October 12

Being right

When we admit that our lives have become unmanageable, we dont have to argue our point of view…. We no longer have to be right all the time.

Basic Text, p. 58

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Nothing isolates us more quickly from the warmth and camaraderie of our fellow NA members than having to be right. Insecure, we pretend to be some kind of authority figure. Suffering from low self-esteem, we try to build ourselves up by putting others down. At best, such tactics push others away from us; at worst, they draw attack. The more we try to impress others with how right we are, the more wrong we become.

We dont have to be right to be secure; we dont have to pretend to have all the answers for others to love or respect us. In fact, just the opposite is true. None of us have all the answers. We depend upon one another to help bridge the gaps in our understanding of things, and we depend upon a Power greater than our own to make up for our personal powerlessness. We live easily with others when we offer what we know, admit what we dont, and seek to learn from our peers. We live securely in ourselves when we cease relying on our own power and start relying on the God weve come to understand in recovery.

We dont have to be right all the time, just recovering.

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Just for today: God, I admit my powerlessness and the unmanageability of my life. Help me live with others as an equal, dependent upon you for direction and strength.