Service changes our relationship with our lives. We learn to put love and gratitude into action, and when we mobilize our good feelings they have a way of spreading into all our affairs.
Living Purely, Chapter 7, “Being of Service”
The Basic Text tells us that "we can only keep what we have by giving it away." This applies both to us as individuals and to NA as a whole. When we share our experience with new members, they remind us of where we started and just how far we've come. We don't need a lot of clean time to start reaping the benefits of the service. One member said, “My sponsor taught me to carry a pen with me at every meeting so I could give my phone number to newcomers. I asked, "But am I not yet a newcomer?" and reminded me that I had 30 days more than the person who just walked in the door. Reflecting on the service at the beginning of recovery, another member shared, “I was making more than just coffee, I made friends, and I started to feel part of my team. We gain a sense of belonging as we give of ourselves. We feel good and want more. We put love and gratitude into action as we serve.
We focus on getting the message across and let the other details – in life, in meetings, in our minds – settle over time. A shared commitment to service helps us listen to each other and choose to believe that we are all doing our best. We love and therefore serve NA even when we disagree about the best way to do so. We contribute to the vibrant and loving atmosphere of recovery at our meetings and participate in the countless anonymous efforts that make this thing work. We arrive at meetings early to welcome each new person or stay late to clean and pack the chairs. Each of these actions expresses our gratitude.
We take this mindset with us to the world outside of NA. We recognize our ability to help others and know that we feel good about doing the right thing. We gain some freedom from self-obsession and the opportunity to practice loving-kindness in our affairs. We gain a sense of fulfillment as we engage in acts of giving in and out of Narcotics Anonymous.
I will express love and gratitude by serving the greater good.
