The Reginald & Dionne Smith Foundation

06/07/2026

There is a reason millions of people spent the last week arguing about whether Rue Bennett deserved a happy ending in the finale of Euphoria.

06/04/2026

04 June

Build, don't destroy

Page 162

"Our negative sense of self has been replaced by a positive concern for others."

Basic Text, p. 16

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Spreading gossip feeds a dark hunger in us. Sometimes we think the only way we can feel good about ourselves is to make someone else look bad by comparison. But the kind of self-esteem that can be purchased at another's expense is hollow and not worth the price.

How, then, do we deal with our negative sense of self? Simple. We replace it with a positive concern for others. Rather than dwell on our low self-esteem, we turn to those around us and seek to be of service to them.

This may seem to be a way of avoiding the issue, but it's not. There's nothing we can do by dwelling on our low sense of self except work ourselves into a stew of self-pity. But by replacing our self-pity with active, loving concern for others, we become the kind of people we can respect.

The way to build our self-esteem is not to tear others down, but to build them up through love and positive concern. To help us with this, we can ask ourselves if we are contributing to the problem or to the solution. Today, we can choose to build instead of destroy.

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Just for Today: Though I may be feeling low, I don't need to tear someone down to build myself up. Today, I will replace my negative sense of self with a positive concern for others. I will build, not destroy.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

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NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

06/04/2026

04 June

Finding a Life with Purpose

Page 161

"What a joy it is to be part of something that not only saves people's lives, but makes them worth living."

Living Clean, Chapter 5, "Fellowship"

We're brought together by desperation, so being alive and clean may seem like enough reason to be joyful at first. But wait, there's more! Even in our earliest days clean, we may have some inkling that we are part of something special. We may wonder, Am I being indoctrinated into a cult? but with no discernable leader and no dogma to adhere to, we can rule that out. We decide to keep coming back. I'll just play along as we see what these weirdos are up to.

So, we're clean! Now what? We come across this passage in the Basic Text: "When the drugs go and the addict works the program, wonderful things happen." I like the sound of that! We start to piece together what it means to "work the program" and find some practical advice in "What Can I Do?"--Chapter Five of the addict's owner's manual. We go to lots of meetings without using between them--even on holidays! We get a home group, a sponsor, and a service commitment, and we find ourselves surrounded by people who take great joy in our progress. They want nothing from us, just good things for us. They offer us words of encouragement, lessons from their own lives, and epic tales of shenanigans with other members. They point out our growth and say they're happy, grateful, and even honored to be a part of our miracle. We smile and nod and our eyes start leaking. All we can think is, This NA thing . . . is a trip.

Our lives are transformed as we become both the helpers and the helped. Now we're those people with stories and kindness for the newer folks and are moved by being a part of their miracle. Our mentors continue to evolve, too, and they allow us to help them. We've found a purpose and a framework for living. We are free from active addiction, and although that's NA's only promise, that freedom opens up in unimaginably beautiful ways.

I will soak up the vitality around me and be grateful to have found a life with purpose.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

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NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

06/02/2026

🚨 This is not a California story. This is our story.

Yesterday, a major California county made headlines for launching a new program to expand addiction treatment for blind and visually impaired people. They called it “Recovery Without Barriers."

Here in rural Southwest Georgia, we have been living this gap for decades.

I am Stancil Tootle. I am a blind man in long-term recovery for more than 35 years. I stutter. I live in Bainbridge, Georgia. And I just submitted a grant proposal to the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust to build the exact same kind of model — disability-informed peer recovery support — for 25 rural counties in Southwest Georgia.

When Alameda County, California, gets the headline, that means the national conversation is finally catching up to what we have been saying in rooms, on stages, and in communities like ours for a long time.

People with disabilities deserve recovery services that are actually built for them. Not services that technically exist but cannot be accessed. Not programs where another patient has to help a blind man in a wheelchair because the staff was not trained. Not crisis centers that turn away someone on dialysis because their medical needs conflict with the attendance policy.

That is real. That happened here. And it is still happening.

BAIN is working to change that in Southwest Georgia. The national movement is growing. And we are already in it.

https://www.pleasantonweekly.com/alameda-county/2026/05/24/recovery-without-barriers-expanding-addiction-treatment-for-the-blind-and-visually-impaired/

””

By Anna Jiang Spending for substance abuse disorder (SUD) in the United States grew from $40.9 billion in 2000 to $139.6 billion in 2021, and the number of treatment facilities increased from approximately 11,000 in 2000 to more than 17,800 in 2024. However, certain communities remain overlooked and...

06/01/2026

It’s not too early to start thinking about the things that can make it easier to remain in your home.

05/30/2026

NA World Services, Inc.
30 May

Accepting Another's Path

Page 155

"I have learned to love and to accept the people I sponsor as the people they are--not little mirror-images of me or any other model of recovery."

Sponsorship, Chapter 3, "To the Sponsor"

Each of us looks for a sponsor who does the deal: trusts a Higher Power, cleans house, and helps other addicts. We seek out experienced members who have what we want and will accept us without judgment. Most importantly, we look for sponsors who will offer loving guidance through the Twelve Steps of NA.

Such love takes many forms. Some of us rely on our sponsors for an unbiased perspective on our thoughts and behaviors. Others appreciate being offered gentle guidance, tempered with loads of support and empathy. Whether our sponsors apply a firm hand or a soft touch, we learn to confide in them. Their acceptance of us--warts and all--helps us to accept that everything is as it should be.

