Some people living in one day at a time recovery often experience reoccurring vagrant thoughts. Such thoughts could be that we are so uniquely special or that we are so unimportant that we believe we simply do not belong in the inextricable connection that recovering people share with each other. Such thoughts are the nonreality of spending too much time alone. They can also be vagrant breaks from our usual reality caused by the scourges of mental health disorders. Some of us take medication to keep such thoughts away. What we discover in reality is that we are so uniquely special and that we are so humbly unimportant that we really do modestly share in the inextricable connection with other people living in one day at a time recovery. This is a periodical discovery that is a common and a not so common reoccurrence. We simply choose to live, grow, and belong. It’s a piece of our reality. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery understand that there are times when we can’t find today. Not being able to find today is a rare but common occurrence. Often we find today while we are present in the moment as we are occupied by the task which is at hand during such times. The present has been brought to us either by the often drawn out experiences of our past which has brought us into a better today which at one time might have been the worries and preparations of a perhaps perceived troubled future. Today can be the grace of our one day at a time aspirations of what recovery would be all about. In all reality when we can’t find today we are either knocking at the door of depressive or anxious thinking. In all reality one day at a time recovery teaches us not to ruminate at such places. Some of us believe the reality of these portals are the realities of life which are and were unavoidable. Reality reveals this to us and there will be times when we can’t find today but we do develop resilience. In time we will find today. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery found that when we were wrapped up in active addiction life was like an incomplete sentence. The reason for this was because there was never any action (or verb) and also in all reality a subject (or noun) was never really present because we were never present. Once we found that there was me we constructed a sentence which was (Help me!) or (God help me!). What we were realizing was the existence of ourselves as human beings who were in pain. This can be the beginning of us, finding one day at a time recovery or the beginning of us. With this beginning we (life) became capable of constructing a complete sentence. We learned the meaning of us or we and that we were no longer alone. We found a connection with others. In this connection is hope. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery keep our lives simple. After all, our lives are about being well, and being well is about being able to live in recovery. Those of us who have been in recovery for a fair amount of time must remember to keep recovery simple. We don’t have all the answers. Nor are we teachers or preachers. Our lives can be messy and difficult. Many days all is well. We know we are not perfect. Our claim is we are doing much better than we were before. We can still live with adversity. Our reality is that we have a wellness that keeps us content. We can be happy. It’s that simple. Some of us share our experience so others won’t have to feel alone. We’re not telling others what to do. We share what we do. We know taking life one day at a time is really important. Many of us take medication. We learn to reach out. Every day is a new beginning.
Some of us living in one day at a time recovery question, and worry about whether we fit in with others who frequent the rooms of recovery. When we have been around the rooms for a few years we come to understand that it is not a matter of fitting in, it is a matter of belonging. Here is our answer. When we stop trying to exclude ourselves we most definitely belong. We belong when we realize we have a desire to stop using. When we have stopped using for a while maybe we can even give a little something back to help others. Perhaps we become the people who put on coffee which is a really good experience. The rooms are not about fitting in. Trying to fit in was part of our problem. We simply need to know and accept that we belong. It’s a gift. Peace.
A man – a brave man
His face bore the lines
And worries of
Eighty-four years
He saw a much different
World than me
He is a decorated
And true hero
The angel of death
Was no stranger
To his fallen comrades
And his fallen enemies
But he did what he had to
For he answered freely
His call to duty
Young and foolish
I longed to be a hero
And I questioned
This courageous soldier –
“What’s it like to be a hero?”
We sat in his cellar
As he quenched his thirst
With a drink of rye
And he flinched as the
Canada Day fireworks
Exploded
Then he sadly replied –
“Had there been another way,
I would have taken it.”
Many people living in one day at a time recovery discover that there are no neat little boxes that we can pull off of a shelf which when opened will sprinkle us with a magic dust that will make life and its adversities easy to deal with and easy to overcome. This is one of life’s realities. We have heard that nothing worthwhile comes easy. Many of us would like to tell people to just put the plug in the jug and life will be full of sunny sunny days but that would be doing a disservice to people looking to find recovery. We tell people to find their ways into the rooms of recovery where they will learn life lessons and coping tools to overcome adversities. The simplicity of recovery’s wisdom makes life doable. Not easy but simple and easier. We become inextricably connected in reality and we will have our fair share of sunny sunny days. We simply have to work for them. Peace.
Some of us living in one day at a time recovery have heard what goes around comes around. Some of us don’t really subscribe to this idea especially when what goes around subscribes to the act of revenge on those who have wronged us. We are more than likely to believe in forgiveness and grace. What we are trying to say is we are not big fans of imposing bad karma on others. What we have discovered is receiving grace and forgiveness is common ground for those of us living in recovery. We do well to remember this. What we understand about life when we come into recovery is there is already enough suffering in the world. Most of us just want to share a little kindness, peace, and goodwill. In one day at a time recovery we learn not to throw stones. Perhaps in doing so we are passing good karma on to others. Perhaps we will even help people like us find one day at a time recovery. It’s a lesson in humility and human reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn to identify with other recovering people. Identifying with other recovering people goes a whole lot further than does comparing ourselves with them. When we identify we find what there is in common with others instead of what is different. Finding differences is the pathway to exclusion instead of a journey of belonging. When we get past our know it all mentality we learn the importance of this. We all belong because we are all inextricably connected to each other and we share a common bond which is we are all either trying to find or remain in one day at a time recovery. Knowing this we are no longer alone. Peace.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of doing battle with active addiction. Sometimes we think of such a struggle as a boxing match. Active addiction pummels us for the better part of the fight. Up until the beginning of the fifteenth round we were beaten up pretty badly. Our eyes had been hit so many times that they were swollen and almost completely shut. The people in our corner wanted to throw in the towel but we rose to our feet when the last round began. We prayed for God to help us. We had one punch left to throw. We connected. Instead of standing gloating over our opponent we went to a neutral corner. Active addiction was down for the count. We left the ring hurt and bloody with one thought on our mind. The only thing we enjoyed about the whole battle was going to a neutral corner. It was at that moment we decided to retire from the ring. We thought one day at a time we would not pick up just for that day. Deep down in our heart of hearts we accepted in all reality we had been defeated. It was only the grace of God, the spirit, or the universe that made it possible for us to walk out of the ring alive. This is the reality of fighting addiction. Should we be granted the opportunity to stand in a neutral corner we do so. We might not get another chance. Peace.