April 3

Active addiction smothered the Spirit we were born with, using drugs time after time forced our Spirits to go to sleep. What we needed was an Awakening of the Spirit. Our Step Twelve in Narcotics Anonymous states that this Awakening happens as a result of "those" Steps.

The first thing we needed to do was to stop putting drugs in our bodies and minds. The pain of living without drugs, forces us to seek a Power Greater Than Ourselves, that can relieve our obsession to use. This was the first introduction of Spirituality to our disease.

It was the first shake given to our sleeping Spirits. It was the beginning of our Spiritual Awakening.

This Process starts from the First Step on; we don't have to wait until Step Twelve for this experience. We Awaken a little more every time we take and Live another Step.

It may be different for each one of us. For some, Freedom from active addiction is an Awakening in and of itself. For some, our Awakening began when our obsession to use drugs was lifted. Some of us had a Spiritual experience when we tapped into a Power Greater Than Ourselves for the first time.

Some of us began to notice the end of isolation and felt this was an Awakening as well. We started to regain the Trust from those we knew, including our families or employers. Whatever the form of this Awakening, the common theme is that, "Life takes on a new meaning, a new joy, and a quality of being and feeling worthwhile. We become Spiritually refreshed and are glad to be alive. " A Spiritual Awakening can be progressive, but we have to keep moving forward.

Without being an active member in N.A. our Spirits can go back to sleep. We must Practice "these" Principles through the Traditions, in all of our affairs.