Before sobriety, we rarely gave much thought to taking the time to appreciate the simple pleasure of life. However, in recovery we begin to take notice of the small joys and beauty in our lives. Practicing gratitude and mindfulness of the present moment allows us to feel better and carry a sense of awe with us in our day-to-day lives. American writer and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” We take our recovery one day at a time, but there is no reason why each day cannot be the greatest day in our lives. After all, many of us felt we were doomed to an early death from our substance abuse, but now that we are living each day sober, there is no reason why we shouldn’t approach the day with a deep feeling of gratitude and appreciation. Taking a moment to stop what we our doing and recognize the beauty of the present moment is referred to as “mindfulness”. According to Dr. John Rich in a 2017 article for Psychology Today entitled “Practicing Mindfulness”, “When you make the conscious decision to notice where you are, in the present moment, how you are feeling, and take in your surroundings with gratitude, you are given a gift. That gift is the ability to recognize that, as Dr. Wayne Dyer said, ““You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now.” The everyday worries of the world – your bills, your troubled relationships, the upstairs window that needs fixing – can be set aside and you can realize that the gift of life, and the blessings you have experienced, are yours to enjoy.” This joy in the simple beauty of the present moment brings us one step closer the feeling of serenity that we strive for in recovery. Our future plans or past regrets fall from us when we practice mindfulness, allowing us to easily approach every situation without the weight of stress or anxiety. We no longer live in fear of what has or what may happen because we are entirely devoted to appreciating the simple beauty of the life we have been given through sobriety.
Your story can be one of peace and serenity. By seeking help now for addiction and alcoholism, you can begin building a better life through recovery. Oceanfront Recovery, a men’s treatment facility in Orange County, California, offers a chance to achieve sobriety in a beautiful beachfront environment. For more information about treatment programs, please call today: (877) 279-1777
