| Step
3 of Narcotics Anonymous
By Terry D
Through personal reflection from the first two Steps of
Narcotics Anonymous, we acknowledged our powerlessness and unmanageability
resulting from our addiction. The first two Steps brought us
enlightenment of our disease, and we became open and willing to allow our
Higher Power to lead the way. As we came to accept our powerlessness over
drugs and alcohol, a relinquishment of self-will occurred, allow us the
opportunity for positive change to manifest. Honesty, open-mindedness,
willingness, and acceptance were the Spiritual Principles involved through
working the first two Steps. From that point on, we must take action in
our recovery for the remaining Steps to work their miracles. It was our
self-will that blocked the entry of our Higher Power to shed the light of
truth.
Willingness is
essential for Step 3 to commence its wonders. Our decision and
willingness to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God
disconnects us from our addictive patterns – our false pride, arrogance,
selfishness, dishonesty, and the insanity, among other things, that
inhibited our control over our lives. As we allow God to lead the way,
the bondage that once imprisoned us fades away. We begin to get in touch
with our spirituality, realizing that true growth and development results
from the awakening of our spirit. We come to know and understand our true
essence, free from destructive ailments. The road to recovery begins from
applying Step 3 into our lives. Applying the Spiritual Principles
associated with each Step allows us to positively progress in our
journey. At the challenging and difficult times in our recovery, it is
through Step 3 that we acquire steadfastness, ability, patience, and an
awakened mindset to battle the perils we encounter.
From the spiritual
enlightenment that results from applying Step 3 in our lives, we come to
recognize the negative characteristics that inhibit our further growth and
development. We become willing to let them go, and to rely on God to free
us from their grips. Through faith we can quiet the voice within that
causes us turmoil and stress, releasing the ties that bind them together.
And through faith we strengthen our relationship with our Higher Power.
As time goes by, we come to know God’s Will, and we strive to follow in
the direction that it leads us. Through faith we step aside, allowing God
to work His miracles. The process of acceptance silences the unnecessary
worry over the things that we cannot change. In times of stress, when we
apply our newfound faith, we are filled with energy, and we become
reconditioned, revitalized and enlivened. Hopeful expectance fills our
vision. Spiritual reflection becomes a way of life, enlightening our
path, showing us the way to serenity.
Before you commence
your journey, bear in mind that the reconditioning of your mind is very
important to stay in connection with the Hand of God who will lead you.
God alone has the ability to rise above the confines of our mind to carry
us into the realm of the spirit. A person who attains the essential
knowledge of God’s all-pervasiveness will unlock the doors to true freedom
and happiness. Personally, I had to gain knowledge and understanding of
my true essence within before I obtained the ultimate enlightenment that I
was searching for. It was necessary for me to clear away the binding
attitudes and thoughts to continue stepping forward in my recovery.
Clarity of mind allows one to experience the innermost joy that lies at
the heart of our spirit.
With the help of my
Higher Power, I was capable of intensifying my spiritual awareness, and
was irrevocably competent to retrieve balance in my life. The emptiness
that once consumed me was replaced by the all-knowing power of God. I
started to establish a secure, solid foundation with its base held
together by the loving Hand of God. I possessed the ability of spiritual
acuity, which greatly enhanced my intellectual perception of this world,
my role therein, and the direction that God was leading me. It had become
apparent that my previous past character defects and shortcomings were
eliminated, and that the primary motive of my new, clean and serene
existence was to take pleasure in life, achieve my goals, live in love,
and to follow in the direction of my ever-lasting source of strength. A
newfound serenity had replaced the fears, inadequacies, and failures of my
active addiction.
The benefits of my
total relinquishment of self-will were plentiful. A new, courageous state
of mind motivated me towards positive growth, and helped me to rebuild my
integrity. I learned to pursue the achievement of righteous goals that
would lead to continual advancement in my recovery. I became open-minded,
patient, and willing to incorporate any new ideas, thoughts, behaviors,
attitudes, and actions that would promote my healthy lifestyle. As I
began letting go of old resentments, fears, doubts, failures, and
self-centered ways, a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders,
enabling me to strive towards the new freedom that was uncovering itself
before me.
I had an entirely new
outlook on life. All the Spiritual Principles that I learned to apply to
my life from the program of Narcotics Anonymous had given me a new life,
free from the bondage of active addiction, and free from the agony of
character demoralization. Through actively working Step 3, I freed myself
from the grips of my old ways, and gained the knowledge and ability to
step resolutely forward in my recovery, with a new, positive mindset that
escalated me beyond the limitations of the past, and set me free from
false pride, anger, and all hostility. The results of my surrender to my
Higher Power were extraordinary. I was finally relieved of all doubt, and
I became very trusting that my Higher Power wouldn’t let me down, or allow
me to become besieged, but instead, would bring me serenity, victory,
spiritual illumination, and a joyous freedom that knows no bounds. The
God of my understanding is a remarkable God. Today, I am a grateful
addict, who is evermore indebted from the rewards of Step 3 in NA.
You too can achieve
prominence. Never tolerate reservations to encroach upon your new center
of attention. Be unrelenting in your search for ongoing recovery, and
personal and spiritual expansion. Through working and applying the Steps
into your life, you can free yourself from the pain of active addiction,
and all of its destructiveness. It is uncomplicated and simple to follow
in the path that the 12 Steps will lead you.
Awareness and
readiness to apply the Spiritual Principles of Narcotics Anonymous will
replenish your mind and spirit to an increased level of awareness that
will enable you to achieve greatness in your daily endeavors. God can do
for you what you couldn’t do for yourself through incorporating Step 3
into your life. Know that through the power of the Divine Essence,
recovery is possible; and, our perceived limitations of the past can be
set aflame and tossed into the depths of the sea, never again inhibiting
our forward growth. It is comforting to know that our past destructive
lifestyle is no more. The new liveliness that is all-pervading is
propelling us towards triumph. And it all started from the absolute
surrender of our self-will. This decision to step into the spiritual
realm will ensure your unending recovery and personal growth. Take
pleasure in the benefits of applying Step 3 of Narcotics Anonymous into
your life. Thank you, my name is Terry, and I am an addict.
If you
have any questions on recovery, or the N.A. program, then you can contact
me by
Clicking Here. Thank
you for allowing me to be of service. My name is Terry, and I am an
addict.
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