Newbies Nest

[bcp2013]

Newbies Nest

Hi all,great post,tis true starve the beast and you take back control,love it!! So true,more and more the light is shineing in on me,l am happy to be free of that monkey on my back,happy alcohol free wednesday,loving holidays not hung over,doing way more living alot less sitting drinking !!! Have a fab day all!!

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

Byrdlady;1521388 wrote: Lav, you should move. You must live on an ancient Indian burial ground or something because it rains 90% of the time up there! Can you teach your chickens how to undo the Rain Dance? I hope you get some sunshine!

Some real progress going on here! I tell you, you can't see it when you are under it, but AL is an amazing drug. It scatters your thoughts and jumbles up everything, the only thing that is clear is how to get your next drink. That seems to be the only really clear path up there.....until you get out from under that. Think of AL as a mighty python...all fat and powerful, ready to squeeze the very life out of you for the sake of preserving itself. BUT.... take that snake and don't ever feed him again. He quickly loses power, eventually shriveling up and dying....over time the only thing that remains are a shell. HOWEVER, just add AL and he comes right back to life and then some. The point in today's note is: What is one more drink or one more night of drinking going to get you? Not a dam thing. Starve that beast and you will control him and take back your power. Your mind and headspace will also get sorted out, it is amazing. You will take pride in yourself and your work, something that AL takes as he is in control, after all, all he wants is the next drink. Don't justify keeping that snake around any longer. Nothing is worse for us than A DRINK. Nothing you can do (almost) is WORSE than taking that drink. Fight it with all you've got! If you got thru the last 15 minutes, you can make it thru the next 15! You've got friends here, and we are here to help!
Have a wonderful Hump Day!! Byrdie

Great reminder, Byrdie!

If I could have back the time I spent planning to acquire, acquiring, drinking, and disposing of the the evidence the wine that I drank in a sad, lonely, and desperate way, I bet I would not even be in my 50s yet :H.

But - I'm working on letting go of regrets and concentrating on moving forward, eternally grateful to MWO and the the people who make it what it is for the changes in my life. The second half of my 50s should seem so much longer than the first half given how much "free of AL" time I'll have !

To people in the nest who are just starting out: It really is as simple as Lav so succinctly said last night: If you don't want to drink, don't. It is so worth it!

:h NS

[Mein Sonnenschein]

Newbies Nest

NoSugar;1521397 wrote: Great reminder, Byrdie!

If I could have back the time I spent planning to acquire, acquiring, drinking, and disposing of the the evidence the wine that I drank in a sad, lonely, and desperate way, I bet I would not even be in my 50s yet :H.

But - I'm working on letting go of regrets and concentrating on moving forward, eternally grateful to MWO and the the people who make it what it is for the changes in my life. The second half of my 50s should seem so much longer than the first half given how much "free of AL" time I'll have !

NS, you are so right. When I think of all the time I wasted (and still waste when I choose to drink) hiding and disposing of evidence... it's ridiculous. And drinking alone is such a very lonely feeling. But you are also right in concentrating on moving forward! I'm trying very hard to do that today. I'm feeling sad and lonely and craving a glass of wine... but today is a new day to be healthy! I'm so glad I have you and everyone else here as my inspiration.

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

Great to see you back, MS. I've missed you :l.
:h NS

[RitaNow]

Newbies Nest

Oh my goodness there are so many insightful posts on this thread .... I'm starting at the beginning and I'm going to read all of them .... What a thread of journey! Thanks all for walking the Journey together!

[Mein Sonnenschein]

Newbies Nest

NoSugar;1521412 wrote: Great to see you back, MS. I've missed you :l.
:h NS

Thank you! I as well have been missing you and everyone in the Nest! I'm just a bit tongue tied today.

[witts end]

Newbies Nest

hello everyone ........woooohooooo 3 weeks yeah

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

witts, that is absolutely fantastic!!! You know what they say about 21 days, that's how long it takes to form a new habit. I'm SO proud of you!!! You have made it look simple! GREAT JOB!!! One more week and you will get your official HAT! (eva' body wants one of those!!!)

