Those of us who live life one day at a time understand that our purpose is to live in reality. When we live in today we are not overwhelmed with the frailties of yesterday or the tragedies of tomorrow. Living in today keeps us from yearning for sentimental memories which brings with them a melancholic ideology. Living in today keeps us from being preoccupied with a future that keeps us filled with fear and uncertainty. We need to face the present day dealing with what is at hand that day. Doing so we learn how to adapt and worry less. We also learn to deal with difficulties as they arise. In reality we have learned living in the present can be difficult. Another reality is we need to keep busy and stop thinking so much. Do your dishes. Sweep the floor. Create something. Have a decaf with a friend. Breathe. Write. Talk with a mental health professional. This is a small part of one day at a time reality. Peace.
Many people who live in one day at a time recovery understand gain and loss. Often when we journey ahead in life we gain three steps forward in experience in regards to how our level of functioning increases and adapts to life and its events. Another of our realities is that even though we have gained three steps forward in experience in our functioning levels, there will be times that life and its stressors will cause us to take one step back. This is not failure. It is natural stage of life experience which causes us to re-evaluate our journey. It can either re-teach us old coping skills or teach us new tools to move forward and once again enjoy life. So once again three steps forward. If we maintain such growth we are always ahead in our development. At times our growth can be side-tracked a bit. Another reality is the reality of a relapse. We seek our supports re-establish our health and participate once again in one day at a time recovery. There is a good chance we need medical intervention. We did not fail. It was a part of our journey to learn from. Again – three steps forward and one step back. By now we realize one day at a time recovery is a learning process and it works. Another reality is for the better part we enjoy it. Not every day is a bed of roses but life can be good. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery know the joy of unplanned peace. This is the accident of joy. We have heard it said that there are no accidents in God’s universe and we know the universe shall unfold as it so chooses whether we choose to help it or not. Many people believe karma shall enforce upon us pain and suffering for the pain and suffering we have caused others. Thus an eye for an eye. Contrary to the belief that the universe shall enforce the horrors of karma upon us, many of us have found the reality of grace given from God, the universe, and other people. Most of us did not find recovery because we were happy, joyous, and free. We found it because we were in pain and we passed it on to all around us. None the less karma stepped out of the way and God, the universe, and other people rewarded us with grace. This happens for no other reason than love and decency. In this we found unplanned peace and we discovered the accident of joy. Grace is a funny thing isn’t it? It’s a paradox. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery are trying to understand imperfect peace. We understand pain and sorrow really have little to do with finding peace and are the reality of human living. This brings with it an imperfect peace shared by us as human beings. Often in our deepest pains and our deepest sorrows we find a peace that surpasses all understanding. We know that the peace that surpasses all understanding is a God thing. Some of us need call it grace. That is all we can understand. We need not know why. What we do know is the human condition makes all peace imperfect. None the less imperfect peace brings us wellness, serenity, and wholeness. Imperfect peace lets us be, or become, happy, joyous and free people. When this happens we discover the reality and the gift of imperfect peace in our human imperfection. Another reality is we experience the gift of gratitude in a life of perfect imperfections. One day at a time. Peace.
Many people who live life one day at a time know the refreshing quench of ice water. Satisfying our thirst is more than a simple pleasure. It is a need. Our desire to quench our thirst brings us a simple joy of nourishment when we draw a draught of ice water which satisfies our tongues, palates, throats, and stomachs. It is an enjoyable sensation. And we are participating in a natural action of hand to mouth. It is a calming instinctive motion. It’s a regular thing done by regular people. We see we are not so special, or not so bad. We like to drink ice water. It’s not running through our veins. We’re just regular people. We learn this after being in one day at a time recovery for a while. We have friends and families. When we’re cut we bleed. We’re just people. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn how to handle stress the best we can. Too much stress can turn into anxiety, and anxiety often affects both our minds and our bodies. When anxiety affects our minds we can easily get wrapped up in worry and fear. It can affect our bodies with such things as panic attacks, headaches, and insomnia. When any of this happens we go see a doctor. We need take this precaution. It’s a necessity. Most of us find anxiety will pass if it is situational. We learn to deal with situational anxiety and become better equipped to do so. Perhaps our doctor has given us medication to help us be healthy. We might also have to make positive changes in our lives. Some of us deal with stress just by living one day at a time and having someone to talk over our difficulties with. Some of us simply need a break. One of our realities is we need to feel safe. Sometimes we just need to breathe. Some pray – some meditate. Some of us meet in groups and some of us need therapy. Reach out and be healthy. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn we cannot make all things possible. We know this because experience has shown us that we cannot overcome life. Reality has asked us how can we expect to overcome life when we simply could not moderate or gain control of our vices or addictions. Many of us found it difficult enough to simply just stop all together unless we bottomed out and had no choice but to stop. We had to surrender to the truth. We can never use again. It took a fair amount of grace from many people to teach us this. Most of us call grace a God thing. Moderation is an easy thing for many people, but not for us. This is a fact. We cannot overcome life. Then we learned about one day at a time recovery, and we learned to take direction. Some of us try to stay in tune to the Universe, spirit, energy, God or whatever we conceive him, her, they, or it to be. Some of us fall short, but we’ve learned that we cannot overcome life. We live by it. It’s reality. Peace.
Some people who live life one day at a time find early recovery difficult. This happens to us because early recovery brings with it the tides of delusion. When the tides of delusion are flowing, we believe that we are in complete control of our lives. We forecast for ourselves perfection. We drift into the direction of I am in control, and everyone in my life needs to take directions from me. We believed the crisis that initiated our bottoming out was not due to us, or our decision making. We had no understanding of what we really needed. What we needed was for other people to be our eyes and our ears. We needed to take direction from them. When we accept this we will see the delusions fade a bit. The reality of life is all people need direction. Again – all of us. Peace.
Often people living in one day at a time recovery have moments when we choose to be alone. This is a time of chosen aloneness. These times are important, refreshing endeavors that sometimes bring us peace, contentment and direction. Often, when we are not stressed and preoccupied with the troubles of life, we have times of serenity and we are meeting for an instant the great spirits of life. These spirits are joy, kindness, compassion, and love. Some call it moments of communion with the God of their understanding. Some call it prayer and meditation. And some would simply call it moments of peace. We don’t always find this calm nor do we need to always experience it. Our times of chosen aloneness are for us, and when we have such times we become better equipped to deal with life and its demands. It’s part of self-care. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery surrender to the belief that deep down we are just people. Our lives have caused our hearts to break, and our illness have caused us to break other people’s hearts. Our defects of character have twisted our realities. We lived the realities of ill people not certain where to get help. The illness that controlled us had a defining and severe symptom that hid the reality of our disorders from us. This symptom told us that we had no illness. It held us captive with denial and delusion. In truth, we had no concept of reality. We may have functioned, but our minds were as psychotic as the person who believed they could lift skyscrapers and create universes. Many of us needed medical attention to gain control over such severe symptoms. When treatment had found us reality, we began to become well. Some of us would find better health and seek to live in a healthy reality. We learned illness is a natural aspect of human imperfection. We journeyed out of our cages. One day at a time we begin to grow as people – just people. Peace.