Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   August 25                                 The Ninth Step-reclaiming life

         "We are achieving freedom from the wreckage of our past."

                                                            Basic Text, p. 40

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   When we start the Ninth Step, we've reached an exciting stage in our
   recovery.  The damage done in our lives is what led many of us to seek
   help in the first place.  Now, we have a chance to clean up that wreckage,
   amend our past, and reclaim our lives.

   We've spent a long time and much effort preparing for this step.   When
   we came to NA, facing the debris of our past was probably the last  thing
   we wanted to do.    We started doing it privately with a personal
   inventory.  Then, we opened our past up to the scrutiny of a select,
   trusted few: ourselves, our Higher Power, and one other person.  We took a
   look at our shortcomings, the source of much of the chaos in our lives,
   and asked that all those defects of character be removed.  Finally, we
   listed the amends needed to set our wrongs right-all of them-and
   became willing to make them.

   Now, we have the opportunity to make amends-to acquire freedom from the
   wreckage of our past.   Everything we've done so far in NA has led us
   here.  At this point in the process of our recovery, the Ninth Step is
   exactly what we want to do.  With the Twelve Steps and the help of a
   Higher Power, we are clearing away the rubble that for so long has stood
   in the way of our progress; we are gaining the freedom to live.

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   Just for today:  I  will take advantage of the opportunity to reclaim my
   life.  I will experience freedom from the wreckage of my past.