Tafakari ya Kitabu cha Kijivu
As we became responsible for our own recovery, we became responsible for our fellow addicts.
Gray Book, p. 79 (Chapter Five, Lines 32-33)
Our Literature says that we keep what we have by giving it away. Giving away what was so Freely Given to us seemed to be secondary, in our beginnings, we just didn't want to use. As we received the Spiritual Gifts by Working and Living those Steps, we wanted to Share this Precious Gift with others.
Sponsorship offers that one on one opportunity to Help others, without parallels. Because we truly care, staying clean then becomes our second motive. Before we could give away what we got, we have to have something to give away.
The Gray Book calls this Responsibility twoedged. It states, "The other edge is our own need to preserve our recovery. We found from experience that our own recovery is strengthened when we share it with others, who ask for help. " One of our Narcotics Anonymous Founders stated that only an addict can Help another addict.
Since our disease is anti social in nature, it makes detection, diagnosis and treatment difficult. Religion, psychiatry and medication all failed us. Empathy in the form of Identification is what makes us qualify to Help the suffering addict.
One of our Founders wrote, "You and I have been given through illness, through suffering and through disease, a talent for helping other human beings like ourselves. Let's never forget that we have it and are responsible for others. " Recovery in Narcotics Anonymous is the Gift that keeps on Giving. We learn in Step Twelve that Love and Service is the N.A.
Way, Just For Today.
In This Moment: Some of our motives might still have motives, but this motive is a good one. We will Help others to stay Clean by Sharing this Precious Message of Narcotics Anonymous.