People living in one day at a time recovery understand that other people have their own to do lists. Reality often lets us know what is a priority for us is not necessarily a priority for others. What recovering people come to understand is the radical acceptance of the our priority of remaining abstinent. Without remaining abstinent all of our healthy priorities will fall by the wayside thus we understand the importance of reaching out and helping others, maintaining a healthy prayer life, and participating responsibly in the on goings and responsibilities of rooms of recovery. In doing so recovering people live lives based on common grounds complimenting each others’ to do lists. In some small or often large way we are a part of each others’ lives. We have a definite inextricable connection understanding the importance of each others’ complimentary to do lists. We help each other. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery are people who are living with good intentions. Many of us pick up our pens or tap away at our keyboards with the intentions of helping others to find and participate in one day at a time recovery. Sometimes we do help others. Sometimes we don’t. Our reality and the reality of all people seeking recovery is that we have to want recovery in order to find it. It appears that most of us have to be totally desperate and severely broken to want to reach out for help. Perhaps then we can help. The reality of most of us who find recovery do so in the rooms of recovery one day at a time. We know we are not role models but our recovery might be hope for others. Many of us give it away. It’s all grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the reality of using the banister. The banister guides us up and down the steps of recovery. This is more than a reality to people following the realities of 12 step recovery. They admit to the complete defeat and the unmanageability caused by addiction. They come to believe that their mental functioning will be restored by a power greater than themselves. They make a decision to let go of self-will and subscribe to doing the selfless will that they find in recovery guided by the reality of a God of their understanding. They inventory their history and they admitted to God, themselves, and another human being the exact nature of their wrongs. They became entirely ready for God to remove all of their character defects and they humbly asked this God to remove their short comings. They then made a list of all the people they had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. They made direct amends wherever possible except when it would harm these people or others. In addition to this they continued to take a personal inventory and when they were wrong they promptly admitted it. They also sought through prayer and meditation to improve their conscience contact with God as they understood God to be praying only for knowledge of God’s will for them and the power to carry that out. To complete these steps they believed that as they had a spiritual awakening as a result of these step they tried to carry this message to addicts and to practice these principles in all their affairs. Their reality is that they participate in using these banisters to the best of their ability. It all begins with the gift of desperation. These banisters are tried and tested realities. They have worked for many, many people. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery think that being spiritually fit is living a fearless life of serenity or what some called a state of being perpetually happy, joyous, and free. This is not the way our journeys go for some of us. There are some of us who admit after a bit of time in recovery we started to feel as if we were spiritually superior people. We acted as if we had a spiritual fitness that we didn’t really have. In doing so we met our shadow selves. We discovered that being spiritually fit was when our whole being was crying out that we couldn’t go on any further but we decided to live another day. We also found that spiritual fitness was when we accepted others as being human (including ourselves) and we loved both them and ourselves and their and our shadow selves anyways. We found that being spiritually fit is not being fearless but it is being able to muster up the courage to say that I need help while knowing that one day at a time living and one day at a time recovery can be a difficult but wonderful experience. Spiritual fitness is facing both tragedy and good fortune without returning to active addiction and it is the reality of one day at a time freedom. We also discover the importance of prayer, contemplation, action, and reality. We step off the island of loneliness and join in the inextricable connection recovering people share. It’s all grace and gratitude. Even when we don’t feel it. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that some of our simplest of joys are to experience lives that are touched and then held-fast by the realities of gratitude, grace, and humility. Gratitude becomes a basis for recovery while grace and humility make us humble recovering people. We have found that sometimes we are able to help people who are in search of recovery. If they ask us for help we let them know that they too can experience gratitude, grace, humility, and also freedom from the pain of active addiction. We let these people know that they are not alone. Those of us who find support in the rooms of recovery know we are not doctors or therapist. We don’t pretend to be. We are people who found help who are supportive to people who want to help themselves. Doing so gives us joy. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery know from experience that it is so much easier to remain abstinent than it it is to become abstinent. This does not mean in any way that we cannot become abstinent. What it means is after we have been in recovery for a while we become adept in coping with life and its adversities and that time and experience teach us activating addiction will solve nothing for us. It usually takes a few years of recovery for us to fully understand this. By then we know the reality of one day at a time living and one day at a time reality. One more day and one day at a time abstinence is all most of us ask for. We have found recovery’s hope and we become more than grateful. We understand the meaning of humility. We find grace. Peace
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand what it is like to be cornered by the hounds of hell. This is the reality of active addiction. We cry out for help. What we get to understand in one day at a time recovery is that these hounds are controlled by those who would help us. These brave souls do help us. They call off the hounds. When the hounds are held at bay we see the gates of hell are always open and they lead us into treatment. The professionals help us enough that we learn how to help ourselves. Many times they recommend we look into the rooms of recovery. The people we meet there share their experiences with us. They let us know we found grace. We eventually understand that we have found the gift of desperation. We need to learn this. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the fragile reality that we all share while living in recovery. Sometimes those of us who frequent the rooms of recovery will hear some of us say that we are just an arms length away from a toke, a drink, or hit. What we need to understand is this is a reality for people who have been abstinent for ten, twenty, or thirty years. What we are saying is that we too can struggle so please don’t put us up on a pedestal. Constant vigilance, continual recovery work, turning it over, and regular attendance at the rooms of recovery help prevent relapse. We need to pay attention. We’re all just an arm’s length away. No-one is immune to relapse. It’s a sad reality. We need to really listen. It’s an important part of growth. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the importance of giving or listening to a drop or two of encouragement. Encouragement goes a long way in helping us participate in the realities of life and recovery. We might be anxious about a new employment opportunity and someone lets us know we got this and we take the job. Perhaps someone is looking into joining us in the rooms of recovery and we go with them until they feel comfortable enough to go on their own. In reality this happens a lot. Perhaps we are training to run our very first marathon and someone tells us that they will be waiting for us at the finish line. We run, we finish, and they are at the finish line joyfully waiting for us. This is the reality of a drop or two of encouragement. It’s a gift. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery embrace the reality of beneficial times spent in coffee shops, church basements (rooms of recovery), and also at the realities of kitchen tables. It is the company we keep at such places in which our journeys of recovery seem to grow stronger which is a one day at a time requirement that needs to happen for us to navigate the realities of life. Good realities or bad realities are often triggers which can lead us back into active addiction. We all learn to cope with and by the experiences and support of other recovering people. Being a part of such beneficial experiences is the benefit of we. When we understand this we understand the inextricable connection recovering people share. We no longer need to do it alone. Together we can. In doing so we understand our need to be personally responsible. Peace.