I remember sitting in my first meeting where someone said they had 30 years and thinking that there was no way that they were telling the truth.
Later I realized, 30 minutes, 30 days, 30 years it only matters that we don't drink TODAY. I choose to view it as realizing how much more I can do being sober than feeling deprived about not drinking.
Before I got sober I would sit at an AA meeting terrified at the thought of "breaking up with my best friend, alcohol." I thought how could I never drink again? And here's the secret: I can't tell you I'll never drink again, but I do know this, I will not drink today. And when tomorrow comes I probably will make the same choice to stay sober for that 24 hours too. They tell us to take it easy, one day at a time for a reason, because it works.
And today, by one precious day at a time, I have 427 sober days in a row.