Many of us living in one day at a time recovery understand that our egos can be very sensitive at times when we feel as though someone else’s differing knowledge or differing opinion is a challenge to its standing in some kind of self-imagined hierarchy of being. At times when we feel we are being challenged we feel as though we are being disrespected. If we can calm our egos maybe we will be able to understand that differing knowledge or differing opinions can be useful for others because our own knowledge or our own opinions might not work for others 100 % of the time. We will learn either quickly, or sometimes slowly, that we all have our limitations. This is an important reality that we need to understand. What is right for one can be wrong for another. It’s simply reality. Experience, and humility, teaches us this one day at a time. It’s part of the process. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality which is as we judge other people we can often live in error. While we do as such we are often passing judgement as people who believe we have the authority and the ability to do as such. Often we ask ourselves if we have the righteousness to do so. In truth and in reality we know that few people do. What many of us try to do, even when wronged, is we try to act with grace and kindness. The simple fact that acting with grace and kindness can be difficult for us reveals to us the reality that should we judge people we often live in error. Some of our judgements bring us quick to anger and in becoming so we can become spiteful people. Most of us do not want to live the lives of bitter and resentful people. It takes many of us some time in one day at a time recovery to act with grace and kindness. It’s reality. None the less reality teaches us to act with grace and kindness. We can also call such an act forgiveness and mercy. They are gifts. Peace.
What people living in one day at a time recovery get to understand is that we all have our moments of peace and contentment. We even get to experience extended periods of being on the beam. For some of us a joyful and peaceful life is a life in which we usually feel pretty good and pretty good is good enough. Reality is welcomed but the funny thing is reality is usually work. What we have discovered is we are constantly reviewing our thoughts, actions and non-actions. Often as we review such endeavors we find that we often humbly measure up to our responsibilities. We think to ourselves that we are good people aren’t we. If we are humble we know we are people who when given the chance rose to the occasion at times. Realistically though we need not let it go to our heads. In reality we did what was required of us at a certain period, or at such a moment. Nonetheless it’s okay to feel good about ourselves for rising to the occasion. We might even feel grateful. Another reality is we don’t always rise to the occasion. When this happens we realize life, reality, and recovery are work. We might even have lost an opportunity to help someone. This happens on more than one occasion. We know that in our non-actions that we are imperfect. It’s another part of working at reality, life, and one day at a time recovery. We know we will never be perfect but we also know we have moments when we rise to occasion and we can enjoy the joy that it brings to others and ourselves. Rising to the occasion is a gift of reality. We are welcomed into the world of grace. Appreciate it.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery live what can be known as an experienced life. We had the opportunity to experience the good and the bad and we can say that sometimes the good was really good and sometimes the bad was really bad. With such experience we should have learned to be non-judgemental people because for most of us judgement without grace or mercy is a self-righteous endeavor. What many of us believe is that we are no better or no worse than any other person. It’s the whole idea of not casting the first stone. We all need a little grace and mercy sometimes, even while in recovery. We all know that there are no saints amongst us. When we learn this we get to understand we are not living victoriously in spiritual warfare. What we are learning is that we are just people, sometimes broken people who have surrendered to the idea that we are to remain totally abstinent from taking that first one and this requires petitioning for and accepting the help from those we are akin with and from what some of us call God, the spirit, or the universe. At times we have been rescued by divine intervention. We know this. We are recipients of the love, grace, and mercy of the other. We often call this a God thing. We understand that our life experience gives us the ability to help others. We drop our self-righteous stones and lend a hand. Ten, twenty, or thirty years are not that long ago. Peace.
