Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of living in gratitude. What we discover is that gratitude is a precursor to happiness and that happiness is a by-product of healthy living. To further this line of thought is that healthy living is a result of being abstinent from whatever we are addicted to which gives us the opportunity and the gift of participating in one day at a time recovery. When we get to be a part of such stages of development we get to experience hope and freedom. The idea is to keep this development alive and healthy which we do so more often than not by participating in the endeavor of trying to pass this experience of hope and freedom on to those of us living with concurrent disorders. We also understand that we are not alone in wanting to continue in life with this hope and freedom nor are we alone in wanting to discover the reality of hope and freedom if we haven’t found it yet. We on the the other hand understand the reality of one day at a time living when we get to experience abstinence and the fog starts to lift from our somewhat clouded reality. When this happens we are able to understand the concept of gratitude. We live in it. It’s a wonderful experience. Peace.
Most people living life one day at a time find they are walking one step at a time while in recovery. While we are walking in recovery hopefully we will take time to stop, rest, and experience the journey. We are walking from a journey in which we were blind into a journey in which we will develop sight, reality, and humility. When we start to see reality we will develop the reality of hindsight and if we are honest most of us cannot be judgmental for fear of being self-righteous and hypocritical. Most of us were, and still to this day, are hoping to find a sense of ease. Our humble reality is we can find a bit of peace when our hindsight reveals to us that we were sick people pummeled by an illness that left our thinking so impaired and fragmented that we had no grasp of reality whatsoever. When we understand this we understand that we were given the gift of grace and a reality forged from desperation. This becomes in part the beginning of recovery. Again we understand the reality of our condition. We were sick people. When we accept this we are ready to walk while in recovery one day at a time. It took many of us many years to comprehend this. A somber reality is not everyone gets the chance to. We will learn this while walking in recovery. Peace.
The reality of many people living with active addictions and mental health disorders is that we often mismanage our finances. In an honest reality a large amount of people (just everyday people) are just two pay-checks away from bankruptcy. Those of us who have been through this or are going through this understand how stressful this can be. And being stressed leads to careless spending because careless spending leads to temporary relief from stress. The problem with careless spending is that it hurts us in the long run. It’s a hard cold reality. Addiction is the simple fact of obtaining temporary relief by doing something that brings temporary relief but in reality has harmful consequences. It doesn’t have to be the obvious chemical addictions that we have or once had. It applies to careless spending too. Another reality is that maybe we just don’t have the finances to get by in a healthy and reasonable manner. This is the way the system works. It dangles a carrot in front of our noses and we continue to chase it but never quite get it. Perhaps, just perhaps, we can stop chasing the carrot. Our hope is to live a manageable life with good health and a bit of contentment. In doing so we find a bit of freedom. Peace.
Many people who learn or are learning to live in one day at a time recovery also understand that they themselves are responsible for their own recovery. When we understand this reality we understand the reality that we don’t have to face these responsibilities alone. We need to know that it is alright to reach out for help, and when we do so we are securing a far better chance of living happier lives abstinent from whatever addiction it is or was that held us in its cages. Some of us find that if we are people who seek support in the rooms of recovery we understand that even though we are not responsible for our disease (addiction) we are responsible for our recovery. What many of us have discovered is that being a person who commits to, and frequently attends gatherings in the rooms of recovery we are actually people who feel the need to be accountable for staying and living in one day at a time recovery. If we don’t quite get it the first time we try, many of us keep coming back or kept coming back until we get or got it. When we do get this we understand responsibility. Reality and life become a healthier and happier endeavor. Be responsible. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery understand that we need to stay involved in our recovery and we need to participate in life. This is the constant reality that has the ability to keep or make us content. We begin to understand that reality and recovery are not games that we play to amuse ourselves. What we are learning is that reality and recovery are our very life. When we learn this, we understand that when faced with adversity we are more likely to roll with the punches instead of defeating or conquering such difficulties. We might even say that even when things are good we just go with the flow. When we keep regular contact with others in the rooms of recovery we are exercising our abilities in regards to staying involved in our recovery and participating in life. What we discover is that when we do so we might be helping others. Also we might be helping ourselves. Staying involved in our recovery and participating in life is important. In as such we can roll with the punches and we can be content. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery understand that there will be times that we need to be embracing hope. Most of the time that we are embracing hope we are actually living on a prayer. The sad thing is that when we are actually living on a prayer our prayer life is usually not helping very much. Then in reality, or in non-reality, our hope can be this too shall pass. It might not look like this too shall pass but it will, and our only reality is to reach out and stay abstinent from active addiction. This is important. Another reality is that if it is anxiety that is overwhelming us we might need to reach out for professional help. Perhaps our doctor or our counsellor. This is of paramount importance. When anxiety is overwhelming us we are not healthy or living a life adapted in wellness. Anxiety can put a strain on relationships with those we are close with. If we are aware of this when it is happening we are living with a bit of personal awareness. In other words, some how some way we are embracing hope. The hope is that this soon too shall pass. Hope is a gift. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand and enjoy the reality of simple happiness. Simple happiness is. It just is. It can be found in the glimpse of a smile or in the sound of laughter. It can also be found in the taste of an apple or in a thirst quenched by water. In can be found in the freedom of choice where once freedom was lost. It’s the song of a cardinal or the drumming of drums. It is joy, it is hope, and it’s truth. It is gratitude and simple grace. It is mystery and love and it’s peace. It is. It just is. Peace.