https://www.therdsf.org/, https://www.therdsf.com/

The Reginald & Dionne Smith Foundation, 2870 Peachtree Road NW #915-1076, Atlanta, GA (2026)

03/13/2026

13 March

Securing the Bond of Solidarity

Page 75

"An NA group reinforces the solidarity of its members and the foundation of their continued recovery by declining outside contributions."

It Works, Tradition Seven

One way to define solidarity is standing together with others. The Seventh Tradition explains that one of the ways we do this is by taking care of NA together, in our own way. Declining outside contributions is bold--it means we rely on each other to step up and take responsibility for NA. The vitality of our groups and service bodies fully depends on the resources we contribute.

The bonds we share with other recovering addicts are unique; we have addiction and recovery in common, and yet sometimes we have very little else that connects us. Still, we are joined together in solidarity through the NA program. We don't recover alone, and every one of us received the message of recovery as a result of what other addicts gave to NA before we showed up. Practicing solidarity in NA is not just a feeling of commitment to our own group or local services. We stand in solidarity with those who aren't here yet--we stand for still-suffering addicts everywhere--when we take action to make sure they have a chance to experience our message in their own language and culture, just as we have.

In our groups, that means doing what we can to ensure the meetings remain open to anyone with a desire to stop using. Solidarity with our local service bodies means we support the efforts to ensure that local addicts can find NA. We practice solidarity with NA beyond our community by paying attention to the services that make our message more widely available and by contributing what we can to help fulfill the needs of all our services.

NA is here to ensure the message is available to anyone seeking recovery, around the corner or around the world. I will practice solidarity with still-suffering addicts by sharing what I can.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/13/2026

13 March

That one special person

Page 75

"A sponsor is not necessarily a friend, but may be someone in whom we confide. We can share things with our sponsor that we might not be comfortable sharing in a meeting."

IP No. 11, "Sponsorship," Revised

❖

We've asked someone to sponsor us, and the reasons we have for asking that particular person are as many as the grains of sand on a beach. Perhaps we heard them share at a speaker meeting and thought they were funny or inspiring. Perhaps we thought they had a great car and we would get one by working the same program they work. Or maybe we live in a small town and they were the only person who had the time available to help.

Whatever our initial reasons for getting the sponsor we have, we're sure to find that our reasons for keeping them are quite different. Suddenly they'll amaze us with some stunning insight, making us wonder whether they've been sneaking peeks at our Fourth Step. Or maybe we're going through some sort of life crisis, and their experience with the same problem helps us in ways we never dreamed possible. We call them in pain, and they come up with a special combination of caring words that provide genuine comfort.

None of these remarkable feats on the part of our sponsor are mere coincidence. They've simply walked the same path before us. A Higher Power has placed that one special person in our lives, and we are grateful for their presence.

❖

Just for Today: I will appreciate that one special person in my life--my sponsor.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff

03/12/2026

12 March

Humility and Sticking to the Basics

Page 74

"A hard lesson in humility reminds us that we never graduate. When we stop practicing the basics, we are in trouble."

Living Clean, Chapter 6, "Getting Out of Our Own Way"

In active addiction, we were convinced that we had all the answers. This arrogance kept us in the dark and might have killed us if we hadn't found NA. As newcomers, desperation forces us to unlock the door to humility. At that threshold, we learn to ask for help and take suggestions.

The basics--meetings, sponsor, Steps, service, NA literature, Higher Power, not picking up no matter what--are the same for all of us. Our literature offers abundant and simple advice for what we must do to get humble and stay clean. In meetings, we frequently hear members recount their version of "I relapsed because I stopped doing the basics." Our fellows continually tell us there's no finish line in NA, no graduation. We believe all this. The stories we hear in the rooms are the evidence. So, we soldier on with the basics.

Until life gets in the way. The good stuff: We're housed, out of prison, making money, parenting again, in love. We graduate (from school!). Staying connected to NA becomes harder. Those basics are time-consuming, and time is scarce these days. The arrogance we banished creeps back in. We got this! We did the work! Having just one can't hurt, right? We are in trouble.