Some people living in one day at a time recovery sometimes wonder are we really carrying a message of recovery to other people who might have heard our stories or read our written ramblings? Well maybe yes, and maybe no. It all depends upon who is listening. And it all depends on what our message is. Those who carry the message of 12 step recovery have helped many of us. Their faith in a higher power and their working experience of the 12 steps help us to understand that if we get abstinent and faithfully follow the workings of the steps we have the hope and the chance of being happy, joyous, and free people. Many of them regard being responsible, productive people in high regard. Many of them had hit bottom and so choose not to do so again. What they do works for many people. As with all people living their recovery one day at a time we need to remember that these messengers were broken people who with the help of a higher power, and with the help of each other climbed out of the abyss and received hope and freedom from active addiction. What we might relate to in their message is bottoming out and living unmanageable lives. We too learn to reach out. We too can learn to find freedom from active addiction and we too can find one day at a time recovery. What we learn is as messengers we are just people. Broken people who have found recovery. You can too. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery live and imagine the realities of our journeys. What we understand is that we create our worlds in our own minds. At least we imagine we do. Living in our recovery we learn that there are many unforeseen and unexpected events that occur during our journeys and it is up to us to discover (imagine) and practice (live) such journeys with the hopes and perhaps even the expectations that we shall strive and thrive as children of God, the spirit or the universe in such ways that living in recovery is always within our grasp. No matter what, we shall live okay and doable lives. Once we have made that commitment to recovery, and we live and imagine such realities, we shall forever remember what freedom is. It is the essential and living choice to love. The kindness of others reveals this to us. Even in tragedy one day at a time we are free. In addition to this we shall experience happiness and joy. We shall understand empathy and concern for others. We shall receive and give grace. And last but not least we shall be touched with the ability to see, feel, and know that we are inextricably connected to the other. Those we are akin with are our reality. We have experienced too much to believe otherwise. Peace.
People living in one day one day at a time recovery understand the reality of people being people when people are healthy. The first reality we understand is when people are healthy they are more content. We know this from the personal experience of we being people who are healthy people. When we are healthy we are more attuned to what is going on in our world and also in the worlds of those around us. When healthy we are better at navigating the ever fluctuating waves of life. We could say that we are more in touch with reality. Our reality is life is life and as we go with the flow we experience the joy that life offers us. In all reality we also roll with the punches when being hit with life’s adversity. We are also better at dealing with the doldrums of being a human being who is a human being living. When healthy, which can be much of the time, we are more productive, flexible, and adaptive to the realities of human reality and its needs. We can be generous people but we are generous people who live with realistic and reasonable boundaries. Boundaries are part of being healthy. What we realize is our kindness is in large supplies when we are well. This is the reality of people being people when we are healthy. It’s a gift. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery learn the reality of people are people. The difficulties of people being people is that we too are people and as people we live with the fragile, sensitive, and narcissistic demands of our own egos. We, ourselves, can be hurt or offended by people who disagree with or refute the reality of our self-perceived irrefutable knowledge and beliefs which are not supposed to be challenged in any way whatsoever. What we are soon to discover is yes, we are people aren’t we. If we are lucky our egoic irrefutable knowledge and beliefs teach us humility especially when we are wrong and in our humility we understand that people being people is a humbling journey. We then discover people who walk a humble journey are people with whom we would like to share our journeys with. Most of us often fall short of such humility but there are people who are just people who will pick us up when we fall and they will thank us for being people. People, just people, will see past our flaws and love us anyways knowing that they too are people just people. Our commonalities are seen more clearly in those we are akin with. We all learn to identify in our imperfection. It’s our humble reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of uplifting days. They can be many or they can be days apart but when we’re living in one day at a time recovery they are more than likely to happen frequently especially when we are people who appreciatively practice gratitude. When an uplifting day happens we are usually on the beam or content. Another reality is that uplifting days happen when we are recipients of grace. In all reality one day at a time growth unlocks the mystery of serenity. We understand freedom and happiness. We cannot help but to be moved by joy. We become so, so grateful for life and recovery that such realities help to get us through adversities. We find hope from experiencing the realities of uplifting days. They gift us with a much happier life. They lift us up. Peace.
Many people who live their lives comfortably numb awaken to the reality that time waits for no-one. Once time has passed it has passed. It is as real as the reality of time takes time. Such seemingly opposing realities are a paradox. In other words both realities are true. Those of us who have lived a large part of our lives comfortably numb, even while living in recovery, might have difficulty understanding and accepting that time wouldn’t or couldn’t wait for us. What happens to us is that we finds ourselves well into the second half of life before we understand or realize that we are half-way dead. It sounds cruel but we do need to start accepting the changes that are occurring in our bodies and the differing functionable abilities that occur in our minds. Our reality is that we are less able to do what we could once do easily. Most of us accept this as our new reality. Part of this is learning the reality of melancholy and at times frustration. Another reality is some of us might become kinder, wiser and more generous people. When we are comfortable, and no longer comfortably numb we see the benefits of the time we have spent in this world. We have been gifted the gift of time. It’s a privilege many don’t experience. Peace.