Welcome to the Central Coast Area of Narcotics Anonymous
Serving: Paso Robles, Cambria, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Santa Maria, Lompoc
Just for today daily meditation
A reservation is something we set aside for future use. In our case, a reservation is the expectation that, if such-and-such happens, we will surely relapse. What event do we expect will be too painful to bear? Maybe we think that if a spouse or lover leaves us, we will have to get high. If we lose our job, surely, we think, we will use. Or maybe it's the death of a loved one that we expect to be unbearable. In any case, the reservations we harbor give us permission to use when they come true--as they often do.
We can prepare ourselves for success instead of relapse by examining our expectations and altering them where we can. Most of us carry within us a catalog of anticipated misery closely related to our fears. We can learn how to survive pain by watching other members live through similar pain. We can apply their lessons to our own expectations. Instead of telling ourselves we will have to get high if this happens, we can quietly reassure ourselves that we, too, can stay clean through whatever life brings us today.
A Spiritual principle a day
The disease of addiction turns us into masters of self-deception. A distorted view of the world might convince us that we're smarter than the average addict. When we're new to Narcotics Anonymous, this outlook can keep us separate from everyone in the room and lead us right back out the door.
The pain of stubbornly holding on to our perceived uniqueness can keep us stuck in isolation. As one member found, "Eventually the pain was great enough, and it didn't matter how different I thought I was from everyone else. I was an addict, and if I didn't want to die, I had to start doing some work."
Step Seven shows us that in surrendering the defect of denial, we can let go of arrogance and pride, creating room for humility and identification within the Fellowship. We can see our humility grow when we can sit in a meeting and naturally hear the similarities rather than our differences.
When we trust a loving Higher Power to remove our shortcomings, we begin to make space for our true selves and develop a sense of our place within an NA community. Regardless of how long we have been clean, how old we were when we got here, or our career status--we remain teachable. The gift of humility allows us to learn how to ask for help and take suggestions.
Sometimes, even with years clean, we can convince ourselves that "our case is different" or "we are the exception." Calling our sponsors, regularly attending meetings, and continuing to practice spiritual principles remind us that we share the bond of addiction, as well as a common solution in NA. Whether we think we are "nowhere near that bad" or "the most flawed person in the room," we eventually find a place where we can be right-sized by continuing to work the Steps.
WHAT IS THE NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS PROGRAM?
NA is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. This is a program of complete abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using. We suggest that you keep an open mind and give yourself a break. Our program is a set of principles written so simply that we can follow them in our daily lives. The most important thing about them is that they work.
For more information on Narcotics Anonymous,
please go to the:
Narcotics Anonymous World Services Website,
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