GrouchoTheCat

Hi Everyone,

Been sober now for about 4-1/2 months and am noticing some things.

I take showers regulary,

I get haircuts every week or so,

I actually shave most every day,

I am filled more with hope than with fear.

I wake up in a good mood (and I go to sleep in a good mood),

I got this in my daily meditation email.

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
- Abraham Maslow

It makes a great deal of sense.

So what are some of the positive things you are noticing in your sober world?

Ted

Golfman

Hey Ted, nice thread!!!

I love driving, seeing a blue light in the rearview mirror and knowing they're not after me.

when i go to the bathroom, i know my head's not going to be buried in the toilet.

when i look in the mirror, i don't start counting the bloodshot lines in my eyes

i love the look on the face of someone I'm sponsoring when they finally "get it." Their eyes just sparkle.

i know where my car is all the time

i know what i did last night

i don't have to hear those 8 words i dreaded so much..."do you know what you did last night?"

i smell much better than i used to.

I realize that God is doing for me what I cannot do for myself.

azure

those are some great lists, guys!!

I'm just starting out, and truthfully I need some things to look forward to becasue I'm not exactly thrilled yet with the idea of quitting drinking. I'm trying to get some motivation, and stuff like this helps!

Tazman53

Good topic!

My children respect me.

They actually like to ride in my truck with me.

I like myself.

I love others.

I am serene most of the time.

I now tend to look at the posotive in people rather then the negative.

I remember some peoples names.

No longer fearing so many things in life.

A huge lack of hate and bitterness.

Emotions both good and bad.

Dealing with life on lifes terms.

All of the things others have already listed.


BTW one of the best things I see in all of us is no one mentioned one single material thing!

parentrecovers

i noticed that too, taz - no material gains listed. very interesting..

Nuudawn

I can actually drive my car anywhere, anytime after 6:00 p.m.
I no longer make drunken phone calls I don't remember
I have befriended my feelings. I know there is a purpose and often a message therein.
Problems are processed and resolved with action...not drank through in hopes they will go away if I just don't deal with them.
I make decisions and choices rather than have "reactions" I regret later.
I know now that fear and awkwardness must be acknowledged and faced so that I grow. I don't need to drink for courage...I just need to pray.
I have hope and dreams again.
Now when I make plans, I know I will probably execute them.
I have faith.
I'm not angry/an or depressed all the time.
I sleep through the night.
I know I'm finally growing up rather than spinning my wheels in drunkeness.

BrandiK

My wallet is thicker (not buying that booze)
My waste is trimmer (by 30 pounds!)
My brain is back
My self esteem is present
I can look in the mirror with out disgust
I can actually say that I love myself
I can make plans with out worrying about when I'llhave time to drink
I am not so afraid of the world
The sun is something to enjoy, not hide from
I have muscles in my body, and enjoy using them in physical exersize (with OUT being sick from it)
My sides and backno longer have the all day ache
I, apparently, have a sense of humor
I, apparently, am a fine person to be around sober. I have more friends now then I did then.

Russelrb

I no longer have to plan my evenings around my drinking.
I no longer have to make excuses for not doing things with my family.
I sleep better.
The bathroom is no longer my first stop when I get to work .

TINLIZZY

I am listening to and enjoying music again
I like the way my husband looks at me
Waking up happy, clear, and lucid
Not being afraid to leave the house after 5 p.m. (when would you drink??)
Not being afraid to drive after 6 p.m. (how can you drive)
I'm calmer and more confident

And I have a long way to go!

(Sorry Ted/Ed, I've always bathed regularly and smelled great!)

TinLizzy

Astro

I'll give the short answer. What isn't positive?

There's an old AA saying that goes something like: "If I'd made a list in early sobriety of all the good things that I thought would come to me, I would've seriously shortchanged myself".

SaTiT

I'm growing my hair, beucase I want to. I'm mature enough to make
my own dicisions and don't feel like i have to do things certain ways
to be accepted or fit in. I'm above the influence of alcohol and
people, places, and things.

I love myself
I'm happy becuase I choose to be happy...I have a chioce.
I have a relationship with a HP a loving god as I understand him/she/it.
I'm free, I'm a free thinker and not a prisoner of my own dystructive doctrains
of my disease and damnation doctrains of others.
I don't have a beer gut as most people my age do due to drinking.
I have a good relationship with my GF. I've learned to live and let live. (under my own roof .lol)
I have a good relationship with my step son. I'm glad i got sober at a
young age and didn't passed on the insanity to him.

Gosh the list of posistive things are endless.
Just simple stuff like cops not looking at me or they can drive behind me
and I'm not freanken out.

Here a list of material things. I have ten + guitars that i havn't smashed.

hope3

Good thread.

My relationship is stronger and more real than ever. (18 years this 4/15)

I have love and hope

Hope3

GettinSober

I just wanted to post my thanks for this thread. It has helped me today.

parentrecovers

i really appreciate this thread as well. it brings me so much hope. k

Tazman53

parentrecovers you said:
I have to say a recovered or recovering alcoholic is quite different then a person who has been simply down and out, as a normal person regains things they tend to focus on more material things then recovered or recovering alcoholics.

I will only speak for myself, but I am sure many other recovered or recovering alcoholics feel the same way. When I quit drinking I had gangrene of my soul! Material things no longer mattered, the lose of material things did not matter, I wanted my soul back, I wanted to live.... not merely exist. My soul is not made up of material things, my soul is made up of me and those around me, having myself back and those I love and care for back is far more then I ever dreamed of..... the material things are gravy, I can enjoy and love all of the meal of life with out the gravy.

Does that make sense? It does to me.

kojac

Congradulation......and,truly appreciate all the nuggets of hope which were share in the light of "we do recover" and "the promise" which are in rigorously working the the steps;having and trusting a God of your own understanding,and finally being of service.......yet if I may can I at least sound a re-sounding "woe". Complacency is also a kine redflag......my intention is not to rain on the party; but my hopes are in the light of raising an awareness along the lines of recovery and spiritual principle(s). seloth@. tfs

Golfman

Of course you've always smelled great, you're a woman. I've never met a woman who didn't smell great. Even been turned on in the past just by a woman's perfume. OOPPs, sorry, didn't mean to imply anything.

No joke, I like smelling better too. I even got a compliment from a lady at a meeting the other day saying how nice I smelled. She even asked me what cologne I was wearing. So...that a biggie for me. Getting a compliment from a woman...drives me wild!!

steady eddie

symposium

I don't say things I don't mean and hurt people I love

I'm able to remember stuff when I study language

I don't fall asleep at 8 pm

More effective work outs

I don't feel like crap when I go to work

I don't get dehydrated and wake up feeling like a crispy piece of paper

I don't fall and bust my head and/or other body parts

I don't look like an idiot when I'm trying to talk and all I can do is slur

SaTiT

Our fears of finacial difficulties will slip away.
I can live with or without things.

I don't need to flaunt it.
It's just a matter of getting your priorty straight..first things first
and be humble and not getting emmesh with things
I'm not a thing.lol
The good lord had flooded my life with all kinds of material gains.
And the good lord had removed them out of my life.
And the good lord give me different things.
There's nothing wrong with having material things.

Most of us had hit a bottom of sorts with material things
We all know material things didn't make us happy.

parentrecovers

my daughter says her memory has really improved. every once in awhile, she'll blurt some weird math formula or poem or history fact she learned in school. she'll say "hey mom, listen to what i remembered!" now. if she can just remember to change the toilet paper roll..