Making a difference...
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
Making a difference...
here's a thought I have sometimes.... it seems to help me strengthen my choice of sobriety.
Making a difference.
As my life has rolled along for the past 41 years there are many points at which the sense of "purpose" has arisen. What IS the purpose and what is MINE?
For me, a part of that answer is making a difference. Having some positive impact on the world, whether in the form of making someone's day a little brighter, spending time with my kids, scratching a stray dog's belly or volunteering to help a cause.... making a difference is something that feels good and brings something to the flow.
In sobriety I look around at the social messages and the behaviors of my fellows and I see a lot of evidence that alcohol and anesthetizing oneself to the experience of life is the thing to do. I don't think it is.... and I don't think there's enough focus on countering that message in this society.
Yesterday a friend on facebook was expressing feeling sad and having a difficult time dealing with that. What to do about FEELINGS????
Sadly, almost all of the replies on her status post involved some form of the response "GET DRUNK".
And this is what we see all over the place in our society. Movies, commercials, advertising, peer behavior.... fun times, sad times, because it's sunny, because it's raining.... BOOZE IT UP!!!!
At the risk of becoming a little self-important on this point, I have begun to feel as though my choice to live in sobriety can be a beacon of another message; that LIFE for LIFE's sake is pretty wonderful. That there is joy in living and that the joy need not be clouded by a buzz. That it's OK to feel things because that's part of the ride.
Rather than being ashamed of sobriety or feel 'different' or 'left out' - what if we were to feel strong in our sobriety and acknowledge the notion that in our own way, we are making the world a better place simply by our example.
Happy Sober Sunday everyone.
Making a difference.
As my life has rolled along for the past 41 years there are many points at which the sense of "purpose" has arisen. What IS the purpose and what is MINE?
For me, a part of that answer is making a difference. Having some positive impact on the world, whether in the form of making someone's day a little brighter, spending time with my kids, scratching a stray dog's belly or volunteering to help a cause.... making a difference is something that feels good and brings something to the flow.
In sobriety I look around at the social messages and the behaviors of my fellows and I see a lot of evidence that alcohol and anesthetizing oneself to the experience of life is the thing to do. I don't think it is.... and I don't think there's enough focus on countering that message in this society.
Yesterday a friend on facebook was expressing feeling sad and having a difficult time dealing with that. What to do about FEELINGS????
Sadly, almost all of the replies on her status post involved some form of the response "GET DRUNK".
And this is what we see all over the place in our society. Movies, commercials, advertising, peer behavior.... fun times, sad times, because it's sunny, because it's raining.... BOOZE IT UP!!!!
At the risk of becoming a little self-important on this point, I have begun to feel as though my choice to live in sobriety can be a beacon of another message; that LIFE for LIFE's sake is pretty wonderful. That there is joy in living and that the joy need not be clouded by a buzz. That it's OK to feel things because that's part of the ride.
Rather than being ashamed of sobriety or feel 'different' or 'left out' - what if we were to feel strong in our sobriety and acknowledge the notion that in our own way, we are making the world a better place simply by our example.
Happy Sober Sunday everyone.
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
Yeap if in doubt the answer is drink, stop living and numb it all away, feelings are the enemy!!
Sobriety is a far healthy way to be conducting life, living in the moment and experiencing life rather than escaping from it!
Great post!!
Sobriety is a far healthy way to be conducting life, living in the moment and experiencing life rather than escaping from it!
Great post!!
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 3,987
Great post, thanks!
I like this: And, as I like to say, sober is the new sexy!
I like this:
Rather than being ashamed of sobriety or feel 'different' or 'left out' - what if we were to feel strong in our sobriety and acknowledge the notion that in our own way, we are making the world a better place simply by our example.
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
Originally Posted by FreeOwl 
LIFE for LIFE's sake is pretty wonderful. That there is joy in living and that the joy need not be clouded by a buzz. That it's OK to feel things because that's part of the ride.
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