Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery try to maintain a partnership with reality. Reality has revealed to us that we exist in a society with others. As we exist with others, we learn the gift of give and take. Reality has also revealed that service to others is a way to give. Often many of us become volunteers, which at times opens up windows of opportunity for us. If we live with someone, our reality is we have roles to play in our homes. Doing chores is a reality. So is kindness, compassion and courtesy. This boost our self-esteem and adds to our personal independence. Acceptance of this leads to a better home-life. Another reality is many of us have paying jobs. When we are living in recovery, we are capable of living in partnership with reality. It’s a gift of personal growth. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery have found one day at a time humility. When we discover this reality we have uncovered a spiritual reality. The spiritual reality of humility is a modest commitment that we endeavor to fulfill by sharing peace, joy and love. We do this by accepting we are worthy of grace. What we need to understand is being worthy of grace is a paradox. When we do this we know we can never force our peace, joy and love on another person, or other people. The spiritual reality becomes a grandiose delusion should we try to. People need to be heard should they struggle. At such a times we have shared peace, joy and love with others because they know they have been heard. We know this from experience. It’s important. Some call it empathy. When we understand the spiritual reality of humility we know we are not always the ones with answers. Our reality is we are people living in one day at a time recovery who know we are worthy of grace. We know we’re not saints, but we do have the humility to know we have peace, joy and love to share, and it’s a modest endeavor. Peace.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery learn we have opportunities to grow and to learn. As we grow we learn recovery offers us the gift of personal empowerment. We become aware of our reality and in that reality we become able to set goals for ourselves. One day at a time recovery empowers us to become real and true to the wellness in our lives. In our wellness we have a voice that will be sound and reliable, and we need to be well to create opportunity. Then we can help to empower others. Before finding recovery many of us lived tragic lives. We know what others are still struggling with. Everyone needs opportunity – especially the vulnerable, the disabled, and the marginalized. We need to be well and we need help to become so. After realizing this many of us found personal empowerment in the new found wellness we discovered. We managed to get work. Some part-time – some full-time. Regardless of work or not, many of us became responsible and productive people. We became better one day at a time. Others can too. Create realistic opportunities. This is empowerment. Peace.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery know each day can become gratitude in the making. Upon the beginning of each day we realize each day has a chance of being a good day. Our reality is even though we live with our disorders, our lives are manageable, and a manageable life is something to be grateful for. Experience has revealed this to us. Experience from living in one day at a time recovery has taught us the difference between healthy and unhealthy choices. Recovery has even shown us how to use unhealthy choices as an advantage to us. In later on appreciation we learn from our mistakes. Learning from unhealthy choices becomes gratitude in the making. Some call it wisdom which helps us to not make the same mistakes again. This is the positivity of growth. When we realize our lives are becoming gratitude in the making we start to see the wonders of life. Grateful people are a blessing to those of us who choose to live life one day at a time. These people model freedom and joy for us and we become gratitude in the making. It’s a gift. Peace.
Some people who live in one day at a time recovery experience broken love. The experience of broken love does not make love imperfect. Broken love makes love human, and in all reality it makes us experience the human connection. Ego tends to make us feel as though that we need to experience love in perfection in order for it to be real and trustworthy. Should we feel such a way we forget about our humanness. What we need realize is that any love is real love, and human love gives birth to kindness and compassion. It is also care and concern. It fills us with a sense of belonging, and it does everything that matters in the long run. Within the reality of humanness we do become frustrated, disappointed, and upset in life. We can even be angry at times. In order to know the truth we need to know that these are human emotions, and do not cancel out broken love. In as such human love allows us to get past, or over such emotions. Broken love creates equality. Often it has touches of perfection. It’s reality. Broken love is a gift. We are all people. Peace.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery understand there are times life is a lonely mess. We have heard it said that at times we were sitting in a room with hundreds of people but felt alone. This is a bit of a lonely mess. Usually, during these times, a good dose of empathy from another person helps to let us feel heard. It might even help us to navigate our way through the lonely mess we feel we are in. More often than not an empathetic ear will validate our feelings and we might not feel quite so alone because of this. Our reality becomes somebody does care and this loneliness will pass. Regardless of how we feel we realize we are hard-wired for struggle. We are receiving the gift of being a human being living. We might be a bit of a lonely mess but we’ll be okay. Peace.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery live following an ancient belief. What we have learned is one of Christ’s petitions in the Lord’s Prayer is “give us this day our daily bread”. Some of us believe it is a request to provide us with our needs to sustain us with the ability to not only live, but to live in recovery one day at a time. For this day many of us pray to our own understanding of God for the strength and the courage to face each day. When we are living in one day at a time recovery more often than not we have manageable lives. We come to an understanding we are not the center of everything. Very often we develop a relationship with humility and we receive the gift of gratitude. This day becomes a humble reality. It’s important. Peace.
Those of us who live life one day at a time understand that our purpose is to live in reality. When we live in today we are not overwhelmed with the frailties of yesterday or the tragedies of tomorrow. Living in today keeps us from yearning for sentimental memories which brings with them a melancholic ideology. Living in today keeps us from being preoccupied with a future that keeps us filled with fear and uncertainty. We need to face the present day dealing with what is at hand that day. Doing so we learn how to adapt and worry less. We also learn to deal with difficulties as they arise. In reality we have learned living in the present can be difficult. Another reality is we need to keep busy and stop thinking so much. Do your dishes. Sweep the floor. Create something. Have a decaf with a friend. Breathe. Write. Talk with a mental health professional. This is a small part of one day at a time reality. Peace.
Many people who live in one day at a time recovery understand gain and loss. Often when we journey ahead in life we gain three steps forward in experience in regards to how our level of functioning increases and adapts to life and its events. Another of our realities is that even though we have gained three steps forward in experience in our functioning levels, there will be times that life and its stressors will cause us to take one step back. This is not failure. It is natural stage of life experience which causes us to re-evaluate our journey. It can either re-teach us old coping skills or teach us new tools to move forward and once again enjoy life. So once again three steps forward. If we maintain such growth we are always ahead in our development. At times our growth can be side-tracked a bit. Another reality is the reality of a relapse. We seek our supports re-establish our health and participate once again in one day at a time recovery. There is a good chance we need medical intervention. We did not fail. It was a part of our journey to learn from. Again – three steps forward and one step back. By now we realize one day at a time recovery is a learning process and it works. Another reality is for the better part we enjoy it. Not every day is a bed of roses but life can be good. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery know the joy of unplanned peace. This is the accident of joy. We have heard it said that there are no accidents in God’s universe and we know the universe shall unfold as it so chooses whether we choose to help it or not. Many people believe karma shall enforce upon us pain and suffering for the pain and suffering we have caused others. Thus an eye for an eye. Contrary to the belief that the universe shall enforce the horrors of karma upon us, many of us have found the reality of grace given from God, the universe, and other people. Most of us did not find recovery because we were happy, joyous, and free. We found it because we were in pain and we passed it on to all around us. None the less karma stepped out of the way and God, the universe, and other people rewarded us with grace. This happens for no other reason than love and decency. In this we found unplanned peace and we discovered the accident of joy. Grace is a funny thing isn’t it? It’s a paradox. Peace.