| Part of our task in early recovery is to rediscover | | | | acceptance and humility. We learn to use spiritual |
| the sacred in ourselves and in life. Spirituality delivers | | | | practices to achieve self care and self soothing |
| what drugs and alcohol promised. Drugs and alcohol | | | | without the use of drugs and alcohol. For the person |
| promised to always be there for us, not to put | | | | who told themselves they drank or used drugs to |
| demands on us, not to sabotage us; but experience | | | | relax, the knowledge that meditation achieves that |
| shows this is not true. Through drug and alcohol | | | | without harmful side effects is a hope-filled revelation. |
| addiction we have been held hostage to a disease | | | | Through the spiritual aspect of humility and the desire |
| process that is incurable and progressive. The spiritual | | | | to be of service to others we learn to value what |
| life is a complete life -- it is not an addition to life. | | | | we previously overlooked. Humility is defined as not |
| Hundreds of thousands of atheists and agnostics | | | | thinking less of yourself, but thinking less of yourself. |
| have successfully recovered because recovery and | | | | The path of drug and alcohol addiction recovery has |
| sobriety are not about religion, but about spirituality. | | | | been made beautiful by the footsteps of those who |
| Beyond the 12 Step Program itself, many people | | | | went before us. Their teachings and their examples |
| share a belief in nature or the universe as one of | | | | help us learn to design a life based on spiritual values |
| their higher powers. Each one of us has the | | | | such as honesty, openness and willingness. Many of |
| responsibility for deciding what the phrase "god of | | | | our spiritual practices find eloquent expression in the |
| our own understanding" means. | | | | serenity prayer: |
| Within the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) | | | | God grant me the serenity to accept the things I |
| or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) we rediscover hope. | | | | cannot change, courage to change the things I can, |
| We learn to design our lives from the inside out, | | | | and the wisdom to know the difference. |
| relying on spiritual principles such as surrender, | | | | |