Many people who live in one day at a time recovery believe in reaching out to other people. Those of us who do, believe in give and take. Often we do so in recovering communities. We can call this the spiritual principle of community. In other words we don’t have to participate in life just by ourselves. When we join such communities we become a part of as opposed to being apart from. Being a part of helps us to live in healthy one day at a time recovery. We become willing to learn, and we learn how to learn. Often we have have to quiet our egos long enough to understand that we are just a part of such communities and that we are not the whole community. When we do so we understand the we in community. Some of us are members of mental health and addiction support groups. Some of us are members of 12 step fellowships and we find much support in their altruistic communities. Another reality is some of us join creative communities simply to be a part of. Some of us join faith communities. In doing so we are a part of. We no longer have to be alone. It’s give and take in community. Peace.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery understand what to expect from recovery. We want and need for our recovery to be reliable and life affirming. Even when we find recovery difficult, one day at a time we learn we have the opportunity to reach out for help. When we discover who are the reliable and life affirming people in our lives our difficulties diminish. This is the reality of reliable and life affirming support from people who don’t simply dismiss our difficulties. They know they don’t have to fix us. They are just there. When we have been in recovery for a while we become these people for other people. We know we don’t have to fix people. We are just there. When we understand this we understand the responsibility and the reliability of recovery. Another reality that we have learned is that we are just people who are living in recovery one day at a time. We don’t give medical advice. Medical advice is left up to medical professionals. As we grow we learn adversities lessen. Our lives become manageable and we live good lives because of the reliability of recovery. Peace.
Creative people who are living in one day at a time recovery know what it’s like to create for free. Often we are selling songs for a penny. What many of us have learned is we create for the simple need of creative expression. Most of us won’t make a living from what we create. Some of us are foolish enough to hope that we might help someone. And if we do, it’s a bonus. We know some people will be able to make a living from their crafts, and those who do usually have to work very hard to do so. This is reality. Some of us might receive grants and other forms of sponsorship to help with creative endeavors, but such support is hard to find. Even then we are often selling a song for a penny. When we come to these realities we know we create for the sheer joy of creation. Often we have jobs and other forms of income which enable us to have some time for creativity. Another reality is often we have to pay simply to create and to duplicate our work. It’s a commitment. When we can sell a song for a penny, and if we are at even board, we are doing well. Being an artist is difficult and it can be time consuming. Most of us struggle. Poets, writers, musicians, painters and sculptors know this. Most of us sell our songs for a penny. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery are people with a lot of experience. Living with experience that we learn nothing from is like having faith without action when action is required. It doesn’t help much. Even though we have many experiences that can teach us a lot about living many times we don’t learn too much. We call this experience without learned knowledge. This happens when we are still in the fog of early recovery. The fact that we can do well during these times is simple grace. Usually people are watching out for us at such times. Hopefully, before too long, we develop learned knowledge from our experience. This is the gift of experience and learned knowledge complimenting each other. We understand the importance of one day at a time living and that it is born of experience and leaned knowledge. When we understand this is a tried and tested reality, we learn to understand that we can face anything for one day. We learn the reality of this too shall pass and when needed we understand that we have hope for a better tomorrow. We reach out to others when we need to and we give back. These are simple realities of learned knowledge from experience. Some call it wisdom. Truthfully it’s grace. Peace.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery have seen our share of tears. Some of us believe anxiety’s fears have ripped the tears out of our very souls as we felt alone. We thought we had no-one to turn to and no-where to go. It’s a terribly lonely place. For those of us who are men, we can only man-up for so long. At times life seems to be a terrifying and depressive endeavor. That is why we all need a support system. Living can be hard. Often our natural or our professional support systems will help us through such times. We know if these are just hard times because of learned experience. In such times, if we are suicidal, we turn to professional supports who have the knowledge, experience and ability to help us. When such difficulties have begun we need more help than our natural supports can give us. Some of us have learned this from experience. It’s a necessary precaution. We all need help at times and most difficulties will pass. Life is hard so we hang in there. We are worth it and we are enough. Peace.