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.
February 20, 2026 |
Powerlessness and personal responsibility |
| Page 52 |
| "Through our inability to accept personal responsibilities, we were actually creating our own problems." |
| Basic Text, p. 13 |
| When we refuse to take responsibility for our lives, we give away all of our personal power. We need to remember that we are powerless over our addiction, not our personal behavior. Many of us have misused the concept of powerlessness to avoid making decisions or to hold onto things we had outgrown. We have claimed powerlessness over our own actions. We have blamed others for our circumstances rather than taking positive action to change those circumstances. If we continue to avoid responsibility by claiming that we are "powerless," we set ourselves up for the same despair and misery we experienced in our active addiction. The potential for spending our recovery years feeling like victims is very real. Instead of living our lives by default, we can learn how to make responsible choices and take risks. We may make mistakes, but we can learn from these mistakes. A heightened awareness of ourselves and an increased willingness to accept personal responsibility gives us the freedom to change, to make choices, and to grow. |
| Just for Today: My feelings, actions, and choices are mine. I will accept responsibility for them. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
February 20, 2026 |
In with Generosity, Out with Fear |
| Page 52 |
| "Generosity is an antidote to fear, and when we give freely, our hearts are filled." |
| Guiding Principles, Tradition Seven, Closing Reflection |
| Addiction is a greedy disease. Even without drugs, it leaves us looking outside ourselves for fulfillment. We buy too much (or steal!), overindulge, siphon off, and manipulate our way into more. More ego, more material possessions, more people, and, ultimately, more debt and more unhappiness. The fear that we won't get what we want plagues us. We hunger, we consume, yet we aren't filled. If more won't fulfill us, what will? We hear a lot in meetings about gratitude being a spiritual antidote to fear, but have we thought about generosity as another? If gratitude is expressing our thankfulness, then generosity is a demonstration of that gratitude. In times of pain, difficulty, or even complacency, one ideal default strategy is generosity. When in doubt or in self-centered fear or self-obsession, we tell each other, "Reach outside yourself and give. Be of service. Call another addict. Get a commitment. Up the dough we throw in the Seventh Tradition kitty. Contribute." Practicing generosity by contributing to NA does more than fill our hearts. It gives us perspective, too, and reminds us to be humble. We ask ourselves: How can I be useful? Instead of armoring up with fear or indifference, we connect to others through our actions. Generosity isn't dependent on our fearlessness. It's being willing to give of ourselves even if we don't know how to perform the commitment perfectly, say the perfect thing, or put in the perfect amount of time or money. "I think about generosity in terms of freedom. It's a physical as well as an emotional shift," an addict shared, demonstrating with their body. "Fear is closed off and protective, grasping and hoarding. When we're generous, we're open. The channels of mutual giving are unblocked, we're exposed to each other, and we're freer and more fulfilled because of it." |
| I'm willing to focus on giving as the way out of my fear and self-centeredness today. I'll let the spirit of generosity fill my heart and share love and gratitude with another addict. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |