Hey everyone. I was thinking about a trying to start a new thread that would help motivate and help people reflect and just for today came to mind. I will post the just for today here each day and we can all talk about it. I hope this helps!
June 04, 2017
Build, don’t destroy
Page 162
“Our negative sense of self has been replaced by a positive concern for others.”
Basic Text, p. 16
Spreading gossip feeds a dark hunger in us. Sometimes we think the only way we can feel good about ourselves is to make someone else look bad by comparison. But the kind of self-esteem that can be purchased at another’s expense is hollow and not worth the price.
How, then, do we deal with our negative sense of self? Simple. We replace it with a positive concern for others. Rather than dwell on our low self-esteem, we turn to those around us and seek to be of service to them.
This may seem to be a way of avoiding the issue, but it’s not. There’s nothing we can do by dwelling on our low sense of self except work ourselves into a stew of self-pity. But by replacing our self-pity with active, loving concern for others, we become the kind of people we can respect.
The way to build our self-esteem is not to tear others down, but to build them up through love and positive concern. To help us with this, we can ask ourselves if we are contributing to the problem or to the solution. Today, we can choose to build instead of destroy.
Just for Today: Though I may be feeling low, I don’t need to tear someone down to build myself up. Today, I will replace my negative sense of self with a positive concern for others. I will build, not destroy.
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I agree, they say the only way to keep what we have is by giving it away. And getting into service and keeping commitments is key, even if it’s only on this forum.
A small word of advice or paying someone a compliment may keep a fellow addict from relapsing. I believe that we seldomly appreciate how much of an impact we have on others lives.
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Hey everyone. Here’s the just for today
June 05, 2017
Honest prayer
Page 163
“Although honesty is difficult to practice, it is most rewarding.”
Basic Text, p. 96
How difficult we find it to be honest! Many of us come to NA as confused about what really happened in our lives that it sometimes takes months and years to sort it all out. The truth of our history is not always as we have told it. How can we begin to be more truthful?
Many of us find it the easiest to be honest in prayer. With our fellow addicts, we sometimes find that we have a hard time telling the whole truth. We feel certain that we won’t be accepted if we let others know us as we really are. It’s hard to live up to the “terminally hip and fatally cool” image so many of us portrayed! In prayer, we find an acceptance from our Higher Power that allows us to open our hearts with honesty.
As we practice this honesty with the God of our understanding, we often find that it has a ripple effect in our communications with others. We get in the habit of being honest. We begin to practice honesty when we share at meetings and work with others. In return, we find our lives enriched by deepening friendships. We even find that we can be more honest with ourselves, the most important person to be truthful with!
Honesty is a quality that is developed through practice. It isn’t always easy to be totally truthful, but when we begin with our Higher Power, we find it easier to extend our honesty to others.
Just for Today: I will be honest with God, myself, and others.
Copyright © 2007-2016, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Hey Tish. Yeah I’ve dealt with people like that. Having over 200 days I must ask if you’ve done any step work. The reason I ask is because steps 4 and 9 force you to address your resentments and make amends to those ppl. I’m not saying you did anything to warrent that kind of behavior, but you may have and don’t know it. You’re both adults and having a rational conversion with her seems like a good place to start. If after that you can’t come to an understanding I suggest to try to keep your distance. Your recovery must come first and if someone or something is causing you to want to drink they have to go.
I would try to use ’ I feel’ statements. You won’t cause her to get as defensive that way.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
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Here’s today’s guys. Sorry I missed yesterday. That’s my bad. It’s nice to see new ppl here. I hope this is helping.
June 09, 2017
Old dreams needn’t die
Page 167
“Lost dreams awaken and new possibilities arise.”
Basic Text, p. 91
Most of us had dreams when we were young. Whether we dreamed of a dynamic career, a large and loving family, or travels abroad, our dreams died when our addiction took hold. Anything we ever wanted for ourselves was cast away in our pursuit of drugs. Our dreams didn’t go beyond the next drug and the euphoria we hoped it would bring.
Now in recovery, we find a reason to hope that our lost dreams could still come true. No matter how old we are, how much our addiction has taken from us, or how unlikely it may seem, our freedom from active addiction gives us the freedom to pursue our ambitions. We may discover that we’re very talented at something, or find a hobby we love, or learn that continuing our education can bring remarkable rewards.
