Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that one day at a time living is in all reality our lives. Living life one day at a time makes life manageable and doable instead of chaotic and difficult. In our cases most of us realize that it is possible to live our lives being abstinent by practicing the tools of recovery for that day, that hour, or that moment. After many years of living recovery we understand that this whole one day at a time thing is our lives. From the grace we have witnessed and received our lives have been made or, are being made right. We aren’t just subscribing to a philosophy. It is our true reality. Life isn’t perfect but it is manageable. That’s a far better step than where we came from. It’s a gift. Peace.
Many people who have aged or are aging while living life in one day at a time recovery have developed or will develop the reality of simple sensitivity. When we do we become less susceptible to criticizing other’s ideas, beliefs or actions simply because we do not think, believe, or act the same way as others think, believe, or do. Over time we have came to believe we are not all that, and that we are not always right. We also understand that giving unsolicited advise is often seen as criticism and can be detrimental in helping someone in stepping up to the plate, taking a swing, and maybe even hitting a homerun. Many of us have experienced a fair amount of unsolicited advice or unwarranted criticism that harmed our recovery early on as we were trying to live life one day at a time. The upside of this is we probably developed simple sensitivity because of this. If we cannot encourage most of us try to be quiet unless another is seeking constructive criticism. We also become accepting of constructive criticism. It’s all part of growth. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the process of finding recovery and reality. Both recovery and reality develop with many years of living life one day at a time. Also we understand that as we grow older we understand the reality of time takes time. As we age we are inclined to know ourselves a bit better and we comprehend that we are not as wise as we pretended to be. Another reality is by the simplicity of knowing ourselves better we lose the reality of our own innocence. This becomes part of the process of growth and humility. In this process we realize that we often act not according to reason. Often our actions are based upon our emotional response to life’s situations and the whims of our egos. Our reality and our recovery makes us aware that such responses do not have to control our lives. Sometimes we will even be able to delay our emotional responses and we might even be able to curb the whims of our egos. In as such during our one day at a time journeys we become aware of the process we are experiencing. It’s a gift. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn that abstinence is an ambassador to reality. What we do discover is abstinence (and sometimes medication for some of us) give us an opportunity to inventory our past or present thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. With the guidance of a professional counsellor or a mentor with a lot of experience and much learned knowledge, we will learn to navigate life one day at a time in this new and awakening reality. We will discover that many of our thoughts are misgiving. These misgiving thoughts might be we do not measure up or we do not deserve to be content. Abstinence, and direction can be a beginning to help us step past such negative and depressive thinking. We will learn that we are worthy of love and belonging and that our lives and reality are doable. While abstinent we have a chance to comprehend what we are being gifted with. This gift is freedom from active addiction and the reality that life is good even with its adversities. When we pay attention we will understand happiness and joy. Life and recovery have their seasons. It’s reality. Peace.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery know that there are many things we have to do in our lives to navigate the realities of wellness and freedom which we find one day at a time. Two of such things we need are for our journey to be built upon both reaching out for help when we need to and trying to help others in order that they too might find their own wellness and freedom one day at a time. Both undertakings are good and right. Such endeavors are not really a pursuit of righteousness. We are simply doing what recovering people do which is seeking the realities of wellness and freedom. Reaching out for help from others and becoming a person who can help others is the reality of being capable of receiving and giving grace. This is the foundation of wellness and freedom found in living one day at a time. This is a huge step. Many of us believe that such journeys makes God, the spirit, or the universe smile. Us too. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery understand what it is like to be choosing self-control. Those of us who choose self-control might actually be those of us who are exercising the wisdom of others. We are those of us who know we need to one day at a time remain abstinent from our addictions because if we do not, we lose freedom of choice. What we need to understand is exercising freedom of choice is not the same as having the ability to exercise free will. Exercising freedom of choice can keep us healthy and give us somewhat control over ourselves, and our decisions. Exercising free will can be so confusing that we feel the need to control others, and we can become unhealthy, paranoid, and misled individuals. We might even make our own laws full of dangerous rulings and spiteful traditions. Such is the maker of ill-will towards others. When we choose to remain abstinent in one day at a time recovery we are choosing love. Love for ourselves and love for others. This is an very old tradition. We no longer need to live on self-will running amuck. Peace.
One of the realities of being a person living in recovery is living ever so vigilantly extending grace to others and ourselves in the present. We learn to do so because we are people who have learned to extend grace to others, and we have also learned to give grace to ourselves in regards to our past. If we feel we should refuse to give grace to others or to ourselves we might experience a fear so great that inside we actually tremble. We feel it is a bitter and resentful person that does not become the bearer of grace. What we understand is people living with any life experience are people who give grace. Giving grace is an ongoing endeavor to others and also to ourselves in the present because we need to join our kinships in love. It’s a God thing. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of being caught up in self. To some of us this is the reality of self-obsession or what is known as self-obsessive thinking. It is difficult for us to really understand this when it is happening. It stems from the workings and the passions of the self. It can be the reality of me, mine, we, and ours. This happens and can be a part of living that we find difficult to be aware of. Most of the time we are living in a sub-conscience acceptance of self because it is the on-living nature of people prone to addictive thinking and behaviors. Even life in recovery feels its affects. It is remedied by the acknowledgement of you and yours and giving purposeful consideration to the other. Such consideration is born out of the power of the other. With it comes the awareness of the reality of our inextricable connection between me and you, and us and them. Especially when you and them are close to us. In doing so we see the face of the other in all people. Especially in those we love. It is an ongoing reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery who have been around recovery for a long time continue working at it daily because they know to stay healthy they have to continue to do so. We might even say that we are still trying to figure it out. What some of us are figuring is we live a day at a time and we live one day at a time recovery because many of us don’t consider ourselves recovered. Even those who say that they are recovered still continue practicing one day at a time recovery. We seem to have a common goal which is we want to be healthy, stay healthy, and continue on being healthy. Another part of our common goal is we don’t want to fall back into active addiction so we practice abstinence on a daily basis. Some of us know the reality of relapse even after being in recovery for a long time. Most of us fear the idea of a chemically induced relapse but fear alone doesn’t insure good health. In regards to living healthy we have to keep working at it. Meetings, prayer, medication (for some), reaching out, and giving back. This is a recipe for a healthy life. Enjoy it. It’s all a gift. Peace.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery believe we serve others, or shall we say share the realities of recovery with others, in order that they might reap the benefits of our service, and perhaps live reasonable, and happy lives. We who serve others in such a way are in all reality servants to those who are seeking recovery. Such service might be considered a humble endeavor. When we were young in recovery we believed we would become teachers like those who we might have considered ourselves to be learning from. The experience we acquired became lessons for ourselves and when we became humble enough to share our experiences in recovery with others we discovered it was not we who became teachers but it was our one day at a time living and a whole hodgepodge of learned knowledge that became the teacher. We realized that while being in service to others we were actually gaining what little control we could have over our lives. It was then that we learned that being of service to others was a far greater service to ourselves than it was to anyone else. We have discovered the paradox of service. It is an absolute truth. It is also a gift. Peace.