January Jewels - week one 2012!

[Chillgirl]

Happy New Year my precious gems!

I hope you all had a wonderful AF and peaceful transition into this new beginning......

I ended up chatting online till late to a dear friend in the US who was logged on to smartrecovery who were doing a marathon online conference call around the world with lots of inspirational speakers. It sounds like a wonderful organisation.

Thank you for all the support last year, you guys have been my salvation and I look forward to sharing the next year and all it has in store for us.......

[spacebebe01]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Im ready and looking forward to starting the new year sober, happy and thankful for that.

[sooty]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Happy new year jewels, let's make it a good one. I managed to stay up till midnight and watched the fireworks and didn't feel at all miserable, so that's a good sign! Over indulged with the family and an Indian takeaway so off for a walk this morning.

Someone, I think it was Rusty asked about my daughter ...I have 2, one is 24 and the other is going to be 23 this month. They are both gorgeous, slim and beautiful - not that I'm jealous or anything

Catch you later - I just gotta take advantage of this dry weather, you would not believe how much rain we've had!

Have a good day xxx

[Chillgirl]

January Jewels - week one 2012!



Hi Space & Sooty - thought I'd share this photo from Jason Vale's juicing site. Im so happy I don't make my brain suffer like this anymore......

[rustop59]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Good morning everyone

Thanks for starting us off Chill.

Just wanted to wish you all a very happy New Year. Look forward to sharing this journey with you all in 2012.

Rustop

[Stargazerlily]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Happy New Year to everyone!!!! 2012, wow, this is going to be a great AF year.

It is so wonderful to wake up on New Year's Day feeling healthy and not hungover. I appreciate all the members of this thread and MWO, let's make this a year that we can remember, AF. Life is so rich with promise if we focus on what is important and stay away from the poison.

I was out to eat last night and noticed that most people in the restaurant were NOT drinking alcohol. I am going to focus on health and good choices this year as I know we all are on this thread, no matter where we are on our journey.

To all, an AF New Year's Day.

[ThreeDogNight]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Happy New Year!

Thanks, Chill for starting all of us off in the new year!
Just read my Twenty Four Hours a Day and Each Day a New Beginning for the day--so meaningful to me today.
Never made it to midnight, but my husband woke me to let me know it was 2012! I am grateful to all here for a sober start to this year. You are such a great support.
The Smart Recovery marathon sounds interesting. And I will try to get onto Jason Vale's juicing site. Going to try to cut out sugar and get more fruits and veggies into my diet!
Going to church later this a.m. but not much else for the day.

Love to all!

TDN

[bear73]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Smart recovery site is amazing - it has really really helped me - the tools section is especially good. useful for those who don't want the total AA approach like me. I credit this with part of my success so far. Book by phillip tate ' how to quit drinking and be glad you did' uses lot of smart techniques.

First sober NYE since i was 16 - feels good - stayed up until 330am playing games at friend's house - lots and lots of laughter.

Happy 2012 - I will be exercising more, thinking positive, eating more veg and not buying anything in Jan (apart from fresh groceries).

[cyntree]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Happy new year, Jewels!

Dill - how wonderful to hear from you, you have been sorely missed! I've been in your shoes, I know exactly what you are talking about. We are here, you are here, all is good.

Wishing everyone a magnificent day - I will check in again later, but for now the puppies are insisting on a walk, and I see that the bird feeder could have a topping off - I want to start the year with bounty all around me. A cardinal couple that came for the first time yesterday is back, so I consider that a sign of ease and contentment to come...it is densely foggy here today, that valleys and ridges are yet to be revealed, as if the new year is waiting patiently to be unwrapped...

So deeply contented to be part of this little world of ours - thanks to all, and wishes for the best of all that is yet to come.

[Lavande]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Good morning January Jewels & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!:yay:

CONGRATS ON 2 YEARS AF CHILL!!!!!!!!
I am very happy for you & wishing yuo continued success & growth in 2012

Good morning to everyone!
I'm looking forward to improving & growing right along with all of you in 2012! We have a wonderful, loving & supportive group here so let's do what we do best :l

Entire family showing up for a turkey dinner so I will go plant myself in the kitchen for now. Have a wonderful AF January 1!

Lav

[ladybirdheart]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Welcome to the New Year, Jewels! I know it is an artificial, constructed turning point, but I like to give myself license to take it seriously, to put things behind me that I need to let go of and greet the world with clean eyes, a fresh heart. Today, I have a super busy end of what seems to be this never ending holiday season so tomorrow is my ?real? New Year. I can?t wait to emerge! In any case, I shall be here with my favorite gems in spirit and begin to look further for what seems to pass as my soul. To each of you ?regulars?, Lav, Star, Chill, Dill, Dew, Pappy, Rustop, Rusty, Cyn, Sooty, Guitarista, SD, Sped, Blondie, et. al. and to everybody joining up (welcome!) or soon to return, Happy New Year and let?s get gracefully out of whatever holes we are in during the days and months to come. Alone is harder (I have references). Special congratulations to Chill, dear navigator of the Universe. Oh happy day. Love, Ladybird.

