Chance's JFT Meditation Quotes

[Chance]

Happy New Years Everyone! My name is Vic and I am an addict! Grateful that today I can take suggestions and actually apply them to my life. Not always but most of the times .

As you all are aware I post the Just For Today Meditations on a regular basis. I believe that the meditation readings that our Program offers us is very important in our lives and it also helps us to focus on something during the days. Starting this year, we are going to put all the meditations on one thread, that way it will be easy accessible and they will also be all in one area for others to be able to see all dates. I hope that as you read them you will still feel free to respond to them like you have if they touch you in any way.

With Love and Respect

Vic






January 1

Vigilance


“We keep what we have only with vigilance...”
Basic Text, p. 57
––––=––––




How do we remain vigilant about our recovery? First, by realizing that we have a disease we will always have. No matter how long we’ve been clean, no matter how much better our lives have become, no matter what the extent of our spiritual healing, we are still addicts. Our disease waits patiently, ready to spring the trap if we give it the opportunity.


Vigilance is daily accomplishment. We strive to be constantly alert and ready to deal with signs of trouble. Not that we should live in irrational fear that something horrible will possess us if we drop our guard for an instant; we just take normal precautions. Daily prayer, regular meeting attendance, and choosing not to compromise spiritual principles for the easier way are acts of vigilance. We take inventory as necessary, share with others whenever we are asked, and carefully nurture our recovery. Above all, we stay aware!


We have a daily reprieve from our addiction as long as we remain vigilant. Each day, we carry the principles of recovery into all we do, and each night, we thank our Higher Power for another day clean.


––––=––––




Just for today: I will be vigilant, doing everything necessary to guard my recovery.


Website: www.na.org
World Service Office–EUROPE
48 Rue de l'Eté
B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel. +32/2/646-6012
Fax +32/2/649-9239
World Service Office–CANADA
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Mississauga, Ontario, L4Z 2A4, Canada
Tel. (905) 507-0100
Fax (905) 507-0101
Copyright © 1991
CD-ROM version © 2003
by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Published 1992

This is NA Fellowship-approved literature.
Narcotics Anonymous; the stylized initials ] , appearing alone, within a single or double circle, or as part of any other graphic;
, the Original NA Group Logo , and The NA Way are registered trademarks of Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Incorporated.

[Chance]

January 2

Take a deep breath and talk to God

"Sometimes when we pray, a remarkable thing happens: We find the means, ways,
and energies to perform tasks far beyond our capacities."

Basic Text p. 44

Coping successfully with life's minor annoyances and frustrations is sometimes
the most difficult skill we have to learn in recovery. We are faced with small
inconveniences daily. From untangling the knots in our children's shoelaces to
standing in line at the market, our days are filled with minor difficulties that
we must somehow deal with.

If we're not careful, we may find ourselves dealing with these difficulties by
bullying our way through each problem or grinding our teeth while giving
ourselves a stern lecture about how we should handle them. These are extreme
examples of poor coping skills, but even if we're not this bad there's probably
room for improvement.

Each time life presents us with another little setback to our daily plans, we
can simply take a deep breath and talk to the God of our understanding. Knowing
we can draw patience, tolerance, or whatever we need from that Power, we find
ourselves coping better and smiling more often.

Just for today: I will take a deep breath and talk to my God whenever I feel
frustrated.

pg. 2

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

[Chance]

January 3
Our Greatest Need

"We eventually redefine our beliefs and understanding to the point where we see
that our greatest need is for knowledge of God's will for us and the strength to
carry that out"

Basic Text p. 46

When we first arrived in NA, we had all kinds of ideas of what we needed. Some
of us set our sights on amassing personal possessions. We thought recovery
equaled outward success. But recovery does not equal success. Today, we believe
that our greatest need is for spiritual guidance and strength.

The greatest damage done to us by our addiction was the damage done to our
spirituality. Our primary motivation was dictated by our disease: to get, to
use, and to find ways and means to get more. Enslaved by our overwhelming need
for drugs, our lives lacked purpose and connection. We were spiritually
bankrupt.

