Just For Today
I was the mother of an addict and I am now the mother of an angel. As I struggled through parts of my son’s last year on earth, I joined a support group that changed my life. I learned three powerful words: “Just for today.” You can add the remainder of the sentence as it applies to you. Just for today, I will be happy. Just for today, I will focus on myself. You get the idea.
Why are these words so powerful? It’s because they break your life down into manageable pieces. In the chaos of living in the world of addiction, whether it is with someone you love or if you are the one with an addiction, looking at the long haul can feel overwhelming. When you break it down into a finite and manageable amount of time, things seem possible. You can get off the crazy train for a bit.
This was important for me when I was living through the chaotic times with my dear son’s addiction and it is still important to me now as I strive to go on without him. I am still working to find peace and some happiness in a situation I am powerless over. It’s not the same situation as before but it is just as painful nonetheless. I would go as far as to say that it may be more painful. But here’s the good news. I have found that it is absolutely possible to find peace and happiness amid the mess of addiction by doing things just for today. Some might call it living in the moment. I can be happy for one day! I can slow down the frantic pace and see the beauty all around me. I can feel hopeful for one day. I can be unafraid just for today. I can simply not worry about tomorrow, a month from now or 10 years from now. Today, I can be strong, confident and unafraid of what I may have to face down the road. It may never happen anyway! Worry is such a wasted emotion, right?
When I first started doing this for myself, I would pick just one thing I wanted to focus on for that day. I started keeping a list of all the things I wanted or needed to do for today and choose one of them. Now after a little practice, I just kind of do it automatically. And I can honestly say that I am able to find some peace and joy each day. Sometimes, I find a lot of peace and joy!
What kinds of things could you do just for today that would make your life more manageable? Could you try to not let yourself focus on how hard this is? Could you follow your program? Could you take a leap of faith and let someone who believes in you help you in your recovery? Could you take some time to enjoy nature all by yourself? Those are just a few ideas to help get you started. I believe in you. So why not try to do something “just for today?”