Most people who are living in one day at a time recovery understand that when they are becoming overextended that they need rest. It appears when we have an iron in one fire and another iron in another fire and yet another iron in another fire we need to understand that we are actually and quickly burning ourselves out. Burning out is not a good place to be. Burned out can lead to a need for days of rest or what some people call a depressive period. In all reality if we had set healthy limitations on ourselves we would have been okay. There is no need for ourselves to get down on ourselves. We simply need to recoup. There are always possibilities of having tasks to do. It’s a reality of life. We just had a reminder of where overextending ourselves takes us. The fact that we are even living in recovery is all grace. We are in all truth grateful. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that everyday becomes the reality of a re-beginning. This means we are not wiping the slate clean everyday forever and ever it means that we take the the lessons that we have learned in life and carry them with us when we begin and re-begin in the reality of every new day. This is building upon and not actually having to create our recovery all over again. This helps us to remember what helps us in our lives of what we call recovery. It also helps us to avoid the dangerous things we have done that had put us at risk for relapse. We re-begin because it works. It’s a healthy thing that leads us into growth. It’s an amazing gift. We have learned this one day at a time and will continue to do so. Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery know the reality of fear. If we do not know fear we are not living. When we live our lives of recovery there will be times when we feel that pit in our stomach and that anxiety in our breath. We might be attacked by thoughts of aloneness and we might lose our sense of belonging with others. We need to understand that this happens to all of us from time to time. Many of us pray centering prayer to ground us in wellness again. And most importantly we don’t isolate. We reach out, fear disappears and belonging is found once again. We all know what it’s like. We’re all in this together. Remember that. Peace.
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.