<\/p>\n
We are free to participate, create, care and share, surprise ourselves, take risks, be vulnerable and stand on our own two feet.<\/strong><\/p>\n Living Purely, Chapter 1, \u201cKeys to Freedom\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n When we stop using, we eliminate the most obvious symptom of the disease and the source of many of our problems. Abstinence alone, however, is rarely enough to clear our thinking. Even if the drugs go away, our perspectives, priorities, and personalities remain skewed. If we want to free ourselves from all aspects of the disease, it will take a lot of work.<\/p>\n \u201cMy self-centeredness had me in knots, one member recalled. \u201cI was angry and judgmental, greedy for attention and material things, dishonest with others and myself. Just not using wasn't enough. It took time and change to break free from my self-imposed prison."<\/p>\n We get relief along the way and glimpse what it's like to be free from self-centered fear. Step work loosens the grip that worry and shame once had on us, freeing us to live in the present. We find freedom in having friends we can rely on and trust, to laugh with our non-chemically induced hearts, to feel deep empathy for the struggles of others. We remain conscious of our spiritual condition, without settling for the cheap substitute for freedom: irresponsibility. Humility frees us to be a little more forgiving of ourselves and others, recognizing that we are all in the process of evolving. We are grateful for our new ability to stay in the present and for the relief we get from illness as we tend to our spiritual well-being. We face life's many choices knowing that whatever happens, it will be okay.<\/p>\n Freedom is a state of mind, not a state of being. The NA program helps us discover and discard the limiting beliefs and patterns that trap us, regardless of our living conditions. "Each day offers a new beginning and another opportunity to break free from my mental, emotional and spiritual shackles," wrote one member from inside the prison. "If I want to fly, I have to leave the baggage that weighs me down. This is sound advice for all of us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I will release something that keeps me bound. I'll leave it daily if that's what it takes to live free.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-11582","spad","type-spad","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.na-greece.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/spad\/11582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.na-greece.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/spad"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.na-greece.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/spad"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.na-greece.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}