Grey Book Reflection
In our experience, the Twelve Steps give us a way of life which does more than keep us off drugs.
Gray Book, p. 159 (Chapter Ten, Lines 2-3)
In Narcotics Anonymous the First Step talks about our powerlessness over our addiction. Narcotics Anonymous is not a drug program, it's a Recovery Program. We Recover from a hopeless state of mind, body and Spirit that makes up the disease of addiction.
Total and Complete Abstinence and maintaining Total and Complete Abstinence is the Cornerstone of N.A. But, Narcotics Anonymous is much more than that. Since addiction is much more than just using drugs, our Recovery has to be more than just remaining Clean.
Addicts have to Practice Spiritual Principles in every area of their Lives. It's about "don't use, now what?" As we Live the Spiritual Principles locked in our Steps and Traditions, our Spirits Awaken; and we get the Benefits of the Spiritual Fruits that the Steps and Traditions have to Offer. We find a God Of Our Understanding and Develop a Relationship with that God. We have the opportunity for Spiritual Growth with no limitations.
We then Share this Precious Gift with others as we Carry the Message to the addict who still suffers. We Awake others as we are Awakened.
We also have the opportunity of Freedom from the self-bondage the disease had kept us in. We also, as a result are given Freedom from other people's control over us. The Spiritual Principles of Narcotics Anonymous can be accessed, if we work for them.
Narcotics Anonymous makes the world a much better place to Live in, for us and for those around us.
We will see the full Benefits of the N.A. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and not limit them to just not using drugs.