Voices of Recovery

Spiritual Principle a Day for February 1, read by Mike Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com February 1 Listening Leads to Acceptance "Listening to other addicts share without judging them is the beginning of listening to our own heart without judgment or punishment." —Living Clean, Chapter 1, “Growing Pains” ––––=–––– We do our best to sile...

Just for Today meditation for February 1, read by Mike Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com February 1 Hardships "We felt different... Only after surrender are we able to overcome the alienation of addiction." Basic Text, p.22 ––––=–––– "But you don't understand!" we spluttered, trying to cover up. "I'm different! I've really got it rough!" We used t...

Just for Today meditation for January 31, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 31 Trust "Just for today I will have faith in someone in NA who believes in me and wants to help me in my recovery." Basic Text p. 90 ––––=–––– Learning to trust is a risky proposition. Our past experience as using addicts has taught us that our compa...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 31, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 31 Having Empathy for Each Other "As I sit here in my cell, I know there are people out there following in my footsteps, and it brings tears to my eyes, because I know the pain they are feeling." —Behind the Walls, “Is Narcotics Anonymous fo...

Just for Today meditation for January 30, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 30 Giving it away "We must give freely and gratefully that which has been freely and gratefully given to us." Basic Text p. 47 ––––=–––– In recovery, we receive many gifts. Perhaps one of the greatest of these gifts is the spiritual awakening that beg...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 30, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 30 No Regrets for Being Kind "We approach people with love and kindness, carrying within ourselves a deep and abiding respect for the feelings of others." —It Works, Step Nine ––––=–––– “I’ve never regretted being kind,” the speaker stated....

Just for Today meditation for January 29, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 29 The First Step - an action step "Do we understand that we have no real control over drugs?" Basic Text, p.18 ––––=–––– At first, many of us may have thought the First Step required no action-we just surrender and go on to Step Two. But St...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 29, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 29 Encouraging Growth "We are inspired by one another’s journeys. Being present to one another’s growth gives us the tools and inspiration to move forward ourselves." —Living Clean, Chapter 2, “Connection to Others” ––––=–––– Starting from o...

Just for Today meditation for January 28, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 28 An every-day addict "We can never fully recover, no matter how long we stay clean." Basic Text, p.80 ––––=–––– After getting a little time in the program, some of us begin to think we have been cured. We've learned everything NA has t...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 28, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 28 Practicing Fidelity "As we practice honesty, integrity, and fidelity, we no longer have to keep track of our stories or cover our tracks." —Living Clean, Chapter 3, “A Spiritual Journey” ––––=–––– While addiction puts a serious strain on...

Closing out our January “Rainbows in Recovery” series is the deeply moving story of Chris—a journey through identity, addiction, despair, and ultimately, enduring hope. Growing up in Long Beach, New York, Chris had what appeared to be an ordinary, middle-class upbringing. Yet from early childhood, compulsion shaped his inner world—attention was his first drug, and whatever he did, he did obsessive...

Just for Today meditation for January 27, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 27 Learning how to live again "We learn new ways to live. We are no longer limited to our old ideas." Basic Text p. 54 ––––=–––– We may or may not have been taught right from wrong and other basics of life as children. No matter, by the time...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 27, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 27 Finding Equal Worth in Anonymity "In NA, in recovery, we are all equal. . . . A college degree, a trust fund, illiteracy, poverty—these circumstances that so powerfully affect so many other areas of our lives will neither help nor hinder our c...

Just for Today meditation for January 26, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 26 Self-centeredness "The spiritual part of our disease is our total self-centeredness." Basic Text p. 20 ––––=–––– What is self-centeredness? It is our belief that the world revolves around us. Our wishes, our demands are the only ones worth consider...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 26, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 26 Hope Comes with a Catch "For many of us, early recovery was difficult. Facing the prospect of life without drugs can be very frightening." —IP #23, Staying Clean on the Outside ––––=–––– We usually think of hope as a good thing, but it co...

Just for Today meditation for January 25, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 25 An added gift "We see it happening among us every day. This miraculous turnabout is evidence of a spiritual awakening." Basic Text p. 49 ––––=–––– We watch them walk in to their first meeting defeated, their spirits broken. Their sufferin...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 25, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 25 Acceptance and Perspective "When we practice acceptance, we distance ourselves from our reactions and reflexes." —Living Clean, Chapter 2, “Connection to the World Around Us” ––––=–––– For many of us, everything is a trigger when we’re ne...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 24, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 24 We Need Willingness Every Day "Through some combination of desperation, courage, anguish, and hope, we find willingness." —Guiding Principles, Tradition Three, Opening Essay ––––=–––– Our willingness to admit to being addicts who are powe...

Just for Today meditation for January 24, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 24 From isolation to connection "Our disease isolated us... Hostile, resentful, self-centered, and self-seeking, we cut ourselves off from the outside world." Basic Text p. 3-4 ––––=–––– Addiction is an isolating disease, closing us off from...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 23, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 23 Being Authentic "More and more, we are comfortable just being ourselves. We appear in the world exactly as we are." —Living Clean, Chapter 2, “Connection to Ourselves” ––––=–––– Some members describe authenticity as “being our real selves...

Just for Today meditation for January 23, read by Chris Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 23 Serenity check "Lack of daily maintenance can show up in many ways." Basic Text p. 91 ––––=–––– Ever had a perfect stranger remark about how great the weather was, only to reply "It stinks?" When this happens, we are probably su...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 22, read by Marsha Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 22 Serenity Brings Clarity "Serenity doesn’t mean that we don’t experience dramatic events. It gives us the clarity of mind to go through them." —Living Clean, Chapter 7, “Living Our Principles” ––––=–––– “Ahhhhh, serenity. A permanent stat...

Just for Today meditation for January 22, read by Marsha Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 22 The school of recovery "This is a program for learning." Basic Text p. 16 ––––=–––– Learning in recovery is hard work. The things we most need to know are often the hardest to learn. We study recovery to prepare ourselves for the experie...

Spiritual Principle a Day for January 21, read by Marsha Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 21 Exercising Goodwill "When we practice living in harmony with our world, we become wiser about choosing our battles. We learn where we can use our energy to make a difference and where we need to let go." —Living Clean, Chapter 3, “Awaken...

Just for Today meditation for January 21, read by Marsha Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com January 21 Unity and uniformity "Unity is a must in Narcotics Anonymous." Basic Text p. 60 ––––=–––– Unity is not uniformity. Unity springs from the fact that we have unity of purpose-to recover, and to help others stay clean. Even so, we often fin...