Narcotics Anonymous | San Diego & Imperial Counties Region Literature Sales – Website for the San Diego & Imperial Counties Region of Narcotics Anonymous

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Drug Problem? Give yourself a break.

Narcotics Anonymous is a nonprofit fellowship or society of people for whom drugs have become a major problem. Whether you’re new to our fellowship or returning after time away, we’re glad you’re here!

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Just for Today

November 04, 2026

Exchanging love

Page 322

"...we give love because it was given so freely to us. New frontiers are open to us as we learn how to love. Love can be the flow of life energy from one person to another."

Basic Text, p. 105

Love given, and love received, is the essence of life itself. It is the universal common denominator, connecting us to those around us. Addiction deprived us of that connection, locking us within ourselves.

The love we find in the NA program reopens the world to us. It unlocks the cage of addiction which once imprisoned us. By receiving love from other NA members, we find out--perhaps for the first time--what love is and what it can do. We hear fellow members talk about the sharing of love, and we sense the substance it lends to their lives.

We begin to suspect that, if giving and receiving love means so much to others, maybe it can give meaning to our lives, too. We sense that we are on the verge of a great discovery, yet we also sense that we won't fully understand the meaning of love unless we give ours away. We try it, and discover the missing connection between ourselves and the world.

Today, we realize that what they said was true: "We keep what we have only by giving it away."

Just for Today: Life is a new frontier for me, and the vehicle I will use to explore it is love. I will give freely the love I have received.

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Spiritual Principle a Day

November 05, 2026

Caring and Listening

Page 320

"Even with many years clean, separating and reconciling what's in our heart and what's in our head doesn't come automatically. We need another set of eyes; we need a caring, attentive listener to help us sort things out."

Living Clean, Chapter 5, "Romantic Relationships"

Our relationships with other addicts in NA can teach us a lot about how to practice care in the way we relate to the people in our lives. Most of us have distorted ideas about exercising love, kindness, or concern for others when we get here. No matter what habits or hang-ups we come in with, recovery improves our ability to give and receive care.

Having a sponsor teaches us about letting others care for us. When we find a sponsor who's right for us, we soon get the chance to experience the genuineness and generosity described in the quotation above. Sponsors are often able to balance compassion with honesty as they help us to reconcile what's in our head with what's in our heart. We get to know what it feels like not to be in control of how another person demonstrates their care for us, which can be surprisingly freeing. Accepting help others offer, each in their own way, is a practice we can bring to all of our relationships.

Similarly, showing our concern for newcomers or sponsees teaches us how to practice care as a spiritual principle. Deep down, we know we truly want others to feel the hope and experience the freedom we've received in NA. Our care for newer members helps us listen deeply and then share our relevant experience. We learn to do our part and leave the results to a power greater than ourselves. Instead of filling every conversation break with our opinions, we practice our skills as caring, attentive listeners.

These lessons profoundly enhance our ability to develop and sustain loving relationships. We allow people to be there for us, and we're there right back.

Giving and receiving care is a skill I can constantly improve upon. I will practice being a caring and attentive listener in my relationships.