Nora's journey

[NoraC]

Nora's journey



Every day that is AF - is an I DID IT DAY!!!!

[NoraC]

Nora's journey

Molly - I loved that story about your friend. Thank you for sharing. :h

[mama bear]

Nora's journey

Nora...we shouild make a t-shirt out of that!!
Molly's story makes you think, doesn't it?? It did me...

[NoraC]

Nora's journey

6-20-12

Don't really know what I'm going to say but I just feel so blah........I guess I just feel restless inside. That's not exactly right but I just can't put my finger on it. Almost like sadness is coming over me.

Things are going ok. My niece & nephew have been here for a week. We are enjoying them. Having a good time (sometimes the bickering is too much but all in all, it's great). We have been having some great family time.

I haven't been drinking. Think it's been about 16 days but haven't been counting. I am having some thoughts but not major cravings. Not really worried about drinking now. With the kids here, it's just not an option.

Work is crazy. My assistant is leaving. We also have 2 other positions that need to be filled. But, I am not letting it get to me. I just go in & work and do what I can. I'm not stressing over it.

I have been thinking a lot about people passing away. My uncle, my cousin's husband, friends that have lost or losing someone. Makes me think about my parents getting older. I can tell by talking to them, that they have slowed down so much.

I miss my support group on here. Several of my friends have left this site. Of course, I have contact with them away from here. But, my support on this site has changed. I think that I am struggling with finding where I belong again. Looking to find my comfort zone I think. I do have several people here that I know I can contact and they would be right there for me. I'm just trying to find my place for my daily connection. It just helps me to stay in daily contact on this forum. I have found that when I drift away from here, I begin to lose my focus and I let my guard down.

Oh well, it's late - things will be so much better in the morning ....... this is just the ramblings of a very tired Aunt. :H:H

[techie]

Nora's journey

Hi Nora. I love your ramblings. I'm always available to talk anytime. There are folks that have left MWO that I miss too. I think it is the typical ebb and flow of any social media. I hope you have many continued AF days ahead of you!

John xxx

[NoraC]

Nora's journey

Thank you John. :l Guess I was just feeling a little melancholy last night. Obviously. :H Thanks for your support - always!!:h

[paula]

Nora's journey

I'm so glad your here Nora.

[NoraC]

Nora's journey

Oh Paula - I'm so glad that you are here too. :l:l:l

[LibraryGirl]

Nora's journey

Nora I'm glad you are here too.:l

[IAD]

Nora's journey

Glad your here too Nora ! Makes me want to do the Funky Chicken ! ha! Lots of love......Ha! Tony

[mama bear]

Nora's journey

I am home Nora and you are not alone.....I promise..I will stay here just to irritate you!

[NoraC]

Nora's journey

Thank you friends!!! You all just made my day!!!!:h:h:h

[mama bear]

Nora's journey

we gotta stick together babe......our peeps have left us...but we have new ones now!!!

[NoraC]

Nora's journey

8-12-12

I just read a GREAT post by Mario. I want to remember it.

Your doing great dixon :-) You should be very proud.But I don't think we can begin to truly grow into a successful, lifetime, AF plan until we have managed to make the shift in our thinking from the "Deprivation Mode" to the "Gratitude Mode."

In Deprivation Mode, we think alcohol is a good thing that we are being deprived of. We are sad, and grieve the loss of what had felt like a friend to us. We consider it a treat that we never get to give ourselves again. We are envious of others who "get to drink."

In Gratitude Mode, we recognize that alcohol is (for us, because of our brain structure, genetics, physiology, etc.) a toxin, a poison, something that nearly destroyed us. Mentally, physically, and spiritually. We recognize that we have the most amazing opportunity to rid ourselves of something that makes us very sick in all those ways. We recognize the craziness of voluntarily damaging our brains, minds, bodies, families, jobs, futures. We are really, really grateful for that opportunity, and we guard it and cultivate it carefully.

Most of us start a recovery program in deprivation mode. Some people stay there forever. Those people tend not to be able to create a consistently successful program, or life, of freedom from alcohol and its devastation. Some of us transition into gratitude mode.

For most of us, Gratitude Mode does not just happen all by itself. We have to make it happen. If we want to shift into gratitude mode, we learn to cultivate it. We cultivate it by being careful about our thoughts, and about what we notice. If we find ourselves thinking about how wonderful it would be to have a drink, we deliberately shift attention away from this train of thought, and we deliberately choose to think about how good it is to know we will never humiliate ourselves with alcohol again, never again have another horrible hangover, never disappoint our children again with the way we are when we get drunk. We notice alcohol advertising, pay attention to how it makes us feel, and detach from the message by noticing how distorted the message is.

That kind of thing is crucial. We literally can BUILD a new way of thinking and feeling about things. And I think that's something to be grateful for, in itself!
Keep moving forward dixon you can and will do it :-)

[Sunbeam]

Nora's journey

Nora, yes, the whole gratitude concept is important. Why would anyone want to drink when they have so many good things going in their life? I included a lot of my gratitudes in the daily prayers I posted for my first 30 days.