Update (Sep 4, 2010): Due to the overwhelming, and ongoing popularity of this post (over 22,000 comments and counting!), I’ve recently started working on a new tool to make tracking and sharing your progress quitting drinking a whole lot easier and more fun.
It’s called Quitfest. Please feel free to check it out!
There are better things in life than alcohol, but alcohol makes up for not having them.
– Terry Pratchett
My maternal grandparents were both alcoholics. It’s for this reason that I can’t remember my grandpa’s funeral: I was only four. This is also why my grandma has meticulously avoided alcohol for over 20 years. If there’s anything to the rumours about alcoholism being influenced by heredity, I’m probably tagged.
My own consumption patterns change. Sometimes I’ll go through periods of several months having three or four drinks, three to five times a week. Sometimes I’ll restrict my consumption to social occasions. For about five months starting last December, in my quest to master the art of talking to strangers, my social life became two full-time jobs. I was constantly going out to social events, clubs, bars, museum parties, and everything in between. Despite temptation, I rarely drank.
Last month, I quit drinking alcohol again. I’d like to tell you that it was a struggle. I’d like to pretend that it’s almost impossible to stay sober at a social occasion where everyone else is burping bubbles. I’d like to imagine myself as more determined and disciplined than all the rest, and that’s what pulled me through.
But the truth is that I’m ruthlessly normal. And if you want to end your relationship with alcohol, right here, right now, It’s Not That Hard.
I’m guessing that most people who choose to quit drinking are not alcoholics. My intent is to offer here an action plan that anyone can apply, whether you’re nursing an addiction or just want to enjoy the benefits of uninterrupted sobriety.
Why Stop Drinking?
The long-term effects of bad habits are rarely sufficient to motivate people to change their lives. The near-term benefits of giving up alcohol are much more useful and interesting anyway. Here are the changes I experienced:
- Productive socializing. Talking to strangers is a great way to build character, but its benefits are greatly reduced when you’re drunk. The alcohol represses much of the social anxiety, which inhibits lasting change. But the only thing more terrifyingly fun than getting drunk and meeting a bunch of new people is staying sober and meeting a bunch of new people.
- Avoid the McPilgrimage. Clearly, there’s a conspiracy between the fast food industry and the liquor industry. Free will collapses under the weight of insobriety and convenience. With enough alcohol in your system, even the most wretched burger joint becomes an irresistible sanctuary.
- Reclaim lost time. Let’s say you have a few drinks around the house, three times a week, and that light touch of drunkenness costs you three hours of productive thinking each time. Within one year, you’ll have shaved about one full month off your life. That’s a lot of lost CPU time that could have been put towards reading a book, writing a speech, playing a sport, or even starting a business. And this doesn’t even count the time lost waiting for your brain to resolidify the morning after a night on the town.
- Get rich quickly. You don’t have to party that hard to spend $100-$150/week or more on alcohol and related expenses. If you quit drinking today, you could reasonably expect to convert that choice into a bankroll for backpacking around the world in about six months.
- Become an early riser. I’m currently readjusting my sleep schedule to wake up at 5:30 AM, seven days a week. Alcohol, and the lifestyle that often accompanies it, work against this process. Alcohol makes me feel tired when I want to feel energetic and awake. Ironically, it also increases wakefulness during sleep.
You can probably think of other instantly gratifying benefits to life beyond the bottle. The important thing is to actually have a reason that is important enough to you.
Make It Priority Number One
Giving up alcohol is one of the easiest and hardest changes you can make in your life.
It’s easy once you’ve established the right rules, configured your environment to support you, and set up useful boundaries of pain and pleasure to help direct you towards your goal. The hard parts are the social implications and fighting off the One Man Army that is your ego, with its barrage of self-limiting beliefs and drink requests.
Giving up alcohol must be made priority number one in your life. A partial commitment is a commitment to failure. Even if you already don’t drink that often, it will be tempting to break your own rules when your friends call you up and invite you out. You’ve got to be willing to prioritize this decision in every situation where it’s relevant, even when that means Just Saying No to pub night.
