The Twelve Steps are a path to spiritual awakening. This awakening takes the form of a developing relationship with a loving Higher Power. Each succeeding step strengthens that relationship. As we continue to work the steps, the relationship grows, becoming ever more important in our lives.

In the course of working the steps, we make a personal decision to allow a loving Higher Power to direct us. That guidance is always available; we need only the patience to seek it. Often, that guidance manifests itself in the inner wisdom we call our conscience.

When we open our hearts wide enough to sense our Higher Power's guidance, we feel a calm serenity. This peace is the beacon that guides us through our troubled feelings, providing clear direction when our minds are busy and confused. When we seek and follow God's will in our lives, we find the contentment and joy that often elude us when we strike out on our own. Fear or doubt may plague us when we attempt to carry out our Higher Power's will, but we've learned to trust the moment of clarity. Our greatest happiness lies in following the will of our loving God

When we stop using, we eliminate the most obvious symptom of the disease and the source of many of our problems. Abstinence alone, however, is seldom enough to straighten out our thinking. Even after the drugs are gone, our outlook, priorities, and personalities remain distorted. If we want to be free from all aspects of the disease, it will take some work.

"My self-centeredness had me tied up in knots," one member recalled. "I was angry and judgmental, greedy for attention and material things, dishonest with others and myself. Just not using was just not enough. It took time and change for me to get free from my self- imposed prison."

We get relief along the way and glimpse what it's like to be unburdened from self-centered fear. Stepwork loosens the grip that worry and shame once had on us, freeing us to live in today. We find freedom in having friends we can count on and confide in, in belly laughs that aren't chemically induced, in the depth of our empathy for others' struggles. We stay aware of our spiritual condition, not settling for freedom's cheap substitute: irresponsibility. Humility liberates us to be a little more forgiving of others and ourselves, recognizing that we're all works in progress. We're grateful for our new capacity to stay in the present and for the respite we get from the disease when we tend to our spiritual wellness. We face life's many choices knowing that, no matter what, we'll be okay.

Freedom is a state of mind, not a state of being. The NA program helps us discover and discard limiting beliefs and patterns that keep us stuck, regardless of our living conditions. "Each day offers a fresh start and another opportunity to cast off my mental, emotional, and spiritual shackles," wrote one member from the confines of a prison. "If I want to fly, I have to let go of the baggage that's weighing me down." That's apt advice for all of us.