One Year and Under Club Part 57
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 134
Howdy all from Texas.
Sober Christmas, Sober New Years - I remember everything, had a lot of fun, and even was kind and considerate to family members. :0
So a year ago was when it started - the long descent into mayhem that led to me saying ENOUGH in June (soon to be 7 months sober now yay). Super-stressful period - I thought - financial issues, challenging work projects, etc. So I thought a little wine in the morning would help see me through. And of course it did, until - it didn't.
So now a year later, the same financial issues up (although now I have a potential solution), and the SAME PROJECT is back with similar problems - and you know what? No desire to drink on it. Well maybe a little whisper back there, but not one that is getting any airtime. I just don't see it the same way. Same basic situation. But an absolutely, 100% different way of looking at it. Makes all the difference in the world. And this year, since I'm not being a baby and hiding from my challenges inside a wine bottle, I'll actually GET THEM WORKED OUT.
Happy 2017 to all!!!
Sober Christmas, Sober New Years - I remember everything, had a lot of fun, and even was kind and considerate to family members. :0
So a year ago was when it started - the long descent into mayhem that led to me saying ENOUGH in June (soon to be 7 months sober now yay). Super-stressful period - I thought - financial issues, challenging work projects, etc. So I thought a little wine in the morning would help see me through. And of course it did, until - it didn't.
So now a year later, the same financial issues up (although now I have a potential solution), and the SAME PROJECT is back with similar problems - and you know what? No desire to drink on it. Well maybe a little whisper back there, but not one that is getting any airtime. I just don't see it the same way. Same basic situation. But an absolutely, 100% different way of looking at it. Makes all the difference in the world. And this year, since I'm not being a baby and hiding from my challenges inside a wine bottle, I'll actually GET THEM WORKED OUT.
Happy 2017 to all!!!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 134
Originally Posted by Saskia 
Sounds good, Trying! I found that alcohol doesn't improve anything - it puts off the same problems until later and adds new ones.
Living and Loving Life at Last
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: gods own country
Posts: 12,164
Well done Tex, sounds like you are becoming a real grown up! ( unlike when we are actively drinking and hiding from our responsibilities.
It is incredible how over even a relatively short time of owning our problems and dealing with them on a daily basis, gives us the experience we need to deal with bigger ones. Where as before we would hide from and fear even the trivialities of life - working out monthly budgets, paying bills - and by hiding would allow them to snowball into something truly fearsome; now we can learn with baby steps, to manage what happens along, and with each small success, find the confidence and self belief to cope when bigger things happen.
You are doing great!
Hey Badger, welcome.
PJ I have a wonderful friend who found her rehab in rediscovering her art, she also worked initially as a volunteer and later as paid staff. She has now just returned to art college at 61 and loving it. She is my great inspiration.
As Sass says, it doesn't pay to allow ourselves to relax after the holidays, Semper Vigilans people!
It is incredible how over even a relatively short time of owning our problems and dealing with them on a daily basis, gives us the experience we need to deal with bigger ones. Where as before we would hide from and fear even the trivialities of life - working out monthly budgets, paying bills - and by hiding would allow them to snowball into something truly fearsome; now we can learn with baby steps, to manage what happens along, and with each small success, find the confidence and self belief to cope when bigger things happen.
You are doing great!
Hey Badger, welcome.
PJ I have a wonderful friend who found her rehab in rediscovering her art, she also worked initially as a volunteer and later as paid staff. She has now just returned to art college at 61 and loving it. She is my great inspiration.
As Sass says, it doesn't pay to allow ourselves to relax after the holidays, Semper Vigilans people!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Oregon
Posts: 275
I just found this thread (thanks to Dee!). I'm 44 days sober and have been posting only in the November 2016 thread. Decided to branch out on SR to get just a little more accountability. I'll try to catch up on some of the thread this week.
Quit 4/17/15
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Pa
Posts: 15,154
Welcome rainypnw! Congrats on 44 days sober.
TNT, I love the new attitude. Sobriety brings a "Can Do" attitude, instead of us falling back on drinking to push things off. It's a huge shift in thinking.
Have a good night all!
TNT, I love the new attitude. Sobriety brings a "Can Do" attitude, instead of us falling back on drinking to push things off. It's a huge shift in thinking.
