning of his recovery journey: abstinent from all drugs, one day at a time.For Craig, recovery and faith became inseparable. As he returned to Orthodox Judaism, he also threw himself into recovery. Less than a year clean, he became a father. Before two and a half years clean, he became a father again. He balanced meetings, diapers, sleepless nights, and caring for his growing family while staying committed to recovery. He often brought his baby into meetings, where fellow addicts would hold his child so he could hear the message.Craig’s recovery was not free from pain. Besides losing his father at such a young age, he also lost his mother before getting clean, his sister a year and a half into recovery, and spent nearly two years acting as a single father while caring for his sick wife after the birth of their second child. Through grief, fear, and exhaustion, Craig stayed clean—showing that it is possible to endure life’s hardest moments without picking up.Like recovery itself, Craig’s spiritual journey has not been perfect. His faith and program have both gone through seasons of strength, distance, struggle, and renewal. After spending ten years in the rooms, he drifted away for nearly another decade.But recently, through hardship, joblessness, and a longing for connection, Craig found his way back—not only to recovery, but to God. In returning to the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous, he rediscovered how deeply intertwined spirituality, faith, and recovery truly are.In the years following the attacks on Israel, Craig has found a renewed pride in being openly and visibly Jewish. Today, he wears his faith with humility and strength, no longer hiding any part of who he is.Today, Craig lives openly in both his faith and recovery, grateful for the connection to God that continues to transform his life one day at a time.

Just for Today meditation for May 25, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 25"Good" and "bad" feelings"A lot happens in one day, both negative and positive. If we do not take time to appreciate both, perhaps we will miss something that will help us grow."IP No.8, "Just for Today"––––=––––Most of us seem to unconsciously judge what happens in our lives each day as good or bad, success or failure. We tend to feel happy about the "good" and angry, frustrated, or guilty about the "bad." Good and bad feelings, though, often have little to do with what's truly good or bad for us. We may learn more from our failures than our successes, especially if failure has come from taking a risk.Attaching value judgments to our emotional reactions ties us to our old ways of thinking. We can change the way we think about the incidents of everyday life, viewing them as opportunities for growth, not as good or bad. We can search for lessons rather than assigning value. When we do this, we learn something from each day. Our daily Tenth Step is an excellent tool for evaluating the day's events and learning from both success and failure.––––=––––Just for today:I am offered an opportunity to apply the principles of recovery so that I will learn and grow. When I learn from life's events, I succeed. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 24, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 24Risking vulnerability"As we grow, we learn to overcome the tendency to run and hide from ourselves and our feelings."Basic Text, p.81––––=––––Rather than risk vulnerability many of us have developed habits that keep others at a safe distance. These patterns of emotional isolation can give us the feeling we are hopelessly locked behind our masks. We used to take risks with our lives; now we can take risks with our feelings. Through sharing with other addicts, we learn that we are not unique; we do not make ourselves unduly vulnerable simply by letting others know who we are, for we are in good company. And by working the Twelve Steps of the NA program, we grow and change. We no longer want or need to hide our emerging selves. We are offered the opportunity to shed the emotional camouflage we developed to survive our active addiction.By opening ourselves to others, we risk becoming vulnerable, but that risk is well worth the rewards. With the help of our sponsor and other recovering addicts, we learn how to express our feelings honestly and openly. In turn, we become nourished and encouraged by the unconditional love of our companion. As we practice spiritual principles, we find strength and freedom, both in ourselves and in those around us.We are set free to be ourselves and to enjoy the company of our fellow addict.––––=––––Just for today:I will openly and honestly share with another recovering addict. I will risk becoming vulnerable and celebrate my self and my friendship with other NA members. I will grow. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 23, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 23Amends and sponsors"We want to be free of our guilt, but we don't wish to do so at the expense of anyone else."Basic Text, p.39––––=––––Let's face it: Most of us left trails of destruction in our wakes and harmed anyone who got in our way. Some of the people we hurt most in our addiction were the people we loved most. In an effort to purge ourselves of the guilt we feel for what we've done, we may be tempted to share with our loved ones, in gruesome detail, things that are better left unsaid. Such disclosures could do much harm and may do little good.The Ninth Step is not about easing our guilty consciences; it's about taking responsibility for the wrongs we've done. In working our Eighth and Ninth Steps, we should seek the guidance of our sponsor and amend our wrongs in a manner that won't cause us to owe more amends. We are not just seeking freedom from remorse-we are seeking freedom from our defects. We never again want to inflict harm on our loved ones. One way to insure that we do not is by working the Ninth Step responsibly, checking our motives, and discussing with our sponsor the particular amends we plan to make before we make them.