Our spiritual condition is never static; if it's not growing, it's decaying. If we stand still, our spiritual progress will lose its upward momentum. Gradually, our growth will slow, then halt, then reverse itself. Our tolerance will wear thin; our willingness to serve others will wane; our minds will narrow and close. Before long, we'll be right back where we started: in conflict with everyone and everything around us, unable to bear even ourselves.

Our only option is to actively participate in our program of spiritual growth. We pray, seeking knowledge greater than our own from a Power greater than ourselves. We open our minds and keep them open, becoming teachable and taking advantage of what others have to share with us. We demonstrate our willingness to try new ideas and new ways of doing things, experiencing life in a whole new way. Our spiritual progress picks up speed and momentum, driven by the Higher Power we are coming to understand better each day.

Up or down-it's one or the other, with very little in between, where spiritual growth is concerned. Recovery is not fueled by wishing and dreaming, we've discovered, but by prayer and action.

Practicing encouragement, especially with newer members, is a job not to be taken lightly. Encouragement breeds hope, which leads to a willingness to change, which leads to courageous action, which leads to growth that can be miraculous to witness. When we consider the importance of encouragement, we realize policing the message, or the messenger, is likely not helpful. We all hope to be met with empathy and encouragement, not an explanation about outside issues. We can overlook when a newcomer misspeaks.

When we're tempted to correct the way someone shared, maybe we offer a hug instead and our phone number.

The share that hits the marks of solution oriented, message carrying, and utterly authentic—all before the timer goes off—may not happen every day. And is that even our goal? Many of us believe sharing honestly is the solution—and actively listening for the message reflects our empathy and encourages others to speak honestly. We can validate each other—and also model how to connect the dots between what's happening in our individual lives and the process of recovery we all share. When we provide each other with support and encouragement, we're more inspired to be part of each other's growth.

Encouragement is living by example, as much as it is the words we utter. Rather than critique a group member's way of handling a problem, we share our experience with a similar situation. Through it all, we witness each other's courage to endure some unimaginable conflict and strife and stay clean through it. "NA members' encouragement has provided the nudge I needed to take one more step forward," a member recounted. "I was told not to quit before the miracle. My suggestion is to not quit during or after either!"