We are starting a new way of life, one that offers great joy and happiness.  However, recovery doesn't exempt us from pain.  Living life on life's terms combines moments of happiness with moments of sadness.  Wonderful events are mixed with painful ones.  We will experience a full range of feelings about the events in our lives.  

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Talking honestly with our sponsor about our drug use and how it affected our lives will help us work the First Step thoroughly. We need always remember where we came from and where our addiction took us. We have only a daily reprieve from our active addiction. Each day, we accept the fact that we cannot use drugs successfully.

 [ send green star]

No matter how hard we fought, we finally reached the point of surrender where we realized that we couldn't stop using drugs on our own.  We were able to admit ourpowerlessness over our addiction.  We gave up completely.  Even though we didn't know exactly what would happen, we gathered up our courage and admitted our powerlessness.  We gave up the illusion that we could control our using, thereby opening the door to recovery.

 [ send green star]

STEP ONE...PAGE 9

WE HAVE FOUND THAT WE CANNOT RECOVER WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO BE HONEST.  MANY OF US CAME TO NA AFTER SPENDING YEARS PRACTICING DISHONESTY.  HOWEVER, WE CAN LEARN TO BE HONEST, AND WE MUST BEGIN TO TRY.  LEARNING TO BE HONEST IS AN ONGOING PROCESS; WE ARE ABLE TO BECOME PROGRESSIVELY MORE HONEST AS WE WORK THE STEPS AND CONTINUE TO STAY CLEAN.

 [ send green star]