Many people living in one day at a time recovery discover that there are no neat little boxes that we can pull off of a shelf which when opened will sprinkle us with a magic dust that will make life and its adversities easy to deal with and easy to overcome. This is one of life’s realities. We have heard that nothing worthwhile comes easy. Many of us would like to tell people to just put the plug in the jug and life will be full of sunny sunny days but that would be doing a disservice to people looking to find recovery. We tell people to find their ways into the rooms of recovery where they will learn life lessons and coping tools to overcome adversities. The simplicity of recovery’s wisdom makes life doable. Not easy but simple and easier. We become inextricably connected in reality and we will have our fair share of sunny sunny days. We simply have to work for them. Peace.
Some of us living in one day at a time recovery have heard what goes around comes around. Some of us don’t really subscribe to this idea especially when what goes around subscribes to the act of revenge on those who have wronged us. We are more than likely to believe in forgiveness and grace. What we are trying to say is we are not big fans of imposing bad karma on others. What we have discovered is receiving grace and forgiveness is common ground for those of us living in recovery. We do well to remember this. What we understand about life when we come into recovery is there is already enough suffering in the world. Most of us just want to share a little kindness, peace, and goodwill. In one day at a time recovery we learn not to throw stones. Perhaps in doing so we are passing good karma on to others. Perhaps we will even help people like us find one day at a time recovery. It’s a lesson in humility and human reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn to identify with other recovering people. Identifying with other recovering people goes a whole lot further than does comparing ourselves with them. When we identify we find what there is in common with others instead of what is different. Finding differences is the pathway to exclusion instead of a journey of belonging. When we get past our know it all mentality we learn the importance of this. We all belong because we are all inextricably connected to each other and we share a common bond which is we are all either trying to find or remain in one day at a time recovery. Knowing this we are no longer alone. Peace.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of doing battle with active addiction. Sometimes we think of such a struggle as a boxing match. Active addiction pummels us for the better part of the fight. Up until the beginning of the fifteenth round we were beaten up pretty badly. Our eyes had been hit so many times that they were swollen and almost completely shut. The people in our corner wanted to throw in the towel but we rose to our feet when the last round began. We prayed for God to help us. We had one punch left to throw. We connected. Instead of standing gloating over our opponent we went to a neutral corner. Active addiction was down for the count. We left the ring hurt and bloody with one thought on our mind. The only thing we enjoyed about the whole battle was going to a neutral corner. It was at that moment we decided to retire from the ring. We thought one day at a time we would not pick up just for that day. Deep down in our heart of hearts we accepted in all reality we had been defeated. It was only the grace of God, the spirit, or the universe that made it possible for us to walk out of the ring alive. This is the reality of fighting addiction. Should we be granted the opportunity to stand in a neutral corner we do so. We might not get another chance. Peace.
What we need to know about living in one day at a time recovery is that we need to understand the reality of the cynic. The cynic can appear in a depressive and negative fashion because those of us who the cynic can live in feel like life is out of control and we have lost the marvels and freedoms that we once found in days before. It appears we are grieving a grand time (that never was so grand) but popular opinion tells us it was, and should be again. Some of us tell each other that those who cannot see our truth are the creators of our grief. We sling blame everywhere without seeing the joys of being in the moment or in living one day at a time. Our antidote is gratitude and grace. Being mindful teaches us this. So does freedom from active addiction. Peace.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery like to live, and also hear about believable sustainability in regards to that which we often call sobriety. In other words we like to live real life that has the capability of maintaining continuing abstinence one day at a time and that life becomes healthier and doable while developing hope and freedom from active addiction. We live and grow through adversity and we go with the flow when times are good. We reap the benefits of both and try to share such benefits with others. In doing so recovery becomes a lesson in believable sustainability. We welcome this gift of reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of grace for the unreliable. Unreliability is the reality of people who at times, though seldom it might be, become prone to character defects of self-righteousness and prejudicial thinking. The very acts of receiving grace has made it so that we can often catch ourselves in the scourges of our own fears. As we grow in receiving grace we become reliable generous people to an imperfect amount. We get to understand that the grace we have received is an unmerited gift. Self-righteous and prejudicial thinking tends to wane because of such a realization of reality. We develop a bit of humility one day at a time. It’s a gift. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that one day at a time living is in all reality our lives. Living life one day at a time makes life manageable and doable instead of chaotic and difficult. In our cases most of us realize that it is possible to live our lives being abstinent by practicing the tools of recovery for that day, that hour, or that moment. After many years of living recovery we understand that this whole one day at a time thing is our lives. From the grace we have witnessed and received our lives have been made or, are being made right. We aren’t just subscribing to a philosophy. It is our true reality. Life isn’t perfect but it is manageable. That’s a far better step than where we came from. It’s a gift. Peace.
Many people who have aged or are aging while living life in one day at a time recovery have developed or will develop the reality of simple sensitivity. When we do we become less susceptible to criticizing other’s ideas, beliefs or actions simply because we do not think, believe, or act the same way as others think, believe, or do. Over time we have came to believe we are not all that, and that we are not always right. We also understand that giving unsolicited advise is often seen as criticism and can be detrimental in helping someone in stepping up to the plate, taking a swing, and maybe even hitting a homerun. Many of us have experienced a fair amount of unsolicited advice or unwarranted criticism that harmed our recovery early on as we were trying to live life one day at a time. The upside of this is we probably developed simple sensitivity because of this. If we cannot encourage most of us try to be quiet unless another is seeking constructive criticism. We also become accepting of constructive criticism. It’s all part of growth. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the process of finding recovery and reality. Both recovery and reality develop with many years of living life one day at a time. Also we understand that as we grow older we understand the reality of time takes time. As we age we are inclined to know ourselves a bit better and we comprehend that we are not as wise as we pretended to be. Another reality is by the simplicity of knowing ourselves better we lose the reality of our own innocence. This becomes part of the process of growth and humility. In this process we realize that we often act not according to reason. Often our actions are based upon our emotional response to life’s situations and the whims of our egos. Our reality and our recovery makes us aware that such responses do not have to control our lives. Sometimes we will even be able to delay our emotional responses and we might even be able to curb the whims of our egos. In as such during our one day at a time journeys we become aware of the process we are experiencing. It’s a gift. Peace.