Voices of Recovery

The Works of Wisdom
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Spirituality
  • Updated Daily

Daily readings of the “Just for Today” and "Spiritual Principle a Day" passages of Narcotics Anonymous literature by members of our fellowship. The story of each reader is released, the Voice of Recovery, three times a month, centered around a monthly theme. Monthly themes include: -Recovery and Relapse -Incarceration and Recovery -Our predecessors -Addiction and Dual Diagnosis This podcast is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom and is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous .

  1. May 31

    May 31: Just for Today meditation, read by Craig

    Just for Today meditation for May 31, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 31 Keep it simple "We live a day at a time but also from moment to moment. When we stop living in the here and now, our problems become magnified unreasonably" Basic Text, p.96 ––––=–––– Life often seems too complicated to understand, especially for those of us who've dodged it for so long. When we stopped using drugs, many of us came face to face with a world that was confusing, even terrifying. Looking at life and all its details, all at once, may be overwhelming. We think that maybe we can't handle life after all and that it's useless to try. These thoughts feed themselves, and pretty soon we're paralyzed by the imagined complexity of life. Happily, we don't have to fix everything at once. Solving a single problem seems possible, so we take them one at a time. We take care of each moment as it comes, and then take care of the next moment as it comes. We learn to stay clean just for today, and we approach our problems the same way. When we live life in each moment, it's not such a terrifying prospect. One breath at a time, we can stay clean and learn to live. ––––=–––– Just for today: I will keep it simple by living in this moment only. Today, I will tackle only today's problems; I will leave tomorrow's problems to tomorrow. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

    3 min

  2. May 31

    May 31: Spiritual Principle a Day, read by Craig

    Spiritual Principle a Day for May 31, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 31 Finding Balance in Our Lives "Each of us seeks our own balance that allows us to participate in the world without sacrificing our recovery or putting ourselves at risk." —Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Bridging Two Worlds” ––––=–––– Imagine life as a pie chart. The sections of this pie represent the different areas of our lives. We have a portion for Narcotics Anonymous and sections for family, friends, work, our community, our interests, and many other categories we could add to this list. While we often hear that recovery should be our priority, maybe even the biggest segment, there’s no prescribed ideal balance for how much time we dedicate to NA versus the world outside of NA. While we were using, our addiction took up most of the pie. Everything else was reduced to a sliver. For a lot of us, when we’re new in the program, NA becomes the lion’s share of our pie chart. As newcomers, we tend to stick very close to the Fellowship because it’s suggested by our sponsor and other members—and because NA is where we begin to find comfort and safety in being who we are. But as we transform in recovery, our lives tend to fill up. Our pie chart diversifies! Even though our aim may be to sustain the same level of participation in meetings and Steps and service, there are only so many hours in a day—and space in our chart. As we seek to maintain balance in our busy lives, we may find ourselves obsessing about one area and neglecting others. No matter what we have going on, we have to remember that our number-one priority must be to stay clean or we risk losing the rest of the pie—along with our cleantime. We can seek the balance we need without worrying about perfecting it. We can learn how to assess when things are off-kilter and a dose of the NA basics is needed. We can adapt as the demands of our lives keep shifting. We can enjoy a full life without posing unnecessary risks to our recovery. ––––=–––– Spiritual Principle: How’s my pie chart sectioned these days? How am I balancing my NA program with my other responsibilities and pursuits? ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

    4 min

  3. May 30

    May 30: Just for Today meditation, read by Craig

    Just for Today meditation for May 30, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 30 Loneliness vs. being alone "Sharing with others keeps us from feeling isolated and alone." Basic Text, p.81 ––––=–––– There is a difference between being alone and being lonely. Being lonely is a state of the heart, an emptiness that makes us feel sad and sometimes hopeless. Loneliness is not always alleviated when we enter into relationships or surround ourselves with others. Some of us are lonely even in a room full of people. Many of us came to Narcotics Anonymous out of the desperate loneliness of our addiction. After coming to meetings, we begin to make new friends, and often our feelings of loneliness ease. But many of us must contend with loneliness throughout our recovery. What is the cure for loneliness? The best cure is to begin a relationship with a Higher Power that can help fill the emptiness of our heart. We find that when we have a belief in a Higher Power, we never have to feel lonely. We can be alone more comfortably when we have a conscious contact with a God of our understanding. We often find deep fulfillment in our interactions with others as we progress in our recovery. Yet we also find that, the closer we draw to our Higher Power, the less we need to surround ourselves with others. We begin to find a spirit within us that is our constant companion as we continue to explore and deepen our connection with a Power greater than ourselves. We realize we are spiritually connected with something bigger than we are. ––––=–––– Just for today: I will take comfort in my conscious contact with a Higher Power. I am never alone. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