Sooner or later, we realize that our greatest need in recovery is "for knowledge
of God's will for us and the strength to carry that out" There, we find the
direction and sense of purpose our addiction had hidden from us. In our God's
will we find freedom from self-will. No longer driven only by our own needs, we
are free to live with others on an equal footing.

There's nothing wrong with outward success. But without the spiritual connection
offered by the NA program, our greatest need in recovery goes unmet, regardless
of how "successful" we may be.

Just for today: I will seek the fulfillment of my greatest need: a vital,
guiding connection with the God of my understanding.

pg. 3

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

--

[Chance]

January 4 The Love of the Fellowship

"Today secure in the love of the fellowship, we can finally look
another human being in the eye and be grateful for who we are."

Basic Text p. 89

When we were using, few of us could tolerate looking someone in the
eye-we were ashamed of who we were. Our minds were not occupied with
anything decent or healthy, and we knew it. Our time, money, and energy
weren't spent building loving relationships, sharing with others, or
seeking to better our communities. We were trapped in a spiral of obsession
and compulsion that went only in one direction: downward.

In recovery, our journey down that spiral path has been cut short. But
what is it that has turned us around, drawing us back upward into the
open spaces of the wide, free world? The love of the fellowship has done
this.

In the company of other addicts, we knew we would not be rejected. By
the example of other addicts, we were shown how to begin taking a
positive part in the life around us. When we were unsure which way to turn,
when we stumbled, when we had to correct a wrong we had done, we knew
our fellow members were there to encourage us.

Slowly, we've gotten the feel of our freedom. No longer are we locked
up in our disease; we are free to build and grow and share along with
everyone else. And when we need support to take our next step, it is
there. The security we've found in the love of the fellowship has made our
new lives possible.

Just for today: I can look anyone in the eye without shame. I am
grateful for the loving support that has made this possible.

pg. 4

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics
Anonymous©

--

[REZ]

I can really relate to this reflection. So many times I remember I could not look people in the eye because I was high on drugs and I didn't want them to notice. I am so glad that I can look people straight in the eye today without shame or fear.

[Chance]

January 5

Recovery at Home

"We can enjoy our families in a new way and may become a credit to them instead
of an embarrassment or a burden."

Basic Text p. 100

We're doing great in recovery, aren't we? We go to a meeting every day, we spend
every evening with our friends in the fellowship, and every weekend we dash off
to a service workshop. But if things are falling to pieces at home, we're not
doing so great after all.

We expect our families to understand. After all, we're not using drugs anymore.
Why don't they recognize our progress? Don't they understand how important our
meetings, our service, and our involvement with the fellowship are?

Our families will not appreciate the change NA is working in our lives unless we
show them. If we rush off to a meeting the same way we rushed off to use drugs,
what has changed? If we continue to ignore the needs and desires of our partners
and children, failing to accept our responsibilities at home, we aren't
"practicing these principles in all our affairs."

We must live the program everywhere we go, in everything we do. If we want the
spiritual life to be more than a theory, we have to live it at home. When we do
this, the people we share our lives with are sure to notice the change and be
grateful that we've found NA.

Just for today: I will take my recovery home with me.

pg. 5

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

[mackie]

WOW..................
this really hits "home"!

Vic.......I appreciate you taking the time to post the daily
Just For Today's!

Have a great weekend!

[Chance]

January 6
"How Does It Work?"

"I used to think that I had all the answers, but today I am glad that I don't"

Basic Text p. 272

What are the two favorite words of most addicts? "I know!" Unfortunately, many
of us arrive in NA thinking we have all the answers. We have a lot of knowledge
about what's wrong with us. But in and of itself, knowledge never helped us stay
clean for any length of time.

Members who have achieved long-term recovery will be the first to admit that the
longer they are here, the more they have to learn. But they do know one thing:
By following this simple Twelve Step program, they have been able to stay clean.
They no longer ask "why"; they ask "how"? The value of endless speculation pales
in comparison to the experience of addicts who've found a way to stay clean and
live clean.