It’s Not a Big Deal
Ever notice how some people act as though the end of their relationship is the end of the world? It’s as if there’s no point in living if they can’t be with that person any longer. Yet other people come along and date that person who left them, eventually break up with them, and see it as hardly more than a blip on the radar.
You may feel that it’s pretty easy to give up drinking. Or you may feel that it’s an addiction with a stranglehold on your life. Either way, there is no inherent magnitude to this task. It’s as big or as small as you make it.
No matter how much you want to tell yourself how hard it is, nobody’s ever going to claim that learned helplessness was the secret to their success. The most effective way forward is to not only make quitting drinking a top priority, but to think, talk, and act like it can be done.
Become the Impartial Spectator
Whether you view it as a spiritual separation, or merely conceptual, we all have more than one self. There’s the “Mmmmm…beeeer…” self, and the impartial spectator that can detach from and observe this desire.
Let the latter voice be your authority. You’re allowed to want a drink as much as you’re allowed to choose not to have one. There’s tremendous power in observing your thoughts as a third party. The impartial spectator can feel the heat without getting burned.
When in doubt, let it be there. No matter how bad the storm seems, it will pass.
Commit to 30 Days
If you’ve never done it before, it can be hard to think of giving up drinking forever. It’s discouraging to commit to permanent change, only to back out a few days or weeks into it. Some people will face social friction and lifestyle changes for which they’re unprepared.
But life is a laboratory. It’s an adventure that takes shape through hypothesis and experimentation, and most decisions can be reverted. When it comes to making big changes like this, live before you leap. Promise yourself that you will commit to this 100%, but only for 30 days, and see how it goes.
This is exactly what I did last month. I promised myself that November would be alcohol-free, and it was. Truth be told, I had a few drinks on day 31. But I broke the negative pattern that was creeping up on me and gained back the energy to spend on more important activities. And I’ve repeatedly proven to myself that I can give up alcohol whenever I feel like, whenever it seems like the right thing to do.
Dump Your Existing Stash
Any goal that’s important to you is important enough to start on right now. My 30-day challenge to give up alcohol started at about 3:00 AM on a Saturday morning. I had just gotten back from a post-nightclub McPilgrimage with some friends. I had a great time. I met lots of people. I even ended up dating a girl I met that night.
But I was really annoyed by how much I’d poured into me that night, at succumbing to the resulting Big Mac temptation, and at how much I was going to regret the hangover. As soon as I got home, the challenge was on. I had one last beer in my fridge, which I ceremoniously poured down the kitchen sink.
If you’re serious about doing this, get rid of your alcohol. If you’ve got $300 worth of spirits in your cabinet and you’re not yet sure if you want to empty it all down the drain, only to change your mind in 30 days, then store it at a friend’s place during your probation period. Preferably a friend that doesn’t drink.
Advertise Your Decision
I told most of my friends about what I was doing. Not only only does this add accountability to your goal, it also drops the hint that if your friends are planning on going out and getting wasted, you’re probably not interested.
Of course, you don’t have to avoid social situations where you’ll be the only one not drinking. I’ve gone out stone sober many times–even on my own–and met loads of people. Once you get used to social skydiving, you no longer need alcohol’s permission to talk to strangers and have a good time. You can get to that place by either getting hammered out of your face, or by learning to just not care what other people think. Frankly, the latter is way more fun.
Fire Your Drinking Buddies
Alcohol may be so tightly integrated into your social life that it seems almost impossible to go an entire weekend without drinking. If the only thing you have in common with your friends is that you like the same lagers, you might want to consider finding new friends.
I’ve let go of people in my social circle before and I know it’s not easy–but that doesn’t make it unnecessary. This might be the hardest thing you do in choosing a life without alcohol. The key is to remember that friends are an abundant resource. Having a strong social circle is purely a function of the effort you invest into it. That includes choosing to associate only with people who are aligned with your purpose, while avoiding the energy vampires.