    3 min

  4. May 30

    May 30: Spiritual Principle a Day, read by Craig

    Spiritual Principle a Day for May 30, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 30 Accepting Another’s Path "I have learned to love and to accept the people I sponsor as the people they are—not little mirror-images of me or any other model of recovery." —Sponsorship, Chapter 3, “To the Sponsor” ––––=–––– Each of us looks for a sponsor who does the deal: trusts a Higher Power, cleans house, and helps other addicts. We seek out experienced members who have what we want and will accept us without judgment. Most importantly, we look for sponsors who will offer loving guidance through the Twelve Steps of NA. Such love takes many forms. Some of us rely on our sponsors for an unbiased perspective on our thoughts and behaviors. Others appreciate being offered gentle guidance, tempered with loads of support and empathy. Whether our sponsors apply a firm hand or a soft touch, we learn to confide in them. Their acceptance of us—warts and all—helps us to accept that everything is as it should be. Working Steps is a process of self-discovery. With a sponsor to hold the flashlight, our hands are free to dig deep. They help us figure out who we are and who we’re not. As one member described it, “This process taught me not to fear the truth about myself. It turns out that I’m not as good or as bad as I thought I was.” We can learn a lot about recovery by talking to more experienced members. To find what’s true for ourselves, however, it’s helpful to have someone to question our ideas. As one member put it, “Instead of telling me what to do, my sponsor helped me figure out my own answers about who I am.” We may aspire to be like our sponsors at first, but few sponsors are looking to mold a mini-me. Instead, they help us to be ourselves. ––––=–––– Spiritual Principle: My sponsor’s love and acceptance helped me discover who I am, who I’m not, and who I want to be. Today I’ll try to practice those same principles and help someone else on their recovery journey. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

    4 min

  5. May 29

    May 29: Just for Today meditation, read by Craig

    Just for Today meditation for May 29, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 29 Carry me "We believe that our Higher Power will take care of us." Basic Text, p.55 ––––=–––– We all have times when it seems as though our lives are falling apart. There are days, or even weeks, when it seems that everything that can go wrong is going wrong. Whether it's the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or the end of a relationship, we doubt that we'll survive the changes taking place in our lives. It's during the times when the world is crashing down around our ears that we find our greatest faith in a loving Higher Power. No human being could relieve our suffering; we know that only God's care can provide the comfort we seek. We feel broken but we go on, knowing that our lives will be repaired. As we progress in our recovery and our faith in our Higher Power grows, we are sure to greet the difficult times with a sense of hope, despite the pain we may be in. We need not despair, for we know that our Higher Power's care will carry us through when we can't walk on our own. ––––=–––– Just for today: I will rely on God's care through the painful times, knowing that my Higher Power will always be there. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

    3 min

  6. May 29

    May 29: Spiritual Principle a Day, read by Craig

    Spiritual Principle a Day for May 29, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 29 Vigilance for the Long Haul "Many of us leave not when things are horrible, but when we have one more spiritual hump to get over. We lose our way right before the miracle— sometimes again and again. Living Clean, Chapter 1, Growing Pains ––––=–––– Most of us have heard the saying, Don't leave before the miracle happens. For newcomers, that can mean staying in a meeting even when the urge to leave feels like more than we can handle. After a little time clean, it might mean taking one more phone call from the sponsee who hears nothing we say or choosing not to react when our boss or significant other pushes our last button —again (and again and again). But how do we get there? How does the newcomer stay in the seat when everything in them screams: Get up! Get out of here! How does the sponsor dig deep and offer experience, strength, and hope to the troubled sponsee, instead of just sighing deeply and asking, Have you prayed about it? How do we shift our focus from the momentary frustration of an argument to the fulfillment we experience in our relationship or career? It's easy to do the right thing when things are going well, when we're getting what we want or think we deserve. Sometimes, though, the rewards might seem minimal or feel like they're taking forever to arrive. Some members have described recovery as being a marathon, not a sprint. Marathoners call it hitting the wall-that point in the race when it feels impossible to keep going, and there's no end in sight. It happens in recovery, too: We live by these principles for months, years, even decades, but some of our hopes and dreams still seem so out of reach. We can't even see the finish line yet, and we are TIRED. We have to remember that there is no finish line in a just-for-today program. We're not here for the reward at the end. We keep the pace. Even if it's slow and steady, we keep moving forward whether we feel like it or not. We might need to stop at an aid station -for runners, a cup of cold water or sports drink every couple of miles makes it possible to go the distance. In recovery, coffee or tea with another addict can get us over that next spiritual hump—to the miracle on the other side. ––––=–––– Spiritual Principle: When I feel like quitting, I’ll take a moment to remember that recovery is a journey, not a destination. I will be vigilant and keep moving forward. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

