Many of us living in one day at a time recovery are trying to understand imperfect peace. We understand pain and sorrow really have little to do with finding peace and are the reality of human living. This brings with it an imperfect peace shared by us as human beings. Often in our deepest pains and our deepest sorrows we find a peace that surpasses all understanding. We know that the peace that surpasses all understanding is a God thing. Some of us need call it grace. That is all we can understand. We need not know why. What we do know is the human condition makes all peace imperfect. None the less imperfect peace brings us wellness, serenity, and wholeness. Imperfect peace lets us be, or become, happy, joyous and free people. When this happens we discover the reality and the gift of imperfect peace in our human imperfection. Another reality is we experience the gift of gratitude in a life of perfect imperfections. One day at a time. Peace.
Many people who live life one day at a time know the refreshing quench of ice water. Satisfying our thirst is more than a simple pleasure. It is a need. Our desire to quench our thirst brings us a simple joy of nourishment when we draw a draught of ice water which satisfies our tongues, palates, throats, and stomachs. It is an enjoyable sensation. And we are participating in a natural action of hand to mouth. It is a calming instinctive motion. It’s a regular thing done by regular people. We see we are not so special, or not so bad. We like to drink ice water. It’s not running through our veins. We’re just regular people. We learn this after being in one day at a time recovery for a while. We have friends and families. When we’re cut we bleed. We’re just people. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn how to handle stress the best we can. Too much stress can turn into anxiety, and anxiety often affects both our minds and our bodies. When anxiety affects our minds we can easily get wrapped up in worry and fear. It can affect our bodies with such things as panic attacks, headaches, and insomnia. When any of this happens we go see a doctor. We need take this precaution. It’s a necessity. Most of us find anxiety will pass if it is situational. We learn to deal with situational anxiety and become better equipped to do so. Perhaps our doctor has given us medication to help us be healthy. We might also have to make positive changes in our lives. Some of us deal with stress just by living one day at a time and having someone to talk over our difficulties with. Some of us simply need a break. One of our realities is we need to feel safe. Sometimes we just need to breathe. Some pray – some meditate. Some of us meet in groups and some of us need therapy. Reach out and be healthy. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn we cannot make all things possible. We know this because experience has shown us that we cannot overcome life. Reality has asked us how can we expect to overcome life when we simply could not moderate or gain control of our vices or addictions. Many of us found it difficult enough to simply just stop all together unless we bottomed out and had no choice but to stop. We had to surrender to the truth. We can never use again. It took a fair amount of grace from many people to teach us this. Most of us call grace a God thing. Moderation is an easy thing for many people, but not for us. This is a fact. We cannot overcome life. Then we learned about one day at a time recovery, and we learned to take direction. Some of us try to stay in tune to the Universe, spirit, energy, God or whatever we conceive him, her, they, or it to be. Some of us fall short, but we’ve learned that we cannot overcome life. We live by it. It’s reality. Peace.
Some people who live life one day at a time find early recovery difficult. This happens to us because early recovery brings with it the tides of delusion. When the tides of delusion are flowing, we believe that we are in complete control of our lives. We forecast for ourselves perfection. We drift into the direction of I am in control, and everyone in my life needs to take directions from me. We believed the crisis that initiated our bottoming out was not due to us, or our decision making. We had no understanding of what we really needed. What we needed was for other people to be our eyes and our ears. We needed to take direction from them. When we accept this we will see the delusions fade a bit. The reality of life is all people need direction. Again – all of us. Peace.
Often people living in one day at a time recovery have moments when we choose to be alone. This is a time of chosen aloneness. These times are important, refreshing endeavors that sometimes bring us peace, contentment and direction. Often, when we are not stressed and preoccupied with the troubles of life, we have times of serenity and we are meeting for an instant the great spirits of life. These spirits are joy, kindness, compassion, and love. Some call it moments of communion with the God of their understanding. Some call it prayer and meditation. And some would simply call it moments of peace. We don’t always find this calm nor do we need to always experience it. Our times of chosen aloneness are for us, and when we have such times we become better equipped to deal with life and its demands. It’s part of self-care. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery surrender to the belief that deep down we are just people. Our lives have caused our hearts to break, and our illness have caused us to break other people’s hearts. Our defects of character have twisted our realities. We lived the realities of ill people not certain where to get help. The illness that controlled us had a defining and severe symptom that hid the reality of our disorders from us. This symptom told us that we had no illness. It held us captive with denial and delusion. In truth, we had no concept of reality. We may have functioned, but our minds were as psychotic as the person who believed they could lift skyscrapers and create universes. Many of us needed medical attention to gain control over such severe symptoms. When treatment had found us reality, we began to become well. Some of us would find better health and seek to live in a healthy reality. We learned illness is a natural aspect of human imperfection. We journeyed out of our cages. One day at a time we begin to grow as people – just people. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery often write to help people. We are not boasting to claim we are superior than any other people in any way whatsoever. We are not boasting at all. Especially spiritually or morally. We know our shortcomings, and if we boasted in any way, it would be a sanctimonious endeavor. We are just trying to recover from broken lives while trying to better cope with life one day at a time. Most of us try to trust in God, the universe, the spirit, life, or perhaps nature, to help us. If you haven’t experienced the gift of desperation you might not understand. Grace has revealed this to us. We have found happiness as we stumbled out of a darkness that kept us chained and blind for years. We heard the calls to be responsible, and we do our very best to be so. And when others laughed, we too learned to laugh. When others smiled, we learned to smile. And we also understood how to love. This is one day at a time recovery. We want struggling people to know they are not alone. May you be well today. Peace.
People living life one day at a time know living in recovery is like shoveling snow. If you live in a country like Canada, you know snow is going to happen. And happen it does. Sometimes the snow is minimal, light, and fluffy. It’s easy to push and easy to pick up. We do the work and enjoy clear driveways and walkways. We feel a sense of accomplishment. At times the snow comes down fast. It gathers accumulating in drifts. It’s a bit heavy and cumbersome. If we have snow-blowers we deal with it pretty efficiently and clear everything. There is a possibility we might need help from others. It feels good when this snow is removed. Then there are times when heavy wet snow gathers, and we need help from professionals. We deal with our walkways ourselves, but the driveways just would have been too much so we had them ploughed. When we have experienced what we can handle by ourselves, and we know what we need help with, we can handle our one day at a time recovery quite well. We know that snow is only a periodic part of life. Spring comes soon enough. Peace.
People living life one day at a time discover the good in people. Not only do we discover the good in people, we discover the good in ourselves. A good portion of us are responsible productive people who are good at meeting our responsibilities. Some of us are adept at bringing out the best in people. Some of us in our one day at a time journey see the good in most people, and in doing so we see that most people are doing the best they can. This is reality. We see this because the good people we have known have modelled this reality before our eyes, and in doing so they have taught us how to discover the good in others. Another reality is they teach us how to see it in ourselves. Though at times we struggle, and at times we have bad days, we see life is good. We know the truth of life is that every person will have pain. We learn to let it go by helping each other. That is what good people do. We see the love and good in we. Some call it grace. Especially when we fall. Peace.