How much trouble we get in depends on how willing we are to get back to the basics. We don't have to destroy our lives and lose everything. We can become teachable again and rediscover our spiritual center. We can call a fellow addict, show up at our home group, say "What's up?" to our Higher Power.

We've heard, "If I never leave the basics, I never have to get back to them." It means more now.

Which of "the basics" are lacking in my program? What am I willing to do today to change that?

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/12/2026

Getting out of the rut

Page 74

"Many times in our recovery, the old bugaboos will haunt us. Life may again become meaningless, monotonous, and boring."

Basic Text, p. 78

❖

Sometimes it seems as though nothing changes. We get up and go to the same job every day. We eat dinner at the same time every night. We attend the same meetings each week. This morning's rituals were identical to the ones we performed yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. After the hell of our addiction and the roller-coaster craziness of early recovery, the stable life may have some appeal--for a while. But, eventually, we realize we want something more. Sooner or later, we become turned off to the creeping monotony and boredom in our lives.

There are sure to be times when we feel vaguely dissatisfied with our recovery. We feel as though we're missing something for some reason, but we don't know what or why. We draw up our gratitude lists and find literally hundreds of things to be grateful for. All our needs are being met; our lives are fuller than we had ever hoped they'd be. So what's up?

Maybe it's time to stretch our potential to its fullest. Our possibilities are only limited by what we can dream. We can learn something new, set a new goal, help another newcomer, or make a new friend. We're sure to find something challenging if we look hard enough, and life will again become meaningful, varied, and fulfilling.

❖

Just for Today: I'll take a break from the routine and stretch my potential to its fullest.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/10/2026

10 March

Finding Accountability in Others' Insights

Page 72

"We choose [our] mirrors carefully, seeking those we can trust to be honest, helpful, and kind."

Living Clean, Chapter 6, "Anonymity"

There are loads of reasons to keep coming back to NA. The fact that we can't do this alone tops the list for many of us. We need each other. As our Basic Text puts it, "We are each other's eyes and ears." When we share with others in NA, we get to learn from their valuable experience and get their perspective on ours. Their take helps us better understand the past and gives us a new vantage point on what we're doing now. Objectivity is an acquired skill. When we share honestly with our fellow recovering addicts, we can see our behavior more clearly in their reflections. We begin to gain some accountability.

Asking for such insights can make us feel quite vulnerable. One member wrote, "My outsides were suiting up and showing up while my insides remained aloof. 'Undercover isolation' became a way of life. I couldn't find my way out on my own." We find people we can trust and choose to confide in them, returning again and again to those who offer the insights we're seeking. It's what we mean when we tell newcomers to "stick with the winners!" Beyond simple abstinence, we need people who are real with us--and help us get real, too.

When we surround ourselves with people who are living the program, our lives improve. One member shared, "I developed a support system, and that system of support developed me!" We need people to tell us the truth when we can't see it ourselves. Sometimes the clarity starts the minute we begin to open our mouths. "It sounded good in my head," one addict shared, "but before I could even say it out loud to my sponsor, I realized it was total BS!"

To stay clean, I need a clear reflection. Who are my most trustworthy mirrors today?

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/10/2026

10 March

Our own recovery

Page 72

"The steps are our solution. They are our survival kit. They are our defense against addiction, a deadly disease. Our steps are the principles that make our recovery possible."

Basic Text, p. 19

❖

There's lots to like in Narcotics Anonymous. The meetings, for one, are great. We get to see our friends, hear some inspiring stories, share some practical experience, maybe even hook up with our sponsor. The campouts, the conventions, the dances are all wonderful, clean fun in the company of other recovering addicts. But the heart of our recovery program is the Twelve Steps--in fact, they are the program!

We've heard it said that we can't stay clean by osmosis--in other words, we can't just attend meetings, no matter how many, and expect to breathe recovery in through the pores of our skin. Recovery, as another saying goes, is an inside job. And the tools we use in working that "inside job" are the Twelve Steps. Hearing endlessly about acceptance is one thing; working the First Step for ourselves is something very different. Stories about making amends may be inspiring, yet nothing will give us the freedom from remorse that taking the Ninth Step ourselves will give. The same applies to all Twelve Steps.

