April 8

When some of us arrived to Narcotics Anonymous and put down the drugs, we thought our lives would now be boring. We associated using with fun, our denial was so thick that we couldn't see the destruction addiction had caused. We could only recall the few good times, in early progression.

We forgot what real fun and laughter was, never mind Peace and Freedom that was out of the question. Now that through pain we were forced to give up our drugs, we couldn't help thinking, what would become of us. Yes, being glum was our lot we thought.

As our Spirits Awaken, as a result of taking the Steps, we started to laugh again. Our laughter now originated from our bellies, and we began not to take ourselves so seriously. Our Happiness and Joy stemmed from the inside out.

We experienced Freedom, first from the drugs, then from ourselves, as we progressed in the Step Work. We learned that there was life after drugs. We had to change our perspectives, and our perceptions soon followed.

Narcotics Anonymous is more about unlearning than learning. As our Spirits Awaken with each Step, we find that what we have always been searching for, was hidden in plain sight. Happiness is what happens outside, Joy is within, and Freedom connects them both.

Our Basic Text says that when we lose self-obsession, we are able to understand what it means to be Happy, Joyous, and Free.