Most people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of hearing words that speak to us. We hear words of joy when we hear someone smile. We hear words of pain when we see the frustration and sadness when tears role down their cheeks. We hear words of belonging when someone shakes our hand or hugs us. We hear words of freedom when someone shows us how to live life one day at a time. And we hear words of responsibility when someone needs help. This is the reality of living in recovery and hearing words that speak to us. And when we need we will hear the words belonging in coffee shops, at kitchen tables, and in the rooms of recovery. We need to listen with our hearts in the reality of life and recovery one day at a time. Peace.
Many people who are living in one day at a time recovery understand and believe that when they were using they were like children who thought that they had complete control of their sandbox. What we did not understand was our sandbox was in complete control of us. Our sandbox dictated as to who we would let play with us. Besides this we had no other thoughts than we always needed to be in our sandbox. Even when we were longing to be elsewhere or anywhere besides our sandbox we could not because our sandbox was the only place we were comfortable. Even when other children were going to school we stayed behind and our natural development simply wasn’t happening. Others had to intervene rescuing us from an unnatural dependence. We began to understand the reality of the other. We stopped playing in our sandbox becoming healthy one day at a time. When we realized the importance of our intervention we became grateful. Now we could develop naturally. We rested in the arms of hope. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery believe in a kind and compassionate world. Not only do they believe this in theory, but they practice it on a daily basis. They tell us that we matter. To them it’s not just a matter that all people matter, it’s a reality of that “we” matter. These people are empathetic people who tell us that it is not our fault that we have been afflicted with an illness or illnesses. In their reality though they let us know that we must reach out and get the help we need. Often we find these people in the rooms of recovery. They help make the world a better place for us. This is what recovery is all about which is for us ourselves to become kind and compassionate people. We help each other and make the world a better place for everyone. Peace
Most people living in one day or a time recovery understand that life can have have its difficulties and there are times that we will have to deal with disappointment. Dealing with disappointment gives us choices which are either to adapt accordingly and let go of whatever it is of that which is causing us disappointment or wallow in self-pity and feel sorry for ourselves. Most of us do a little of both. Whatever it is that we do we know that we make the decision everyday to remain abstinent even if it means taking one on the chin. Life can be difficult. We know this. We change or adapt or we learn to let go. One day at a time we will be okay. It called being resilient people. Reach out. We don’t have to do it alone. We know this. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand what it is like to have the hell beat out of us by the loneliness of addiction. In our isolation which eventually occurs to all of us we had very little sense of belonging. Those we were close to tried and continued to try to get us to reach out and get help. If we were lucky a detox center, a rehab facility, or a hospital had a bed for us and we came to terms with our reality which was we could not find recovery on our own. Our next step was to seek the support from people in the rooms of recovery. In doing so we found refuge from that God awful feeling of crippling loneliness. We found the reality of belonging and we embraced recovery. Today we have hope. We realize we always did. Peace
Some people living with mental health disorders and addiction understand that in reality and in the awareness of ones’ reality that they have never been so well. With the writing that we do be it the work of journaling or the writings that 12 step personhoods suggest that we do we will eventually learn that one day at a time recovery is a process of one day one day one day reality in as difficult and in as joyous that it is. In our abstinence some of us say “I have never been more anxious but I have never been so well.” Today we know that we have a choice and with that choice we find true freedom from not only active addiction but from the need to perfect or in control of everything to be well. Life becomes reasonable, doable, and we become content. We are grateful. Peace.
Many of us who are living in one day at a time recovery understand that stairways also descend. It is the reality of not only living in active addiction it is also the reality of living life. Sometimes when we are caught in what appears to be the reality of an ever descending staircase we panic. In genuine desperation we reach out for help. Since we know we need help we grab onto a banister and grace gives us the ability to then grab onto the hand of the other which in reality is the hand of God, the spirit, or the universe working in and through the reality of the hands of other people. We know this from experience. We do not have to face life, reality, or descending staircases alone and the climb of the journey begins again. The other has taught us this. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that it is more than probable that we will get to experience the reality of manageable living. Manageable living is not living perfect and totally wonderful lives it is dealing with the present day as best we can while remaining abstinent from the reality of active addiction. Abstinence creates an opportunity for us to become reasonable and content people. We might say we become reasonable happy people who experience the gift of joy because we practice the responsibility and passion of gratitude. When we are in recovery gratitude is more than doable. As Leonard Cohen would say recovery draws from our hearts the reality of hallelujah. It is more than probable that we find this gift of living manageable lives one day at a time. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of being sick. Addiction and living with mental health disorders is not a reckoning of how cool we are, how strong we are, or how unique we are. Being sick is a debilitating and difficult condition that causes us to reach out for help both professional and peer in order that we may become healthy enough to function at a level where we can be relatively independent and successful in living a life of recovery and reality. The grace that we receive from other human beings and a higher power which we might call God, the spirit, or the universe makes it possible that we can be well. When we find wellness we’re aware of the grace we have received and are receiving. We become grateful. Not everyone finds recovery. We are the lucky ones. Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery understand when the water is bad it will make us sick. This undeniable reality occurs to us should we partake in using anything that makes our ability and logic impaired. The reason we understand this is because when we were actively using we became totally non-functionable in regards to taking care of ourselves physically, mentally, financially, and socially. When we found abstinence and recovery we learned we were sick people when we were using. We compared using to drinking bad water and bad water always makes us sick. Some of us got so sick that we died. Bad water is poison. Other recovering people and experience taught us this. It’s an undeniable reality. Today we can say no because when abstinent we have a choice. This choice is a gift. There is no other reality. Peace.