There's much to appreciate about NA, but to get the most from our recovery we must work the Twelve Steps for ourselves.

❖

Just for Today: I want everything my personal program has to offer. I will work the steps for myself.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/09/2026

09 March

One Addict Helping Another in Unity

Page 71

"Groups flourish with the loving support of addicts helping addicts. We strengthen our unity by participating in each other's recovery."

It Works, Tradition One

After living in turmoil and fear for so long, the warm and welcoming atmosphere we found in NA meetings may have been puzzling at first. Some of us wondered if we were in the wrong place. We watched as members jumped in to help set up chairs and greeted each other with hugs. This behavior was unfamiliar and yet strangely compelling. Despite our suspicions, we wanted to find out more.

Some of us looked for excuses to leave or for reasons that we didn't belong but found ourselves relating nevertheless. One member recalled, "I heard the speaker share about the despair that brought her to rock bottom. She gave voice to my own fears and regrets. It was a moment of clarity for me: I was not alone in my struggles."

It dawns on us that NA members understand the desperation and isolation of active addiction because they've lived it. They found a way out and a new way to live. We begin to hope that the solution they found would work for us too.

Over time, we come to appreciate what once confused us. We grow to value what we see and hear in meetings. We follow the lead of more experienced home-group members and participate in some of our meetings' unity-building practices: We welcome new members, empathize with each other's struggles, and celebrate the milestones of recovery. We notice what unity does for individual members as well as for the group--the way we treat each other contributes to a vibrant atmosphere of recovery in which members and groups thrive.

Group unity starts with one addict helping another. I will be a part of group unity by offering loving support to a fellow member today.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/09/2026

09 March

Small things

Page 71

"In the past, we made simple situations into problems; we made mountains out of molehills."

Basic Text, p. 90

❖

Making mountains out of molehills seems to be our specialty. Have you heard it said that to an addict, a flat tire is a traumatic event? Or how about those of us who forget all pretense of principle when confronted with a bad driver? And what about that can opener that won't work, you know, the one you just threw out the second story window? We can relate when we hear others share, "God, grant me patience right now!"

No, it's not the major setbacks that drive us to distraction. The big things--divorce, death, serious illness, the loss of a job--will throw us, but we survive them. We've learned from experience that we must reach out to our Higher Power and others to make it through life's major crises. It's the small things, the constant day-to-day challenges of living life without the use of drugs, that seem to affect most addicts most strongly in recovery.

When the little things get to us, the Serenity Prayer can help us regain our perspective. We can all remember that "turning over" these small matters to the care of our Higher Power results in peace of mind and a refreshed perspective on life.

❖

Just for Today: I will work on patience. I will try to keep from blowing things out of proportion, and walk with my Higher Power through my day.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/08/2026

08 March

Responsibility, No Matter Our Cleantime

Page 70

"We sometimes belittle the struggles we face as 'gold-plated problems,' but if we ignore them we may get a 'gold-plated' relapse."

Living Clean, Chapter 6, "Finding Our Place in the World"

In Narcotics Anonymous, our primary purpose is to carry the message to the still-suffering addict. Cleantime doesn't make us immune to pain or problems, so any of us is eligible to be that addict on any given day.

But what if the message seems to apply less to us than it used to? We get some time under our belts and our lives are progressing well. We acquire some of the trappings we associate with being a productive member of society. When our outsides look great and our cleantime anniversaries stack up, are our problems really that bad when we compare them to when we were using? Nah, we're fine.