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery try to maintain a partnership with reality. Reality has revealed to us that we exist in a society with others. As we exist with others, we learn the gift of give and take. Reality has also revealed that service to others is a way to give. Often many of us become volunteers, which at times opens up windows of opportunity for us. If we live with someone, our reality is we have roles to play in our homes. Doing chores is a reality. So is kindness, compassion and courtesy. This boost our self-esteem and adds to our personal independence. Acceptance of this leads to a better home-life. Another reality is many of us have paying jobs. When we are living in recovery, we are capable of living in partnership with reality. It’s a gift of personal growth. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery have found one day at a time humility. When we discover this reality we have uncovered a spiritual reality. The spiritual reality of humility is a modest commitment that we endeavor to fulfill by sharing peace, joy and love. We do this by accepting we are worthy of grace. What we need to understand is being worthy of grace is a paradox. When we do this we know we can never force our peace, joy and love on another person, or other people. The spiritual reality becomes a grandiose delusion should we try to. People need to be heard should they struggle. At such a times we have shared peace, joy and love with others because they know they have been heard. We know this from experience. It’s important. Some call it empathy. When we understand the spiritual reality of humility we know we are not always the ones with answers. Our reality is we are people living in one day at a time recovery who know we are worthy of grace. We know we’re not saints, but we do have the humility to know we have peace, joy and love to share, and it’s a modest endeavor. Peace.
Those of us living in one day at a time recovery learn we have opportunities to grow and to learn. As we grow we learn recovery offers us the gift of personal empowerment. We become aware of our reality and in that reality we become able to set goals for ourselves. One day at a time recovery empowers us to become real and true to the wellness in our lives. In our wellness we have a voice that will be sound and reliable, and we need to be well to create opportunity. Then we can help to empower others. Before finding recovery many of us lived tragic lives. We know what others are still struggling with. Everyone needs opportunity – especially the vulnerable, the disabled, and the marginalized. We need to be well and we need help to become so. After realizing this many of us found personal empowerment in the new found wellness we discovered. We managed to get work. Some part-time – some full-time. Regardless of work or not, many of us became responsible and productive people. We became better one day at a time. Others can too. Create realistic opportunities. This is empowerment. Peace.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery know each day can become gratitude in the making. Upon the beginning of each day we realize each day has a chance of being a good day. Our reality is even though we live with our disorders, our lives are manageable, and a manageable life is something to be grateful for. Experience has revealed this to us. Experience from living in one day at a time recovery has taught us the difference between healthy and unhealthy choices. Recovery has even shown us how to use unhealthy choices as an advantage to us. In later on appreciation we learn from our mistakes. Learning from unhealthy choices becomes gratitude in the making. Some call it wisdom which helps us to not make the same mistakes again. This is the positivity of growth. When we realize our lives are becoming gratitude in the making we start to see the wonders of life. Grateful people are a blessing to those of us who choose to live life one day at a time. These people model freedom and joy for us and we become gratitude in the making. It’s a gift. Peace.
Some people who live in one day at a time recovery experience broken love. The experience of broken love does not make love imperfect. Broken love makes love human, and in all reality it makes us experience the human connection. Ego tends to make us feel as though that we need to experience love in perfection in order for it to be real and trustworthy. Should we feel such a way we forget about our humanness. What we need realize is that any love is real love, and human love gives birth to kindness and compassion. It is also care and concern. It fills us with a sense of belonging, and it does everything that matters in the long run. Within the reality of humanness we do become frustrated, disappointed, and upset in life. We can even be angry at times. In order to know the truth we need to know that these are human emotions, and do not cancel out broken love. In as such human love allows us to get past, or over such emotions. Broken love creates equality. Often it has touches of perfection. It’s reality. Broken love is a gift. We are all people. Peace.