Life is like a path…and we all have to walk the path. As we walk, we’ll find experiences like little scraps of paper in front of us along the way. We must pick up those pieces of scrap paper and put them in our pocket… Then, one day, we will have enough scraps of papers to put together and see what they say… Read the information and take it to heart. -Uncle Frank Davis (quoting his mother), PAWNEE
The Creator designed us to learn by trial and error. The path of life we walk is very wide. Everything on the path is sacred - what we do right is sacred - but our mistakes are also sacred. This is the Creator’s way of teaching spiritual people. To criticize ourselves when we make mistakes is not part of the spiritual path. To criticize mistakes is not the Indian way. To learn from our mistakes is the Indian way. The definition of a spiritual person is someone who makes 30-50 mistakes each day and talks to the Creator after each one to see what to do next time. This is the way of the Warrior.
July 24, 2024
Good will is best exemplified in service; proper service is “Doing the right thing for the right reason.”
When engaging in service in N.A., we can get caught up in our reasons why we choose–or are chosen for–a particular commitment. How “pure” is our motivation? How involved is our ego? A useful skill we have sometimes leads us to the “right thing.” Some of us are natural leaders or organizers, have a knack for relating to people, or are good with numbers or words. Our reason might be as simple as following the suggestion of our sponsor or another member. Sometimes we’re motivated to join a committee based on who else is involved in it–admiring the chairperson’s recovery or wanting to spend more time with friends or someone we have a crush on.
There are more spiritually oriented motivations, too. Perhaps these are even more “right.” It could be a sincere desire to give back. We’re looking for purpose. We want to demonstrate our love for N.A. or to broaden our minds and our spirits. Maybe we prayed for guidance and walked through the doors that opened up, finding ourselves with a new service commitment. Maybe we just want to feel better about ourselves.
We cannot completely avoid ego. Feeling good about ourselves is not improper, nor is desiring some validation or approval from others. It’s natural and human to want to be seen positively by our peers, to want others to regain trust in us.
We place our feet as firmly as possible onto the foundation of goodwill and let our primary purpose influence our choices. Striving for an ideal of doing proper service for the right reasons is noble. But we can’t wait until the stars align and the angels sing. Now is the time.
Regardless of anything else that motivates me, I will focus on exercising goodwill as I serve N.A.