Quality problems. Luxury problems. Cadillac problems. Gold-plated problems. We've heard them all. But what we've also heard time and again is what happens when we don't deal with our problems. While our struggles today may look different from the ones we had while using or in early recovery, our disease remains the same. Left unchecked, it may lead us to relapse or to the all-too-familiar abstinent but miserable. Having time clean doesn't give us an excuse to avoid our problems, deny they exist, or be too ashamed to do anything about them. Yes, the newcomer is the most important person in the meeting, and there are others seemingly in worse shape than us who need our help. But belittling our own struggles helps no one in the end. Pain is pain, no matter who we are or where we are in our recovery. Just like at the beginning of our journey, we're likely to avoid our pain and our problems because we want to avoid taking responsibility. Change is hard.

Luckily for us, the solution is still the same NA solution. Ultimately, we have to apply what we've learned in the past: We are addicts trying to stay clean a day at a time and worthy of compassion and support from our fellow NA members. Like always, it is our own responsibility to own up to our struggles, to ask for and accept help, to reengage with recovery, and to take action. Those solutions aren't gold-plated; they're solid gold.

Today I won't minimize my problems to avoid coming up with a solution. I won't put myself in a different category from other members. We are all the same, and we all need help sometimes. The solution is the same no matter how long I've been around here.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/08/2026

08 March

Learning to love ourselves

Page 70

"What we want most is to feel good about ourselves."

Basic Text, p. 101

❖

"We'll love you until you can learn to love yourself!" These words, heard so often in our meetings, promise a day we look forward to eagerly--the day when we'll know how to love ourselves.

Self-esteem--we all want this elusive quality as soon as we hear about it. Some of us seem to stumble upon it accidentally, while others embark on a course of action complete with affirmations made to our reflections in the mirror. But fix-it-yourself techniques and trendy psychological cures can only take us so far.

There are some definite, practical steps we can take to show love for ourselves, whether we "feel" that love or not. We can take care of our personal responsibilities. We can do nice things for ourselves, as we would for a lover or a friend. We can start paying attention to our own needs. We can even pay attention to the qualities that we cherish in our friends--qualities like intelligence and humor--and look for those same qualities in ourselves. We're sure to find that we really are lovable people, and once we do that, we're well on our way.

❖

Just for Today: I will do something today that helps me recognize and feel love for myself.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

03/07/2026

07 March

Maturity in Recovery

Page 69

"As we learn to show up without anger, resentment, or fear, we develop an emotional maturity that we might not have expected."

Living Clean, Chapter 5, "Family"

There's a saying about addicts that makes sense to many of us: "Our emotional maturity was halted at the age we were when we began using." Although this idea is by no means provable, it may be useful in examining our behavior. Most of us can identify some pretty immature responses to life in our using days and early recovery--lashing out, taking everything personally, and worrying about what others think of us. Even for those of us with time in recovery, our prehistoric brain still has its moments of eat or be eaten. We can react to situations, especially in family relationships, rather childishly at times, no matter how much cleantime we have.

Science has volumes to say about how our brains and, thus, our behaviors have been affected by family relationships, abandonment and neglect, traumatic experiences, and drug use. Though Narcotics Anonymous doesn't weigh in on scientific findings, many members seek help from practitioners who do. Do some of us find outside help beneficial? Absolutely. Is it sufficient for our recovery from addiction? Not in our experience. Although we have no opinion on other paths to wellness, we subscribe to the spiritual solution that NA offers us: working the Twelve Steps.

Through stepwork, we identify our role in past conflicts in relationships and gain a better understanding of our tendencies toward self-centeredness. We examine what still provokes us today, causing us to act out in our current relationships with other recovering addicts, family members, and people outside of NA. No doubt, we have ample opportunities to amend our behavior. Perhaps most consequentially, we learn to focus on being of service to others as a strategy to stop our adolescent self-obsession in its tracks.

No matter what age we were when we first picked up, we're all works in progress. If we stay, we can grow. If we stay, we can grow up.

I am by no means a finished product, but today I will try to counteract my reactiveness in relationships by coming from a place of openness, acceptance, and courage.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION PREFERENCES to update which emails you receive.

NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Reginald & Dionne Smith Foundation

03/13/2026

03/13/2026

03/12/2026

03/12/2026

03/10/2026

03/10/2026

03/09/2026

03/09/2026

03/08/2026

03/08/2026

03/07/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share