Most people living in one day at a time recovery understand the importance of no. The biggest no we have to say is to ourselves. We usually understand when the thought of using pops into our heads we have to say to ourselves, “No that is not for me.” Should we start the back and forth thoughts of “I will only have a couple” or “It will be different this time” we know we have to tell ourselves “No! I can’t”. If such thinking does not leave us we hook up with a support. Often if there is a meeting going on in the rooms of recovery we go there. We know we have to say no. Our lives and our contentment depend on it. The importance of no is an imperative reality. We have to learn this. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that others will say the same thing but in different words. This gives them and us a sense of belonging and this gives us the feeling of an inextricable connection with others. We lose the sense of aloneness we once had when were living in active addiction. Active addiction is a bad thing for anyone. Should we survive our bottoms we often discover the gift of desperation. We just have to remain abstinent long enough to understand that our recovery is all grace and that we have to do a bit of work to live in a one day at a time reality. Most of us say the same thing but in different words. We just need to really listen and in this we find wellness and freedom. It’s a reality that we are grateful for. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the importance of doing the things we like to do. One of the things that we discover we like to do is living in the clarity of having clear minds with humble and doable goals, endeavors, or pass-times. Many of us just like to be responsible recovering people who are supportive of and supported by other recovering people. When we are everything else is just an extra piece of cake. Being responsible leads to a more enjoyable and doable life. One day at a time we are doing the things we like to do. And to think it all stems from the day we found the gift of desperation. It’s all grace. Enjoy it and share it with others. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand what it is like to be out of touch with the people who support us in our journeys of recovery. Our friends who we do coffee with, people who we visit the rooms of recovery with, and our people who we practice our faith with help us to stay away from isolation and the reality of feeling alone. Alone leads to being out of touch and perhaps we might even think we are unique. Most of us know uniqueness is not a good thing for us. Together we recover. Together we are well. When we are well we know that we share an inextricable bond with others. We stay in touch. Remember this. Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery understand what it is like to be embraced with love. We learn that desperation is often a gift or a cloud with a silver lining. It usually take a few years of continual abstinence for us to understand this. We need to be healthy to know we are embraced by the reality of the other. This other is the manifestation of love, kindness, and hope or what most of us call God, the spirit, or the universe that gently embraces us one day at a time. Being embraced by the other brings with it the welcomed freedom of reality and recovery. Many of us find it in the rooms of recovery. In such rooms we recover with kin and we know we are embraced by each other. We don’t have to face the difficult alone. Peace.
The reality of living in one day at a time recovery is that we must remain abstinent as we walk with hope and humility. At times we might feel the adversities of stress but we know this is a reality of being a human being. We can feel stressed but we will either cope with it alone or if we need help we will reach out. This is the reality of feeling stressed and too stressed so we breathe, make a call and hook up with a caring empathetic person be they a friend, a family member, or even a professional support. These people will listen and help us to get out of the quicksand of life. Sometimes we just need to see life in with a different perspective. Hope grows in gatherings. Togetherness helps us all. Stress isn’t a perpetual difficulty. When we know this we’ll find wellness. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of simplicity at its best. Simplicity at its best is not searching through book after book, guru after guru, rehab after rehab, or job after job to find elevated and perfect recovery. Simplicity is saying no to using and having the compassion within you to try and help others to find humble one day at a time recovery. We find this simplistic recovery in the basements of churches, club-houses, coffee shops and at kitchen tables with down to earth people who live simple and humble lives. They believe they are no better or no worse than anybody else. Should these people subscribe to 12 step recovery or some other simple way of living recovery they know that we simply don’t pick up that first one. We simply help each other. It’s all grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day a time recovery understand what it is like to be living reasonable lives. The most reasonable and heroic thing we can do while living in recovery is to reach out and ask for help when we need it. Asking for help is a reality that we need to subscribe to because without the help of others we would struggle and often fall and perhaps even relapse. When we are living reasonable lives we learn about reasonable recovery being something we share with others. We often learn this in the rooms of recovery where we learn the reality of together we can. We all need help sometimes. In the rooms we help each other and in doing so we are living reasonable lives founded in reality. Remember – together we can. Reach out. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of life being a careful celebration. The old adage of let down your hair, be free, and get wasted is no longer a pursuit of ours. We know this from the wreckage we caused during our days of living in active addiction. Today our celebrations are careful and free events where we let down our hair but we do not get wasted. How do we do this? We remain abstinent by choosing to not pick up that first one. In other words we do not use. Most of us choose to avoid gathering with people who are consuming. It’s our reality. It is safer to celebrate with people who are not using. It just is. We know this from experience. We know life is a careful celebration that brings freedom and we know freedom is a wonderful gift. This is our truest reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery often subscribe to the understanding that our home is our reality. Not only is it our reality it is our welcomed reality. It is a haven where we break bread with our families. It is where we entertain ourselves with our TVs, our radios, our computers, and it has rooms where we create, craft, or sing. It is where we raise our children and it is our safe place. It is a place we pray. To simply put it it is where we recover and remain abstinent from active addiction. It is a place of love. To have such shelter, such comfort, such joy fully completes the reality of grace. When we have it we know how lucky we are. Peace.