Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   September 8                                                      Rebellion

            "We need not lose faith when we become rebellious."

                                                            Basic Text, p. 34

                           ----=----

   Many of us have lived our entire lives in revolt.  Our initial response to
   any type of direction is often negative.  Automatic rejection of authority
   seems to be a troubling character defect for many addicts.

   A thorough self-examination can show us how we react to the world around
   us.  We can ask ourselves if our rebellion against people, places, and
   institutions is justified.  If we keep writing long enough, we can usually
   get past what others did and uncover our own part in our affairs.  We find
   that what others did to us was not as important as how we responded to the
   situations we found ourselves in.

   Regular inventory allows us to examine the patterns in our reactions to
   life and see if we are prone to chronic rebelliousness.  Sometimes we will
   find that, while we may usually go along with what is suggested to us
   rather than risk rejection, we secretly harbor resentments against
   authority.  If left to themselves, these resentments can lead us away from
   our program of recovery.

   The inventory process allows us to uncover, evaluate, and alter our
   rebellious patterns. We can't change the world by taking an inventory,
   but we can change the way we react to it.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:   I want freedom from the turmoil of rebelliousness.
   Before I act, I will inventory myself and think about my true values.