Chattanooga Area
of Narcotics Anonymous
Drug Problem?
Find a Meeting
November 13, 2026 |
Not perfect |
| Page 331 |
| “We are not going to be perfect. If we were perfect, we would not be human.” |
| Basic Text, p. 31 |
| All of us had expectations about life in recovery. Some of us thought recovery would suddenly make us employable or able to do anything in the world we wanted to do. Or maybe we imagined perfect ease in our interactions with others. When we stop and think, we realize that we expected recovery would make us perfect. We didn’t expect to continue making many mistakes. But we do. That’s not the addict side of us showing through; that’s being human. In Narcotics Anonymous we strive for recovery, not perfection. The only promise we are given is freedom from active addiction. Perfection is not an attainable state for human beings; it’s not a realistic goal. What we often seek in perfection is freedom from the discomfort of making mistakes. In return for that freedom from discomfort, we trade our curiosity, our flexibility, and the room to grow. We can consider the trade: Do we want to live the rest of our lives in our well-defined little world, safe but perhaps stifled? Or do we wish to venture out into the unknown, take a risk, and reach for everything life has to offer? |
| Just for Today: I want all that life has to offer me and all that recovery can provide. Today, I will take a risk, try something new, and grow. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
November 13, 2026 |
Balance Through Meditation |
| Page 328 |
| “Emotional balance is one of the first results of meditation, and our experience bears this out.” |
| Basic Text, Chapter 4, “Step Eleven” |
| Life can be an emotional roller coaster. Before we found recovery, we could exit the ride by getting high. With that option off the table–just for today–it’s up to us to find ways to handle life’s ups and downs, twists and turns. “If I’m going to ride this roller coaster called life,” a member shared, “I want to be one of those screaming, giggling fools in the front car. They are truly in the moment.” We learn the usefulness of living in today in early recovery. One oldtimer put it bluntly: “If you’ve got one foot in the past and one in the future, you’re pissing all over today.” Truly being in the moment is some next-level stuff, and few of us have regular access to an actual roller coaster to practice that mindset. Fortunately, we have an Eleventh Step that encourages us to give prayer and meditation a try. Practicing some form of meditation can help us to let our feelings come and go like waves on the beach. Practice pays off, and it becomes easier to roll with the punches when we’re a little less attached to our emotions. We learn to be fully feeling human beings and to be all right with that. More often than not, we can be attentive to our emotional lives and not want to check out. One member shared, “Finding even a minute or two to slow down and breathe can drastically improve my emotional well-being.” As we weave meditation into our recovery repertoire, emotional balance feels increasingly attainable. |
| I will remind myself that the balance I have experienced in my recovery is a result of my emotional well-being. I will sustain this state of being by meditating today. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
About NA
Anonymity
The basic premise of anonymity allows addicts to attend meetings without fear of legal or social repercussions. This is an important consideration for an addict thinking about going to a meeting for the first time. Anonymity also supports an atmosphere of equality in meetings. It helps insure that no individual’s personality or circumstance will be considered more important than the message of recovery shared in NA.
Who are members of NA?
Anyone who wants to stop using drugs may become a member of Narcotics Anonymous. Membership is not limited to addicts using any particular drug. Those who feel they may have a problem with drugs, legal or illegal, including alcohol, are welcome in NA. Recovery in NA focuses on the problem of addiction, not on any particular drug.
How does NA work?
Addicts helping each other recover are the foundation of NA. Members meet regularly to talk about their experiences in recovery. More experienced members (known as sponsors) work individually with newer members. The core of the NA program is the Twelve Steps. These “steps” are a set of guidelines outlining a practical approach to recovery. By following these guidelines and working closely with other members, addicts learn to stop using drugs and face the challenges of daily living.
Narcotics Anonymous is not a religious organization and does not mandate any particular belief system. It does teach basic spiritual principles such as honesty, open-mindedness, faith, willingness, and humility that may be applied in everyday life. The specific practical application of spiritual principles is determined by each individual. Recovery in NA is not a miracle cure that happens within a given period of time. It is a process, ongoing and personal. Members make an individual decision to join and recover at their own pace.
NA Meetings
Financial contributions from non-members are not accepted. Most NA meetings are held regularly at the same time and place each week, usually in a public facility. There are two basic types of meetings those that are open to the general public and those closed to the public (for addicts only). Meetings vary widely in format. Some formats are: participation, speaker, question and answer, topic discussion, and some have a combination of these formats. The function of any meeting is always the same: to provide a suitable and reliable environment for personal recovery.
NA’s primary approach to recovery is its belief in the therapeutic value of one addict helping another. Members take part in NA meetings by talking about their experiences and recovery from drug addiction. NA meetings are informally structured, held in space rented by the group, and are led by members who take turns opening and closing the meeting. NA meetings and other services are funded entirely by member contributions and the sale of recovery literature.
Reprinted from A Resource In Your Community.
Anonymous World Services, Inc.
PO Box 9999, Van Nuys, CA 91409
November 13, 2026 |
Not perfect |
| Page 331 |
| “We are not going to be perfect. If we were perfect, we would not be human.” |
| Basic Text, p. 31 |
| All of us had expectations about life in recovery. Some of us thought recovery would suddenly make us employable or able to do anything in the world we wanted to do. Or maybe we imagined perfect ease in our interactions with others. When we stop and think, we realize that we expected recovery would make us perfect. We didn’t expect to continue making many mistakes. But we do. That’s not the addict side of us showing through; that’s being human. In Narcotics Anonymous we strive for recovery, not perfection. The only promise we are given is freedom from active addiction. Perfection is not an attainable state for human beings; it’s not a realistic goal. What we often seek in perfection is freedom from the discomfort of making mistakes. In return for that freedom from discomfort, we trade our curiosity, our flexibility, and the room to grow. We can consider the trade: Do we want to live the rest of our lives in our well-defined little world, safe but perhaps stifled? Or do we wish to venture out into the unknown, take a risk, and reach for everything life has to offer? |
| Just for Today: I want all that life has to offer me and all that recovery can provide. Today, I will take a risk, try something new, and grow. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |