One Day at a Time

Hi.  My name is Dan.  And I’m a recovering addict to pornography.

A few months ago, a friend of mine posted a link on facebook to a new song by Joe Walsh.  There was a free download so I snagged it thinking I’d enjoy some new stuff from a classic rocker.  (Sorry, the freeness has expired, but you can listen to/watch the video here).  It took me a few weeks to get around to actually listening to it, but it came up on a playlist while I was driving to work.  As I paid attention to the words, it suddenly dawned on me that it was a song about addiction recovery.  The message was so powerful that I began to cry.  I didn’t realize it, but I had stumbled upon an addicts hymn.  Here are the lyrics:

Well you know,

I was always the first to arrive at the party,

And the last to leave the scene of the crime

Well it started with a couple of beers,

And it went I don’t know how many years,

Like a runaway train headed toward the end of the line.

Well I finally got around to admit that I might have a problem.

But I thought it was just too damn big of a mountain to climb.

Well I got down on my knees and said 'Hey!'

'I just can’t go on livin' this way!'

Guess I have to learn to live my life one day at a time.

Oh yeah! One day at a time! (x4)

Well I finally got around to admit that I was the problem.

When I used to put the blame on everybody's shoulders but mine.

All the friends I used to run with are gone,

Lord, I hadn't planned on livin' this long.

But I finally learned to live my life one day at a time!

It was something I was too blind to see,

I got help from something greater than me.

And today I've learned to live my life one day at a time!

This song resonated with me and my addiction.  The refrain “One day at a time.” is an often repeated mantra in addiction recovery and it’s true.  I can’t think about maintaining my recovery for years at a time.  I get overwhelmed and discouraged because I know I can’t do it myself.  But I can handle thinking about maintaining my recovery today.  I don’t worry about recovery tomorrow.  That’s tomorrow’s problem.  I only care about recovery today because today is the day I’m living in.  I can receive that gift from the Lord today and I can to my part today.  In 3 Nephi 13:34, the Lord said it this way: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.”  Thank you Joe Walsh for doing your Step 12.