We used to put most of our energy into spinning excuses and rationalizations for our failures. Today, we go forward and make use of the many opportunities life presents to us. We may be amazed at what we’re capable of. With our foundation of recovery, success, fulfillment, and satisfaction are within our reach at last.
Just for Today: Starting today, I’ll do whatever I can to realize my dreams.
Copyright © 2007-2016, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
June 10, 2017
Changing motives
Page 168
“When we finally get our own selfish motives out of the way, we begin to find a peace that we never imagined possible.”
Basic Text, p. 45
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.
Just for Today: In recovery, my motives have changed. I want to do things for the right reason, not just for my personal benefit. Today, I will examine my motives.
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Love that post
Don’t let someone drag you down and make you feel worthless.
That’s all I seem to let people do to me not sure why? Actually I think they enjoy making me feel small.
At this point I really don’t like most people I come on contact with except you guys love you all!
I’m still clean and sober my plan is to stay that way 
%!
And keep praying!
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Thanks for your input Floyd. I feel like now that I’m sober it is hard to find friends that engage in sober activities. I try to avoid negative ppl and invest more in relationships that are condusive to my recovery. I also try to do things for people just for the sake of doing something positive. Not having an alterior motive and keeping low expectations keeps me from being disappointed.
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June 11, 2017
Living clean
Page 169
“As we recover, we gain a new outlook on being clean…Life can become a new adventure for us.”
Basic Text, p. 91
The using life is not a clean one - no one knows this better than we do. Some of us lived in physical squalor, caring neither for our surroundings nor ourselves. Worse, though, than any external filth was the way most of us felt inside. The things we did to get our drugs, the way we treated other people, and the way we treated ourselves had us feeling dirty. Many of us recall waking too many morning just wishing that, for once, we could feel clean about our ourselves and our lives.
Today, we have a chance to feel clean by living clean. For us addicts, living clean starts with not using - after all, that’s our primary use for the word “clean” in Narcotics Anonymous. But as we stay “clean” and work the Twelve Steps, we discover another kind of clean. It’s the clean that comes from admitting the truth about our addiction rather than hiding or denying our disease. It’s the freshness that comes from owning up to our wrongs and making amends for them. It’s the vitality that comes from the new set of values we develop as we seek a Higher Power’s will for us. When we practice the principles of our program in all our affairs, we have no reason to feel dirty about our lives or our lifestyles - we’re living clean, and grateful to be doing so at last.
“Clean living” used to be just for the “squares.” Today, living clean is the only way we’d have it.
Just for Today: I feel clean because I’m living clean - that’s the way I want to keep it.
Copyright © 2007-2016, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Great JFT. today when I say no to using or drinking I feel good about that decision. And I say no with confidence. I’m not just saying no to using either, I’m saying no to all the pain that comes with it. The guilt, the self hate, and having little purpose. Today I’m proud of my actions and can finally be accountable in my families life.
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Sorry everyone, busy couple of days.
This just for today is focused on a higher power. I am not religious, but I believe there is something greater than me. Lots of ppl shy at the idea of handing or will over to God. But I just simply agree that I’m not the end all be all, and that there it’s some kind of rhyme or reason to life. A balance in a manner of speaking. I’d like to hear all your takes on a higher power as well.
June 14, 2017
Maintaining our faith
Page 172
“If we maintain our spiritual condition daily, we find it easier to deal with the pain and confusion.”
Basic Text, p. 95
When we first began searching for a Power greater than ourselves, many of us got stuck in old beliefs or ideas. These ranged from the fear of a punishing or vengeful God to no belief at all. Some of us felt we had done such terrible things that a loving Power would never have anything to do with us. Others were convinced that the “bad” things that happened to us would not have occurred if a loving Power had actually existed. It took time, effort, open-mindedness, and faith to acquire a working belief in a loving High Power that would guide us through life’s challenges.
Even after we come to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, our old ideas can come back to haunt us. Major setbacks in our lives and the insecurity such events can trigger may give rise to the return of our old, inadequate ideas about God. When this happens, we need to assure ourselves that our Higher Power has not abandoned us but is waiting to help us make it through the hard times in our recovery. No matter how painful our loss may be, we will survive our setback and continue to grow if we maintain the faith our program has given us.
Just for Today: I have worked hard to build my faith in a loving, caring Higher Power that will guide me through life’s challenges. Today I will trust that Power.
Copyright © 2007-2016, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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