# 40 days, 40 nights
**URL:** https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856
**Category:** Milestones
**Created:** [February 22, 2023, 7:44pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856 "2023-02-22T19:44:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bears515054](https://talkingsober.com/u/Bears515054)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2023, 7:44pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/1 "2023-02-22T19:44:13Z")
Well here goes another attempt, 3 resets, this month. Downloaded a Bible app, going to do some reading everyday during Lent, and my work schedule is opening up that i should hit mass every week. đ
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### Author:  [@Mallory](https://talkingsober.com/u/Mallory)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2023, 11:48pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/2 "2023-02-22T23:48:09Z")
Giving up alcohol for lent in 2020 was how i started my journey. I could not imagine being sober for 40 days. But i took it one day and
sometimes one minute at a time. But waking up without a hangover is amazing. Good luck. You can do it. Just check in here frequently.
Hugs
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### Author:  [@Englishd](https://talkingsober.com/u/Englishd)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/3 "2023-02-23T01:58:17Z")
Spirituality has helped a good number of people get sober, but faith without works is dead.
Youâve been on this forum a long time with the same M.O. the entire time. You show up all gung-ho and then usually fade pretty quickly only to show up some weeks later acting shocked that doing the bare minimum has not worked. Surely you have learned something on this forum so whatâs preventing you from actually putting it into action?
Honestly I think lack of consistency and lack of effort are probably your biggest issues but itâs up to you to figure that out. Getting sober is not some big mystery. The path is simple. Itâs hard but simple. So you have to figure out why youâre not willing to put in the work required for sobriety.
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### Author:  [@Kdog](https://talkingsober.com/u/Kdog)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 3:09am UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/4 "2023-02-23T03:09:56Z")
Same. Mine was 2019, but the reality was that me giving it up for lent was just the smokescreen publically. The real work happened behind the scenes in my personal life and on here. I think that just like new years or sober october, lent has no magic cure in itself any more than just getting up and not quitting on myself. That time it stuck (unlike the 2018 lent attempt where i was dry for a month then lost another 11 months of my life). I do thank God almost daily for this gift so i dont mean to badmouth whatever magic that made it stick, but @Bears515054 much like fitness or housework, occupying ourselves with a positive influence isnt the same as working recovery. I tried for years to find happiness and balance like this in hopes i could either be sober or happy or moderately drink, but i just spun my wheels in the mud and lost more time. Energy/work without focus on the goal doesnât get us closer to the goal my friend. You can do this and i think part of you really wants to, as for spiritually i believe you can find the holy spirit in church but its probably more present on weeknights in the basement during the local AA meetings than sunday mornings. Just my two cents, keep fighting brother and keep praying.
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### Author:  [@Mallory](https://talkingsober.com/u/Mallory)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 4:48am UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/5 "2023-02-23T04:48:25Z")
You have a great point. Saying youâre quitting drinking for lent, new years or any significant event isnt enough. Itâs just a day. I wanted to stop. I was sick of the hangovers and honestly drinking for no real reason. I truly wasnât enjoying it anymore. Saying youâre going to stop is the easy part. Committing to it is where the work and benefits begin.
Hugs
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### Author:  [@Lgrant1005](https://talkingsober.com/u/Lgrant1005)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 4:55am UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/6 "2023-02-23T04:55:07Z")
Yikes. The truth is painful but true. Hoping he didnât want to cry or drink after reading it. I know as someone who has done the same thing with my sobriety I would be crushed to read this. As true as it is. Hopefully it was received with love and openness. I know you were just telling the truth
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### Author:  [@Ray\_M\_C\_Laren](https://talkingsober.com/u/Ray_M_C_Laren)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/7 "2023-02-23T13:01:41Z")
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### Author:  [@Starlight14](https://talkingsober.com/u/Starlight14)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 1:22pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/8 "2023-02-23T13:22:57Z")
I think the problem is what is your mentality going to be once the 40 days and nights are up? If your doing it as a kick start great but beware of it coming to an end then feeling like rewarding yourself with the obvious, instead of doing it for lent maybe try stopping simply for u and because u deserve a better life, i did a sponsored 90 days dry once for charityâŚi did it but guess whatâŚi was sat there vodka in hand waiting for the last minute to chime so i could drink myself stupid because i âdeservedâ it
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### Author:  [@VSue](https://talkingsober.com/u/VSue)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/9 "2023-02-23T13:23:28Z")
I did similar in 2019âŚ.I wanted to get sober but itâs hard to explain to people so I used these things as my social excuse. I canât drink because of Dry January, Dry February, LentâŚ.by the time Easter came I felt confident to say âIâm feeling great, I donât want to drink anymoreâ
But behind the scenes I was doing therapy, AA meetings, personal reflections etc.
Previous years when I âgave up alcohol for Lentâ I never made it even halfway!! Or âSundays donât countâ was a good one too!!
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### Author:  [@Mallory](https://talkingsober.com/u/Mallory)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/10 "2023-02-23T18:15:29Z")
I used lent as my excuse or justification not to drink. Although it wonât work for everyone, i wanted to go to the happy hours with my friends. When i ordered a diet soda instead of my usual wine, I would say i gave up drinking for lent. This kept me on track and accountable. And i could still hang out with my friends which is critical for me.
Once lent was over i stayed sober and if asked said im not drinking today. Now no one asks or seems to notice as i pound down my diet soda.
Thanks for sharing.
Hugs
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### Author:  [@Thirdmonkey](https://talkingsober.com/u/Thirdmonkey)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/11 "2023-02-23T18:23:57Z")
> [@Bears515054](#):
>
> 3 resets, this month
Something that came to mind. With 3 resets in the monthâŚare they really resets, or are you actively drinking that month? Is the amount of sober days greater or lesser than the drinking days
Might be semantics. However it might change oneâs viewpoint on whether the program of recovery is actually working.
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### Author:  [@Thirdmonkey](https://talkingsober.com/u/Thirdmonkey)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2023, 12:10pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/12 "2023-02-24T12:10:47Z")
How is it going today?
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### Author:  [@Thirdmonkey](https://talkingsober.com/u/Thirdmonkey)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2023, 11:13pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/13 "2023-02-24T23:13:36Z")
Juat checking in. Hows it going?
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### Author:  [@Thirdmonkey](https://talkingsober.com/u/Thirdmonkey)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/15 "2023-02-26T12:18:49Z")
Hows it going?
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### Author:  [@Thirdmonkey](https://talkingsober.com/u/Thirdmonkey)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/16 "2023-03-01T15:17:53Z")
Any update on how you are doing? We are all here to help you.
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### Author:  [@Thirdmonkey](https://talkingsober.com/u/Thirdmonkey)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2023, 12:42pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/17 "2023-03-05T12:42:53Z")
Still sober? Hows it going?
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### Author:  [@Thirdmonkey](https://talkingsober.com/u/Thirdmonkey)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://talkingsober.com/t/40-days-40-nights/159856/18 "2023-03-13T17:13:38Z")
Just checking in to see how its going