Many people living in one day at a time recovery know everyday brings hope. We don’t have to feel, experience, or absolutely understand how we have hope. It’s not a matter of faith, trust, good deeds, or anything that we have done that merits us this reality. There is hope everyday because of pain, sickness, death, and tragedy. It is because chains, terror, cruelty, and ill will supersede any act of decency or kindness. It is because want gets twisted into greed, addiction, and to the very least obsessive want. It’s because life gets so selfish we don’t even care enough to share the air that we breathe or the water that we drink. It’s because we wage war with our neighbors because we want what they have or they are a threat to our sanctimonious belief of ourselves, our God, and our society. Everyday we awaken we know this pain, this wrong, and this truth. We shed the tears, we heave the sighs, we sob the sobs, and we know the dark deep days of depression. But still we sing, we smile, we work, we laugh, and we can be exceedingly grateful. People marry or form unions of togetherness. Kindness and charity is a part of our lives. Children are born and they sing their funny rhymes. And even poets can smile. What else could we do but believe their is hope everyday. Hope is because it has to be. It’s a kin to love. There is no other reality.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that all people have, will, and do cast the shadows of the shadow-self. With time in recovery, and sometimes very much time in recovery, we begin to recognize this reality. Our reality is for us to become capable of recognizing, accepting, and then watching these shadows become less prevalent and less demanding as we recognize the development of our true-selves. We become far from perfect and we do start to accept human imperfection in ourselves and others. We become less critical and less punishing and less punishable. Somehow or someway we become more tolerant. One day at a time we understand the importance of remaining abstinent. This teaches us that we all cast shadows due to our fearful, prejudicial, and egoic imaginings. Nonetheless we begin to become imperfect beacons of hope. We become ambassadors of grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand acceptance of what we cannot change is a way of quieting our minds. Passive and kind people know this all too well which often leads to the reality of the practice of radical acceptance. When we practice radical acceptance and learn to let go radical acceptance becomes simple acceptance which becomes in reality a humble endeavor. Most of us don’t want to walk around like bitter resentful people. We want quiet minds and we want quiet minds because life is much easier that way. Ask any realist if this is beneficial. They will tell you it’s simply giving grace to yourself. It’s a gift which takes time to process. It’s a one day at a time reality and it works. We know this from experience. Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery understand that we lose the desire to use even though we might still have thoughts about using but experience tells us that this is normal for us. We know that early abstinence will bring with it triggers and cravings even after we have detoxified from whatever it was we were using. Many of us frequent the rooms of recovery going to at least one meeting a day for 90 consecutive days. This gives us a solid foundation in the rooms leading us into a journey of many years of solid recovery. What we will experience is that some of us still have the odd thought of using after many years of recovery. We know that these passing thoughts are normal for us. They don’t happen a lot but they do happen once in a while so we remain vigilant in our actions and continue going to the rooms of recovery which in all reality keeps us grounded in one day at a time recovery and one day at a time living. This is the continuation of giving and receiving which is the reality and the gift of living and doable grace. It’s all normal for us. Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery understand that even mighty oaks have to bend. This is a reality of life, reality, and recovery. Bending has become a survival skill of all living things. We learn we have to be flexible and adapt. One of our most important adaptations is we learn we need to change our playgrounds, playmates, and playthings. If we do not there is a good chance that we will become brittle, stiff, and will not have any flexibility whatsoever. Doing so we become strong dead trees that eventually break or in other words fall back into active addiction. We have discovered that joining people in the rooms of recovery teaches us to bend and remain in recovery. This is one day at a time living. We discover the gift of flexibility. Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of waking up grateful. After a bit of time of being in recovery things definitely change in our lives. We wake up and we know where we are and we know where our vehicle is. We no longer have to look in our wallets because we know whether or not we have money in it. Our heads are not pounding and we have no broken bones. We also wake up with the bonus of not being afraid to answer our phones and we know what we did the night before. It is no wonder many of us wake up grateful. One day at a time recovery is a beautiful event. We are experiencing the reality of grace. It’s what gratitude and waking up grateful is all about. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the gratitude they have when things are going smoothly in their lives. More often than not our one day at a time recovery is as smooth as having our morning coffee with a couple of splashes of cream in it. This brings with it gratitude and gratitude goes a long way in making life, reality, and recovery a joyful occurrence that we live one day at a time. We experience the reality of grace both in giving and receiving. Even in times of fear and tears recovery has a way of making life and its difficulties a little more doable and doable is important. We get to understand that recovery is the basis and the means to all of our freedoms which usually are the result of our response to the gift of desperation. We become resilient. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery understand that other people have their own to do lists. Reality often lets us know what is a priority for us is not necessarily a priority for others. What recovering people come to understand is the radical acceptance of the our priority of remaining abstinent. Without remaining abstinent all of our healthy priorities will fall by the wayside thus we understand the importance of reaching out and helping others, maintaining a healthy prayer life, and participating responsibly in the on goings and responsibilities of rooms of recovery. In doing so recovering people live lives based on common grounds complimenting each others’ to do lists. In some small or often large way we are a part of each others’ lives. We have a definite inextricable connection understanding the importance of each others’ complimentary to do lists. We help each other. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery are people who are living with good intentions. Many of us pick up our pens or tap away at our keyboards with the intentions of helping others to find and participate in one day at a time recovery. Sometimes we do help others. Sometimes we don’t. Our reality and the reality of all people seeking recovery is that we have to want recovery in order to find it. It appears that most of us have to be totally desperate and severely broken to want to reach out for help. Perhaps then we can help. The reality of most of us who find recovery do so in the rooms of recovery one day at a time. We know we are not role models but our recovery might be hope for others. Many of us give it away. It’s all grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the reality of using the banister. The banister guides us up and down the steps of recovery. This is more than a reality to people following the realities of 12 step recovery. They admit to the complete defeat and the unmanageability caused by addiction. They come to believe that their mental functioning will be restored by a power greater than themselves. They make a decision to let go of self-will and subscribe to doing the selfless will that they find in recovery guided by the reality of a God of their understanding. They inventory their history and they admitted to God, themselves, and another human being the exact nature of their wrongs. They became entirely ready for God to remove all of their character defects and they humbly asked this God to remove their short comings. They then made a list of all the people they had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. They made direct amends wherever possible except when it would harm these people or others. In addition to this they continued to take a personal inventory and when they were wrong they promptly admitted it. They also sought through prayer and meditation to improve their conscience contact with God as they understood God to be praying only for knowledge of God’s will for them and the power to carry that out. To complete these steps they believed that as they had a spiritual awakening as a result of these step they tried to carry this message to addicts and to practice these principles in all their affairs. Their reality is that they participate in using these banisters to the best of their ability. It all begins with the gift of desperation. These banisters are tried and tested realities. They have worked for many, many people. Peace.