“I’m taking life one day at a time — sometimes several days at once.” — comedian Steven Wright
When alcoholics are drinking, they rarely live where their feet are. They live in the past, polishing old stories about who they used to be, or in the future, building grand plans about who they are going to become. They feel important in both directions while sitting on a barstool going nowhere.
They tell stories to stay above their reality. They promise big futures to avoid the present. Meanwhile, the people closest to them watch them drift further into delusion, wasting time.
One of the first things we hear in AA is to take it one day at a time. Be where you are. It felt uncomfortable at first. We were used to escaping — backward or forward. Staying in today felt exposed.
But when we stayed in today, the load became bearable. We didn’t have to solve our entire life before noon. Isn’t it when we stop trying to fix everything that we finally notice a bit of peace?
We began starting our mornings by reaching for something greater than ourselves — a simple ask for help staying sober today — we found a strength that wasn’t ours alone, but it was enough.
Living one day at a time still looks small on the outside. But on the inside, it has given us a life we no longer need to escape.
How does starting your day with a moment of connection change the way you move through today?