This is another benefit of a 30-day commitment. Instead of permanently downsizing your social life, you can choose to be busy only for the next few weeks. Observe how it affects you when you stop spending time with your beer buddies. Join a local user group for something you’re interested in to bring yourself into contact with people with whom you share more than just a bar tab.
Bribe Yourself
I haven’t used this specific technique for giving up alcohol, but I have used it with much success in bulldozing my way through a wall of social anxiety.
Associate massive pain to backing out. To create that pain, visit your nearest bank machine. Withdraw an amount of money that you’d feel uncomfortable losing. Give it to a friend you trust. Tell them that you get your money back if, and only if, you don’t have a drop of alcohol until your 30 days are up. You’ll be surprised at how even the most difficult tasks become doable when you associate massive pain to breaking your own rules. Money can be a great way to make it hurt. If you can think of an even better form of self-bribery, go for it.
The stronger you feel that alcohol is a part of your life, the more of these techniques you may want to apply. My most recent alcohol-free challenge didn’t require bribery or letting go of any friends. But I did find it extremely useful to limit the challenge to 30 days, to give myself permission to live the lifestyle before leaping to a permanent decision.
I also think that making this a top priority is key, no matter what your current consumption habits. It’s so easy to let yourself slip for just one night, and then feel guilty about breaching your own contract later on.
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Hey Debbie, another good book to add to my winter reading list. Thanks for passing that along. I’m really drawn to stories about overcoming adversity as well.
What you say about commitment and perspective really speaks to the importance of patience on our journeys, something I’ve been trying to get better at. Maybe it’s just getting older or something, but I find that it’s getting easier to not expect things to happen immediately and in fact, finding it easier to let go of the *idea* of expectation. Still working on that. I always set mine too high anyway.
That said, in one of your previous posts you kindly pointed out that you thought I’ve been learning a lot about myself, which is true, but something that I’m only half aware of as these days march onward. Much of the learning seems to be taking place on other levels while I’m doing other things, something that I expect you’ve been aware of for yourself for some time now.
And, as for what you said about getting your humour chops back, I’m right there with you. It only goes to show how booze kills spontaneous good humour, doesn’t it?
Well, here I am all chatty again. I wanted to make other acknowledgments (and you can bet I will) but last night’s chat-fest (in my head) has caught up with me. Going to watch “Friday Night Dinner”, a BBC sitcom. Nothin’ like a good laugh. My best to all,
Min
~ We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~ A. Einstein
So glad to hear about the sense of humor eventually returning. So much energy/thought/effort has become about not drinking for me that I’ve become, well, boring. I look forward to a little lightheartedness in my being!
Good morning all! I returned from the hunt camp on Saturday and enjoyed a much needed vacation. this was now my third sober hunting trip but a new camp and 8 more guys to wonder why I don’t drink. I have to say that, surprisingly, most of these guys are hardcore drinkers but all of them seemed to get the not drinking thing. Turns out they were not really into getting plastered as I had expected. Not that it mattered to me, I don’t care what others do, I can only control what I do.
There are lots of posts that I would like to respond to regarding ego and sense of humour but there is just no time, and besides, there are some here who have figured it out (they may not realize it yet), and they provide great insight.
Welcome to all newcomers, and congrats to all who are still traveling the dry road.
TM – nice to hear from you again!!! Tell it like it is brother!
Grey Wolf – you describe it as simply as it is! As Debbie mentions others overcome much more in their lives and we should be grateful that all we had was an annoying drinking problem.
Have a good day all.
Peppy–I recently dated a man who knew how much I drank but was convinced it was not a problem. When I asked him to support me in quitting by texting me affirmations and positive thoughts at the time of day when I am most tempted, he did it once. He just didn’t believe it was that big of a problem. I think the ones we love and that love us can be in more denial than we are because they don’t want anything to be wrong with us. Andi if they see us functioning and getting to work, the worry even less. What they don’t see is how awful we feel in the morning and the self-loathing that comes with the drinking.
