Many people living in one day at a time recovery get to experience the gift of participating in their own recovery. Participating in our own recovery means that we actively engage with other recovering people on a somewhat regular basis understanding we share an inextricable bond with these people which is to participate in our own recovery while helping others to find, maintain and participate in their own one day at a time recovery. We cannot do this unless we develop a personal need to help others simply because it is the right thing to do. In doing so we discover we have developed a sense of empathy for others who suffer and we understand their need to know they are not alone. This is the reality of recovery. Our participation is important. Not only do we help others but we make the world a better place for their kin and their loved ones. We understand the reality of our solidarity with others in one day at a time recovery and we understand the reality of belonging because others helped us when we didn’t know how to help ourselves. They told us we didn’t have to do it alone and it didn’t take us long to realize we had to participate in our own recovery. In doing so we helped our helpers. It’s all part of participating. It’s gift. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that when we’re clean, sober and having a good time it is just us being us. It’s not unusual for us to laugh and carry on. It helps us to enjoy life making us healthy people gratefully living in one day at a time recovery. We can be light hearted people experiencing the reality of happy, joyous and free living. We have heard it said ‘ We are not a glum lot ‘. We do have a sense of humour and we know how to laugh at ourselves and we know when we laugh at ourselves and others laugh they are laughing with us. We understand that laughter relieves stress and makes us healthier people. It’s just us being us. Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery get to share the reality of inextricable joy with each other. This joy is somehow someway someone or something reached out to us and pulled us out of the deep dark turbulent waters of despair safely placing us on dry land offering us reality, safety and warmth while inviting us to live an undeniably healthy journey of recovery born of the effort of personal responsibility and surrender accepting we need never use again one day at a time. To put it simple – we became the recipients of a 12 step intervention, and somewhere in there we realized we were no longer alone. Our inextricable bond with each other could not but help to bring us inextricable joy and sometimes that joy was the simple reality that even when days are difficult we can still face them clean, sober and healthy. This is the reality of a hope when we realize that God, the spirit, the universe or some form a higher power works through people creating non-coincidental situations that guide and inspire us to remain abstinent just one day at a time This becomes the reality and the result of 12 step interventions. We with experience understand the reality of this inextricable joy that we share with each other. We get to experience the freedom of humility and responsibility. We are no longer alone. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery build their houses brick by brick by brick by brick. Seldom does any one person construct their house on their own because most of us just aren’t capable of doing so. Many of us access the help of others with some of the help being done by skilled professionals and other work being done by experienced and knowledgeable friends. We also understand that we have to do some of the work ourselves even if our only job is to be the person who does the coffee runs. For some of us doing the coffee runs is about all we can do. After a while we might pick up the skill to lay a brick or two ourselves that is if we have been paying attention. Amidst all the activity of this construction of our houses we notice many of the workers keep looking at what they call plans or blueprints. When we become curious enough to take a look at these plans they grab a pen and a piece of paper and they hand us the coffee order and off we go. We do it so much we get really good at it. It has become our job. And once in a while we get to lay a brick or two. This is the reality of early one day at a time recovery. We’re simply responsible for coffee and maybe laying a couple of bricks. It’s of paramount importance. We learn this in the rooms of recovery. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of reoccurring choices. Upon our awakening each day many of us choose to begin our day acknowledging the reality of our disorders. We do so with humility as we ask God, the spirit, the universe or some understanding of a higher power to help us face each day living in recovery and staying abstinent from our addictions. If we are people prone to depression, we understand that there are days that we might find it very difficult just to get out of bed but we do understand that once we find one day at a time recovery facing the day becomes a welcomed reoccurring choice that we face with a healthier energy sprinkled with gratitude and joy. Some of us need medication and other facets of professional care to get there. Living in one day at a time recovery becomes a reality and we understand the gift of reoccurring choices. Making healthy reoccurring choices become simple responsibilities and participatory gifts that keep us healthy and free. We understand others make healthy choices again and again day after day. We know what choices to make and we understand that abstinence is of paramount importance. It gives us hope. In our humility we reach out and we also give back. We experience resilience. Peace.
