Some people are creative driven people. Often when we seek to create something we are trying to express our feelings and our beliefs. Often we are sharing our values, and our intentions to participate in this journey that we call life. When we create we often can be exposed to a touch of humility. When being a creative person we will understand that life is not a competition. We accept this when we realize that creation is not merely an endeavor to inflate our egos. We understand that creativity is a part of our being. In my case it is a component of one day at a time recovery. Good, bad, or indifferent, creativity helps us all belong. If we step out of our egos we can all identify. Thank you for reading.
When we decide that we are choosing to live our lives, and our recovery, one day at a time we realize that recovery brings with it an aspect of conflicting realities. In recovery, we choose not to take that first one. When others have asked me if I could moderate my intake I have simply replied that I choose not to chance it. It is the total lack of control, which can occur, that I choose not to risk. Experience has revealed this to me many times. I enjoy my recovery and my life. I love being free from active addiction. Why would I risk happiness. Thank you for reading.
When we become focused on one thought, or one point of view, we become participants of tunnel vision. When this happens differing thoughts, or conflicting points of view, are considered to be opponents. Many of us believe that contempt prior to investigation is the worst kind of prejudice. While wrapped up in tunnel vision most of us do this. Reality is many of us have difficulty admitting when we are wrong. As we grow, many of us can step out of tunnel vision. We learn to see, hear, and experience. When we learn to do this, we become more flexible recovering human beings. We become human beings who are living with humility one day at a time. Thank you for reading.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery know time takes time. This is a reality we know and understand but in all reality time goes by pretty fast. Another reality is we are simply to live life as it has been laid out for us. What we will experience is that we have our share of pain. We will feel it. We will process it and we will deal with it the best we can. In time we might even forgive the person, the people, the institutions, or the universe for causing it. This is when we learn time takes time. Life brings bitterness and sweetness. Sorrow and joy. We process what we can. Again time takes time. Those of us living one day at a time are not brilliant thinkers. We are people who hit a wall and cried out to God, the spirit or the universe for help. When we listened in our desperation we discovered the gift of hope, and in this hope we learned time takes time. Life is painful. We know that. When we see past the pain we will see we can be happy, joyous and free. Time shows us that pain is not perpetual. Life changes and we will understand truth. Truth is time takes time. It’s a constant reality. Peace.
When we have the ability to live in the present moment we can experience a sense of awe which can give us the gift of joy. Often, when trying to follow direction from another person, poor concentration clouds my ability to be present in that moment. I recall a day when I found myself living in the present moment. We were attending an outdoor church service. We were directed to sit in silence and be aware. While in the present moment our surroundings were simply awesome. Serenity and joy revealed the present moment. I was experiencing a living picture. The whispering breeze made the leaves of the trees dance. The birds sang. The sun glowed. A young child played in the earth. As God brought this picture to life the world was grand. This is living in the present moment. Thank you for reading.
Sometimes living in recovery requires us to do the next right thing. Often, when lacking motivation, we don’t know what we should do. Sometimes we call this depression. Sometimes we call this confusion. Hopefully we can rely on our living routines to let us know what we can do next. This is doing the next right thing. Perhaps the next right thing for us to do is as simple as getting out of bed. Perhaps then breakfast. Perhaps then doing our morning hygiene. Perhaps prayer and meditation. Often our routines let us know what the next right thing is. We participate in our one day at a time recovery. Doing the next right thing can really help us when we are feeling anxious. When we are depressed, confused, or anxious we can be ok. Thank you for reading.
The motivational factor, that many people living in recovery find, is freedom and independence. The freedom I am writing about is the ability to make choices in our lives. One day at a time we can become free from the bondage of substance dependency because we have the choice to be this way. The independence I am writing about is the choice to make decisions for ourselves. Some of us may have lost this motivational factor at one point in our lives.
Many people who have this motivational factor do well in living their one day at a time recovery. Many people are living life as responsible productive people. One day at a time recovery is a big step from a detox or a hospital. From such places we learn many tools to live in recovery. The freedom and independence of choice brings motivation to recognize life is good even when adversities arise. Thank you for reading.
As I think of give and take, and I think of my personal experience, I wonder if I think of myself as being unique. Recovering people I know describe themselves as being happy, joyous, and free. I think of myself as being reasonably happy and content.
I do not believe that I have a monopoly on the true experience of one day at a time recovery. I know that the people I know, who are in one day at a time recovery, have the experience of living happy, joyous and free lives.
I have been asked why do you have to be reasonably happy?
Perhaps my friends think being reasonably happy puts a damper on life.
Addicts and alcoholics have their struggles. Sometimes their struggles are the natural struggles of life such as depression, anxiety, uncertainty, loneliness, and disconnection. In reality, when asked if they are reasonably happy, they can recognize that adversity is a reality of life and that life brings with it reasonable happiness and contentment. This is freedom.
I understand happy, joyous, and free. It feels good. It is not a perpetual life style and it would be unrealistic to think so. Experience tells us this.
I understand reasonable happiness and contentment. It is not a perpetual life style and it would be unrealistic to think so. Experience tells us this.
Nothing is unique in one day at a time living and recovery. No one is unique in one day at a time living and recovery.
Connect with your story. Identify with the common aspects of others.
I have heard from many recovering people that not every day is a bed of roses and it would be unreasonable to think otherwise. Understanding this makes us content, or free, one day at a time. Thank you for reading.
Connecting with other people is important for our mental health and our well being as people. I know that some of us might be introverts but that does not mean that we don’t connect with others. There are times that as we are connecting with others that we help both those we are connecting with as well as ourselves. Some call this give and take. Some of us call it friendship. Some call this survival. The experiences of connection let us know that we are not alone and that we are enough. We get through the days, both good and bad, and we stay sober one day at a time. One friend reminded me the other night that one day – one day – one day – can lead to many years of contented sobriety. Another friend reminded me that life can be hard at times. Both of these people have been a big help to me in my years of recovery. Connection really helps.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery are people who are trying to keep peace with humility. Keeping peace with humility reminds us we are all people and all people are of equal value. Our reality tells us when we sit in judgement of others, or even ourselves, we are measuring the value and the lives of human beings. Often when we do this, we do so with a self-righteous view. Humility reminds us of the hypocrisy of such judgements. Many of us catch ourselves doing so and realize we do so being caught up in pride, fear, or envy. There are even times when our judgement causes us to create scapegoats of people or peoples. One day at a time recovery has a way of making us aware of such judgements. Humility tells us to stop throwing stones. At others or ourselves. Humility is a gift.