Most people living in one day at a time recovery have felt and witnessed the beauty of gratitude. Reality is the joy of thank you. We feel and get to see gratitude in the appreciation of a God moment which can be a gift, an experience or an act of love which we are a recipient of or a witness to. It might even have been us who God, the spirit or the universe worked this moment through. Some call it a blessing – some call this moment an act of grace. A good many of us have been recipients of such acts. We in all humility know the reality of gratitude. What we feel, and what we understand is that our fall, our bottom or our difficulties initiate the reality of our one day at a time recovery. And we are so grateful for our recovery. In our humble reality we get to see grace. We get to see love. We can also be blessed. And we are so grateful when we have the opportunity to be a part of such God moments for others. For all of this we just want to say thank you! Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery make the simple acknowledgements of needing the help of God, the spirit, or the universe to stay living and participating in this gift called recovery. We might say something like, “God I need your help to be and to stay in recovery and I humbly ask you to help me.” Most of us precede such a request with the acknowledgement of, “Thank you God.” We also acknowledge that there are many people who have helped and still help us to navigate our journeys of recovery and we acknowledge the love, compassion, care and concern they had given to and still give to us. We acknowledge we live in recovery because of their grace. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery eventually get to understand that our fear, and our pride, will eventually teach us a lesson that reminds us of the humility that we uncovered when we first saw the mess that addiction brought to our lives humbling us in all the realities of becoming a recovering person. We knew we needed help because we recognized the troubles that had come into our lives and we just wanted the pain to end. Pain is what brings us into recovery. Once in recovery, even after many years of recovery, we recognize pride and fear are still, and always will be, a part of our lives. Because of this we learn we are not perfect but we do find a realistic balance of humility while in recovery. We know we have much to learn as we awaken into humanness. We’re experiencing grace. Peace.
Some people who are fairly new to living in one day at a time recovery are quick to condemn the realities of the ancient old fools who have been in recovery for a long time, as they emphatically tell us that in early recovery we are still living in a fog, and we should probably listen to the experience of others a bit more than the jumbled up thoughts that stumble around in our minds. In our reality though our motto was “nobody is going to tell me what to do”. It’s a sad thing that happens when we alienate ourselves from the wisdom of others, and refuse to listen to common sense of experience. It is our egos that think they can successfully refute the knowledge discovered from years of successful living. After a few years of recovery we learn we were fools. We just had to learn the hard way. It’s common. Peace.
Some of us who are living in one day at a time recovery learn when we are blaming others for our struggles we are actually in all reality paying no attention to what our struggles really are. This is the reality of scapegoating which can make us bitter people opposed to love, belonging, and the inextricable connection between all people. When we understand this we understand we can disagree without opposing love, belonging, and the inextricable connection we all share. Scapegoating and dehumanization should happen less when we live in one day at a time recovery and perhaps we learn to drop the word blame in regards to the reasons for our own unhappiness. Struggles become less as we discover our own reality. It’s the simplicity of love. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of creation is that we eventually learn to be responsible for ourselves. Being responsible for ourselves does not mean we take complete control of ourselves, others, and everything around us. It means that we take simple steps, or reasonable precautions to remain abstinent and let go of trying to control others who we may or may not have taken hostage while in the throes and the confusion of active addiction. In recovery we let go of such oppressive behavior. When we do it sets us free and we learn to take responsibility for ourselves only. It’s a liberating experience. It’s the reality of creation. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery live with the hope that in all reality most people who live part of their lives as wayward souls or prodigal children will not need our help to manage their lives. These are the people who have developed a history of addiction or addictive behaviors who come to their senses on their own and either stop and abstain by themselves, or moderate, rather easily and successfully. Such people simply are not addicts. The reality of life though is that we all suffer and in our suffering most people need help. This is often the reality of stinking thinking. Grace, hope, one day at a time living, and the practice of gratitude can really help. They can help us to be compassionate people. We can stop looking to complete that futuristic endeavor that will finally complete us. Deep down we need to understand that we are already and we will always be, enough. It’s a stone-cold sober reality. Enjoy it. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know what it is like to escape the Netherworld. The Netherworld is a place of bondage, pain and suffering which which creates nothing but confusion and doubt. Its reality is real as real can be. Our new reality is that we actually escaped the Netherworld with the understanding that freedom from bondage cost us nothing, that pain and suffering still exist, and that confusion and doubt still visit us, leaving us a bit bewildered and unsure. The difference is that we need no longer need to face life and its struggles alone. We have joined the world of the living, and although life is imperfect, we travel a road of contented life. It’s the gift of gratitude that we find in one day at a time living in a world that is really quite manageable. We have discovered grace and in grace we have escaped the Netherworld. You can too. Join us. Peace.
Many people who are living in one day at a time recovery know that living in recovery can be a difficult endeavor. One of the ways that we can make recovery more purposeful, more doable, and more meaningful is that not only are we in it for ourselves, we are in it to help others who truly need to find the reality of abstinence find it. We call this participating in recovery. We are part of the solution not only for ourselves but for others too. Should those who need to find abstinence reach out for help, they will discover that they can find us in the rooms of recovery. Any addiction counsellor or mental health professional should know where we meet. We are the participants of all the support groups that participate in helping each other in remaining abstinent from active addiction. Reach out. We help each other. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand and experience the gifts of a clear head and freedom from the bondage of active addiction. Both of these two little joys help with the evolution of our souls, or what we also call our journey in which we discover and witness the reality of our true-selves. This is the part of us that for recovery’s purpose is loving, compassionate, kind, and resilient even in the face of adversity. We share this reality with others, be they family, close friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We will not be perfect but we will share in the workings and responsibilities of life and recovery. For most of us it is a staggered reality of peace and grace. It’s the gift of our growing reality. Peace.