Mcribb

I told people that I am bored and they said that I was a boring person? O.K. that sounds like a solid solution LOL. I guess I am supposed to gamble or drive my car a 100 mph or something?

Anyway how I take it is that it is o.k. to be bored. Nothing is wrong. Lots of times when I am bored and nothing is interesting me I just try to stay out of trouble. I just got my jeep back and my drivers lic I don't need to be stupid. Try to be as productive as possible without being stupid with your life. I often read or post on this website. I print off pictures of things I would like to have in my mind and try to cultivate positive images that I want in my life. I often try to think of a good things in my life and get on my knees and say this Prayer.

JESUS THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE. I WILL NOW DO SOMETHING WITH IT THAT IS PRODUCTIVE AND DOESN'T COST MONEY THAT I DON'T HAVE.

PurpleKnight

I used to drink because I was bored, and then when I stopped I had to learn how to be content with simply being in the here and now with so much time on my hands!!

It's not something that happens over night, it's a learning curve!!

aasharon90

Id say, if you are happy with your life and
with whom the person you have become,
then I think you are a cool person. I too
use to complain that I was bored and had
a family that kept me busy. I was grateful
for that and my sobriety but not much else
interest me except to go out to eat, no
crowds, a walk in the park.

Before I got sober I thought I was having
fun living an exciting life. However, all
that fun was the wrong kind of fun.

After I got sober and learned to live an
honest life in recovery, I am now having
fun and don't feel like a boring person.

I don't think I was meant to be caged
up like a pet bird. I needed my freedom
to fly and now I am free and ride, not
fly, but ride free in the wind with my
husband on our Road King to various
fun, exciting destinations.

I also have to remember not to get to
cocky while living free because, something
could happen just like when we were riding
in a tunnel on our way back from Daytona
in Mar. and I wanted to hear the engine rare
up loud and vroom vroom....lol And my
husband got distracted by my comment
and hit the curb with the wheel and WHEW
we could have had a major accident in the
tunnel.

Soooooo, remain responsible and not
cocky in recovery and ride or fly free.

soberlicious

What do you like to do Mcribb? I'm a single mom, so free or low cost is important to me too. My favorite things that are low cost/high return are: reading, running, and going to the beach.

I also take money that I used to spend on booze and cigarettes to support low cost hobbies like sewing. I get most of my things thrifted or gifted. I put out a chunk of money on my soapmaking supplies, but then I sell my soaps for just enough to buy for more supplies, so that hobby sustains itself financially.

bigsky320

I'd rather be boring and sober than drunk.

Ruby2

I'd say let go of being bored and allow yourself to enjoy the ride. Earlier this summer my son complained to me that he was bored. Bored, bored, bored. Entertain me. Find something for me to do. When I made suggestions he didn't like any of my suggestions. He didn't want to allow himself to enjoy doing those things. "Paint a picture" "Read a book" "Get your Legos out". I got a solid "NO" on all of those things because he didn't at that time choose to be entertained by them. But when his sister did the exact same things, he soon got involved in them and enjoyed himself. He was insulted when I told him something my mother told me, people who are bored are boring people. I get bored too but then I realize it is because I'm sitting there expecting life to happen. To have someone entertain me. When I drank I waited for the excitement to come to me rather than seeking it. I was really a boring person.

There is a whole wide world of inexpensive or free things to do out there. I just had to start getting off my duff and find them. Good luck!

BoatDaddy

Acceptance is part of recovery. Accept that things are sometimes out of your control. But more importantly self acceptance is really important. Self confidence comes with that and there isn't a need to please others or even worry what they think. Be self assured that you are doing what's right and we all support you.

Soberpotamus

What other people think of me is none of my business

LBrain

if I got angry at every comment that made me angry at AA, I'd be an angry person.

Fly N Buy

What I use to consider boring I now consider as serenity......

Nuudawn

Alright I'm going to empathize with ya McRibb. Sometimes when someone delivers a snappy little one liner retort, cliche, adage or "AAism" I wanna scream. For some reason, it always comes off a little smug or self righteous to me. I feel dismissed or unheard. I feel like they haven't even given any thought to what I said. It feels like the equivalent of "snap out of 'er"...or "I'll give you something to cry about"...or "what have you got to be depressed about?".

I'm not saying they are wrong. Maybe they can sum it all up in snappy one liner. But isn't sobriety about feeling what you're feeling. Isn't it nice to have empathy when we do indeed feel bored, or restless or angry or frustrated or sad? I think it is.

Yes, people will say things in AA or anywhere that will hurt our feelings...make us feel dismissed or rejected or abandoned or ignored or mad as hell....

They are doing us a favour I guess. We work it through. We think about what they said. We vent. We consider it. We throw it out. It pops up again. We think about it again. We think maybe they have a point and what can "I" do about it. It's all good...

But "processing" can be painful : ) I am very fond of a the works of Khalil Gibran who wrote:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity:

neferkamichael

Mcribb, please remember when you are in an AA meeting you are in a room full of drunks. Rootin for ya.

heath480

Focus on the positive things people say,not the negative ones.

whalebelow

Reverse psychology tends to work well in AA

Tell an alchy "I bet you can't xxxxxxx"

Then watch them get their panties in a bunch before setting out to prove You wrong.

Once they have proven you wrong by accomplishing xxxxxx, they prove to THEM selves that they can do xxxxxxx

They do something they probably wouldn't have done and it does them good.

It's a bit of tough love or cruel to be kind.

If you set out to prove your not boring..... You'll probably have a few new fun experiences, learn their is more to life than booze and get your self out of yourself.

whalebelow

I would add... It works best on males, because of our in born competitive streak.

Women won't necessarily set out to prove anyone wrong, they tend to think it was just cruel.

Exceptions will of course be found but generally speaking, try it with guys first.

Mountainmanbob

A righteous prayer
One that the Lord will not ignore
Put it all in God's timing
You will not be bored for long

As long as (we) stay sober that is

MM

WillB

Love the quote Sober Jennie...doing the thing

WillB

Awesome point Nuudawn, we can't control what happens to us but we can control what it does to us. Live, hurt, heal and learn.

wpainterw

Mcribb:
You wrote, "I told people that I am bored and they said that I was a boring person?"

They were both inappropriately judgmental and wrong. No alcoholic can be boring. Whatever alcoholism is, it's not boring. That's like saying Hell is boring, like being roasted over a slow fire is boring. Like playing Russian Roulette is boring. Like gradually approaching a painful death is boring. I have met death face to face and I can tell you, I wasn't "bored" one minute. Maybe what they meant was that they didm't want you to remind them of where they had been. Quite inappropriate. They need to be reminded.

You're trying to do something good, worthwhile in life. Good for you! Go for it!

W

MelindaFlowers

This thread made me laugh because it reminded me of what my grandma would tell us kids:

Kids: We're bored!
Grandma: Bored people are boring.....

LOL. Sure brings back some nice memories.