This doesn't mean we don't ask "why" when it's appropriate. We don't come to NA
and stop thinking! But in the beginning, it's often a very good idea to reword
our questions. Instead of asking "why," we ask "how": How do I work this step?
How often should I attend meetings? How do I stay clean?

Just for today: I don't have all the answers, but I know where to find the ones
that matter. Today, I will ask another addict, "How does it work?"

pg. 6


Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

--

[Chance]

January 7

"Recovery"

"Narcotics Anonymous offers addicts a program of recovery that is more
than just a life without drugs. Not only is this way of life better
than the hell we lived, it is better than any life that we have ever
known."

Basic Text p. 103

Few of us have any interest in "recovering" what we had before we
started using. Many of us suffered severely from physical, sexual, and
emotional abuse. Getting high and staying high seemed like the only possible
way to cope with such abuse. Others suffered in less noticeable but
equally painful ways before addiction took hold. We lacked direction and
purpose. We were spiritually empty. We felt isolated, unable to
empathize with others. We had none of the things that give life its sense and
value. We took drugs in a vain attempt to fill the emptiness inside
ourselves. Most of us wouldn't want to "recover" what we used to have.

Ultimately, the recovery we find in NA is something different: a chance
at a new life. We've been given tools to clear the wreckage from our
lives. We have been given support in courageously setting forth on a new
path. And we've been given the gift of conscious contact with a Power
greater than ourselves, providing us with the inner strength and
direction we so sorely lacked in the past.

Recovering? Yes, in every way. We're recovering a whole new life,
better than anything we ever dreamed possible. We are grateful.

Just for today: I've recovered something I never had, something I never
imagined possible: the life of a recovering addict. Thank you, Higher
Power, in more than words can say.

pg. 7

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics
Anonymous©

--

[Chance]

January 8

Growing Up


"Our spiritual condition is the basis for a successful recovery that
offers unlimited growth."

Basic Text p. 43

When our members celebrate their recovery anniversaries, they often say
that they've "grown up" in NA. Well, then, we think, what does that
mean? We start to wonder if we're grown-ups yet. We check our lives and
yes, all the trappings of adulthood are there: the checkbook, the
children, the job, the responsibilities. On the inside, though, we often feel
like children. We're still confused by life much of the time. We don't
always know how to act. We sometimes wonder whether we're really
grown-ups at all, or whether we're children who've somehow been put into
adult bodies and given adult responsibilities.

Growth is not best measured by physical age or levels of
responsibility. Our best measure of growth is our spiritual condition, the basis of
our recovery. If we're still depending on people, places, and things to
provide our inner satisfaction, like a child depending on its parents
for everything, we do indeed have some growing to do. But if we stand
secure on the foundation of our spiritual condition, considering its
maintenance our most important responsibility, we can claim maturity. Upon
that foundation, our opportunities for growth are limitless.

Just for today: The measure of my maturity is the extent to which I
take responsibility for the maintenance of my spiritual condition. Today,
this will be my highest priority.

pg. 8

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics
Anonymous©

--

[vtlady]

Thanks Lucky. The daily quotes are really appreciated by all I'm sure.

[Chance]

January 9

Returning Our Sponsor's Kindness

"Our earliest involvements with others often begin with our sponsor"

Basic Text p. 55

Our sponsor can be an abundant source of recovery information, wisdom,
and loving words. They've done so much for us. From the late night
telephone calls to the hours spent listening to our recovery writing,
they've believed in us and invested their time to prove it. They've lovingly
and firmly shown us how to be honest. Their boundless compassion in
times of turmoil has given us the strength to go on. Their way of helping
has prompted us to seek our answers within ourselves, and we've become
mature, responsible, confident individuals as a result.

