Winners
“I started to imitate some of the things the winners were doing. I got caught up in
NA. I felt good….”
Basic Text p. 223
We often hear it said in meetings that we should “stick with the winners.” Who are
the winners in Narcotics Anonymous? Winners are easily identified. They work an
active program of recovery, living in the solution and staying out of the problem.
Winners are always ready to reach their hands out to the newcomer. They have
sponsors and work with those sponsors. Winners stay clean, just for today.
Winners are recovering addicts who keep a positive frame of mind. They may be
going through troubled times, but they still attend meetings and share openly about
it. Winners know in their hearts that, with the help of a Higher Power, nothing will
come along that is too much to handle.
Winners strive for unity in their service efforts. Winners practice putting “principles
before personalities.” Winners remember the principle of anonymity, doing the
principled action no matter who is involved. Winners keep a sense of humor. Winners
have the ability to laugh at themselves. And when winners laugh, they laugh with
you, not at you.
Who are the winners in Narcotics Anonymous? Any one of us can be considered a
winner. All of us exhibit some of the traits of the winner; sometimes we come very
close to the ideal, sometimes we don’t. If we are clean today and working our
program to the best of our ability, we are winners!
Just for today: I will strive to fulfill my ideals. I will be a winner.