Many people who live life one day at a time eventually learn that recovery is not a competition. It is not about who gains the most amount of time with continuous abstinence. Those of us who have been around for a few years are soon to understand that time in recovery is in all actuality a break from our ill-fitted fate. It’s a combination of desperation, commitment, and grace that enables us to gather any amount of substantial time in which we are abstinent, healthy, and free from active addiction. Although many of us become spiritually fit we realize that we haven’t become conquerors in spiritual warfare. We are people who have surrendered to the idea that we need to remain abstinent just for today. We also understand we can only keep what we have by giving it away. Recovery is not a competition. It’s a gift. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that there are times when living in recovery is supposed to be hard. This reality becomes increasingly evident when we argue with others over reasonable solutions that might help us to overcome difficulties. To do so we need to participate in doable actions. Such doable actions are to live one day at a time and also to let go of the reality of blame. We also practice the reality of mutual respect. In doing so we understand the reality of we. When we understand we, we understand the gift of one day at a time recovery. Togetherness is the reality of grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the reality of remembering forgotten roads of long ago. Most of the time such roads are memories of an ill-spent youth. Some would say that we lived the lives of prodigal children. What some would call teen-age wasteland was an impaired and troublesome period of our lives. As we walk down these roads we see we were like bulls running wild in a china shop and the damage we did we cannot fix. We are not those of us who can say that we have no regrets. The wise amongst us have told us to believe in grace which is always revealed to us in one day at a time living. Most of us know this. It’s part of the journey. Peace
Most people living in one day at a time recovery know that we need to be heard. When we are heard and not negatively judged we feel a measure of acceptance. When feeling heard and not being negatively judged we feel as though we are people worthy of respect. Acceptance and respect help us on our journey of living in recovery. What we have discovered is that there are people who live with a fair amount of integrity who can show to us enough acceptance and respect that we know we will be heard. Very often this happens in the rooms of recovery. Often we turn to therapist or other professionals in our search to be heard. One day at a time we understand that we all need to be heard. We are all worthy of love and belonging. We need to accept it. It’s all grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that even though we have been abstinent for fair amounts of time we know that it is never safe for us to return to active using. People who had been abstinent for long periods of time proved to us that when they had just one drink, puff, snort, or hit it brought with it all chains of active addiction. From what we have witnessed and what we have done we know that using even just once takes us to the places of unmanageability making our lives completely out of control. What we know is it is easier to remain in recovery than it is to find recovery once again. Our witness or our actions are sufficient proof for us. We need to reach out. It’s our saving grace. It works. We know this. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery believe that staying abstinent is a simple reality to finding hope. For many of us we find being frequent visitors who participate in the give and take that occurs in the rooms of recovery actually helps us to find a strength of freedom and grace which for many of us comes from the inextricable connection we find with each other. We are grateful because we don’t have to feel alone because we are frequent visitors and supporters to the rooms. Even those of us who were living introverted lives find we are part of a social species. We find that today we are living in and with the promise of hope and freedom from active addiction. It’s a simple reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know what it is like to have survived reality. To this day we continue to live surviving reality by continuing to live life while remaining abstinent from active addiction one day at a time. Our past reality was that we needed to use to escape whatever it was that we needed to escape from which took away our ability to choose thus in chains we became a person caught up in active addiction. To use became our one reality and this reality brought with it turmoil, sadness, and all other kinds of unmanageability. What we learned in recovery was that active addiction was a product of our pain bringing with it more pain. In desperation we found recovery by realizing that we had survived and were surviving our realities. We had reached out for help. We are no longer alone. Today, because of recovery we have one day at a time freedom. Our pain no longer controls or defines us. We are all survivors. It’s all grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know and experience the reality of a whole lot of hope. Grace has taken us from being people living with seemingly hopeless states of mind and body into the reality of recovery, hope, and freedom. We become recipients of modern day miracles living in recovery from active addiction in both the good and the bad that life offers us. Some would say that we now walk the road to happy destiny but we know the truth which is as we walk we become conduits of hope for others needing to find grace. We remember that this is grace and not an ego thing. This is our true reality. One day at a time we share a whole lot of hope. Even when life is hard. What else would we do. Peace
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the need to pray. Needing to pray is often followed by the want to pray. We often need to pray because we need help and we often want to pray because we are grateful. The simple reality of acknowledging that we are not always in control is a humbling endeavor and in our humility we understand that God, the spirit, or the universe can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. It leads us into relationship with the other and we discover the reality of our inextricable connection with other people. We understand that we don’t want to, nor should we believe we can, live healthy recovery all by ourselves. We understand when we pray it is not a solitary endeavor. When we understand this we we become a part of a one day at a time recovering community. It’s all grace. For this we are grateful. Peace
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery appreciate the joy of sober, sunny, smiling mornings. These are the mornings we courageously welcome while knowing that grace is shinning down on us. In all reality gratitude is ever so abundant in our hearts, our minds, and our souls that we embrace each moment. Often we experience times of progressive contemplation when all seems right in the world. Our endeavor is to live this day in abstinence and enjoy the reality of living in one day at a time recovery. It’s what life is all about. Peace.