Some people living in one day at a time recovery believe that responsibilities are gifts and challenges. We realize that when our responsibilities come in the forms of gifts we will benefit from fulfilling such responsibilities. We don’t believe that we don’t have to do some work to receive a gift. Abstaining from active addiction and participating in other forms of responsible work can make it so that we will have food, clothing, medical care and shelter. We are not just talking about paid work, we are talking about responsible action in which we can access the system for help when needed. The paradoxical reality of this is we have to face and participate responsibly and measure up to the challenges that arise when we live responsibly and in recovery. We discover that the gifts and challenges have come from meeting our responsibilities. We will have help. It’s all grace. Peace.
When you’re a type four on the enneagram, melancholy will visit your one day at a time recovery more often than it will visit other recovering people. One of the reasons for this is because we fours struggle with belonging and also we know the reality of our own weaknesses as well as the weaknesses of other people. We see people struggle with adversities and we see ourselves struggling with adversities. When people come to us with their difficulties we might tell them that such difficulties are just life as if we were paraphrasing the Buddha when the Buddha said life is suffering. We hear others when they voice the naturalities of life but we know we are not counsellors. We suggest they find professional help. Our strengths are listening, navigating the hard feelings, and empathy but we know that at times we all need competent professional help. Peace.
Most of us living in one day at a time recovery know that most of us are not doctors, priests, and politicians although we do need to recognize that some of us are. What the recovering doctors, priests, and politicians tell us is that they are only one drink, one puff or one hit away from getting wasted. They view their one day at a time recovery as a gift believing that they, like us, have found recovery because they were graced with the reality of desperation. In their eyes they told us that they are no different than we are, and that we all live in recovery one day at a time. Our realities are we all hit bottom and we don’t want to do so again. Many doctors, priests, and politicians like to keep their private lives private similar to many others in recovery. Sometimes this is a necessity for many people living in one day at a time recovery. We know this and we need respect this need. We are receiving the gift of reality. Peace.
Some of us living in one day at a time recovery live with the fear of being taken advantage of especially when it comes to buying used vehicles and having our vehicles repaired. Those of us who have strong boundaries might feel more confident with such transactions. Those of us who don’t, often question our decisions with the afterwards’ what ifs. The reality is that if we are buying used vehicles, repairs and maintenance can be expensive. So is the initial cost of the vehicle. This is reality. Hopefully we don’t get stuck with a lemon. Vehicles can be an expensive responsibility. It’s the price we have to pay. Without having warranties or perhaps cheap labor there is usually no way of getting around it. Let’s hope. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the reality of needing to reach out to our friends. This happens to us all from time to time and this is the reason why many of us participate as members and friends in the communities of the rooms of recovery. We understand that no-one is an island. This is the basis and the very reason as to why we choose to be supportive to each other. Our chances of successfully navigating the reality of one day at a time recovery and its adversities are much better when we reach out to our friends. Many of us feel that should we have the opportunity and the ability to help someone it is a rewarding and beneficial experience for us. This is what recovery is all about. Friends helping friends one day at a time. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery are people who know what learning the hard way is all about. We learned that spending money frivolously has a cost to it. We acted like the well to do and often we spent money on habits we couldn’t afford or we gave little to no thought to purchasing unneeded comforts simply because money burned a hole in our pockets. We learned the reality of being broke on the very day we got paid. This wasn’t any fun whatsoever. In as such we learned the reality of living pay-check to pay-check and many of us learned the reality of experiencing unnecessary financial trouble. Unnecessary financial trouble is different than not having enough income to live on. Most of us learn this the hard way and because of this many of us learn to keep unnecessary spending in check. We learn budgeting skills are a needed reality and we know the reality of learning the hard way. This reality can prepare us for a better life. We can even call this a practice of living a good life. Peace.
Some of us living life one day at a time like to show up early when we go to the rooms of recovery. In doing so we are either the people who open the doors or we are there to meet with friends who have opened the doors. This is a good thing to do. Then there are times that we meet in coffee shops after our meetings for fun and fellowship. We can also do coffee with our friends anytime two, three, or more of us are available. We might be simply spending time together in which we are solving all the problems of the world or we might have more serious conversations where we are actually meeting to help one another with problems that we actually might have experience with and solutions for. We welcome this reality and the kinship we have with our friends. We help each other. Peace.
Those of us who are living in one day at a time recovery compare the benefits of being in recovery as being the same as the benefits of buying a baker’s dozen. For those of us who do not know what a baker’s dozen is, it is when we pay for twelve sweets the baker gives us thirteen (one is free). We could say that the dozen sweets we have paid for is all the work we have done to find recovery, stay in recovery, and the sharing of the freedom we have found in recovery so that others might also benefit from the realities of our journey. The other sweet, the free one, is the one we keep for ourselves. This is the divine grace that we receive from God, the spirit, or the universe. We get to understand that a bakers dozen perpetuates the reality of grace. This is what one day at a time recovery is all about. We give it all away but we have to keep some for ourselves. It’s the reality of emptying ourselves so we can be full. When we do it’s perpetual fulfillment. Peace.
What some old-timers living in one day at a time recovery understand after being around the rooms of recovery for many years is that it is okay to complain about the weather. They complain that the price of gas seems too high and they get upset about the cost of a loaf of bread. This is all fine and dandy as long as long as they live in one day at a time recovery and remain generous in their efforts to share the reality of the happiness and the freedom that they have found in recovery. It appears that life is not meant to be a bowl of cherries every day of our lives and we need to accept this. The old-timers let us know this in no uncertain way. They also model the realities of having good lives. It’s their gift. Peace.
Some people living in one day at a time recovery learn early on in recovery the practice of gratitude. What we discover is the opportunity for gratitude is often present in our lives and it is necessary that we become aware of it while acknowledging and appreciating such opportunities. If we develop a pinch of humility we will awaken to the reality that the ability to be grateful is a gift. Our reality in recovery is that we do not crave more and more gratitude as a means of escape similar to that as we crave to soothe our addictive needs. What we realize is that we are simply feeling well because our eyes are now open wide enough to see that life can be good. Either from our own doing, the doing of others, or the doings of fate something has happened or has been done to create the feelings of gratitude. It is a natural occurrence but we need to be aware of it. Some of us call it our attitude adjustment. Peace.