I know my SO truly loved me and wanted me to be happy and he just could not believe I was less than perfect. Hard to want to convince somebody of that…..I liked how wonderful he thought I was. I guess enabling is more complicated than I thought.
Hi Key; good to see you – that is a good insight about SO and their thoughtless giving of drinks or like your case not seeing you as serious about a helpful text at the bewitching hour – still seems like a person not able to see the need of their SO (meaning you or Peppy) – when I read these I wonder how my husband would have been if her was still alive at my living the sober life –
I give you folks with spouses and SO’s in immediate proximity much credit for all your ability to remain sober without support and with the opposite within your home
Hi Travis; it seems at the beginning harder to discuss not drinking than later as the ego gets used to it – several times lately I just say with no old twinge of self-consciousness ‘I don’t drink’ and think if anyone who knew me when I did then oh well I have no need to ’splain further and it feels just fine now and even feels normal! – now that a thought!
love carol xoxoxo
STAY
oops; in reference to what my husband would be like if he was alive while I was struggling through the early days I meant to say: ‘…I wonder how my husband would have been he were still alive..’ In other things like dieting he became vigilant watching what I ate and whenever I got to a desired weight he chastised me for eating anything he thought I ’shouldn’t’ so I tend to think it would have been harder for me with him here than me living the sober life by myself –
my main supporters are my dear Island Peeps
STAY
Just want to add a bit more to explain the Serenity feeling to peeps who have just stopped & are wondering, as I was “when does it start to feel better?”
To have your mind back to yourself…thinking, feeling, as it was meant to, as it wanted to of, well, EVERYTHING…instead of that ONE thing it had become ‘trained’ to do.
The mental freedom of not waking up & your immediate thoughts being…how did I let myself down & drink so much again…when am I going to get control of my life…is this going to kill me…how did I sell my soul to the devil….where’s my next drink?
Of not planning everything around your drinking. Sneaking stuff out with you ‘incase’(not that you wanted to go out if drinking wasn’t involved)…worrying about there not being ‘enough’ (there was never enough)…the disappointment in my family’s eyes.
The deep down knowing that this was NOT me but that it was too late. It wasn’t too late. And that is the most amazing revelation to me. I really thought I was too far gone but here I am back again. My thoughts & feeling belong to ME not to my addiction. That is the big pay off. That is why the struggle to quit is worth it every time. Serenity. Love it.
(Love to all from Anna 85 days sober)
Hi everyone- just checking in after a magical and busy weekend enjoying musician friends from Greece! So great. I have been wistful for drinking days at these events- I am not worried that I will drink, but I feel that I miss it- especially when I feel AWKWARD as happens often when I am trying to communicate with crazy-famous musicians with my broken Greek! I am well aware that I used alcohol as a social lubricant and to keep myself from feeling out of place and self-conscious. All was well, though, and I even broke the bank on a fab dress (the Greeks do know how to dress up) and was NOT the one to fall down on the dance floor (actually happened!). I am in a place where I am not struggling to keep from drinking, but I would like to not feel that wistful romancing of the old days (I won’t say “good” because, as we know, they were generally not so good!).
Peppermint, I know I am late in the conversation, butyou hang in there. What would have happened if you threw that drink down the sink? I remember when my brother-in-law (now dead from the worst of alcoholism, the most horrific way to go) was trying to stay sober- his wife and mother-in-law just did not get it that it was a real problem (and he had a serious problem). Especially around the holidays, they would offer him “just a little” or “just a taste” and it would make me really angry! Even then, I knew that it wouldn’t take much to set him off. I felt sorry for him (I was not usually very sympathetic, I am sorry to say). Anyway, Peppy- I am sorry that he either doesn’t get it or that he is sabotaging you. You will have to develop a strategy for dealing with that obstacle. Could you already have a drink with you-tea? coffee? Could you make a deal with yourself to pour it out? That would stop him pretty quickly. I would not be so nice about it! I would probably throw it in his face! That’s just me…stay strong, everyone!
