Stopping drinking versus living sober
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CA desert
Posts: 1,599
Stopping drinking versus living sober
Hey SR family, how is ya, lol?
I really have missed this place, for this group has always been there during my deepest frustrating moments of trying my best to get a grip on life. Today I enjoy the blessings that many here helped bestow upon me, the blessings of each day being a true gift, and the simple, boring details of day-to day living becoming absolutely fascinating to live through. It's great to be invited to share time with people today, to just be wanted for being me, not some clown in a bottle. SR has been a major part of my discovery process and for the many blessings I've received I am truly grateful.
One of the biggest struggles I had to contend with was trying to determine if I just wanted to stop drinking or did I want to learn how to live sober. I stopped drinking a thousand or more times, but I didn't realize I didn't know how to live sober. So when things got a little tough, I just picked up the bottle again and escaped life until the next time reality reared it's ugly head.
The real difference came for me when I was granted the gift of insight into how pleasant life could be without booze screwing up the works. It may sound corny, but the sunrise seems so much brighter and promising when I'm not hungover or laying in bed all day feeling like total garbage. I don't feel like a loser anymore, which is a direct result of striving to learn how to live among the human race and let myself be human, not some preconceived notion of who I wanted to pretend to be.
To those on shaky ground, I am among those today that I envied just a few short months ago and I know that if I can find a new path to a life full of rewards and enjoyment, then you too can find the path that leads you ultimately to yourself, for therein lies the real, incredible you.
Thank you SR for all your help and for being here through the hard times. I'm glad to say today is much better because you are here.
I really have missed this place, for this group has always been there during my deepest frustrating moments of trying my best to get a grip on life. Today I enjoy the blessings that many here helped bestow upon me, the blessings of each day being a true gift, and the simple, boring details of day-to day living becoming absolutely fascinating to live through. It's great to be invited to share time with people today, to just be wanted for being me, not some clown in a bottle. SR has been a major part of my discovery process and for the many blessings I've received I am truly grateful.
One of the biggest struggles I had to contend with was trying to determine if I just wanted to stop drinking or did I want to learn how to live sober. I stopped drinking a thousand or more times, but I didn't realize I didn't know how to live sober. So when things got a little tough, I just picked up the bottle again and escaped life until the next time reality reared it's ugly head.
The real difference came for me when I was granted the gift of insight into how pleasant life could be without booze screwing up the works. It may sound corny, but the sunrise seems so much brighter and promising when I'm not hungover or laying in bed all day feeling like total garbage. I don't feel like a loser anymore, which is a direct result of striving to learn how to live among the human race and let myself be human, not some preconceived notion of who I wanted to pretend to be.
To those on shaky ground, I am among those today that I envied just a few short months ago and I know that if I can find a new path to a life full of rewards and enjoyment, then you too can find the path that leads you ultimately to yourself, for therein lies the real, incredible you.
Thank you SR for all your help and for being here through the hard times. I'm glad to say today is much better because you are here.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CA desert
Posts: 1,599
Hi suki and new friends,
suki, one of the things that is fantastic today is to really miss people, like I have missed SR and my friends like yourself. Thanks for the welcome back.
Another nice thing about recovery is that no one has stolen my wallet lately, (they never did, I just blew all the money at the bar, lol).
If I wanted to express all the many ways that recovery has opened up my life, I would have to write a series of books, with new editions each year.
One thing I know for sure, recovery is not easy, but the rewards sure are nice, even wonderful at times, and when I look in the mirror, there's a totally different guy looking back at me, lol. It's great to laugh at myself and know that the laughter is all in fun, not the false laughter of the desperate person I was trying to hide.
Don't get me started, I always was one to speak my mind, lol.
suki, one of the things that is fantastic today is to really miss people, like I have missed SR and my friends like yourself. Thanks for the welcome back.
Another nice thing about recovery is that no one has stolen my wallet lately, (they never did, I just blew all the money at the bar, lol).
If I wanted to express all the many ways that recovery has opened up my life, I would have to write a series of books, with new editions each year.
One thing I know for sure, recovery is not easy, but the rewards sure are nice, even wonderful at times, and when I look in the mirror, there's a totally different guy looking back at me, lol. It's great to laugh at myself and know that the laughter is all in fun, not the false laughter of the desperate person I was trying to hide.
Don't get me started, I always was one to speak my mind, lol.
Clear Eyes Full Heart
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,272
Nice post Firestorm!! I find I appreciate a lot of corny things sober lol
There is a difference between stopping drinking and living sober. This is the first time I'm making a real effort to create a sober life.
There is a difference between stopping drinking and living sober. This is the first time I'm making a real effort to create a sober life.
Crazy Cat Lady
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,661
great post, firestorm. being sober is so much more about putting down the bottle. it's about living the sober life and learning to love life in sobriety. i honestly know that i don't need to turn to the bottle now in times of distress. it's okay to feel sadness and pain. emotions of all kinds are so much more touching without alcohol. everything in life has this beautiful kind of sweetness to it now that it had been missing when i was drinking. everything has a depth that i had been missing before. after living the sad, dead lives of active alcoholics and addicts, i think we are especially aware of the magic in things like sunsets and clouds and even mundane things that other people may not notice because we're aware of what a gift this sober life is. we've learned not to take this life around us for granted.
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