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.
As I think of give and take, and I think of my personal experience, I wonder if I think of myself as being unique. Recovering people I know describe themselves as being happy, joyous, and free. I think of myself as being reasonably happy and content.
I do not believe that I have a monopoly on the true experience of one day at a time recovery. I know that the people I know, who are in one day at a time recovery, have the experience of living happy, joyous and free lives.
I have been asked why do you have to be reasonably happy?
Perhaps my friends think being reasonably happy puts a damper on life.
Addicts and alcoholics have their struggles. Sometimes their struggles are the natural struggles of life such as depression, anxiety, uncertainty, loneliness, and disconnection. In reality, when asked if they are reasonably happy, they can recognize that adversity is a reality of life and that life brings with it reasonable happiness and contentment. This is freedom.
I understand happy, joyous, and free. It feels good. It is not a perpetual life style and it would be unrealistic to think so. Experience tells us this.
I understand reasonable happiness and contentment. It is not a perpetual life style and it would be unrealistic to think so. Experience tells us this.
Nothing is unique in one day at a time living and recovery. No one is unique in one day at a time living and recovery.
Connect with your story. Identify with the common aspects of others.
I have heard from many recovering people that not every day is a bed of roses and it would be unreasonable to think otherwise. Understanding this makes us content, or free, one day at a time. Thank you for reading.
Connecting with other people is important for our mental health and our well being as people. I know that some of us might be introverts but that does not mean that we don’t connect with others. There are times that as we are connecting with others that we help both those we are connecting with as well as ourselves. Some call this give and take. Some of us call it friendship. Some call this survival. The experiences of connection let us know that we are not alone and that we are enough. We get through the days, both good and bad, and we stay sober one day at a time. One friend reminded me the other night that one day – one day – one day – can lead to many years of contented sobriety. Another friend reminded me that life can be hard at times. Both of these people have been a big help to me in my years of recovery. Connection really helps.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery are people who are trying to keep peace with humility. Keeping peace with humility reminds us we are all people and all people are of equal value. Our reality tells us when we sit in judgement of others, or even ourselves, we are measuring the value and the lives of human beings. Often when we do this, we do so with a self-righteous view. Humility reminds us of the hypocrisy of such judgements. Many of us catch ourselves doing so and realize we do so being caught up in pride, fear, or envy. There are even times when our judgement causes us to create scapegoats of people or peoples. One day at a time recovery has a way of making us aware of such judgements. Humility tells us to stop throwing stones. At others or ourselves. Humility is a gift.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery understand new beginnings. New beginnings, for most of us, are the endings of severely unmanageable lives. Lives lacking any semblance of reality, or manageability, have slipped away from us. We have found love and belonging in a kinship of spiritual misfits. We found we are not alone and it’s a wonderful awakening. Families, friends, and other advocates have given us a voice. With this voice we don’t claim to be perfect. We know we are no better or no worse than any other people. We know the voice that we now have brings with it the responsibility of caring for ourselves, and each other, to best of our ability. When we are grateful for our new beginnings we understand a life of one day at a time recovery. We now know that change can happen and many of us do so one day at a time. We become healthy in the company of others, and we understand the meaning of grace. Even though our mannerism, beliefs, and abilities can be different than others, we are learning to adapt and function at levels we could have never done before. When this happens we understand that miracles still happen. Thank God for new beginnings. We are no longer alone.
Many of us who live in one day at a time recovery try to believe in God. We find if there is something about this God is he, she, or whatever, truly cares. And we believe whatever this force does for one person it can do for others. Most of us are pretty sure we cannot completely comprehend the why or how. Our reality is we know this force is love. It has modelled for us the miracle of one day at time recovery through those who have shown us how to be happy, joyous, and free. We start to see that this amiable and caring power working through other people. As this power worked through other people we had first hand experience of the gifts of love and empathy. We began to find clarity and we understand grace. These are gifts. It’s simple reality.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that when we feel that we must stand alone we are in all actuality standing with the other. The other, which is the reality of what we call God, the spirit, or the universe will always stand with us. The truth is that he, she, they, or it will actually pick us up when we fall. The other actualizes the concept and the materialization of grace. We all know this. We just need a few moments of awareness, freedom, and a one day at a time hint of gratitude for grace to sink in. When it couldn’t or wouldn’t many of us reached out for professional help. Some of us needed medication and guidance to find this reality. The other is the inextricable connection that lives in us all. People living in one day at a time recovery simplistically reveal this to us. This is the other’s way of making awareness easy. We stand together. Peace.