    4 min

  7. May 28

    May 28: Just for Today meditation, read by Craig

    Just for Today meditation for May 28, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 28 As we understand "We examined our lives and discovered who we really are. To be truly humble is to accept and honestly try to be ourselves." Basic Text, p.35 ––––=–––– As using addicts, the demands of our disease determined our personality. We could be whoever or whatever we needed to be in order to get our "fix". We were survival machines, adapting easily to every circumstance of the using life. Once we began our recovery, we entered a new and different life. Many of us had no idea what behavior was appropriate for us in any given situation. Some of us didn't know how to talk to people, how to dress, or how to behave in public. We couldn't be ourselves because we didn't know who we were anymore. The Twelve Steps give us a simple method for finding out who we really are. We uncover our assets and our defects, the things we like about ourselves and the things we're not so thrilled about. Through the healing power of the Twelve Steps, we begin to understand that we are individuals, created to be who we are by the Higher Power of our understanding. The real healing begins when we understand that if our Higher Power created us this way, it must be okay to be who we really are. ––––=–––– Just for today: By working the steps I can experience the freedom to be myself, the person my Higher Power intended me to be. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

    3 min

  8. May 28

    May 28: Spiritual Principle a Day, read by Craig

    Spiritual Principle a Day for May 28, read by Craig Donations via PayPal and questions may be directed to: voicesofrecoverypod@gmail.com May 28 Equality in Anonymity "NA has no classes of membership and no second-class members. The common denominator in NA is the disease of addiction. We are all equally subject to its devastation. We share an equal right to recovery." —It Works, Tradition Three, “Applying Spiritual Principles” ––––=–––– Tradition Three, which insists that there’s only one requirement for NA members, comes easy to some of us. We found recovery in NA, after all, and no one asked us about our qualifications. We may take for granted that everyone else finds it that simple. Maybe we’d lived a fortunate life with a tight circle of friends despite our addiction, so the idea of not belonging had never occurred to us. If we shared a language and culture with others in attendance, fitting in may not have been a challenge for us. Maybe we looked around the room and saw faces that looked like our own. Or maybe our desperation had dulled our cynicism just enough to allow us to receive the warm welcome we found in our first meetings, despite any outward differences. No matter the specifics, many of us unthinkingly assumed that others felt equally welcome. The disease of addiction tries to weaponize our differences to keep us sick. The fact is that barriers exist for many potential members despite our individual efforts to extend that classic NA welcome. Some of us struggle with accepting hospitality from members who seem different from us in all of the ways that society deems important. “I constantly disqualified myself from NA,” one member wrote. “I got clean young, didn’t use certain drugs, and I am transgender. My disease tells me that I don’t belong, that I somehow deserved to stay separate and alone.” Before we set aside our differences—as practicing anonymity would suggest—it may be helpful to recognize that identification may be a little more difficult to come by if we don’t yet see other members like ourselves in meetings. Established NA members do well to emphasize our common disease. Regardless of the specifics in our experience, using brought us all to isolation, shame, and degradation. Identifying on an emotional level is often a good place to start. Our common path to a better life is summed up by the NA message: “An addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.” The disease does not discriminate. NA must not either. ––––=–––– Spiritual Principle: Recovery is precious, so I will strive to make it more accessible by emphasizing our similarities and taking no addict for granted. ––––=–––– © NA World Services This podcast is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous, and is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom

    4 min
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About

Daily readings of the “Just for Today” and "Spiritual Principle a Day" passages of Narcotics Anonymous literature by members of our fellowship. The story of each reader is released, the Voice of Recovery, three times a month, centered around a monthly theme. Monthly themes include: -Recovery and Relapse -Incarceration and Recovery -Our predecessors -Addiction and Dual Diagnosis This podcast is an independent production of the Works of Wisdom and is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous .

Information

  • Creator
    The Works of Wisdom
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    768
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Works of Wisdom
  • Show Website
    Voices of Recovery

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