BeABetterMan

I got sucked into an internet hole tonight. I have been thinking about this line I heard in song I love. It says, “Insane and rising in my own weird way.” And I feel that nothing describes me better. I have a bunch of tattoos and this one will almost certainly end up on my body someday. Anyway, I started reading more about the band and the lead singer who I know was a recovering addict. Finally I ended up on a page that talks about some sober celebrities. I’m not really “into celebrities” or anything like that, but as I read through the list I was thinking how I genuinely think most of the people on the list seem like pretty cool people. I think sobriety really brings out the best in us. We stop hating ourselves so much. We stop being the victim. We stop doing a lot of counter productive things. I am super stressed about an unexplained meeting that HR scheduled with me Monday morning but I just refuse to drink or to sabotage my own happiness. I believe to my inner core that as long as I stay sober I can deal with any adversity. I mean, when I think of all of the things I’ve been through and the fact that I literally survived every one of them, most of them while in addiction, I know that sober no challenge is too great. But I digress.Here’s the list of sober celebs. I mean John Goodman and Bradley Cooper?!? So remember kids if you want to be cool, you shouldn’t be a drunk jackass.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ins...r-2018-4%3famp

brighterday1234

Yeah there’s tons of celebs in the sober club. Not that it matters but it definitely helps inspire people to realise a sober life is possible especially in an age of celebrity worship.

Surrendered19

HR at your company has opportunity for improvement. It is unnecessarily cruel to schedule a meeting with a person and not tell them the subject matter at the very least. Morons. Anyway, your perspective on it is great. Come what may in my life, it would all be worse drinking.

advbike

Interesting. I don't particularly admire or have any interest in celebrities but that is a pretty amazing list. I do admire several business and technology leaders and many of them don't drink either. Guys like Warren Buffet, or Larry Ellison, CEO and founder of Oracle.

BeABetterMan

I’m fairly certain it’s not about improvement. I got a good review/sizable bonus. Since I quit drinking I have been 100x the employee I ever was. But I have a rough criminal record from all my drinking (DUIs, fights, etc.) and I know I was denied a clearance for classified work, so that’s probably it. But why send the invite at the last moment on a Friday with zero details?! Oh well, that was an aside anyway. I just was up late and fell into an internet hole and found the list interesting.

D122y

I am not as into the celebrity fan thing either, I respect the hustle, talent, focus, bravery, wealth etc.

I have seen dozens of celebrities in my life and as we all know, they are real people. Some are smaller than I expected. What a common misconception.

I use celebrities as a tool for staying sober. "Partying like a Rock Star" is what I used to say back when I ramped up my drinking after my 20 years in the military. It was fun and dangerous until it wasn't fun, but still dangerous.

I was uneducated and blinded by my addiction to booze. I see brilliant people that still think they are managing their addiction and routinely dancing with the beast.

The brain damage is insidious and permanent. Sadly for some, they will just think they are getting old and weak, or whatever their addiction tells them. They will drink until they die an earlier death than otherwise possible.

I am a new man these days as well. I am not afraid to joke or ask the tough question, I am not afraid to make a mistake.

I mostly trust my judgement all the way, up to and including apologizing even when I think I am right. Honestly, what do I really know. I want to error on the side of playing nice. Things always work out better for me that way.

Love love love.

Thanks.

BeABetterMan

I love that post Dizz.

Hevyn

BABM - I enjoyed your upbeat post & the interesting list. I'm so glad we finally know that alcohol is not our friend or comforter. It will not calm us or make things easier to bear. Won't make us cool or clever. I regret I relied on it for so long, thinking of getting sober as 'losing' something, rather than finding a whole new life.
Let us know how Monday goes. You'll be ready.

least

Getting sober and practicing gratitude are the coolest things I've ever done. And both have rewarded me many times over.

Anna

BABM, I think addiction makes us more compassionate. And, what the world needs now is exactly that - more compassion all around.

Elton John - I loved Rocketman. I cried at the end.

Abraham

Check out zack wylde talk about sobriety (google zack wylde on sobriety if your into that kind of thing). What he had to say really helped me. Maybe its just me though. I posted a vid but it has some swear words in it so not forum safe but cool none the less. I posted a cool video in the video section on some pro golfers talking about sobriety a year or so ago.