Hi Anna & Ruth; I love reading your posts – the Serenity for me way outweighs the lack of glitter that we miss from sobriety – I still miss it even though I know it is false fun, merriment, joviality andonandon and do not want to change back for anything – Ruth, WoW Greek musicians I am so proud of you getting right in there and appreciating yourself with them
PEPPY WE LOVE YOU
love carol xoxoxo
STAY
Anna, If I looked back a couple of months and reread my posts, I’m sure it would have mirrored yours of today. The feeling of freedom was such a wonderful surprise for me and I can share the joy you are now experiencing. I remember quitting smoking and losing that ball and chain but I never expected quitting drinking to be just as liberating. Congratulations, it’s such a delightful surprise!
Key, I found your post interesting. My husband never once in many, many years asked me to stop drinking. I used to pray that he would because I assumed it would be easier to quit for him than it was to quit for myself. He never did. Like your SO, I think he just couldn’t say the words out loud that perhaps his “perfect” wife had a problem. I have been blessed however by his support and never once has he encouraged me to drink. I do know however, that if I did, he would not chastise me for that either.
Carol, I’m just curious. Did your husband drink also? And, did he perceive your drinking as a problem? If that’s too personal, you don’t have to answer. I understand.
Ruth, You’ve got it together. It must be nice to live in two different cultures. It’s got to make life more colorful!
Debbie, I just finished The Thirteenth Tale; a good read for this time of year.
Amanda, Hi sister! How are you now that you’re one of the 1 year alumni? Hope you’re doing well.
Johan, my husband went hunting last night and came home with the neatest pictures of a doe nursing her fawn. I think he gets more excited about those “shots” than the bow and arrow kind. Either way, it’s great to be out and enjoying nature.
Donna, you’ll get to where you want to be. Patience. There’s not a one of us who didn’t have a few false starts.
Travis, Keep on visiting us here on the island. There are a lot of people here who have traveled the road you’re on. Lots of good advice, wide shoulders and pom poms!
Okay, my island friends. Time to join my love. Sweet dreams and a guilt free consience in the morning! Abrazos, Mara
Hello everyone. As usual lots of good posts to read. Carol sorry to hear of the loss of your husband. Glad your staying strong.
Sarah i totally know what you mean about being boring. Thats one of my big fears going forward. I know ill always have my sense of humor but im only 31 and im afraid im going to be the big downer next time all my friends wanna go out. And in some groups im like the “straw that stirs the drink” dare i say. I just know my friends will be dissapointed. But we all have to do whats best for ourselves.
Ruth sounds like you had a very fun and interesting time this weekend. I would imagine there will always be apart of us that misses the early effects of alcohol. Especially at a social event like the one you described. I guess its a small price to pay though for all the benefits of sobriety.
Thanks everyone for all your insight and kind words. Your all a great help.
Hello all, long time no post…
key – regarding loved ones who don’t think we have a problem – count my wife on that. She doesn’t drink a drop, yet watched me down drink after drink. When I stopped she commented on why I didn’t “enjoy myself” anymore. I actually felt hurt that she didn’t see the pain it was causing me. Humans can be funny creatures.
-fred
Hi Mara; I don’t mind answering your question – yes he drank and we usually drank together however I know I drank more than he did and I am comparing all my efforts at weight loss and eating in general that seemed to make him need to be an observer of my habits – I don’t remember any discussions about drinking
Travis; thank you, my husband died 3years 8 mos ago and after several months longer of drinking I came to the conclusion I was not in control of drinking; alcohol was controlling me and I searched how to quit drinking and washed ashore. I needed to observe for awhile then stop drinking for a few days before posting and have been here ever since. I don’t know if I would have stopped with him alive.
