November Nuturing - Week 1

[Stargazerlily]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Good morning to all.

Rebirth, you have make such strides in the last several months, telling us of the huge changes in your life and relationships, one time drinking does open the door, but does not negate all you have accomplished. This site is great for getting input and thinking about what we truly want. Thanks so much for your honesty and willingness to look at this with all of us.

Dill, I have been working on alot of the things I mentioned, so really nothing new......just trying to be consistent and moving forward. My son has an exam to take this week so prayers are needed, positive thoughts sent his way.....Thursday. Thanks, for your support.

Chill, good things come to those who wait, and I am sending you strength and wisdom on this day of your interview. What a great opportunity. It all started with you getting AF, taking care of yourself, and then reaching out. Lovely to hear about.

Lav, so happy to hear you had a good day. You deserve it.

SD, test anxiety stinks, but I am sure you did great. You are such a joy to have on this thread and love to hear about your journey. I think spreading the news about RJ's MWO program would be great. AA is not for everyone and the success rate for addiction is low, so the public needs to learn about every program out there that is helpful. Go for it.

Papmom, thanks for the thoughts on failure. Perception is everything.

Today, work, work, work. The darkness is hard to take, Sped, I am living it and feel kind of tired. Oh, well, the time will change soon and it will be dark when I get out of work. Time to focus on inside activities for now. I watched Women of SNL last night and laughed so hard. They crazy!!! Let's all try to find something today to make us laugh, really hard.

John, loved your reflections on natural order. Surrender, and letting go and letting God, is what it brings to mind. I too am very forceful, bossy, determined, whatever, but find that I can drive myself and others crazy, wanting things my way. Now. So, today I will work on doing what I can and leaving the rest to the Universe, acknowledging that everything is working in Divine Right Order. I have been trying to focus that way with my son. He is making strides, slowly, and everything takes time. Thanks for sharing.

[Rusty]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Good Morning Everyone!

Chill-a very belated CONGRATULATIONS ON 10 MONTHS AF!:yougo::yougo: and also congratulations on the new job prospect! I think I would go absolutely bananas if I couldn't work.

RB-Glad to see you're in the ballgame again :-)

SD-I think it would be great if you did your report on RJ's book...and I I think you would be doing a great service to your audience if you mentioned some of her alternative treatments with meds like Naltrexone, Baclofen, etc., because most people (doctors included...I speak from experience) only know rehab and AA. You never know...your instructor might be someone who is secretly struggling with addiction and would really benefit from your report. You could read over the Meds thread and see some of the testimonials in there because most people on that thread tried everything else....rehab, AA....and nothing worked until MWO. You could use those testimonials in your report.

Spirit-:welcome: I look forward to getting to know you. Care to share any details? What part of the world do you live in? We have a diverse group here...some of us live in the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Australia, and then we have a bunch of people from the US here, too. We have all age groups on this thread....mostly women... and two wonderful men: Paguy and Guitarista (Mr. G). We need at least 2 men on this thread to keep me in line.:H I'm the naughty one in this group....kind of a maverick and a little rebellious (and I'm 49).

For me, this thread fits the best!

Have a wonderful AF day, everyone!

[rustop61]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Good morning everyone

Never mind a month, so much has happened in one day!!! Chill - congrats on 10 months and a new job. SD - Congrats on 1 month and yes I think you should spread the word about RJ. AA is not for everybody and there are as many relapses there as anywhere but it seems to be the only alternative in a lot of countries. Thank God for Google and MWO.

:welcome: Spiritgirl, hop on board and join us, lots going on as you can see.

Rebirth - Well done for jumping right back on board. You made a wise move, it is too easy to fool ourselves. Like LBH and a few others on this thread I have not achieved continual sobriety but as LBH said I'm much better without Al 95% of the time and that is too big a number to mess with.

Star - Wishing you son good luck in his exam. Hope work goes ok for you and remember to take some me time to nuture yourself.

Paguy and Papmom - thank you both for your quotes on perfectionism and failure, enjoyed them.

Sped - How did the walking group and book club go?

Rusty - What part of the world are you in today?

Sooty, Cyn, Guitarista, Dill, Lav and anyone else I missed big hello.

Rustop

[Rusty]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Hi Rustop,

I am on my way to Fort Wayne, Indiana, today and will be between Indiana and Illinois the rest of the week. Thanks for asking...you asked me yesterday and I didn't respond. Sorry!

[Rusty]

November Nuturing - Week 1

I have been thinking for the last week or so that a lot of us here are considering new career opportunities or opportunities to supplement incomes whether it be impending retirement or a change in lifestyle/marital status. We could use this thread as a wonderful resource for not just alcohol addiction but as a way to improve our professional lives or give us a new hobby.

