Many people living in one day at a time recovery choose to live a life of recovery once they have found one day at a time abstinence for a while. Most of the time we find abstinence because deep down inside of us there was a desperation and a loneliness so great and so horrible that we had no choice but to stop using. We bottomed out. When we stopped using we were stepping out of hell and entering a world of the living. Most of us needed a safe place to do so. With a bit of time in abstinence we found we had to stop the con if we wanted live doable and manageable lives. In doing as such we found we had to live reasonable lives and stop playing in places where we once used. Many of us substituted the rooms of recovery for our using places and in doing so we developed the ability to choose one day at a time recovery and the freedom that goes with it. Do we have a choice? We do after we are abstinent long enough to be comfortable with the reality of living in our own skin. Many of us understand this. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know everyday brings hope. We don’t have to feel, experience, or absolutely understand how we have hope. It’s not a matter of faith, trust, good deeds, or anything that we have done that merits us this reality. There is hope everyday because of pain, sickness, death, and tragedy. It is because chains, terror, cruelty, and ill will supersede any act of decency or kindness. It is because want gets twisted into greed, addiction, and to the very least obsessive want. It’s because life gets so selfish we don’t even care enough to share the air that we breathe or the water that we drink. It’s because we wage war with our neighbors because we want what they have or they are a threat to our sanctimonious belief of ourselves, our God, and our society. Everyday we awaken we know this pain, this wrong, and this truth. We shed the tears, we heave the sighs, we sob the sobs, and we know the dark deep days of depression. But still we sing, we smile, we work, we laugh, and we can be exceedingly grateful. People marry or form unions of togetherness. Kindness and charity is a part of our lives. Children are born and they sing their funny rhymes. And even poets can smile. What else could we do but believe their is hope everyday. Hope is because it has to be. It’s a kin to love. There is no other reality.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know what it is like when our reality is that on some days we just get by. We are grateful for these day because such days are the days we grow through the numbness and the normalness of life. Without the gratitude for being alive such days are the days that some of us have relapsed back into active addiction. We really don’t know why such normal days bring us to the reality of relapse but our reality is that we sometimes appear lost on such days. Our greatest reality is to become the normal and to be the reality of a person living in one day at a time recovery. Living in recovery is not just something that we find. It is the reality of us living in recovery each and every day. We need to adapt. Peace.
Some people who are living in one day at a time recovery understand that having a faith is a bonus. This is particularly true when such a faith subscribes to the reality of inclusivity and belonging for all people. We need such inclusivity and belonging as recovering people because grace from God, the spirit, or the universes is the fundamental reality of all faiths that exist in the reality of such an existing caring being. Without grace there is no love for one’s self or for life itself. The very existence of having a faith is to house the poor, feed the hungry, heal the sick, and free those in bondage. Such a faith is a bonus to recovery. It helps us to live doable lives in the realities of love and compassion one day at a time. Peace
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that nothing is for certain and knowing this reveals to us that tomorrow is almost impossible to define. Knowing that we can have plans for tomorrow we can understand the hopeful realities of living in one more day of recovery while securing the benefits of health, freedom, happiness and joy. Such benefits can be the longings of our souls because yesterday might have been adversity after adversity causing us to be at times suspicious and timid of tomorrow. Can we define tomorrow to be anything other than what is yet to be? As we tread towards tomorrow we leave a little bit of our today to help those who are still living in the bondage of active addiction. What is yet to be will be. It’s a universal reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery hope to participate in the reality of perpetual recovery. Perpetual recovery is a day at a time living which stems from the reality of new beginnings. It does not make our lives perfect but one day at a time abstinence gives us ample opportunity to live the realities of life. Such realities are that we have fallen and we have risen into a life of perpetual recovery. In as such we have become aware of our own shadow selves which have revealed to us that we can no longer live in self-righteous judgement of ourselves or others. Grace becomes a permanent part of our growth because we see our our imperfections. We learn to forgive not only ourselves but others too. This helps to develop the reality of perpetual recovery. It’s the gift of love and awareness that makes continuing growth and continuing one day at a time abstinence possible. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that when we are living in recovery we are maintaining the reality of reality. When we do this we discover that we are living in a more enjoyable and friendlier world. As we maintain our recovery, we do not do this solely on our own accord. Most of us realize this friendlier world is a reality we maintain in abstinence and grace found in a kinship with other recovering people. Some of us discover that we need to take medication to find or stay in this reality. We don’t need to be afraid of getting professional medical help. It has helped many of us. The desire to live in reality while maintaining the reality of reality saves lives. It’s an inviting, happier, and healthier place to be. God, the spirit, or the universe is offering us a gift. Peace.
Some people living in one day at a time recovery are people who are guilty of practicing discrimination against reality. When we are discriminating against reality we deny the existence of the inextricable connection between all recovering people as we compare the differing phases of development and the differing ages between each other. In doing so we might exclude ourselves from the people we are most akin with denying our reality and the reality of such people which is we all hit bottom and recovery is a reality that changes, grows, and matures over time. We do well to be aware of this. We need not think of each other with contempt or indifference. Our developing realities will reveal the togetherness we do have. It’s a growing bond of reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at time recovery are people who realistically know how hard it can be to find the calming benefits of living in recovery. Although such benefits are difficult to find at times, we do understand a simple practice we can participate in to help us find this calm. What some of us have had to do, and still might have to do, is that we fake this calm until we find it. If we are people who visit the rooms of recovery we might understand this. This is the reality of grace telling us we will grow and we will find such calm. We understand the realities of time takes time and this too shall pass. We will find this calm to experience that both life and recovery bring freedom with them and that they are more than doable. It’s the gift of reality. Peace.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery know the difficulties of changing our mindset. Sometimes it is not as easy as we might think it is. Often what we want to change is that we wish to have more faith than fear. Often when we are lacking faith we are assuming that injury or harm will take place. We worry about our mental, physical and emotional health and assume we need to fulfill the reality of security and certainty. Such worry is the beginning of anxiety and maybe if we pay attention we will see the courage we are developing one day at a time. Perhaps we always had it. We do not recognize faith unless it has been challenged. In truth, the struggle causes and reveals faith’s reality. Often it tells us to reach out to others for help. We need to see this. Peace.