Most people who are living in one day at a time recovery know that you can’t just google recovery. We can argue that we can discover many excellent speakers versed well in recovery topics and that we can read quite a bit of information about living in recovery but it is not the same as in-person support, in-person wisdom, and in-person hugs and handshakes. What we are saying is that google cannot empathize with us or feel with us the reality of in-person settings. Google cannot read our cues or smile with us when we experience milestones, miracles, or joy. What we are saying is that we all need that human touch. It’s just the way it is. And google cannot give us grace. It’s a big help but human growth is done with human beings. You can’t JUST google recovery. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the reality of when resentments come a knocking. The demands of an over-sensitive and narcissistic ego can be easily slighted. Especially when it is not always the center of attention. Those of us who journal can uncover that our-self-centered woes come bearing a supposed heavy load that we need not carry especially when we see we were not being slighted at all. Oh the ego is a funny thing isn’t it. It becomes upset because the damn thing thinks it is important. As a matter of fact it thinks of itself so highly that it becomes too important. A bit of humility teaches us to let go when resentments come a knocking. Even when we are slighted. Letting go sets us free. One day at a time we grow. It’s a better reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that many good and well-meaning people don’t understand the reality of our disorders. Often they will say that we just have to say no. We understand this and if it was just that easy we would agree with them. Our reality though is that we absolutely have to say no to just that first one one day at a time. This is a little different from just saying no and is the reason why most people don’t understand our reality. They might think we are just weak. We know we are people living with an illness and that we are always just an arm’s length away from picking up. Staying vigilant and surrendering to the reality that we cannot pick up that first one one day at a time is of paramount importance. Our lives depend on it. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of being denied participation in the belonging of communities because we lack the wisdom or the no how to do so. It is not a put down or an all out rejection of our being. It is the reality of divides which we cannot build bridges over simply because that’s the way it is. It can be like this in the rooms of recovery too. How can we add anything to a conversation about recovery when we continue slip in and out of abstinence simply because we are not there yet. We are not denying you participation. We just need you to listen a little bit. That’s how we participate at at first. We must listen. We hear you. You always belong and it will be okay. In time you’ll understand. We love you. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of giving unnecessary direction. This is the reality of whether we should or should not give anyone direction about the use of psychiatric medication. Whether we should or not comes down to whether we are professionals with the ability to do so effectively and successfully. Those of us who are living in one day at a time recovery who do take psychiatric medication know what its benefits are. We stayed alive, functioning, healthy and abstinent for many years because of it. We also know the reality of medicating normal when perhaps a doctor or a therapist could have helped us to navigate life with non-medicated direction giving us the tools to face life on life’s own terms. Experience and time become great helpers. When we are maturing our eyes will open. It all happens in God’s time as we grow one day at a time. We learn to do difficult. Peace
Most people living in one day at a time recovery know that pumpkin pie is not apple pie. Reality is that they both need sunshine and water to grow. In other words all people who are seeking recovery need love and support. We also need to experience a bottom or have some kind of pain that makes it possible for us to reach out for help. When we do experience pain somewhere in there is a bit of a revelation which is we all need to live life one day at a time with a bit of a divine intervention to help us find abstinence. If not we might not grow into the different bur similar recovering people that we will become. (Emphasis on recovering) We are all one day at a time miracles. We are all a bit different as we are all supposed to be. Be grateful and enjoy the ride. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery have to stop, think, and ask ourselves this important question “Can we truthfully see that we are loved beyond all measure by a force we often call God, the spirit, or the universe and that he, she, or they make this evident by the gift of our every breath?”. A breath in – hold – and a breath out. This is the reality of the moment. It is the act of mindfulness at work. A breath in – hold – a breath out. Start by setting a timer. Repeat a breath in – hold – a breath out. Do it for five minutes. That is all we need do at the beginning. Be aware of your breathing and be aware of your body’s sensation. Let your thoughts drift away like clouds often do. Breathe in – hold – breathe out. We are starting a journey of awareness. We know or we will begin to know that we are loved. Our eyes are opening. Breathing has a way of making us aware. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of covering all the bases. The first base we have to cover is having a real relationship of being a part of in the rooms of recovery. Reality is that we all need support no matter what our addiction or our unhealthy dependency appears to be. We now have the opportunity of being a part of. We discover we are all a part of a machine. This is not an insult. We need to be apart of not a part over. It’s of paramount importance. In our addiction (or unhealthy dependency) we were on auto-drive with no place to go but to crash and we did. Our purpose became to reach out for help and be a part of. In doing so we learned to hear, see, and believe. And again opportunity was knocking. Now the beginning was beginning. We were starting to cover all the bases. We began taking direction and we had a touch of freedom. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery eventually get to understand that if we didn’t have any regrets why were we seeking recovery, sobriety, or abstinence. Our regrets are what drove us to seek the help we need to find the reality of a better life. Many of us found ourselves in financial, spiritual, physical, moral, or legal trouble. We had probably hit a bottom and we needed help. We cried out and that very moment it came in the form of grace. Grace is usually that detox, rehab, hospital, or forgiveness from that frustrated but forgiving spouse who gave us one last chance. In our desperation we clung onto that chance and sought help from other people in the rooms of recovery. Then and only then would we truly understand what regret did. In time we realized that regret saved us. Life had become anew because of it and in our one day at a time recovery we found ourselves living a life we had never expected to know. We had freedom from active addiction. We had freedom from pain. It’s a bit of a paradox isn’t it. Be grateful for it. Peace.
Some people living in one day at a time recovery who found the recovery in the rooms of recovery live with a reality which is we cannot be your sponsors. The reason why is because your problems burn a hole in the very core of our beings and your egos are still dictating that you are in complete control of everything and everyone. Besides we don’t have the time to witness the deconstruction of your egos because our time is valuable and taming the ego can be a very difficult thing to watch. If you could only learn to listen and let go of your old ideas some of which are you need to let go and believe whole-heartedly that you are not God. When you no longer take offense to every criticism or direction that differentiates from your own egoic desires you are teachable. Now the journey begins. You discover reality and reality teaches you what one day at a time recovery is all about. It’s an everyday experience and no – we cannot be your sponsors. You are now our teachers. Peace.