Rita and Mein, GREAT to see you! Keep it going no matter what and no matter who! Byrdie

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Very nice on 3 AF weeks Witts

Welcome back MS! Get your plan dusted off, updated if needed & jump back on the sober bus!

Lots of people are looking for something special to motivate them to get started on their AF journey. For me it was the birth of my first grandchild. That did it for me!
For some people it may be money that motivates them & that's fine. I honestly don't know how much money I've saved not buying wine BUT
I got an email from QuitNet this morning congratulating me on my 49 smoke free months & according to their calculations I have saved over $11,000 by not smoking. GEEZ!!!!!
I'd love to see MWO come up with a calculator like that so people could actually see how much money they are saving by not drinking

Have to do a bit of work tonight then I'm up & out very early tomorrow morning for a fun day of babysitting.
Wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[Tess-2]

Newbies Nest

We are wishing you a safe night in The Nest too, Lav. Have a fab time with your grandchildren!!

Goodnight to All ~

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Holy Smokes, Lav! That's a lot of money....I am approaching 900 days AF...I was spending about 10 bucks a day for my cheap wine....so I am about $9000 savings for me! DANG, it adds up doesn't it. That's not to mention the other costs, like arranging my flights thru certain airports that had a wine shop I could stash a couple bottles in my carry on....the list goes on and on what it cost me.
Thanks for sharing that with us, it is amazing how great the price and the cost are to us.
Hey Tessy!!!! Good to see you!!!
Have a safe, AF night everyone....Byrdie

[Kohl mom]

Newbies Nest

I was pumped today... Very stressful day - dad ill ... Life stuff.. Would most likely would have drank.. Went to Ameristop was nervous.. But did not even consider buying alcohol!! Felt awesome.. Day 4.. Running tomorrow. Excited. I know one drink would become 4. Hung w the kids.. Yeah

[3June2013]

Newbies Nest

Just got in from a very busy night at work. Used to be I would sit and drink myself to sleep. Too wired to sleep until I passed out from drinking. Nowadays I get up earlier, keep busier and sleep better. I keep waiting for the crash. I feel so good pretty much all the time. I used to be way moodier. I chalked some of it up to menopause (my BFF says we're just bitches LOL) but the grumpy mornings had more to do with Al I think. Interesting how when you step away you can see things much more clearly.

[3June2013]

Newbies Nest

Byrdie 900 days? Wow, how do you keep track? Daily?
Lav I hope you saw the sun today!
Mein Sonnenschein hello nice to meet you!
witts end woooot 3 weeks you must feel terrific!
Kohl mom I can honestly say I can't remember the last time i only drank one drink it must be years. Good for you not even considering buying. I think the little voice in your head knows you don't drink any more!
Hi Rita! NoSugar!Tess! I can't see farther so hello to all the nesters!!

[STEADFAST]

Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters; nice to "see" you!

Yes, i do feel empowered having quit such a powerful habit! It's just not right for a substance to have control over its consumer. And the sense of being in control has a flow-on effect. I'm feeling more assertive, at work and at home. Sadly my husband likes to smoke weed - every single night. So we really were at odds when i was drunk every night! It's very different now i'm AF. I simply told him i'm taking an indefinite break, and making sure he benefits from my AF status too. I have more psychic energy to put into our relationship, and can be more thoughtful about things. Ya never know, he might even feel inspired to quit smoking so much as he sees the changes in me.

The financial impact (let alone all the other impacts) of a heavy habit is astounding if you do the maths. Not only was i buying bottles of vodka and cartons of beer, i was paying for taxis and subsisting on take-away food. Some mornings i would wake up and find a receipt that meant i had used my credit card, when the cash i had in my wallet to begin with should've been ample. And no doubt i spent it on drink. The good thing about this is now having some money to treat myself in other ways. We should all reward ourselves for our AF milestones!

Take care everyone. Winter Solstice here tomorrow, which means Summer Solstice for you good folk in the U.S. I hope the weather's kind to all...

love Steady
:h