––––=––––Just for today:I wish to accept responsibility for my actions before making any amends, I will talk with my sponsor. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 22, read by CraigDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 22Symptoms of a spiritual awakening"The steps lead to an awakening of a spiritual nature. This awakening is evidenced by changes in our lives."Basic Text, p.48––––=––––We know how to recognize the disease of addiction. Its symptoms are indisputable.Besides an uncontrollable appetite for drugs, those suffering exhibit self-centered, self-seeking behavior. When our addiction was at its peak of activity, we were obviously in a great deal of pain. We relentlessly judged ourselves and others, and spent most of our time worrying or trying to control outcomes.Just as the disease of addiction is evidenced by definite symptoms, so is a spiritual awakening made manifest by certain obvious signs in a recovering addict. We may observe a tendency to think and act spontaneously; a loss of interest in judging or interpreting the actions of anyone else, an unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment, and frequent attacks of smiling.If we see someone exhibiting symptoms of a spiritual awakening, we should be aware that such awakenings are contagious. Our best course of action is to get close to these people. As we begin having frequent, overwhelming episodes of gratitude, an increased receptiveness to the love extended by our fellow members, and an uncontrollable urge to return this love, we'll realize that we, too, have had a spiritual awakening.––––=––––Just for today:My strongest desire is to have a spiritual awakening. I will watch for its symptoms and rejoice when I discover them. ––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Just for Today meditation for May 21, read by LaurenDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 21Keep coming back!"Meetings keep us in touch with where we've been, but more importantly with where we could go in our recovery."Basic Text, p.54––––=––––In many ways, addicts are different. When we came to Narcotics Anonymous we found others like ourselves, people who understood us and whom we could understand. No longer did we feel like aliens, strangers wherever we went. We were at home in NA meetings, among friends.We don't stop being addicts after we've been clean awhile. We still need to identify with other addicts. We continue coming to NA meetings to keep in touch with who we are, where we've come from, and where we're going. Every meeting reminds us that we can never use drugs successfully. Every meeting reminds us that we'll never be cured, but that by practicing the principles of the program we can recover. And every meeting offers us the experience and example of other addicts in ongoing recovery.At meetings, we see how different people work their program, and the results are apparent in their lives. If we want the lives we see others living, we can find out what they've done to get where they are. Narcotics Anonymous meetings offer us identification with where we've been and where we can go-identification we can't do without and can't get anywhere else. That keeps us coming back.––––=––––Just for today:I will attend an NA meeting to remind myself of who I am, where I've come from, and where I can go in my recovery.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

Spiritual Principle a Day for May 20, read by LaurenDonations via PayPal and questions may be directed to:voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.comMay 20The Rewards of Responsibility"We don’t always want to work our program, but we know the rewards we get when we take responsibility for our recovery—and the consequences when we do not."—Living Clean, Chapter 1, “Keys to Freedom”––––=––––Early recovery—especially our first go at it—can seem almost magical. For many addicts, things get so much better so quickly when we first find NA. We put some days together clean. We start feeling physically better. It’s easier to pay the rent because we don’t have a habit, so we gain a little stability. Those NA folks are really encouraging and—what?—is that hope I feel?Soon, the minor miracles of early recovery—like paying bills, eating actual meals, or having regular bowel movements—lose some of their charm. It dawns on us that just not using is not enough. Despite having a cool sponsor and some friends who are clean, NA activities, and a roof over our heads, we still have that gnawing feeling that something is missing.While surrounding ourselves with good people is important, recovery is not contagious—we won’t catch it simply by hanging around. This is an important realization, but it’s what we do with it that matters. Ignore it and know that using may start to appeal to us. Get busy and reap more of the rewards of recovery. Sooner or later—and at multiple points in our journey—each of us faces these alternatives: stay clean but remain miserable and set ourselves up for possible relapse or take responsibility for our recovery.And so we engage in what’s before us: the work of recovery. It’s a twelve-step program; why not work all twelve? The rewards are many, and the most valuable among them intangible. In recovery, we become self-aware and—unlike when we were in the grips of the disease—we have the freedom to choose what to do with what we learn about ourselves.The road to spiritual wealth opens up when we accept responsibility for our recovery and all it entails.––––=––––Spiritual Principle:I will check in with my feelings and confide in a friend today. I will apply the spiritual principle of responsibility by identifying what’s happening with me and being open to change.––––=––––© NA World ServicesThis podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom