Checking in daily to maintain focus #68

Day 218 AF

I’m finally becoming comfortable being around people partaking in whatever they wish to do, and without judgement of them.

People are free to use and or abuse their own bodies as much as they wish. I don’t encourage it, but I don’t chastise nor judge. They get to decide how they wish to live and their choices do not impact mine at all any longer.

Now I only say this, not as an uncaring oaf, but as a person that is realizing each persons journey in this life is their own decision. Just like myself needing to quit for myself and only me, they need to decide on those choices also. I just know that I have chosen a sober lifestyle for me, no one else, just for me… I’m happily greedy in that understanding that I’m doing this only for me and not passing any judgement on anyone else nor having expectations of them… live and let live.

I know I am happier with this understanding and have never felt more comfortable in my own skin than I do currently. I wish everyone could feel this way, but that’s for them to decide. I definitely talk up the amazing lifestyle of sobriety to anyone that wishes to hear, but I cannot and will not preach.

What an incredible life I am living now just with this one simple choice I’ve made…

I wish you all a wonderfully enjoyable sober day ahead!

Much love :heart:

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Hi all! Another day, another gift, another opportunity… :sun_with_face: I promise myself to give my best to grow today.

Try to visualise your ideal self and life for a moment… Your dream machine… And no fantasy nonsense or societal expectation, but the kind of you that would put a big smile on your face on any day. What might it realistically take to get there? What could you possibly achieve if you gave your absolute best for the rest of the day? Your hypothetical max potential? What could you achieve after 1 week of that? 1 month? 1 year? Now imagine what a truly committed you is capable of achieving after 5 years of pursuing your absolute best…

Thoughts, time, existence, nothing is what we think it is. And they are always changing, growing and evolving! The brain is a complex computer, taking in and interpreting information. Ever heard of the saying “you are what you eat”? Well lo and behold, the thoughts and activities that we consume create our realities before us. Every cell in our body is replaced every 7 years… And thoughts are mere neural connections or ‘pathways’ in the brain that we already create, use, change or disuse to irrelevance 24/7. We’re like developing characters in a story, movie or game. And we 100% have control over how our mind and body evolves from here on through exposure and repetition! Use it or lose it…

We can literally rewire our brain’s thoughts and habits like roads might expand into highways, be redirected or disused into overgrowth, because brains are just as shapeable as bodies are! Now remember when I asked you to visualise your ideal self…

What were we born for? What were you born for? Comfort or success? A caterpillar needs to leave it’s cocoon to realize it’s full potential as a butterfly… A seedling needs to work hard and open up to realize it’s full potential as a flower or tree… And so too is our comfort zone meant to be challenged and pushed to it’s limit to realize our insane potential! If only we knew… And deep down we do, or we wouldn’t be here. Life is really about focussing on what’s best not easiest - those of us who understand that will find a way, because willpower moves mountains. And an ideal self would know that success is as simple as taking one small but intentional step at a time, one day at a time, just getting back up if you fall (or picking that bicycle back up), and focussing on the journey rather than the destination, because you won’t progress without patience and the readiness to embrace discomfort as readily as you would comfort! Guess what, the more you embrace and continue to expose yourself to discomfort - the more you become comfortable with discomfort! No pain no gain.

It might sound easier said than done… But I know from personal experience that time changes everything. Trigger warning if you don’t want or need to hear this… When I was a child into my mid to late teens, I developed a trauma-induced ‘food problem’ as I used to call it, where an intense anxiety made me vomit at the mere sight, smell, mention or thought of food, an expression of ptsd caused by my psychopath father. During this hopeless period in my life, I lived more compulsively and in a subconscious survival mode than anything, and could never have imagined a future free of what felt like such an entrenched part of me… In fact, my numb, stressed self rarely even thought that far if I’m honest. But whether it was time, effort, luck or a combination, I did… I could never have imagined an independent self so mature and conscious and free - and yet here I am… Other examples include past ticks or breakups for example (my insecurity making breakups particularly hard to swallow), but I know they didn’t last forever either, no matter how hard it felt to believe at the time. With enough distance, provided better alternatives, change and growth are inevitable! We can overcome anything and become anyone given only time and effort.

I look back at the different stages in my life and can hardly relate to most, because I’ve changed so much along the way! Proof before our blind eyes that we are not stuck! Fck addictions. Fck selling such a crazy, mysterious and infinitely lucky gift that is our chance to exist, live and be conscious for just one short flicker of a moment right here and now! If we let go of all our constructs, fears, expectations etc and zoom out to grasp the bigger picture for just one moment… The chances, opportunity and potential! We’re conscious beings, with bodies and limbs at our command, senses to take in wherever we are, whatever it is… Have a glimpse of what love and laughter and dreams and so much to live for are? So much! And an attachment to something SO stupid is meant to throw all that away…?! It sounds insane because it is. Our addictions and attachment to comfort in old habits are NOT ‘fine’ - they NEED to be changed as much as we deserve, are worthy of and MEANT to give and be our best! One day will be too late, and we ‘could have’ had it all with one small change one unsuspecting day… Only the courage to face and embrace our pain, fears and discomfort can and will set us free!

One thought, action, moment, step and day at a time…

Hope you learned or gained something from my little self-analysing pep-talk if you read this far :heart: and have as good a day or night as you can friend :seedling::sunflower:

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Hey all, checking in on day 1518. I hope everybody has a good one :slightly_smiling_face:

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Congratulations :tada::clap:t2::tada::clap:t2:

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Day 269. Weekend at work, then monday, tuesday, wed off. My new toy should be here Wednesday and im so excited and then off camping with my girls next weekend. One on one with counselor monday which will be nice and hopefully get paperwork ready to get my license back, or try. Going to hang out with heather after work. Super grateful she has come into my life. Much love everyone

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Thank you for your support, Laura! Yes, you are absolutely right. No need to beat myself up. Cravings comes and goes, part of the recovery.

