There are so many times when I feel my sobriety waver and conversations from this community keep me on the path I want to be on. Sometimes I feel like I’m in control of my sobriety(life) and I’m reminded that everyday is an upward trek. I read a quote recently that shook the floor underneath my feet.
Looking for advice
What are the quotes that transformed you during your journey?
What do you tell others when they question your sobriety?
What do you tell yourself?
“It’s like an old radio. If you have it cranked up to 11, turn it off and put it on the shelf, it doesn’t matter how many years you let it sit there. When you turn it back on it’ll still be full blast.”
“I always regret drinking. I never regret not drinking”
I tell them I don’t drink and it’s just a personal decision. I can humor a bit of pressing but if anyone tries to convince me otherwise or won’t let it go, then that’s a person I’m not really interested in being around.
I challenge these people with questions of my own. What difference does it make to you what I choose to put into my body? Why is it so important to you?
This is my path, my choice, and it’s my life to live. It’s my decision what is and isn’t best for me to make the most of it. Not my family, not my friends, not society. Pressure to drink is only there if you let it be.
So those who can roll with me as a non-drinker, cool. Those who can’t, goodbye.
I tell em,“If yall aint okay with what im doing, thats fine. Thats your opinion. Now if you dont mind, give me some space.”
I tell myself, “You got this. If you can’t get it now, ask for help and you can get it later. This is a fight you will take to your grave, and you will succeed in winning.”
Thank you for the post. Very interesting, I am going to try be creative and useful:
Continue this day, I prefer being sober that having the reason in an argument, what am I going to get if I drink? Nothing, only pain and depression. Look at the mirror and see how well I am.
Play the tape all the way forward. Keep getting better at getting better.
And do the best you can until you know better, when you know better, do better.
I have not had anyone do this. The people who know me knew me drinking and know why I quit. If a stranger said this to me I’ve blocked it out.
Put a sober head on a pillow every night. The only way out is through. My worst day sober is still 1000x better than I felt hungover. I never have to drink again, there is freedom in that last statement.
To many but I’ll quote the ones I got from awesome members of this community. . .
“I’m not drinking today, and I’m probably not drinking tomorrow.” - @Dazercat
“Say no to the drink that matters, the first drink.” - @Yoda-Stevie
There are so many more. If you stick around this community, all of these nuggets of wisdom start to soak in. It’s like planting seeds for success. I struggled for 10 years, but thankfully never gave up and never stopped trying. Lots of seeds planted in those 10 years of struggle, and thankfully I survived the struggle long enough to give up, accept that I no longer was going to drink or death was around the corner. Thankfully I had tools in place and communities that I could lean on for sobriety support.
“The question you should be asking is if alcohol is good enough to stay. Not is it bad enough to have to quit.” - Laura McCowen “We Are The Luckiest”
I like the Serenity prayer.
God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
by R. Niebuhr
Let go, or be dragged
Never give up, never surrender
Build up your sober muscles and fill your sober toolbox
Baby steps add up
Never quit quitting
You are stronger than you think
Fall in love with getting your shit together
In earlier sobriety, when folks asked how long or why, I let them know that I knew everything drinking offered and held for me…there were no surprises left there and certainly nothing positive. What I did not know was what sobriety could and would offer me and I was ready to explore that.
I tell myself I am worthy of a healthy, healing, feeling and whole life, free from the hamster wheel of drinking and the guilt shame regret spiral.
