Hey, JKB, Non, SK, Received,
This is what I am struggling with right now. What is the beast and how big is the beast. Are my warped thoughts that I lack coping skills subtle beast? Last night I had a very stressful situation. I can't go into it here, but I'll just say my mind flew into a fit of anxiety that spun itself into a fury. Along with that spin came the thought that getting drunk could stop the spin. Yes, I tackled the beast and honored my promise to myself. But how do we begin to catch things before the actual thought of drinking comes to mind. Maybe this thought itself of being on gaurd all the time is beast too though. I really don't know... Maybe we just need to accept it will come as it pleases, which is most often our times of acute weakness and that our job is to battle it at that time only.
Mindfulness is a really good topic. I also am trying to be more mindful and living in the present. I do believe the beast loves to work using past hurt and future fears. I am doing a lot of reading and trying to meditate. I am certainly a work in progress. Quitting drinking was the first step for me which has now allowed me to try to build a better foundation for my life.
Have a good day all