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@Sezzy welcome :blush: congrats on 2 days :tada:
@Mindofsobermike congrats on 6 months at your job, I’m glad you can still say you love it, despite how you’re being treated :people_hugging: also happy you’ve met someone 🩵
@Twizzlers sorry about yesterday’s episode :people_hugging: I hope you’re feeling more grounded by now 🩵
@Timetochange enjoy your week off :blush:
@Butterflymoonwoman congrats on 14 years cigarette-free :tada:
@zzz I’m glad you’re okay :raised_hands:t2:
@Scorpn sorry you’ve injured your back :pensive: it sounds very painful, sending healing vibes :sparkles::people_hugging:🩵
@justKaitlin I’m glad you got the extension :raised_hands:t2: and stayed sober through what is usually a triggering experience :clap:t2:
@JuliaLuna congrats on 11 months :tada:

1460 days no alcohol.
925 days no cocaine.
440 days no vape.
13 days no crisps, no binge-eating.

After checking-in here yesterday morning, I read a chapter of my book, meditated, and did my morning routine.

Then I had therapy, it was okay but hard. Towards the end I briefly mentioned the 3 boxes of photos my dad gave me when he cleared out their garage, that have been sitting in the lounge for a few months now, but I hadn’t been able to look through yet. Well, after the session, I decided to look through the “smallest” box. Three hours later I was filled with all kinds of awful emotions. I looked so happy before the abuse, especially in photos wifh my mum, who passed away when I was 8. I felt like crying, screaming, punching, kicking, smashing, and ultimately, binge-eating. I can’t cry, the other options would scare my cats, and I did not want to binge. I decided to do an extra check-in on the binge-eating thread, and shortly after that, I fell asleep. So all was well.

Today, I attended the online Survivors group, it was, as usual, very wholesome.

At 4pm, it will be 4 years since my last alcoholic drink.

🩵

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119

Having feelings for someone who lives in another country and only responds to me for a couple minutes at the same time every night is driving me insane. I continuously have to wait 24 hours to hear from him again. I’ve had much higher standards for myself lately, but for some reason with this guy, its like it’s all thrown out the window. The lack of regular communication is really getting on my nerves and makes me want to just forget everything, but i can’t help the fact that I still feel so strongly about him. It’s mental torment. It hurts. I mentioned it to him so we’ll see what he says, I guess.

Going back to work this morning and not looking forward to it. But thankfully it’s a short shift. I don’t want to work, I just want to stay in bed and let myself be sad. I don’t see my therapist until Wednesday which feels so far away. I really dont feel like I have the strength to deal with any of this. Just going to drift my way through work I guess and hope it’s over as soon as possible. Then I get to do it all over again tomorrow.

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This was very beautifully written and I definitely related to it a lot. I find my thoughts are starting to shift towards that same positive and open-minded mindset :blush:

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Have a relaxing time. 4pm 4 years :+1::+1::+1: amazing achievement.

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Wow huge congratulations on 4 years alcohol free! Incredible work friend :slight_smile:

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Thanks Kaitlyn,
I’m glad it spoke to you. It’s been how I’ve been rounding this corner lately. I’m feeling particularly good lately. No great highs and definitely no lows, just been feeling pretty darn good.

Best to you on your journey

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Checking in day 145. Closing in on that 5 month mark then on to half a year!

Enjoy your sunday everyone!

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128 days sober
I woke up early and had a long walk with the dogs. I wanted to go on a hike or ride the horse some but my arm is still sore so took it easy. I borrowed my neighbors donkey and managed to fill my buckets on my own and get them home. In the afternoon I went into town to talk to some people about having my new toilet dug and then built. I found someone who agreed to do the work for 2 sheep. I already bought the materials so hopefully that is one thing I can check of my list.
Tomorrow I will go to the city to get an x-ray. It’s a 6 hour drive so not looking forward to it…but hope to only be there for a day or two. I can’t stand going to the city but will enjoy to have a real shower while I’m there. :sweat_smile: And will buy coffee to bring home.

Hope everyone is having a good day and staying sober.

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Day 162

Happy Saturday! Not much happening today, and that’s excellent. Taking it slow. I’m so excited about the future, but staying sober today is all that matters. I feel like this might be my last slow weekend for a while. My life is coming together. It’s amazing. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

I think I’m going to be a professional road tripper. :laughing:

Enjoy your sober days. :heart:

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40 years ago today I entered a 21 day outpatient program. “Keep it simple stupid” (KISS) still comes to mind today. Working the steps. Finding the right sponsor was key. Going to meetings. Make new friends. Realizing I was not alone in this journey. My first goal was to wake up the next morning. Which is still my main goal today. Every time I look into a mirror I would tell myself “I will not drink today!” I knew my life depended on that. At meetings I listened more that spoke. I can honestly say I have not relapsed. AA saved my military career and my life.

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40 years, wow! So inspiring. :sparkling_heart:

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Huge congrats on your sober time, a massive achievement. Love reading your check ins :sparkling_heart:

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Checking in. Still not feeling it but a little better then earlier in the week.

Preparering for my sons birthday on monday. Familygathering will be next saturday, I hope I will have some energy by then. But birthdays Are important, so it will be cake, presents, balloons on monday. Im suppouse to work evening that monday so my daugther and boyfriend will take him out to eat.

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