Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

[Change]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

4thekids,

Congratulations on not drinking! That surely took some courage.

J-vo, can't wait to see Catching Fire. Glad to hear it lived up to expectations!

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Wow, I'm really happy right now. I think I've found a thread that I can really be happy in. Except I forget the name of it. Anyhow, the thread is to stay focused and sober throughout the holidays. Yep, need that. And on day 37 here. Although lately I've felt as though that initial "feeling good" has faded, I think that means something here. It means that I need to incorporate the next step/goal for a healthier me. That, my friends, is going to be exercise. I'm going to commit to my treadmill daily. I'll start off with 20 minutes and jam with my pandora. So ready for this. And to give myself a special treat, gonna go in my hot tub. Yes, it's snowing here! What better way to enjoy a beautiful hot tub! Ok, things are looking up for me. I'm not going to sit on my ass and do nothing tonight. I'm going to put my tennis shoes on and hit the treadmill!

Night all!

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Hmmm....feelin' good. Got on my treadmill!

[Dottie Belle]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

WTG j-vo..I need to get off my butt and exercise too....sigh.....

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Thank you Dottie Belle!!!!! It felt great and I encourage you to do it!

[K9Lover]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Way to go J-Vo! I miss exercise...I was doing SOOO well before I broke my foot in June...time to get back to it though. It really does make you feel great! Even a small workout can revive you, it's not like you have to run a marathon or anything. And I love, love, love the sauna after a workout!

My daughter saw Catching Fire on Saturday, she loved it. I haven't read the books OR seen the movies. Back in my drinking days I could sneak a 6 pack into the movies in my big red parka coat. Oh...the bad old days! Glad they're over!

Keep up your great work J-Vo, you are rockin' this sober thang!

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

K9, Glad you're healed! And just a little makes me feel great. Gets the endorphins going and listening to my 80's music, let my thoughts go and life is good. It's the high I need all the time.

Loved Catching Fire. Read the series twice. My kids at school are bugging my to buy the series so we can read in class. It's $186 for just the first book - class set. There's not much money in education these days in our state, so I'll have to see what I can do! Two weeks ago, we went to see Last Vegas, which was a really cute movie. The lady sitting next to me had a bottle filled with some type of AL as I could smell it. Yeah, the bad ol' days. I'm finished with that!!

[Eloise]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Happy Thanksgiving everyone & good luck tomorrow !!!

[4thekids]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Hi Guys....anyone thinking about drinking as Thanksgiving is approaching? I am. I hope it is a passing feeling.

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Hi Eloise, how's everything going? We're having a house full tomorrow. It shouldn't be too bad as my husband is in charge of the turkey!

4thekids, are you sure you want to drink tomorrow? Do you usually have family over or do you visit? If you're going to drink, do you have a plan for moderation? I know modding doesn't work for me, so I can't consider it.

I've been struggling this evening, as I've always drank on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Well, I've drank way more than just Thanksgiving Eve, but I've been thinking about it more, since this is one of the biggest "party" nights in the US. So, when my husband asked if I wanted to go out and eat here or there, I turned him down because I didn't want to watch people partying, as that's what I would probably focus on, not the food I was eating or the fun atmosphere. So, down tonight, but sitting quietly on my couch, waiting for my husband to return home with our take-out.

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Day 38

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

Day 39 here. I know I was feeling a little down last night. These thoughts are just that. Thoughts that will pass. And as some very smart MWO person eloquently put it, "Hangovers last much longer than cravings or AL thoughts." Yep. So true. I get to have my coffee this morning instead of downing 5,000 glasses of water, sit and relax with a clear head, get on my treadmill to boost my metabolism so I can enjoy all the Turkey Day fixings, and enjoy my family with a clear head! Oh, and watch a movie later because I won't be passed out, while my boys (hubby and son) watch the football game. Awww. So sweet. Thank you MWO, thank you Lord, for this blessed day.

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

This is great post by WIP, who left MWO years ago. I remember her posts, as they were filled with inspiration and wisdom. Just like I was last night, in "deprivation" mode, we need to hopefully get past that and move into "gratitude" mode. If we don't get past that, we will probably relapse. Who can really live in deprivation long term? None of us. We need to grow beyond that to experience long-term sobriety. Thanks WIP.

This is something I wrote and originally posted elsewhere; I thought it might fit into the "tool box" nicely:

Do You "Deserve" a Drink, Today?

I can't count the number of times I have seen someone come here and write a post in which s/he says that s/he has relapsed, or "slipped," because s/he had been doing well for a while, and decided that s/he "deserved" a drink.

And our alcoholic thinking does this to us. It totally bypasses the memory of the devastation, humiliation, and destruction that alcohol has brought into our lives, and it presents alcohol as a GOOD thing, a prize, a reward, something we want to give ourselves for a job well done.

I wrote a post a few days ago, about this way of thinking, but it was kind of buried in another thread. And I saw people talking about "deserving a drink," again today. What I wrote about was about changing our way of thinking from this self-destructive "Deprivation Mode" to a winning, successful, positive "Gratitude Mode." Here it is:

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!

wip

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

http://www.myreclaimedlife.com/tools.htmp

[j-vo]

Just Starting Out...for the thousandth time

My Reclaimed Life - Tools