People living in one day at a time recovery know that recovery has its ups and downs. Sometimes, when we are up, we want to be around people. Sometimes, when we are down, we want to be around people. This is the reality of recovery. Sometimes, up or down, we want to be alone. Energy has the ability to change, and so can our choices. Sometimes rest will help us to recharge our batteries and bring us out of a melancholy mood. Sometimes practicing gratitude can initiate a change in our energy giving us a more positive outlook for the day. Sometimes we are just okay. A little somber but okay. Sometimes okay is a wonderful place to be. Sometimes we have nothing to say. Sometimes we do. When we are reviewing our recovery we know life has its up and downs. This is recovery’s challenge of sometimes. Peace.
People living life one day at a time know that living in recovery is reality. For some of us that reality is our mental health disorders make some aspects of life difficult. For instance when we lose our cool. Losing our cool in this case doesn’t mean we become enraged and have an angry outburst screaming loudly upsetting our whole household. The losing our cool we are talking about is something that happens to us when we get older. It’s like when we open a cap off of a jug of milk and we drop the cap and mumble not so nice words when it’s difficult to pick up. And it happens again and again. It’s when washing dishes by hand becomes a difficult task when just yesterday it was an effortless chore. And it escalates. Recovery is we lost our cool and we have to adapt. This new reality can be as frustrating as hell. So we try to be wise when we drop the milk cap and we tell ourselves we’re just stretching so we can remain flexible. There are many other ways that we can lose our cool. It is a difficult thing for people living in recovery to accept. Losing your cool is difficult for everyone. Recovery is reality. And it’s okay if it pisses us off. It’s life. Peace.
Some people living one day at a time recovery live their lives as grateful people. Many of them believe that gratitude is a practiced and living outlook on life. Although gratitude is not a perpetual endeavor, those who learn to access it are healthier people who are more content. These people are the people who deal with adversity better. They adapt and overcome life’s struggles easier than ungrateful people. In addition to this, they do not practice toxic positivity because they understand the realities of life. They know that life is hard. Many of us have reaped the benefit of their understanding, and their recovery. We imitate their practice and their contented outlook upon life. One day at a time we become healthier, contented people. We know the realities of life but our views of the human condition becomes more hopeful. And in all our reality we see how our growth is changing our lives. When we look at what has happened, or is happening, we realize we are envisioning, or have envisioned happiness. We even see this as a large part of our lives in the future. We are grateful people living life one day at a time. Peace.
There is a common delusion many people share which is that we can only be happy when we find Utopia. This is because we believe that Utopia is a place where all of our desires and dreams will be fulfilled. Such a place is the vision of people in bondage. It is the hopes of people in pain. Such is the pain of people living with concurrent disorders. The delusion we share is that we need perfection to be happy not the idea of does Utopia exist. If we believe that Utopia is a state of being, rather than a place to live, we will have moments of Utopian peace. And we can have a lot of serenity, happiness, and joy. It happens one day at a time. This is when we experience freedom from the bondage that active addiction places on us. We can be free from the delusion that happiness is anything other than the happy, joyous, and free lives recovering people live. Our pain is real. We can acknowledge that. When we are reasonable about what Utopia is, which is the freedom for people in bondage, we have the gift of gratitude and the gifts brought to us when we escape our delusions which some call the bondage of self. Thank you for reading.
People living in one day at a time recovery know that some days are not always the best days. Communication with others doesn’t seem to be working, and expectations end up going by the wayside. We can look at it as disappointment, bitterness and lack of control. Or maybe it’s just a some days. What do we mean? We mean some days the timing’s off. It’s a reality. Some days in regards to our relationships with other people it’s better to retreat back into differing neutral corners so we can fight fairly another day. Maybe when we do this we’ll claim ownership of our own issues and let go of the blame. This works better than throwing stones. Throwing stones hurts people. We know better. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery can have all or nothing thinking. Such thinking is effective when used in regards to total abstinence. If we don’t take that first one we won’t get high or loaded. When we think this way because we have been introduced to difficulties or stressors that will cause changes in our lives and we have to adapt, or give and take, in these situations it doesn’t always mean that it’s an all or nothing thing. It’s like buying a previously owned vehicle. Even if we have to compromise it can still be a good thing. Another reality is if the car is a bad thing, we don’t have to buy it. We don’t need to compromise here. It’s our reality. Adaptation is a skill that evolves with time. Total abstinence is a good thing. So are wisdom and boundaries. Think first. Peace.
Many of us who live in one day at a time recovery are not leaders. We do not follow a certain set of principals other than we try our best to stay healthy, and we try and let others know that they too can become healthy if they respond to support from others, and stay clean and sober one day at a time. Some of us take medication under the direction of competent practicing physicians. Some of us have been in rehab programs and have had professional counselling. And some of us belong to 12 step programs and other support groups. Some of us believe in God, the universe or a spirit. Some of us believe in nature or energy. We are a flexible bunch of recovering people. In addition to this most of us just want to be heard and valued as people. This is a common reality of most people whether they are in recovery or not. And we know both recovery and life can be hard. We also know their joys. We matter. Everyone does. One day at a time we want to be well and we wish you the best. Also we believe in grace. May it be yours. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery live with thoughts that can jump all over the place. These scattering thoughts often happen at bedtime. Some of us believe that some of these thoughts are the workings of our mind seeking safety at night. We want to tie up loose ends. We want to better prepare ourselves for the mental, physical and emotional struggles that we might have to face. And we might even want to prepare ourselves for unreal threats that we are imagining. Our minds are trying to tie up loose ends. The reality of scattering thoughts is journaling strategies help to harness the noise. Often taking care of our physical health helps. Also it is helpful to practice good sleep hygiene. Some nights it just hard. Talk to your doctor. Be well today or should I say be well tonight. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that wellness has its limitations. We cannot all do whatever we set our minds to. Few people can. Even though our wellness has it limitations we understand that we can have limited limitless wellness. This means we can become well far beyond the beliefs and hopes of our families, our doctors or even ourselves. Even though we have surpassed any degree of wellness anyone had ever hoped for us, we as everyone else have our limitations. Like it was said – we cannot do everything we might believe we can. We’ll deal with the disappointment. We will adapt. Most of us learn this through trial and error. And in all reality we become perfectly alright with this. We are recovering people who discover our limited wellness is limitless in regards to our one day at a time recovery. When we do so we can participate in life to its fullness. It’s an amazing experience. We know when life gets difficult we can reach out to our supports. Another reality is we can also help others. We understand what limited limitless wellness is all about. It’s called life. Enjoy it. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery have limited incomes. Often just paying our bills becomes a challenge for many of us. It could happen to anyone. Right now, as it usually is, the world is facing an economic conundrum. The system of meritocracy needs merit most of us just a little more. Or so we believe – just a little more. A reality is – is that many of us need to curb our obsessive want. Community has told us this for a long time. Our unbridled greed interferes with the fulfillment of a community’s needs. Unbridled greed interferes with the growth of community and creates economic injustice. Community’s existence is the attempt to hold unbridled greed at bay. We know greed is not a good thing. Many of us who struggle economically still attempt to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. When we do so we are doing so because of the benefits of one day at a time recovery. We have become reasonable souls. Also we know what struggle is like. Conundrum or not many people choose to be kind and generous. We all benefit. Maybe kindness and generosity will solve the problem. Peace.