Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that it is the utmost importance that we find abstinence. Without abstinence there is no real recovery. For some of us it’s a hard fact to face but we have to. It’s an absolute reality. Many recovering people will say that they still have their -isms and they do so because they are real but we know that eating too many cookies is not the same as taking a drink, smoking a joint, or partaking in what we cannot partake in. Reality has proven this to us. Grace gets us through it. One day at a time recovery lets us know that when abstinent we can live good lives. Not perfect but good. Peace.
Many people who are living in one day at a time recovery know what it is like to pick up bothersome resentments. Should we do this and refuse to let go we are people who are living with the minds of a fool. This can and does happen to some people who seek help from each other in the rooms of recovery. It happens to those of us who live with the need to be in control and when we pick up resentments we can become bitter people who allow discord and ill-will to interfere with our peace of mind. If we find we cannot let go many of us pray. Prayer often helps us to let go. Letting go is a skill we all have to learn if we want peace of mind in recovery. It’s a one day at a time reality. It can save our lives. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn to relax while sipping either water or decaf coffee. Sipping seems to be a natural thing we do and the bonus is we can still do it when we attend meetings in the rooms of recovery. We can also do it in coffee shops and while sitting at kitchen tables. We become quite comfortable with this. What we are soon to discover is that it is the sharing in the rooms of recovery and the conversations in the coffee shops or at the kitchen table that help us navigate life and adversity. We might not understand how but abstinence (which is what we are at these times) helps us to grow. We no longer have to be alone. Let’s be well. Peace.
Many people living in one day day at a time recovery know what it’s like to be like kids in the rooms of recovery. We pick up chips or key tags to mark milestones in early recovery and because of this we have feelings of pride and accomplishment. We also become slogan happy – “One day at a time” “Easy does it” “Let go and let God”… These are special moments that help us out immensely and that new kid attitude can still come out after years of abstinence. We can’t help it because many of us are young at heart. Even the old-timers and the cynics can feel this way. Recovery is a beautiful thing. Enjoy it and be grateful. What else would we want to do. So let’s be kids about it. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that some days it’s left-overs. This is a good thing. It means we have had and will have in abundance. When we compare it to recovery it means some of the tools that we use in our recovery are still good the next day. Look at our slogans. “One day at a time” and “Easy does it”. They are useful any time. Also let us remember “Let go and let God” which is a universal reality. We also remember that bottom we hit which gave us that gift of desperation. That one time seeming hopeless state of mind and body that we thought we had to live in is no more. Left-overs takes care of that. They are a positive reality of recovery. It’s good old-fashioned humility. Be grateful. Welcome to grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the importance of the written word. In truth 12 step programs are based on and continue to be because of it. We will see that some people will dismiss and sometimes put down written material which has been passed down through generations. The written word has been a big part of keeping the program going. Without it we would lose a great deal of knowledge. Remember this. We might not have survived without it. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery are true to trying to help people who live with concurrent disorders to find ways of being responsible in every way for their own recovery. This reality usually entails active participation in the rooms of recovery. Simply being in the rooms we are taking and we are receiving even if we sit and say nothing. How can we be giving if we say nothing? We do so by listening because someone needs to hear the message and if we are paying attention everyone is hearing the message when we listen. Listening helps us to grow and develop a deep sense of responsibility and responsibility strengthens our reality of recovery for all of us. We are soon to understand the gift of desperation. It’s all grace. Peace.