Yes, we are attracting new members. More and more addicts are finding Narcotics Anonymous. But how do we treat our newest members when they arrive, worn out from their struggles with addiction? Do we reach out to newcomers who are standing by themselves at our meetings, confused and uncertain? Are we willing to give them rides to meetings? Do we still work one-on-one with the addict who suffers? Do we give out our phone numbers? Are we eager to go on a Twelfth Step call, even if it means getting up from our comfortable beds in the middle of the night? Will we work with someone who has a different sexual orientation or is from another culture? Are we generous with the gift of our time?

No doubt we were met with love and acceptance by our fellow addicts. What attracted many of us to Narcotics Anonymous was the feeling that we had finally found a place where we belonged. Are we offering that same sense of belonging to our newer members? We cannot promote Narcotics Anonymous. But when we put principles into action in our lives, we attract newer members to the NA way, just as we were attracted to recovery.

"A closed mind is a killer!" A member riffed on the idea that a parachute, like a mind, can't function well, if closed: "When we dive into recovery, we tug at that ripcord in an impulse to surrender, with some measure of courage and faith."

Being closed-minded makes us jaded, sealing off our secrets and locking in bad habits. It excludes others?their perspectives, their insights, and their compassion. When we resist being open-minded, the light can't get in, so our humanity is stunted. We can't see ourselves honestly. New ideas cannot penetrate our fortress of anger or avoidance, and we end up stuck in isolation.

Getting and staying clean in NA dares us to open up the parts of ourselves we would rather keep hidden. As we prepare to engage each of the Twelve Steps, we have to keep our closed-mindedness in check. Through this process of self-examination that is afforded to all of us, we pry open our minds to a new way of life. We inventory our pasts, so we can stop running from them and let go. We assess our shortcomings and assets to see ourselves clearly and to seek balance. We make amends to help us avoid the same mistakes in relationships. In addition to our minds, we open our eyes, our hearts, and our arms, helping others to seek change as we have.

This process, however, does not end—unless we stop attending to it. We don't arrive at openness and wellness and just stay there. To keep evolving, we keep relying on open- mindedness. The member continued, "Our feet may touch the ground for a moment, but life will have us back up in that plane soon enough. We'll have to jump and pull that cord again if we want to continue to grow." Maintaining open-mindedness, even with years clean, prevents us from becoming too rigid, from building walls that we can't see over, helping us to navigate new areas of conflict that arise.