Hi Min; yes I find I pick up on things or they work better at a slower pace and I have come to accept that this is OK for me these days
Sweet Dreams Islanders
love carol xoxoxo
STAY
I had a very strange drinking waking-up dream this morning. All dreams are strange and even stranger in the telling, but instead of drinking a drink, I was having the hardest time just trying to Get one. “Coach” from the show Cheers (back in the day young’uns) was on the phone with me while I was in a motel room somewhere. Mass confusion ensued mainly because I kept stammering and stuttering the words: I want a box of wine. On the phone, Coach was yelling like a hearing-impaired person, asking me: “You want my socks?!” and, “You want the time? It’s afternoon!” This seemed to go on forever, but ended with my stuttering voice, frustrated and peevish now, coming from the dangling receiver, “eyewah, eyewah”…
See? I can’t even get a drink in my DREAMS! Nuts. Seriously though, I expect to get one of those scary, actually-drinking-from-the-wine-box-spigot dreams soon enough, but in the meantime, I’ll be content just having this goofy kind. I stopped seeing them as harbingers of disaster anyway, but maybe I’m just missing the point of them. Any further info/stories would be welcome :)
Travis, you’re sounding good. I was going to add that I hope your cold is better, but maybe hanging on to it might work to your advantage for the time being. In any case, you Are sounding strong. good for you:)
Donna, it took me quite a few attempts over the years to get to the point of making this one solid. I was one of the “lucky” ones: no DUIs, no job loss, no marital split (although it was close). No, what did it for me was the black-and-white stark realization that I was well on my way to irreversible organ damage…I *couldn’t* drink anymore. My last physical showed everything to be tip-top, with only a slightly enlarged liver as my souvenir. I’m very lucky to have quit when I did.
Keep trying, you’ll get there :)
Hi Ruth, wow, hanging with the Greats and not losing your coolness, good for you. (Sorry to hear that your B.I.L. had to go in such a painful way. That must have been very difficult for you and your family. “There but for Grace…” :/).
Anna, congrats on 85 days! Your insight into serenity is very powerful and affirming. I look forward to hearing more from you. Thanks for sharing:)
Johan, always great to hear from you. You always sound so solid that I feel a bit timid giving you kudos for your third sober hunting trip but it must feel good to go and just not be bothered by the partying anymore. I’ll bet that you had the best aim of everyone there:)
GW, I love it when you share your thoughts. You have a way of distilling everything down to it’s most important meaning. A wise dude you are.
Carol, Mara, I have great respect for anyone who can fashion a costume, let alone a butterfly one, and for any grandmother who can make something for her grandkid and have it be practical AND funky at the same time! Nice, the two of you :)
I know I’ve missed some people, but I like to look at this as an open-ended conversation; our paths will cross at some point. Stay well all, and I wish everyone a goofy drinking dream, just to keep things interesting.
Min
p.s. Hi Sarah, I remember laughing in the first few months, but it sounded hollow to my ears, like I was pretending to be a part of things. Real laughter has been a welcome development in the last couple of months. Maybe as our negative self-talk lessens, it opens us up more to the general silliness of things. I’m still trying to figure this out :)
p.p.s. Hi Fred:)
Just a quick note to tell you all how much I appreciate being able to check in here and hear all of your warm, friendly voices. You truly are the life raft that keeps me afloat. Have a wonderful Tuesday! xoxo Mara
Hi Min; I loved reading your dream – I could see it as an episode of Cheers a favorite of mine back in the day when there was no worry about drinking and it was all fun n games
box wine was traveling companion in my luggage even on cruises where I could have all I wanted and didn’t have to pay for it by the glass – I’d pick up a glass and be able to walk around the ship with it if I wanted to but mostly I enjoyed it while getting ready for dinner in my room
I joined another online group called Women For Sobriety and the founder published a good bit of helpful material – in her booklet on Relapse Prevention she says that we so fear relapse that having drinking dreams is common
Mara I agree the Island Peeps are warm friends to say Hi to and see how everyone is doing and have a very special place in my heart
have a Super Sober Tues Islanders
love carol xoxoxo
STAY
Good Morning, Island:
I am still cranking on the Big Work Project but don’t ever want to float away too far from the warm and wonderful shores of this place!
