The first time we heard that we should "act as if," many of us exclaimed, "But that's not honest! I thought we were always supposed to be honest about our feelings in Narcotics Anonymous."

Perhaps we can reflect on when we first came into the program. We may not have believed in God, but we prayed anyway. Or maybe we weren't sure the program would work for us, but we kept coming to meetings regardless of what we thought. The same applies as we progress in recovery. We may be terrified of crowds, but if we act confidently and extend our hand, we'll not only feel better about ourselves, we'll find that we are no longer so frightened of large gatherings.

Each action we take in this vein brings us closer to becoming the people we were meant to be. Each positive change we make builds our self-esteem. Through acting differently, we will realize that we are beginning to think differently. We are living ourselves into right thinking by "acting as if."

Because of its past association with punishment, rigidity, or plain old drudgery, discipline is one of those recovery principles we have to reimagine when we get clean. And when we realign discipline with our newfound values of commitment and willingness—and begin to practice our program of recovery—we experience positive results. Our lives change.

Discipline's relationship with the principle of commitment definitely merits discussion. Our commitment to NA and spiritual growth is crucial to the life we want, but discipline is more internal. It's in our hearts. We can be committed or hold a commitment, but are we disciplined about that commitment? As one member observed, "We say, 'It works when you work it.' Not 'It works when you think, believe, or feel it.'"

Discipline gives us the willingness to transform our commitment into action. Sometimes the commitment we're acting on is more on the surface, say, following sponsor direction without knowing why. Other times, it's deeper, more heartfelt. In either case, our commitment is measured by our willingness to act. When we're active in our commitment to the Fellowship—when we are disciplined—our disease of addiction is rendered powerless.

Though we may strive to view discipline in a positive light, it's not always easy. It takes practice. It is practice. Discipline is the drive to move forward regardless of our mood. We say yes to sponsorship. We attend our home group and fulfill our commitments because we said we would. Discipline leads us back to our message again and again.