Have a good night all!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Anywhere USA
Posts: 2,098
Hello Undies! I am dying just a little bit here, a coworker and I have started a 30 day fitness challenge, squats of all things. Today was day two, my quads have gone to jello. I am sooooo out of shape and okay,, overweight its pitifull,,, 
. But I have to start somewhere and apparently picking up a pencil doesn't count! lol,,,, I have been waiting for the weight to melt off of me since I stopped drinking, but that hasnt' happened. I guess I have to do a little more than sit on the couch and eat popcorn, sigh it is a cruel world,,,
Badge
. But I have to start somewhere and apparently picking up a pencil doesn't count! lol,,,, I have been waiting for the weight to melt off of me since I stopped drinking, but that hasnt' happened. I guess I have to do a little more than sit on the couch and eat popcorn, sigh it is a cruel world,,,Badge
Living and Loving Life at Last
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: gods own country
Posts: 12,164
Hey Rainy, welcome
Badger, if only we could think ourselves thin eh! ( and 3" taller and about 20 years younger while we're in make believe!) actually it took stopping drinking to allow me to get into a fitness regime and I've lost over 20 kilos ( our scales weigh in kilos and while I could change them I kind of like not knowing what I am in stones and pounds!) I started slow walking my dog wearing wrist and leg weights and now I can run ( for run read jog, stagger splutter and pant) around 3-5 k 3-4 times a week. My poor dog didn't know what hit her having to move regularly!
Badger, if only we could think ourselves thin eh! ( and 3" taller and about 20 years younger while we're in make believe!) actually it took stopping drinking to allow me to get into a fitness regime and I've lost over 20 kilos ( our scales weigh in kilos and while I could change them I kind of like not knowing what I am in stones and pounds!) I started slow walking my dog wearing wrist and leg weights and now I can run ( for run read jog, stagger splutter and pant) around 3-5 k 3-4 times a week. My poor dog didn't know what hit her having to move regularly!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: New England, USA
Posts: 3,958
Badge - When I quit drinking I expected that I'd drop 10 pounds and life would be smooth sailing. It was a lot harder than that. Turns out drinking was my solution for everything! Learning new tools takes time. I personally found dieting and exercising like I always had triggered my cravings during my first year sober. I had to stay vigilant, and accept gaining some weight as part is the process of getting sober.
Texas - I can relate! The thing I love about sobriety is that I get to learn emotional maturity and responsibility that I used to avoid. It has built my self esteem to make better choices, to respond instead of react, to give myself time to make decisions.
Nmd - Setting daily goals is nothing I've ever been good at doing. Great idea! How do you practice that?
Mklove - Great idea to be present and take things one day at a time.
Pnw - This group was an oasis for me when my class thread slowed down. I found it helpful to hear the perspectives of folks with varying lengths of sobriety.
I like the conversations here so much that I keep coming, even though I am a little over 34 months sober.
I learn so much from everyone here.
Texas - I can relate! The thing I love about sobriety is that I get to learn emotional maturity and responsibility that I used to avoid. It has built my self esteem to make better choices, to respond instead of react, to give myself time to make decisions.
Nmd - Setting daily goals is nothing I've ever been good at doing. Great idea! How do you practice that?
Mklove - Great idea to be present and take things one day at a time.
Pnw - This group was an oasis for me when my class thread slowed down. I found it helpful to hear the perspectives of folks with varying lengths of sobriety.
I like the conversations here so much that I keep coming, even though I am a little over 34 months sober.
I learn so much from everyone here.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 2,294
Greetings Undies, old and new!
Cold and snow here, sent most of the city into hysteria. I just plugged along, but didn't go anywhere, one advantage of working from home.
Speaking of work, my insane building is in the middle of another psychiatric episode. I wish I could spike the water with some medication for them all.
2 months sober again on January 1. Of course did nothing for New Year's Eve, cynical me just feels it is another flip of a calendar page... and an annoyance to write the correct date.
Have a good and sober one Undies!
Cold and snow here, sent most of the city into hysteria. I just plugged along, but didn't go anywhere, one advantage of working from home.
Speaking of work, my insane building is in the middle of another psychiatric episode. I wish I could spike the water with some medication for them all.
2 months sober again on January 1. Of course did nothing for New Year's Eve, cynical me just feels it is another flip of a calendar page... and an annoyance to write the correct date.
