Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that writing is an essential tool for finding, and maintaining good health. It is a definite help in developing our thoughts and clarifying what is, or might be going in in our current lives. It is not difficult to see what is really happening in our lives, hopes and fears when it is right in front of our eyes. If we are living in recovery and psychologically well we see through delusional thoughts and rationally clarify reality for what it is and not what it isn’t. Writing can do this for us. (Some of us need to take medication as directed by a doctor to be healthy enough to navigate wellness and reality). Writing simply enhances our awareness and helps to unravel our reality. It’s an effective tool. It helps many of us. Peace.
The reality of living in one day at a time recovery is some of us live with insecurities should we be in a position when we have to ask others for help. Although we are in need we have the fear, and even the shame of depending on others for help because we have the belief that no-one likes a needy person. This stems from the position of our own scarcity of our own independence and we believe that independence is the pertinent requirement for our worthiness. This is the concept that we are only worthwhile people when we are totally independent. In this we are subscribing totally to a messed up system of meritocracy. We are not trusting in grace. This is a scary place to live. Those of us who live with, or lived with poverty of illness understand this. Reality though is grace is abound from those who love us. Grace is also a reality of most civilized societies. We ask for help. Peace.
What many of us living in one day at a time understand is recovery is about change. It is especially true for those of us who live with fearful or suspicious personalities. It appears the first change is not that we overcome our fearful and suspicious personalities. The change is we recognize and accept ourselves as we are. By doing this we do not judge ourselves with a condemning and shameful heart. We love ourselves. Then the second change can begin when we realize and see that we have every day courage. The fear can still be there but we learn to brave the wilderness. It is the growth of our spiritual living and our rediscovered courage which gives us the re-ability of becoming trustful and less suspicious people. We don’t become fools. Instead we are living recovery. What we are learning is our first reaction or our first formed judgement isn’t always correct. Recovery becomes a subtle change which requires practice. Enjoy the growth. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the fall we experience which makes us come to terms with our egocentric being is a necessary reality which catapults us into recovery as we begin to meet our true selves. We experience that recovery, and also our fall (our necessary realities), are both the gifts of mercy and love which we have received, and are receiving from God, the spirit, or the universe. This becomes a natural aspect of spiritual transformation which allows us to give grace to our egocentric selves. We learn to observe our delusional thinking letting go of our self-absorbed self patterns. We are discovering the gift of unconditional love. This realization is the natural experience of being a human being. We are becoming empathetic people in the reality of grace. We see it all around us. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that living one day at a time is a practice. It can make life easier but it can be difficult to do. This is why one day at a time living must be practiced. At times, and I must say at times, we get better at it in time. Or reality is we are understanding that time takes time. We are understanding the practice of letting go. It’s a matter of let go and let God not let go and let me. In time we are learning to be able to live with a bit of uncertainty and we are discovering that one day at a time recovery helps us to cope because 24 hour periods can be broken into a manageable amount of time. We become present to the present coping with the experiences we call life and our journeys of reality and responsibility. We comprehend that life itself is a practice. As we practice we grow trying to keep it simple one day at a time. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that recovery is often the result of us creating our recovery. Many of us have written personal inventories thus seeing where we were, why we were there, and how our actions have harmed us and others. In doing so we have created a realistic responsible tool to see in fact that we are human beings with assets, and for lack of better words character defects. This written creation is meant to help us. It is not meant to belittle or depress us. In hopes it will help us see we are decent people who have made mistakes, and we, like all people are far from perfect . In addition to this we might even be able to build on our assets. We learn the reality of one day at a time growth. With the help of a therapist, spiritual advisor, or another person of principled integrity we might develop a sense of self-awareness and see ourselves in a whole new light of being human beings existing and thriving in kinship while sharing an inextricable bond with other people who are living in one day at a time recovery. Creations such as this writing, inventories and journaling can make recovery become an inviting life of contentment and joy. We live a life of life’s imperfections which is generously sprinkled with freedom and hope. We understand the reality of happiness and the journey of creatives’ creating. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know the reality finding our second wind. This is the reality of being in struggle in life as we have used up all of our energy feeling completely defeated and also believing we have no chance of manageability or wellness in our lives. This depressive situation happens to everyone at some point or should we say some points in our lives. As we stop and try to catch our breath we soon discover the reality of finding our second wind. Perhaps we decide to reach out, and someone is there to sit with us as we find our second wind. Some of us believe that the inextricable connection between people is happening. Our finding our second wind becomes reality. We become grateful. Peace.
What many people in one day at a time recovery understand is living in recovery is not about me. Recovery does not exist for my benefit alone because what benefits me is beneficial for others. Recovery is freely given and it is freely accepted often because of the gift of desperation. We learn to understand our pain is another’s gain, and our bottoms create what some would call a staircase to our awakenings. Our innermost selves realize we are akin with others in recovery, and our service to each other is our gift. “We” makes the world a much better place to live. We say this in honest humility. It’s not about “me” is our reality. Without the “you” we cannot be happy, joyous and free. We thank God, the spirit or the universe for you. It’s our reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality, and the purpose of helpful distraction. We understand the need for helpful distraction when our anxiety levels become too difficult to deal with turning our downtimes into obsessive worry and panic attacks. Often we realize we need to breathe deeply and catch our breath. We do this for a bit, and then turn the worry, fretting and obsessing over to God, the spirit or the universe. In letting it go, experience has taught us to partake in helpful distraction. Perhaps we play a game or go for a drive and get an ice-cream with someone close to us. Maybe we take a walk. Another tool is that we tune the walk up into a run or another form of a more challenging exercise. Also, we can join another recovering friend for a decaf. Purposeful and helpful distraction is a gift. We need to be able to let go. It keeps us healthy. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that it’s not really all that difficult for our egos to get offended in the rooms of recovery. We also know that it is not that difficult for us to let go of such things because harboring petty frustrations can lead to resentments and feelings of ill will directed at another person. When we admitted to ourselves we were human beings living with addictions we forfeited our right to be self-righteous. Besides being self-righteous fools we understand that we also understand the do unto others as you would have them do unto us. We also understand if we are getting upset about something that will mean absolutely nothing 10 years from now or perhaps even in a matter of 4 hours from now. Some of us will use the sinners prayer* or another centering prayer to soothe our egos. Centering prayers can bring us into the calm. Perhaps our egos are afraid of loosing some imagined standard of recovery it believes it owns. Yes egos can be sensitive and frightened things can’t they. Over time we’ve learned this. Peace.
* sinner’s prayer “Lord Jesus Christ be merciful to me a sinner” or “God be merciful to me a sinner” is a way to calm one down and center on the idea that I am a person who wishes to hold no ill will towards another human being because we are all imperfect which is a part of being a person.