Working Steps is a process of self-discovery. With a sponsor to hold the flashlight, our hands are free to dig deep. They help us figure out who we are and who we're not. As one member described it, "This process taught me not to fear the truth about myself. It turns out that I'm not as good or as bad as I thought I was."

We can learn a lot about recovery by talking to more experienced members. To find what's true for ourselves, however, it's helpful to have someone to question our ideas. As one member put it, "Instead of telling me what to do, my sponsor helped me figure out my own answers about who I am." We may aspire to be like our sponsors at first, but few sponsors are looking to mold a mini-me. Instead, they help us to be ourselves.

My sponsor's love and acceptance helped me discover who I am, who I'm not, and who I want to be. Today I'll try to practice those same principles and help someone else on their recovery journey.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

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NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

All of the efforts of Narcotics Anonymous are inspired by the primary purpose of our groups. Upon this common ground we stand committed. Our vision is that

05/30/2026

30 May

Loneliness vs. being alone

Page 156

"Sharing with others keeps us from feeling isolated and alone."

Basic Text, p. 85

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There is a difference between being alone and being lonely. Being lonely is a state of the heart, an emptiness that makes us feel sad and sometimes hopeless. Loneliness is not always alleviated when we enter into relationships or surround ourselves with others. Some of us are lonely even in a room full of people.

Many of us came to Narcotics Anonymous out of the desperate loneliness of our addiction. After coming to meetings, we begin to make new friends, and often our feelings of loneliness ease. But many of us must contend with loneliness throughout our recovery.

What is the cure for loneliness? The best cure is to begin a relationship with a Higher Power that can help fill the emptiness of our heart. We find that when we have a belief in a Higher Power, we never have to feel lonely. We can be alone more comfortably when we have a conscious contact with a God of our understanding.

We often find deep fulfillment in our interactions with others as we progress in our recovery. Yet we also find that, the closer we draw to our Higher Power, the less we need to surround ourselves with others. We begin to find a spirit within us that is our constant companion as we continue to explore and deepen our connection with a Power greater than ourselves. We realize we are spiritually connected with something bigger than we are.

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Just for Today: I will take comfort in my conscious contact with a Higher Power. I am never alone.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

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NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

05/29/2026

29 May

Vigilance for the Long Haul

Page 154

"Many of us leave not when things are horrible, but when we have one more spiritual hump to get over. We lose our way right before the miracle--sometimes again and again."

Living Clean, Chapter 1,

Most of us have heard the saying, \"Don\'t leave before the miracle happens.\" For newcomers, that can mean staying in a meeting even when the urge to leave feels like more than we can handle. After a little time clean, it might mean taking one more phone call from the sponsee who hears nothing we say or choosing not to react when our boss or significant other pushes our last button--again (and again and again). But how do we get there? How does the newcomer stay in the seat when everything in them screams: Get up! Get out of here! How does the sponsor dig deep and offer experience, strength, and hope to the troubled sponsee, instead of just sighing deeply and asking, \"Have you prayed about it?\" How do we shift our focus from the momentary frustration of an argument to the fulfillment we experience in our relationship or career? It\'s easy to do the right thing when things are going well, when we\'re getting what we want or think we deserve. Sometimes, though, the \"rewards\" might seem minimal or feel like they\'re taking forever to arrive. Some members have described recovery as being \"a marathon, not a sprint.\" Marathoners call it \"hitting the wall\"--that point in the race when it feels impossible to keep going, and there\'s no end in sight. It happens in recovery, too: We live by these principles for months, years, even decades, but some of our hopes and dreams still seem so out of reach. We can\'t even see the finish line yet, and we are TIRED. We have to remember that there is no \"finish line\" in a just-for-today program. We\'re not here for the reward at the end. We keep the pace. Even if it\'s slow and steady, we keep moving forward whether we feel like it or not. We might need to stop at an aid station--for runners, a cup of cold water or sports drink every couple of miles makes it possible to go the distance. In recovery, coffee or tea with another addict can get us over that next spiritual hump--to the miracle on the other side.

When I feel like quitting, I\'ll take a moment to remember that recovery is a journey, not a destination. I will be vigilant and keep moving forward.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

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NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

05/29/2026

29 May

Carry me

Page 155

"We believe that our Higher Power will take care of us."

Basic Text, p. 58

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We all have times when it seems as though our lives are falling apart. There are days, or even weeks, when it seems that everything that can go wrong is going wrong. Whether it's the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or the end of a relationship, we doubt that we'll survive the changes taking place in our lives.

It's during the times when the world is crashing down around our ears that we find our greatest faith in a loving Higher Power. No human being could relieve our suffering; we know that only God's care can provide the comfort we seek. We feel broken but we go on, knowing that our lives will be repaired.

As we progress in our recovery and our faith in our Higher Power grows, we are sure to greet the difficult times with a sense of hope, despite the pain we may be in. We need not despair, for we know that our Higher Power's care will carry us through when we can't walk on our own.

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Just for Today: I will rely on God's care through the painful times, knowing that my Higher Power will always be there.

All NAWS subscriptions are free. We are able to provide this service due, in part, to the generous contributions of our members. If you are a member, you can make a contribution here: www.na.org/contribute

UNSUBSCRIBE to stop receiving all NAWS emails.

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NA World Services, Inc.
19737 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Copyright © 2026 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.