Some people living in one day at a time recovery understand exactly what it is like to follow the road taken by misfits and spiritual failures. Many people have taken such paths in hopes of being leaders chosen to guide people into becoming the chosen privileged simply by following our words and our agendas. In reality we are too blind to see our egocentric endeavors are the endeavors of misfits and spiritual failures. We become self-serving when we believe the thoughts and desires of God, the spirit or the universe are especially ours to speak. The painful sound of a broken heart speaks volumes over any philosophical or spiritually crafted message we choose to deliver. Simple acts of empathy, kindness and love often require us to say nothing at all and direct us to just be there. When we learn this we are given the reality of understanding we have walked the paths of misfits and spiritual failures and misfits and spiritual failures eventually realize that they are just people. What we get to witness is that people help each other. We get to experience the inextricable connection between people we are akin with and we abdicate our throne and understand the gift of imperfection. In doing so we grow. Peace
Some people living in one day at a time recovery are people who live with fear based personalities. We can be constantly on guard. In our reality our fear is justified be it the fear of actual threats to our physical safety or even if it is the fear of being inadequate. Sometimes our fear is the anxiety that rears its ugly head when we are alone. We have been told that self-centered fear is the root of our addiction. In all our realities there are countless situations that cause us anxiety, or fear, and many of us find ways to cope with such fears in realistic and practical ways. One such coping method is acceptance. For example – if we are afraid of snakes there is probably no sensible reason for us to lie down in a bed of rattle snakes, and to do so would be foolish and dangerous. The funny thing about constantly being on guard is it is not a bad thing. In situations where we are at a function where alcohol is being served many of us will not set down our water or our soft drink for fear we mistakenly pick up another drink with alcohol in it. In such situations we never leave our glass unattended. Another reality is being constantly on guard does not mean we are always afraid. We live and accept reality in comfort and ease and in doing so we grow one day at a time and often experience serenity. Life is life. We live it. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery get to understand the conversion of reality. We become witness to this because the experience of one day at a time recovery becomes the dismantling of a self-obsessed delusional way of thinking that held us hostage because of the need for unhealthy and unbridled escape which we often sought by participating in active addiction and its diminishing thought process. In our minds we were either great or nothingness with no concept of being a part of instead of a part over or a part under. When we become a part of we understand we are no better or no worse than any other person. Our conversion is we can equally participated in life and recovery while giving and taking all in the same breath. Most of us realize we are not leaders. What we get to understand is that we have joined the world of the living and our conversion which is not perfection allows us to live our imperfect lives experiencing our new found reality in one day at a time recovery. Our conversion welcomes us to the reality of grace and the imperfect beauties of life. It also helps us to adapt to the reality of adversity. We become grateful. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the non-reality of control. Wanting to control everybody and everything is the desire and the undertaking of the fear based heart. When we think like this we wonder if we will ever be able to draw a relaxing easy breath again. Those of us living in recovery know this feeling and we hear ourselves screaming inside questioning ourselves how can we be healthy and in recovery if we are not in control. Those who have been in recovery tell us when we surrender ultimate control we are actually gaining control over what we can control. What those with a bit of time in recovery tell us is when we let go of absolute control we are actually gaining control of the choices we make. When we are capable of making healthy choices it is more than likely we will be able to let go of absolute control. We understand what others mean by letting go. In the rooms of recovery we hear that we should let go and let God and not let go and let me. We are no longer living in a world of self with the need for absolute control and perpetual certainty. If we believe we need to live in absolute control we are probably delusional. Letting go becomes our friend. One day at a time recovery teaches us this. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of having mistaken hearts. Before we become participants in recovery often we felt as though we just didn’t belong. Perhaps we even felt like it was us against the world. Sometimes while living in our own delusional thoughts we believed we were the world. Such aloneness becomes a heavy, heavy load to carry. Carrying such a heavy burden often is found in the inner-most depth of our mistaken hearts. Some of us believe our disorders clouded our view of life so badly we just couldn’t see reality which is we were not alone in feeling alone. We also learned that our hearts were mistaken when we thought that we just didn’t belong, and in one day at a time recovery we understood we are inextricably connected to people who we meet in the rooms of recovery. The common bond we share is we all want to help each other find and stay in recovery one day at a time. We also understand that God, the spirit, the energy or the universe works through those we are akin with and we make peace with the reality of living with humility. This is the gift of belonging. Peace.