Though our sponsor has given so generously and has never demanded
repayment, there are things we can do to show our appreciation. We treat our
sponsor with respect. They are not a trash can designed for us to dump
our garbage in. They have their times of trial, just as we do, and
sometimes need our support. They are human, have feelings, and appreciate
our concern. Maybe they would like to receive a card in the mail or a
phone call expressing our love.

Whatever we do to return our sponsor's kindness will enhance our
personal recovery, not to mention the joy we'll bring to our sponsor.

Just for today: My sponsor has cared for me when I couldn't care for
myself. Today, I will do something nice for my sponsor.

pg. 9

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics
Anonymous©

[Chance]

January 10
Gratitude

"I'm very grateful to have come to believe."

IP No. 21, "The Loner"

Belief in a Higher Power can make all the difference when the going gets tough!
When things don't go our way in recovery, our sponsor may direct us to make a
"gratitude list." When we do, we should include our faith in a Power greater
than ourselves on the list. One of the greatest gifts we receive from the Twelve
Steps is our belief in a God of our own understanding.

The Twelve Steps gently lead us toward a spiritual awakening. Just as our
addiction progressed, so does our spiritual life develop in the course of
working the program of Narcotics Anonymous. The steps are our path to a
relationship with a God of our understanding. This Higher Power gives us
strength when our road gets rough.

Are we grateful for our deepening relationship with a Higher Power? Do we
remember to thank God for each day clean, no matter what has happened that day?
Do we remember that, no matter how deep our despair or how great our joy, the
God of our understanding is with us?

Our recovery is a gift, a gift that we sometimes take for granted. Each day we
stay clean, we can rejoice in our Higher Power's care.

Just for today: I am grateful for my relationship with a Higher Power that cares
for me.

pg. 10

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

--

[Chance]

January 11

Faith




" As we develop faith in our daily lives, we find that our Higher Power supplies
us with the strength and guidance that we need."

Basic Text, p. 91

Some of us come into recovery very frightened and insecure. We feel weak and
alone. We are uncertain of our direction and don't know where to go for answers.
We are told that if we find some faith in a Power greater than ourselves, we
will find security and guidance. We want that feeling of safety and strength.
But faith doesn't come overnight. It takes time and effort to grow.

The seed is planted when we ask our Higher Power for help and then acknowledge
the source of our help when it comes. We nurture the tiny seed of faith with the
sunlight of our prayers each day. Our faith grows, a reward for living life on
its own terms. One day we realize our faith has become like a huge spreading
tree; it doesn't stop the storms of life, but we know that we are safe in its
shelter.

Just for today: I know that faith in my Higher Power will not calm the storms of
life, but it will calm my heart. I will let my faith shelter me in times of
trouble.

pg. 11

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

--

[Chance]

January 12
Spiritual Awakenings



" Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps..."


Step Twelve


" How will I know when I have had a spiritual awakening?" For many of us, a
spiritual awakening comes gradually. Perhaps our first spiritual awareness is as
simple as a new appreciation for life. Maybe one day we'll suddenly discover the
sound of birds singing early in the morning. The simple beauty of a flower may
remind us that there is a Power greater than ourselves at work around us.

Often, our spiritual awakening is something that grows stronger over time. We
can strive for more spiritual awareness simply by living our lives. We can
persist in efforts to improve our conscious contact through prayer and
meditation on a daily basis. We can listen within for the guidance we need. We
can question other addicts about their experiences with spirituality. We can
take time to appreciate the world around us.

Just for today: I will reflect on the spiritual awakenings I have experienced. I
will strive to be God-conscious. I will take time out in the day to appreciate
my Higher Power's handiwork.

pg. 12

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

--

[Chance]

January 13
Surrender To Win



" Help for addicts begins only when we are able to admit complete defeat."

Basic Text, p. 22

Complete defeat-what a concept! That must mean surrender. Surrender-to give up
absolutely. To quit with no reservations. To put up our hands and quit fighting.
Maybe to put up our hand at our first meeting and admit we're addicts.

