“The spiritual part of our disease is our total self-centeredness.”
Basic Text, p. 20
What is self-centeredness? It is our belief that the world
revolves around us. Our wishes, our demands are the only ones worth
consideration. Our self-centered minds believe they are capable of
getting everything they want if only they would be left to their own
devices. Self-centeredness assumes total self-sufficiency.
We say that self-centeredness is the spiritual part of our
disease because the self-centered mind cannot conceive of anything
greater or more important than itself. But there is a spiritual
solution to our spiritual malady: the Twelve Steps of Narcotics
Anonymous. The steps lead us away from self-centeredness and toward
God-centeredness.
We strip away our delusion of self-sufficiency by admitting our
own powerlessness and seeking the aid of a Power greater than
ourselves. We acknowledge the bankruptcy of our self-righteousness by
admitting we’ve been wrong, making amends, and seeking knowledge of
what’s right from the God our understanding. And we deflate our
overwhelming sense of self-importance by seeking to serve others, not
only ourselves.
The self-centeredness afflicting our spirit can be treated with a spiritual solution: the Twelve Steps.
Just for today: My guidance and my strength comes from a
Higher Power, not from my own self. I will practice the Twelve Steps to
become more God-centered and less self-centered.