Have a good and sober one Undies!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 134
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback on my thoughts the other day. I love the idea that sobriety brings a "can do" attitude. The way I've been thinking about it, when one of life's curve balls comes along, I hear my Higher Power saying "we got this" and the AV just kind of slinks away.
I was driving home last night (after my martial arts class, yay sobriety!), and turned left towards home when the light became green. A car ran the red light and smashed up both cars to the right of me, that started moving at the same time. All the cars went spinning around making all kinds of noise before they came to rest. I took (at least) two lessons from that: (1) every minute of life is a gift, and (2) while I don't know why that accident happened, back when I was drinking a lot, that could have been me running that light. We're blessed to be on this side of the valley that we have crossed.
I was driving home last night (after my martial arts class, yay sobriety!), and turned left towards home when the light became green. A car ran the red light and smashed up both cars to the right of me, that started moving at the same time. All the cars went spinning around making all kinds of noise before they came to rest. I took (at least) two lessons from that: (1) every minute of life is a gift, and (2) while I don't know why that accident happened, back when I was drinking a lot, that could have been me running that light. We're blessed to be on this side of the valley that we have crossed.
EnjoyingTheJourney
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 3,847
Hi & Welcome Rainypnw-
Congratulations on your 44 days, that's pretty cool!
As mentioned, there is a lot of great experience shared on this thread by folks with varying lengths of sobriety and I hope you find it as helpful & supportive as I have.
Hi Tex, great posts & it's good to see you.
Amended this as we just cross posted - Close call there & glad you are ok!
Lol Toots, as always you made me laugh (weight in pounds & stones)!
Wishing everyone a good Sober day.
Congratulations on your 44 days, that's pretty cool!
As mentioned, there is a lot of great experience shared on this thread by folks with varying lengths of sobriety and I hope you find it as helpful & supportive as I have.
Hi Tex, great posts & it's good to see you.
Amended this as we just cross posted - Close call there & glad you are ok!
Lol Toots, as always you made me laugh (weight in pounds & stones)!
Wishing everyone a good Sober day.
Living and Loving Life at Last
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: gods own country
Posts: 12,164
That's me Bandi, the comic relief,!
Tex close call and definitely a moment for gratitude. Another Undie had a close call recently, I am happy to know she too escaped relatively unscathed.
BeFree, how are you doing now sweetie?
Drake just grin and nod, grin and nod. Have you ever thought of getting a punchbag fixed to your ceiling? You'd look like Schwarzenegger in no time ( the Terminator Arnie, not the later, statesman one!) good going on 2 months Hun. And yes isn't it a pain every year having to learn to write a new date??
How's the squatting going Badger, able to stand back up without a noise yet? ( I'm at the stage where if I drop something I look to see if it's worth bending for, or if there's anything else down there to make the trip a little more worthwhile! As for getting out of an easy chair, my ninjaesque qualities fail me every time!!)
Tex close call and definitely a moment for gratitude. Another Undie had a close call recently, I am happy to know she too escaped relatively unscathed.
BeFree, how are you doing now sweetie?
Drake just grin and nod, grin and nod. Have you ever thought of getting a punchbag fixed to your ceiling? You'd look like Schwarzenegger in no time ( the Terminator Arnie, not the later, statesman one!) good going on 2 months Hun. And yes isn't it a pain every year having to learn to write a new date??
How's the squatting going Badger, able to stand back up without a noise yet? ( I'm at the stage where if I drop something I look to see if it's worth bending for, or if there's anything else down there to make the trip a little more worthwhile! As for getting out of an easy chair, my ninjaesque qualities fail me every time!!)
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Western New York
Posts: 2,441
Originally Posted by gleefan
Nmd - Setting daily goals is nothing I've ever been good at doing. Great idea! How do you practice that?
Several of the self improvement books I've read have a similar idea. Steven Coveys 7 habits and Anthony Robbins writings suggest planning based on your long term goals or values. Build a life plan first then spend time to work on your goals. To do lists and just "getting stuff done" doesn't always get us closer to our goals. For, planning a sober life for example, I might put writting a gratitude in my plan. For rebuilding a relationship with an old friend, I might put down plan a lunch. Each days list should be broken down into categories of what larger goal or value they build on.
Simple really, but easier said than done. I get stuck in the day to day as much as anyone. It's a work in progress. I find myself distracted at work, or getting lost in Internet land a lot, and having a written set of goals is powerful and something I need to work on.
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