So just a quick check-in to let you know I’m still smoke & alcohol free over a year (LOVE saying that!) and I had a fantastic conversation with my brother last night who has recently stopped drinking — he’s 2 weeks in and sounds better than he has in YEARS. He posted a photo on Facebook from his weekend and my eyes welled up with tears when I saw it because he LOOKS better than he has in years, too — clear-eyed and handsome. I am SO PROUD of him. He has an incredibly positive attitude about it, too — he told me, “I don’t like looking at it as ‘I have a problem’ but rather ‘I want to improve myself and enjoy my life more.’” I can get down with that! :)
Fred, hang in there and keep sharing here. You’re right about how people are “funny” about this but it’s OK — just make sure you continue to talk to people (like Islanders) who know what you’re going through. Keeps you sane and on track.
Min, hilarious dream — LOL@ “Coach from Cheers.” You sound great — keep it up!
Carol, always happy to see you. WFS does have some great information; I’ve checked out their site and really enjoyed what I read.
Mara, thanks for the shout-out! So nice to see you call my name this morning. :) I’m doing well, thanks! Work is blowing up these days but I’m grateful to have the job and be busy. It’ll calm down (relatively speaking) soon. Your husband and his approach to your drinking issues sounds a lot like mine — we’re lucky, aren’t we?
Debbie, keep it up, lady! Has Lora been around?
OK, I gotta run but love to all and have a great day, safe and sober…
xo
Amanda
P.S. I told my brother one of my favorite sayings from here and he loved it: “It’s kinda hard to have a ‘drinking problem’ if you’re not drinking alcohol.” :)
morning, lots of great posts. there are some really interesting and stong willed people here these days. I never stop learning.
Key – if we depend on others we will at some point be let down. The only thing we can be absolutely sure about is ourselves. If we depend on others it gives our types an out, and we are the masters of creating outs. It is nice to see you back!!!!
min – you can say anything you like to me, and I have to say I really enjoy your posts. (that dream is hilarious)
I have my stories and my struggles as well, not unlike everyone else here, but thee have since been archived. I stick around here because I know I am only one drink away from going back, and as long as I understand that I know I will be okay. There are so many wise people here, and I enjoy watching others become liberated from the bottle. It truly is a born again feeling of sorts, and I am still seeing the benefits.
Better aim? Not sure about that one, but I enjoy walking in the woods far more when I don’t feel like crap.
Jeanne – how’s it going over on the big lake?!
Gypsie – how’s the ‘king’ doing on his no-cheese diet? How are you doin?
You don’t have to…
“You don’t have to prove anything to anybody. You don’t have to live in fear of what others might think.
You don’t have to continue holding on to the negative habits and thought patterns that have held you back. You don’t have to keep living under the outdated assumptions that have closed your eyes to some of the best possibilities.
You don’t have to weigh yourself down with anger, resentment, fear or frustration. You don’t have to settle for less than the very best you can be.
You can live, you can give, you can love and achieve. You can take this very moment, with whatever it may hold, and transform it into a positive, enriching, fulfilling experience.
You can feel the truth and beauty of your authentic purpose, and take action to follow that purpose. You can let go of all the burdens you’ve imposed on yourself, and live this day with a powerful, newfound appreciation for all you have.
You can choose right now to meet each challenge with positive passion and enthusiasm for the best, most meaningful possibilities. You can choose, again and again, to truly live life on your own best terms.”
— by Ralph Marston
__________________
“Easy Does It”
Have a good one,
KeithB
******************************************
“It may be a long journey to get where you’re traveling to, or it’s been a long journey traveled to get where you’re at!?”