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This daily reading discusses how spiritual growth is never static—it's either growing or decaying, just like physical exercise where muscles atrophy when not used. When we stand still in recovery, our progress loses momentum and gradually reverses.

• Creating new pathways requires conscious effort, like forging a new path off the beaten trail
• Relapse can be a learning opportunity, not the end of progress
• Red, yellow, and green behaviors form a target analogy for understanding addiction patterns
• Red behaviors are the addictive acts themselves
• Yellow behaviors are warning signs and triggers that lead toward addiction
• Green behaviors are positive actions that naturally move us away from addiction
• Creativity is essential—"creativity undeployed metastasizes in the body"
• Active participation means more than just attending meetings—find a sponsor, work the steps, seek service opportunities
• Spiritual growth looks different for everyone

If you're feeling stuck, go through the 12 steps again and ask yourself: Where have I stopped? What step needs my attention right now? Recovery isn't a destination but a daily journey.

Question: What daily practices keep you from backsliding in your recovery program?

Jay and Diane's Just For The Day podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Just for Today, any 12-Step program, or any other recovery-based product or organization. The views expressed are solely those of the hosts and guests. Take what you like and leave the rest.

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Recovery programs use "Just for Today" as a powerful tool to make overwhelming challenges manageable by focusing only on present commitments rather than permanent change.

• "Just for Today" can be scaled down to whatever timeframe feels manageable—an hour, ten minutes, or even seconds
• This approach extends beyond addiction recovery to any area where permanent change feels overwhelming
• Works effectively for food choices and other behaviors by avoiding the pressure of permanent commitments
• Both "Just for Today" and "Just for Tonight" create a rhythm of manageable commitment and gentle reflection

We appreciate you listening to our first slogans episode and would love to hear how you've implemented this slogan in your life. Please leave comments wherever you listen to podcasts—we'll be featuring your insights in future episodes.

Question: What does Just For Today mean to you and how do you use this slogan?

Jay and Diane's Just For The Day podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Just for Today, any 12-Step program, or any other recovery-based product or organization. The views expressed are solely those of the hosts and guests. Take what you like and leave the rest.

Recovery is a gradual process that unfolds over time, not an overnight transformation that happens instantly. We explore why it's unrealistic to expect years of destructive habits to dissolve quickly and how comparing your progress to others can harm your journey.

• Recovery takes commitment to a lifelong journey of healing and growth
• Addiction symptoms are often band-aids covering deeper underlying issues
• Small, manageable steps create sustainable progress in recovery
• Focus on "the next meeting" or "the next right thing" when overwhelmed
• Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to someone else today
• Reframe struggles as evidence of growth to transform your experience
• Progress happens through consistency and patience, not perfection

Keep plugging along and be patient with yourself—as long as you're moving forward, it doesn't matter how fast you're going.

Question: How do you focus on your long term progress instead of your short term mistakes?

Jay and Diane's Just For The Day podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Just for Today, any 12-Step program, or any other recovery-based product or organization. The views expressed are solely those of the hosts and guests. Take what you like and leave the rest.

We explore how examining and letting go of self-imposed limitations is a crucial part of the recovery journey, particularly through Step Four's moral inventory process.

• The limitations we carry often come from childhood experiences and family rules
• Step Four helps us discover which rules and beliefs we want to keep and which no longer serve us
• Limitations, like perfectionism, often tie self-worth to actions like productivity and performance
• Recovery allows us to identify, examine, and gently let go of limitations when we're ready
• Sitting with discomfort rather than escaping it can lead to growth and deeper self-understanding
• The program is gentle – we tackle what we're ready for and leave the rest for when the time is right

Just for today, let go of your self-imposed limitations and open your mind to new ideas.

Question: What limitations have you held onto from your childhood?

Jay and Diane's Just For The Day podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Just for Today, any 12-Step program, or any other recovery-based product or organization. The views expressed are solely those of the hosts and guests. Take what you like and leave the rest.

We explore how to deal with difficult people in our lives through support program tools and resources. Taking our own inventory first and seeking to understand rather than be understood can transform our most challenging relationships and lead to personal growth.

• Take your own inventory first - have you wronged this person?
• Seek to forgive rather than be forgiven, understand rather than be understood
• Pay attention to internal promptings
• Steps 4-7 builds empathy and understanding
• As we change ourselves through recovery, difficult people often become easier to interact with
• We cannot change others, but we can change our approach and responses
• The goal is to learn to love difficult people, not necessarily like them

Jay and Diane's Just For The Day podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Just for Today, any 12-Step program, or any other recovery-based product or organization. The views expressed are solely those of the hosts and guests. Take what you like and leave the rest.

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Jay and Diane introduce ourselves and our recovery journeys as a recovering addict and codependent, sharing our decade-long experience navigating the challenges of addiction in our marriage. This podcast channel features daily support program readings with commentary for people seeking program support.

• Jay's addiction began with pornography and video games then evolved into prescription pills, alcohol and marijuana
• Diane's codependency manifested as perfectionism, criticism, and taking on a caretaker role from childhood patterns
• Our marriage nearly ended in 2015 after five years of struggles
• Both committed to recovery programs - Jay in NA/AA and Diane in Al-Anon, while also strengthening our relationship through therapy
• Ten years later, we've maintained sobriety and built a healthy partnership based on honesty and mutual support
• Recovery is ongoing - Jay still experiences addiction relapses while Diane falls into old patterns, but we believe in progress not perfection

We hope our story resonates with you as you navigate your own recovery journey. If you have comments or questions, we're open books and would love to hear from you.

Jay and Diane's Just For The Day podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Just for Today, any 12-Step program, or any other recovery-based product or organization. The views expressed are solely those of the hosts and guests. Take what you like and leave the rest.