Many people living in one day at a time recovery wrestle with thoughts that provoke anxiety. In our suffering (and it is suffering), we often turn to the pen trying to create a better reality for ourselves. In doing so we are shadow boxing with our own pain, and we actually discover that we are not always in control in this journey that we call living in recovery (or life). Some people can easily roll with such circumstances but many of us struggle with such realities. In such reality some of us discover that we need to reach out for help. Some of us need counselling or medication to help us to climb out of the thorn bushes. The creation of the now, or the reality of our pen, reveals to us that we need to be heard. When we do reach out we are in actually starting to let go. It’s the brave thing to do. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that for many of us recovery takes coordinated efforts for us to navigate the realities of life. We often discover that after we have found abstinence in a safe place like a hospital or a detox facility, most of us need the help of others to remain abstinent. Many of us decide to reach out for support in the rooms of recovery. We find out that many people in the rooms of recovery can help us to coordinate the reality of recovery one day at a time. What they try and teach us is that none of us are prima donnas and that we all need each other. They will show us the necessary steps to take in order that we can happily and realistically participate in life and recovery. Reality becomes manageable. It’s well worth the effort. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery eventually discover that in regards to spiritual growth most of us are at the beginnings of ongoing spiritual awakenings. Before we knew this we might have actually found ourselves judging the quality of another recovering person’s recovery. What we need to realize is that when we are judging and measuring the recovery of others, we are actually measuring what we believe to be the worth of another human being. Welcome to reality of egoic fear. We have it and we will always have it. Hopefully it quiets down after a while. When it does we might realize we are all in this together. No better or no worse than any other person. We all have a long way to go. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery have experienced, and will experience, the fearful me. The fearful me is part of our conditioning that happened during past trauma and does happen because of current triggers or stressors. What most of us discover is the fearful me, even after many years of recovery, can still be a part of our life and our recovery. The anxiety we feel is often difficult to deal with but we do our best and often we do deal with it. It’s not always easy but we usually do okay. We all might not be heroes but we do participate in life, and recovery, the best we can. It’s all about the doing and the continuing to do. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know when it’s raining. It tends to happen when we are not at our best and we are struggling and anxious. When this happens we are probably unhealthy, and we are bit less flexible. We discover we are probably having a hard time adapting to the stressors that are at hand because of this anxiety. Control issues occur at these times. It’s a reality that affects many of us. When we see this we know it is raining. Focusing on a realistic solution can get us out of the rain and when we put a workable solution into action we can become a healthier model of ourselves. Often we need help. Perhaps then we can breathe. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery believe it is a bitter reality when we don’t believe there is a power greater than ourselves that is working in our lives and that can restore us to the sanity often found in recovery. For many of us that sanity is that there is a God and we are not him, her or it. In our real reality we find that many of us were actually prodigal children who thoughtlessly spent our lives with no concern for anyone but ourselves. We bottomed out and we bottomed out and in the spirit of desperation we reached out, like many prodigal children do, and pleaded, “God help me!” Our reality is this God did and will continue help. We just have to become sane enough to believe. Peace.
What many of us living in one day at a time recovery eventually come to understand is that we are nothing more than humble addicts. It’s our inner-most reality whether we are living in recovery or not. It is our reality when we admit to our brokenness and we reach out for help. It’s the foolish ones among us who think that we can be spiritually fit enough to be preachers or gurus. Even those among us who believe that all recovering people are inextricably connected with each other, and that it is grace alone that has brought us into recovery. What we discover is it is the gift of desperation that brings us together even though it might take us many years to really understand. When we understand this, we understand grace. It’s our humble reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the reality of focusing on the task at hand or, living in the present moment. Such action can be a tool to help us deal with anxiety based on future events. Some of us call it an important part of living one day at a time. Doing what is right in front of us not only helps us by occupying our minds but it might be taking care of what needs to be taken care of for the future. This is the reality of one step, or one action, leading into another causing a progression of actions helping the next step to be done. If this cannot be done, living in the present moment by focusing on the task at hand is at the very least a distraction. Most of the time it works. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery live our lives speckled with tiny bits of mirth. We have experienced this gift in the humorous realities shared and told of within the rooms of recovery. Laughter is a reality. If life and living in one day at a time recovery were a play we might call some of our stories comic relief. We need this. Our recovery depends on it. With this we get to understand we appreciate that we don’t have to be a glum lot who are forever serious constantly struggling in adversity and hardship. We are meant to be free. We are meant to laugh. And we are meant to feel joy. Peace.
Some people who have lived in one day at a time recovery for a fairly substantial amount of time know the reality of having found ourselves. What we discover after finding ourselves is that both recovery and the reality of finding ourselves are gifts. They were done to us through the reality of grace from God, the spirit or the universe, one day at a time, day after day, in the realities of present spiritual awakenings. It only happens when it happens, and we come to understand we are no more or no less than any other person especially in regards to spiritual wisdom or fitness. The sad thing is losing our innocence is the price we pay in finding ourselves and living our lives as people who understand the meaning of living life one day at a time. At times it is a truly humbling and difficult endeavor which most of us will discover happens without our knowledge or our permission. It’s the really real and its darkness eats a hole in our souls. Acceptance is our only deliverer. It brings us much joy and much freedom. Peace.