How do we know we've taken a First Step that will allow us to live drug-free? We
know because, once we have taken that gigantic step, we never have to use
again-just for today. That's it. It's not easy, but it's very simple.

We work the First Step. We accept that, yes, we are addicts. "One is too many,
and a thousand never enough." We've proven that to ourselves enough times. We
admit that we cannot handle drugs in any form. We admit it; we say it out loud,
if necessary.

We take the First Step at the beginning of our day. For one day. This admission
frees us, just for today, from the need to live out our addiction all over
again. We've surrendered to this disease. We give up. We quit. But in quitting,
we win. And that's the paradox of the First Step: We surrender to win, and by
surrendering we gain a far greater power than we ever imagined possible.

Just for today: I admit that I am powerless over my addiction. I will surrender
to win.

pg. 13

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics Anonymous©

--

[Chance]

January 14 A Loving God

" Our understanding of a Higher Power is up to us.... The only
suggested guidelines are that this Power be loving, caring, and greater than
ourselves."

Basic Text, p. 24

We've been told that we can believe in any kind of Higher Power we want
as long as it is loving and, of course, greater than ourselves. Some of
us, however, have trouble with these requirements. We either believe in
nothing but ourselves, or we believe that anything that could be called
"God" could only be cold-hearted and unreasonable, sending us bad luck
on a whim.

Believing in a loving Power is quite a leap for some of us, for many
reasons. The thought of turning our will and lives over to the care of
something we think might hurt us is sure to fill us with reluctance. If
we come into the program believing that God is judgmental and
unforgiving, we must overcome those beliefs before we can be truly comfortable
with the Third Step.

Our positive experiences in recovery can help us come to believe in a
loving God of our own understanding. We have been given relief from a
disease that has afflicted us for a long time. We've found the guidance
and support we need to develop a new way of life. We've begun to
experience a fullness of spirit where once there was only emptiness. These
aspects of our recovery have their source in a loving God, not a harsh,
hateful one. And the more we experience recovery, the more we'll trust
that loving Higher Power.

Just for today: I will open my mind and my heart to believe that God is
loving, and trust my loving Higher Power to do for me what I cannot do
for myself.

pg. 14

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics
Anonymous©

[Chance]

January 15 Fear

" We grow to feel comfortable with our Higher Power as a source of
strength. As we learn to trust this Power, we begin to overcome our fear of
life."

Basic Text, p. 24

Powerless as we are, living on self-will is a frightening, unmanageable
experience. In recovery, we have turned our will and our lives safely
over to the care of the God of our understanding. When we lapse in our
program, when we lose conscious contact with our Higher Power, we begin
to take control of our own lives again, refusing the care of the God of
our understanding. If we do not make a daily decision to surrender our
lives to the care of our Higher Power, we may become overwhelmed with
our fear of life.

Through working the Twelve Steps, we've found that faith in a Power
greater than ourselves helps relieve our fear. As we draw closer to a
loving God, we become more conscious of our Higher Power. And the more
conscious we are of God's care for us, the less our fears.

When we feel afraid, we ask ourselves, "Is this fear an indication of a
lack of faith in my life? Have I taken control again, only to find my
life still unmanageable?" If we answer yes to these questions, we can
overcome our fear by turning our will and our lives back over to care of
the God of our understanding.

Just for today: I will rely on the care of my Higher Power to relieve
my fear of life.

pg. 15

Just For Today Daily Meditation is the property of Narcotics
Anonymous©

--

[Chance]

January 16

Make That Call!



" We feared that if we ever revealed ourselves as we were, we would
surely be rejected.... [But] our fellow members do understand us."

Basic Text, p. 31

We need our fellow NA members-their experience, their friendship, their
laughter, their guidance, and much, much more. Yet many of us hesitate
to call our sponsor or visit our NA friends. We don't want to impose on
them. We think about phoning someone, but we don't feel worthy of their
time. We fear that if they ever got to know us-really know us-they'd
surely reject us.

We forget that our fellow NA members are just like us. Ther