[dill]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Greetings Jewels, so nice to be back with you all. We have developed quite a history with each other, have we not? We will continue to do so, weaving in new threads along the way. I wanted to let you all know how very much of a comfort it is to me to come back and find so many familiar faces as well as new ones. It feels like I am not just coming back, but coming home.

It's wonderful to start the New Year with some mental clarity. There have been so many wasted New Year's Mornings in the past waking sluggish and dull. Suddenly it all looks so foolish to me what once I accepted as "normal".

I have once again begun listening to the audio version of The Power of Now thanks to a gentle reminder from a good friend about the benefits of Mindfulness. I think that I may need to invest in a paper version so I can mark more meaningful passages for revisiting. It's so hard to find them in the audio version once they have passed out of the Now.

Congrats to you Chill on 2 years!!!! I remember when you came on MWO and spent a lot of time in the What We're Listening To thread in preparation of saying goodbye to alcohol. That's where I first got to know you a little bit. Anyway, you've done a stellar job!!

I will now join Lav in the kitchen.

[Cassia]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

First off -

CONGRATS CHILLGIRL ON TWO YEARS SOBER!!! WELL DONE!!!

Good morning everyone and happy 2012. One of my new year's resolution is to post more regularly on this thread. I have been absent far too long and miss you guys terribly so I ask that if I am not posting at least once a week to PM me and give me a telling off. You all are what helped me get thru my first year and I need you guys to help me get through my second!

I hope you all had a fabulous New Year's eve! Any resolutions??? I have two more - to learn Spanish and eat less sugar. The last one is going to be the hardest I think.

So life has been incredibly busy. After my husband arrived everything just took off. I helped him job hunt and network, we celebrated both of our birthdays, my friend visited from Scotland, my mate got married, hubby got a job, I ran the Tough Mudder, I finished my tax course, his parents visited, Thanksgiving, three Broadway shows, two tori amos concerts, unexpected visitors at Christmas. Just insane. Work has been increasingly busy - my boss resigned and they aren't going to replace him imminently, my transfer to New York fell through, one of our colleagues resigned in Jersey so we are down one. I want my boss' job as well so I have been taking on a lot of extra work and responsibility. Plus, I am training to exercise 5 days a week for the half marathon that I am running in March. So yeah, things have been really busy. I am very settled here and know that my husband and I made the right decision. When I look at what's going on in Europe or even all the redundancies at my old job in Scotland, it makes me very thankful. Someone was definitely looking down on us when we got the chance to move here. I definitely don't want to screw it up by drinking.

So, now that I have a year sobriety under my belt what is different - well, I don't think about alcohol anywhere near as much as I used to - in fact, I only think about it in times of extreme stress or at the Christmas night out. My life no longer revolves around it. I don't talk about why I don't drink as much as I used to - I used to feel like I had to justify myself - not anymore. My relationships are generally much better. I can't even remember what a hangover feels like and I am in a much better place. I am really really happy.

I hope that 2012 brings you much love, happiness and hope. My friend posted a great quote the other day that I want to share with you all called the three simple rules in life:

1. If you don't go after what you want, you will never have it.
2. If you don't ask then the answer will always be No.
3. If you don't step forward then you will always be in the same place.

Lots of love,
l x

PS - sorry for massive long post - normal posting will resume.

[Dewdrop]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

Chill congratulations my friend on 2 years, that is an amazing achievement and you have dealt with all that life has thrown at you this year with dignity and compassion. I?m so happy to have had the opportunity to get to know you; I wonder if you truly appreciate how influential and loved you are :l

Being cooped up with the yucks means I?ve had lots of time to ponder and reassess last year and I am glad it?s come to a close and I can put some things behind me and move on with a fresh slate. It?s interesting reading some of the posts on moving forward into 2012 on the boards and making positive changes and I guess many feel the same way. The important things in my life are my health, my peace of mind and my family and not always in that order but they are always at the top of the list. I?m going to keep that at the forefront of my mind during 2012.

I managed to wrap up this afternoon and went for a long walk on the beach which helped to blow away the cobwebs and I felt re-energised and content when I got back into the car. I?ve had a big bowl of homemeade carrot and lentil soup with crusty bread and the coal fire is on. A quiet and reflective night is on the cards.

Dewdrop :h

[Lavande]

January Jewels - week one 2012!

I smell turkey

Dill, I love having you back
You recommended The Power of Now to me - how long ago??
I have it on my Kindle, kinda read it like a bible...... thank you so much for suggesting it to me because it sure did help me (Keep reading & listening)!

Dewdrop, great that you got out & got some fresh air.
I think my goals are pretty much the same as yours - health, peace/happiness & family

Cassia, make sure you schedule some time for yourself to just breathe......
You are one busy girl & I'm happy everything worked out for you & your husband!

We will stick together again this year LBH, promise!!!!!!!
Where is our Shelley?