Last week, when I was in the Minneapolis Airport, the guy who drove me in the electric cart to my gate told me he is a Mystery Shopper for car dealerships. You have to have a Chevy (Lav, I was thinking of you )or a GM vehicle that's 2005 model year or younger. He said he gets paid $50 per visit and he gets free oil changes, tire rotations, etc. on top of it. He also mystery shops stores in the airports...and not just the coffee shops...he mystery shops nice men's and women's stores, and he gets huge discounts on merchandise.

He said that the mystery shopping in airports is a worldwide program. I thought it would be kind of fun for our European and Australian members on our thread. It also piqued my interest because he now mystery shops the airlines themselves, and he gets free tickets, etc.

I was a Mystery Shopper back in 1997 and it was fun. No stress at all, and I got to work by myself, and back then, I got a mere $15 per visit but this man said that he knows several people who do very well being part-time mystery shoppers because the pay is SO much better now. I e-mailed him this morning and he is going to give me a link where I can get so more information. I'm getting ready to trade my car in and right now, I have an import, but just the thought of saving money on oil changes, etc. is very appealling to me. I have always believed that it's important to have a contingency plan in case my career should suddenly take a horrible turn for the worst....what else would I do for a living to support myself? So, I think I may have found it.

Anyway..just something I wanted to share. :-)

[Guitarista]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Greeting's folk's,

Congratulation's Chilli on 10 months af, AND snaring a job. See how it work's? Just like that. Bravo!
Congat's SD on 1 month too. Keep it going.
RB. I sing for you my friend. With respect, I also see in your post's that you don't seem to be quite finished with the booze in your mind just yet? Either am i, BUT, after much trial and error, i know drinking is not the way for me right now, or maybe ever, and i'm living happily without it. The small sacrifice of a few wines on the weekend, which after a couple of week's for me would end up dawn to dusk drinking, alone, is no contest with how great i feel now, and what a thrill i get out of every day. Gratitude vs. Deprivation thinking. I embraced my weakness for drinking, and got inside it to understand it, and not fear it. I recognise it, acknowledge it, and let it be. For me, this was important work for me to do, to shift my thinking. So, on one hand i've got the old drinking day's....yep, some good times to be sure, but where did that alway's lead? Everyone else went home to bed, and i'd continue on, and on...On the other hand i have my life now, not drinking. I hold both hands up, and the not drinking hand is way up higher than the other, re quality of life now. No contest. Some folk don't eat peanut's. Some don't have dairy food's. We just don't drink alcohol. We've just got to adjust around this fact, like anyone else.

Best wishes for the month everyone.

[Guitarista]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Hi Rusty!

[greeneyes]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Guitarista;994776 wrote: after much trial and error, i know drinking is not the way for me right now, or maybe ever, and i'm living happily without it. The small sacrifice of a few wines on the weekend, which after a couple of week's for me would end up dawn to dusk drinking, alone, is no contest with how great i feel now, and what a thrill i get out of every day. Gratitude vs. Deprivation thinking. I embraced my weakness for drinking, and got inside it to understand it, and not fear it. I recognise it, acknowledge it, and let it be. For me, this was important work for me to do, to shift my thinking. So, on one hand i've got the old drinking day's....yep, some good times to be sure, but where did that alway's lead? Everyone else went home to bed, and i'd continue on, and on...On the other hand i have my life now, not drinking. I hold both hands up, and the not drinking hand is way up higher than the other, re quality of life now. No contest. Some folk don't eat peanut's. Some don't have dairy food's. We just don't drink alcohol. We've just got to adjust around this fact, like anyone else.

Very well put, g-bloke!

Hallllooooo, everyone!

[Rusty]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Hi Mr. G-

Good to see you! We have some new people on our thread and I think you should re-post your link to your performances-imagine how much our readership on this thread will increase! I thought your post to RB was outstanding-it's an excellent tool and I wonder if it could go in the Toolbox?

Hey Greenie-nice to see you....what are you doing over here....chasing Mr. G? That's what I do!:H:H

[Lavande]

November Nuturing - Week 1

GM Kids!

Bright & very chilly here this morning - seasonal!

G - your new picture reminds me of someone I used to know :H:H

Rebirth, glad to hear you're feeling better today - keep going girl

I slept much better last night (got up late this morning) but that's OK. Had a visit from my son & his family yesterday which really lifted my spirits. They've decided to go ahead & host Thanksgiving in their tiny house & take the weight off my shoulders. My son's 30th BD is also on Thanksgiving Day I'm grateful that he's grown into such a nurturing person. It's such a pleasure to see him interact with his son EB!

OK, I need to get to work. Sending greetings to Rustop, Rusty, Star, Dill, Sooty, LBH, SD, Papmom & every wonderful person who stops by today
Have a wonderful AF Tuesday.

Lav

[sooty]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Hello everyone and a very happy start to November. My internet has yet again been playing up so this is a quick log in in case it goes off again!

