We often hear talk about “living in the moment.” But what does this mean and how does one do it? Sharing his thoughts on the concept is today’s guest, Addiction Recovery Coach, Roger Stark, and author of the book, The Waterfall Concept: a Blueprint for Recovery. To learn more about Roger’s work and his book, please visit his website, waterfall concept.org. You can also reach him by email at roger@waterfallconcept.org or by phone at 360-823-8622.

This Particular Moment by Roger Stark

Addiction counselors evolve. I guess that, in and of itself, is not a startling revelation but the doing of it over my career has been a fascinating thing to be part of. (Remembering some of my early clients often invokes a silent prayer that I did no harm!) The establishment of wisdom obviously takes time and experience, but it also requires that we pay attention. The wisdom building channel gets turned on as soon as we realize we don’t have all the answers. That arrogance severely limits our abilities as helpers.

Addiction Recovery Coach, Roger Stark, shares his views on living in the moment.

Much of my philosophy has not budged from many of the principles I learned through my own recovery. The power of the working the steps, accountability, turning our challenges over have proven themselves over and over in my own life and in the lives of clients. Even so, some principles have come into focus for me, that have achieved the status of foundational. Over time, their critical nature has become more and more obvious to me.

One such principle is the idea of living in this particular moment. It is really all we have, this moment, the past is our history, the future is not yet real. The past may produce wisdom, but most often our visits there center on “woulda, shouda, coulda” and provide a harvest of depression, discouragement and shame. The future scares us. We go there often in a useless attempt to exert some control. By its nature, (not yet within reality) it is unmanageable and the harvest is anxiety and fear.

Yes, this particular moment is all we really have. What did Jim Elliot say? Something like, “Wherever you are, be all there.” This moment is where we need to be and if we live it well, and the next moment, and the next … We will string together a life well lived. And it will be a life that we participated in, was present for, unlike our addict life of avoidance.

My experience has brought me to believe that this principle facilitates recovery more profoundly than any other I am aware of. Learning to quiet ourselves and bring ourselves into this particular moment is the “on ramp” for the recovery highway.

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