“One Day at a Time” is a popular slogan amongst 12-Step recovery groups. I like to draw a parallel from that concept to the teachings of my spiritual mentor and Elder Grandmother Parisha.
In the traditional ways of Grandmother’s people, each day is celebrated as a New Life. Each “Life” is lived in completion, including productivity time, family time, service time (volunteering, assisting others), time for physical exercise and health maintenance, socializing, worship time, time for meditation and prayer. As Grandmother Parisha has often shared with us of her people’s ways, there is not one day set aside for worship – every day is a “Sun” Day – so every day that Nunda (the Sun) arises is a celebration of our Oneness with God-Creator-the Source.
Prayer times observe and honor the quadrants of the 24 hour period: Sunrise, High Sun, Sunset and Dreamtime (generally Midnight through pre-dawn). We take time at each quadrant to acknowledge God in our lives through prayer and ceremony.
When I first got sober, without knowing it I was working with the Quadrants. When I first got up I thanked the God of my understanding for the gift of a new day and prayed for help to stay sober through noon. At noon I would thank the God of my understanding for keeping me sober and pray for help to stay sober through 6 pm. At that time I thanked the God of my understanding for keeping me sober and prayed for help to stay sober through the evening. Before I went to bed, I once more thanked the God of my understanding for keeping me sober that day and prayed for the strength to stay sober the next.
Whereas that might sound redundant to some, it was how I needed to break down my early days of sobriety in order to keep building those “24-hours” towards the many that I have enjoyed continuously since.
So, instinctively I was working with the Quadrants as I took time to connect with God-Creator-The Source.
Another correlation is the practice of inventorying our actions and making amends where appropriate. Traditionally, Grandmother Parisha has taught us to take stock as we acknowledge the closure of the day with the setting sun to look at our interactions with others, especially anything with which we might feel incomplete. We have learned to take responsibility for our actions and thoughts, and therefore our interactions, rather than blame others. It is at this time, at the closure of today’s “Life” that if there are those we have not been able to speak with and clear directly, we hold them in thought and send our message on the winds. We don’t take ill feelings or anger or judgment into the creation of the next day with us. We leave it behind in our “former life.”
This is a very clean way to live. It is a full way to live. It allows us to clear away mental and emotional garbage rather than carry it around. The act of taking responsibility goes like this: “I wish to take responsibility for my part of our interaction. It’s my desire and intention to be better in our communication in the future.” There’s no blame, simply acknowledgment of the only thing I can control – me, my thoughts, my actions.
In the Serenity Prayer utilized by 12-Step programs we ask for acceptance of what we cannot change – i.e. people, events and circumstances – and the courage to change what we can – i.e. ourselves.
Grandmother Parisha has shared with us the value of taking time to vision our next day through journaling and other practices before going to bed. We take into the Dreamtime what we intend to create in our “next life.”
To be continued…:)
©2010 Deborah Adler. All rights reserved.
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