Everything ok in Sootyland - the clocks went back at the weekend so its dark early and I don't like it. But I'll curl up and think of the summer

Have a really good day all - I'll be back for longer as soon as I can

Sooty

[rebirth]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Hey Rusty .I can see all of us ending up as mystery shoppers with really nice cars. lol. Please give us more info as I am very intrigued.

Wow all these new peeps on this thread. Exciting!!

Gutarista - Absolutely right what you said and my next stage is to understand my weakness for drink, my triggers etc. I dont want to be the drunken woman I use to be so I will do whatever I can to obtain a stronger mind. I have to understand that I cant do alcohol.

Hi Rustop, Lav and Star, and Greenie

[ladybirdheart]

November Nuturing - Week 1

I have time to start catching up so congratulations on your milestones Chill and SD and Chill on your new job, it sounds like a good match and you get to learn interesting skills that you can build on as well, all in all a really good thing. Your birthday sounds quietly glorious Rustop, we are all certainly glad that you were born and can be here now. I liked the goals, Star, I am trying to live each day more mindfully of how I spend it. I have been really good with my exercise but need to be mindful of eating as when I don?t drink I can become a little bit anorexic. John and all who chimed in, I loved the talk about perfectionism and control even though it did not apply to me at all. It was just a fluke that I was known as The Anal Sphincter in college and Dr. Exacto on the job. Rusty you are so full of fun, irreverent, irrepressible; this does not of course mask that you have a wonderful depth and kindness. Pappy, I love watching you enter the world of competitive agility, what a way to have fun with your dogs and see new lands. Cyn, what a scene leaving your beautiful house for parts as yet unknown but also beautiful. I thought of you when I was taking a walk a few days ago listening to Streisand singing ?My Heart Belongs to Me?, I bet you could sing that really well in the woods. I am glad you are feeling better Rebirth, it is all grist for the mill, things from which we learn. Hi my Dill and Lav, anchors of my little wall that keeps out the big storm. Hi Shelley, gypsy girl. Hi G., that was a great post for Rebirth (and the rest of us), spot on. Hi Sooty, pilot. Love, Ladybird.

[paguy]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Good Evening Everyone!

It really is a challenge to keep up with all the goings on here, isn't it! I find it exciting and refreshing to know that we are all focused on our common goal this month - Nurturing.

G - Your comments on thoughts of Gratitude vs. Deprivation are so helpful. I am 100% certain that I was never grateful for a horrendous hangover the morning after. And, I never felt deprived when I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs to go to bed after drinking all night! What I am grateful for is the inner peace that I feel knowing that I am in control of my behavior and I am not going to jeopardize this peacefulness by being fooled that I am depriving myself by not drinking alcohol. OK, I'm off my soap box!

As I re-read my previous paragraph, I am chuckling because I see the recurring 'control' theme again :H . But, self-control is OK, isn't it??

Back in July when I started my AF mission, I purchased a program entitled "Change Your Mind About Drinking" by Michael Mears. One of the exercises in the program is to mentally have a funeral for alcohol as a way to symbolize it's exit out of your life. This may sound wacky to some of you but I found it to be effective. You consciously make an effort to visualize (and you can add sound effects) throwing all of your bottles/cans of alcohol into a coffin and nailing the coffin shut. There is definitely a grieving process associated with giving up AL as it's been our "best friend" for so long. So, for what it's worth, some of you may find this exercise helpful.

Rusty - I have heard of being able to make money mystery shopping but I didn't realize how lucrative it could be. I also read or heard that you can make money by responsing to on-line marketing questionnaires. How hard can that be??

Today was my first day in the office in 2 months! It felt so strange driving in and then walking into my office. Everything was just as I left it. Today was a pretty quiet day so I was thankful for that.

It's Election Day here in the States and I can't tell you how many phone calls I've received over the past week from the candidate's campaigns. Some very tight races here in PA - it should be an interesting evening.

Sweet Dreams Everyone!

[papmom3]

November Nuturing - Week 1

Evening everyone!!

Great posts today! Loved them all.

John-i've signed up as a survey taker. Not sure I'm going to make any money but it's kind of fun and I do earn points that so far I've been putting towards sweepstakes of all kinds. I'll have to dig deeper to see what can be purchased with the points.

Rusty-I definitely should look into mystery shopping as I use retail therapy alot and I might as well get paid for it :H. If you do get those links I'd love to check them out.

LBH-what a beautiful post as always!! Gosh, you have such a way with words!!

Mr. G-you are sooooo cool!!

RB-hope you're feeling better. Glad you liked the quote I posted !!

chill-how did the interview go?? Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Hey Rusttop, Greenie and Lav!!

Sooty-we turn our clocks back this weekend. I'll be glad to see daybreak at 6 instead of 7 but very sad to be leaving work in the dark.

Hope I didn't miss anyone!!

:l