Many people who live in one day at a time recovery understand that recovery is so much more than just putting the plug in the jug. Recovery is the reality of doing the inner-work to become a more reasonable part of the solution in regards to becoming a more helpful compassionate person who tries in their own humble way to help others find ways to experience freedom from active addiction. Anyone who has stepped inside the rooms of 12 step recovery meetings knows this reality. They call it carrying the message through freedom found by practicing the 12 steps which they follow to the best of their ability. Many of us know such inner-work makes us better people. Not perfect people, but better people. It all stems from the gift of our desperation and the reality of grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the the reality of the beginning of grace. What we have discovered is that grace is founded in our willingness to forgive not only others but also ourselves. For many of us grace is the cornerstone of our own peace of mind. As we reflect upon such notions we know how difficult this might be. To foster such a reality we participate in the practice of gratitude and when we become grateful grace becomes apparent, receivable, and doable. It also stems from our willingness to grow. Our simplest understanding is that grace is because it has to be. It’s a gift that comes from living life one day at a time. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery are familiar with the reality of losing the trust of those we love. We also know what it is like to lose that which is important to us. In all reality we know that addiction is a great remover. We know this because there was a time we had lost the power of choice. When in recovery we are gifted with the reality to choose being abstinent one day at a time. The gift of desperation has empowered us with the reality of grace. A power much greater than ourselves has gifted us with yet another chance. In time our lives become manageable and those who we love learn to trust us again. We become free from active addiction and we also become grateful people. Recovery and the power of choice becomes ours again. Peace.
Some people are creative driven people. Often when we seek to create something we are trying to express our feelings and our beliefs. Often we are sharing our values, and our intentions to participate in this journey that we call life. When we create we often can be exposed to a touch of humility. When being a creative person we will understand that life is not a competition. We accept this when we realize that creation is not merely an endeavor to inflate our egos. We understand that creativity is a part of our being. In my case it is a component of one day at a time recovery. Good, bad, or indifferent, creativity helps us all belong. If we step out of our egos we can all identify. Thank you for reading.
When we decide that we are choosing to live our lives, and our recovery, one day at a time we realize that recovery brings with it an aspect of conflicting realities. In recovery, we choose not to take that first one. When others have asked me if I could moderate my intake I have simply replied that I choose not to chance it. It is the total lack of control, which can occur, that I choose not to risk. Experience has revealed this to me many times. I enjoy my recovery and my life. I love being free from active addiction. Why would I risk happiness. Thank you for reading.
When we become focused on one thought, or one point of view, we become participants of tunnel vision. When this happens differing thoughts, or conflicting points of view, are considered to be opponents. Many of us believe that contempt prior to investigation is the worst kind of prejudice. While wrapped up in tunnel vision most of us do this. Reality is many of us have difficulty admitting when we are wrong. As we grow, many of us can step out of tunnel vision. We learn to see, hear, and experience. When we learn to do this, we become more flexible recovering human beings. We become human beings who are living with humility one day at a time. Thank you for reading.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery know time takes time. This is a reality we know and understand but in all reality time goes by pretty fast. Another reality is we are simply to live life as it has been laid out for us. What we will experience is that we have our share of pain. We will feel it. We will process it and we will deal with it the best we can. In time we might even forgive the person, the people, the institutions, or the universe for causing it. This is when we learn time takes time. Life brings bitterness and sweetness. Sorrow and joy. We process what we can. Again time takes time. Those of us living one day at a time are not brilliant thinkers. We are people who hit a wall and cried out to God, the spirit or the universe for help. When we listened in our desperation we discovered the gift of hope, and in this hope we learned time takes time. Life is painful. We know that. When we see past the pain we will see we can be happy, joyous and free. Time shows us that pain is not perpetual. Life changes and we will understand truth. Truth is time takes time. It’s a constant reality. Peace.
When we have the ability to live in the present moment we can experience a sense of awe which can give us the gift of joy. Often, when trying to follow direction from another person, poor concentration clouds my ability to be present in that moment. I recall a day when I found myself living in the present moment. We were attending an outdoor church service. We were directed to sit in silence and be aware. While in the present moment our surroundings were simply awesome. Serenity and joy revealed the present moment. I was experiencing a living picture. The whispering breeze made the leaves of the trees dance. The birds sang. The sun glowed. A young child played in the earth. As God brought this picture to life the world was grand. This is living in the present moment. Thank you for reading.
Sometimes living in recovery requires us to do the next right thing. Often, when lacking motivation, we don’t know what we should do. Sometimes we call this depression. Sometimes we call this confusion. Hopefully we can rely on our living routines to let us know what we can do next. This is doing the next right thing. Perhaps the next right thing for us to do is as simple as getting out of bed. Perhaps then breakfast. Perhaps then doing our morning hygiene. Perhaps prayer and meditation. Often our routines let us know what the next right thing is. We participate in our one day at a time recovery. Doing the next right thing can really help us when we are feeling anxious. When we are depressed, confused, or anxious we can be ok. Thank you for reading.
The motivational factor, that many people living in recovery find, is freedom and independence. The freedom I am writing about is the ability to make choices in our lives. One day at a time we can become free from the bondage of substance dependency because we have the choice to be this way. The independence I am writing about is the choice to make decisions for ourselves. Some of us may have lost this motivational factor at one point in our lives.
Many people who have this motivational factor do well in living their one day at a time recovery. Many people are living life as responsible productive people. One day at a time recovery is a big step from a detox or a hospital. From such places we learn many tools to live in recovery. The freedom and independence of choice brings motivation to recognize life is good even when adversities arise. Thank you for reading.