An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

[FreeFly]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Something that stood out for me in the last couple of days. Just wanted to share..

Be it remembered that when the fault is found the remedy lies not in a battle against this and not in a use of will power and energy to suppress a wrong, but in a steady development of the opposite virtue, thus automatically washing from our natures all trace of the offender. This is the true and natural method of advancement and of the conquest of wrong, vastly easier and more effective than fighting a particular defect. To struggle against a fault increases its power, keeps our attention riveted on its presence, and brings us a battle indeed, and the most success we can then expect is conquest by suppression, which is far from satisfactory, as the enemy is still with us and may in a weak moment show itself afresh. To forget the failing and consciously to strive to develop the virtue which would make the former impossible, this is true victory.

Dr Edward Bach, Heal Thyself 1931

[daisy45]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Freefly, thank you for posting this - one to keep. I have read a lot on this but never know quite how to put it into words.....

[patrice]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Hiya,
FF = I use the Bach Rescue Remedy and find it fantastic. Thanks for posting this, I have a lot of respect for Dr. Bach
Daisy = hope you are doing well
Slay = fab on the 30 days. Me too today is day 31.. I guess now the journey takes a different route that is, to stay off the booze...I've only reached this stage once before in my life so it's all a bit new, keeping the brain on track!!
Have a great day/night
Pat
x

[pixie]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Wow, that quote was really spot on Freefly. (I love how eloquently people wrote back in the day - it's not a lost art but it's definitely hidden away.)

I think in early AF days it really is a battle with the 'fault', because that's all you can really do. But at some point you need to start developing other aspects of your life and personality, otherwise it becomes a very tiring battle.

SL, hugs to you. You always have this thread to go to when you're feeling alone, at the very least it will distract you with its entertainment value.

And on that note, PF that bikini wax video was hilarious, thank you for sharing that um, special humor, which I love so much.

[FreeFly]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Hey Slay, Daisy, Patrice & Pixie :-) Great job Slay on 30 days - you came, you conquered. I admire your tenacity and getting the job done, no matter how you were feeling. Well done friend But do I also see someone slinking under the radar?? I know I've not been around for a couple of days but Patrice WTG! Not sure if you've posted elsewhere or if you're just popping it in here, but great job. Is this first time to 30? I'm not sure, but just wanted to say very, very happy for you, for you and Slay. Brill!

[patrice]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

HaHa FF - yes I was slinking under the radar.. thank you, yes 31 days my dear!! Only the 2nd time I have made it that long AF.
I do feel better
Hope you are doing well!

Patrice

[FreeFly]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

:yougo::yougo: Patrice :yougo::yougo:

:wave:

You're outed!!!

Way to go honey :h

[Guitarista]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

FreeFly;1381214 wrote:

Be it remembered that when the fault is found the remedy lies not in a battle against this and not in a use of will power and energy to suppress a wrong, but in a steady development of the opposite virtue, thus automatically washing from our natures all trace of the offender. This is the true and natural method of advancement and of the conquest of wrong, vastly easier and more effective than fighting a particular defect. To struggle against a fault increases its power, keeps our attention riveted on its presence, and brings us a battle indeed, and the most success we can then expect is conquest by suppression, which is far from satisfactory, as the enemy is still with us and may in a weak moment show itself afresh. To forget the failing and consciously to strive to develop the virtue which would make the former impossible, this is true victory.

Dr Edward Bach, Heal Thyself 1931

Hiya FF, Pixie, Slayer, Pat, Daisy and all to follow,

Wow Pat! Congratulations on 31 days booze free. :h

Great stuff Slayer on your 30 days off the booze. Congratulations! :h

These are really important achievements, and shouldn't be underestimated. Keep it going. There is unlimited treasure in them there hills!

Thanks Free for the above quote. The law of attraction comes to mind here. i.e. we often get what we focus on. I have found Ed's words to be true, and either way, it's a pretty good blueprint by which to live.

Have a great weekend y'all.

[Prairie Fairy]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Congrats Patrice!!!!!!!!! congrats Slay!!!!!!!!!


Patrice - a special shout out to you old friend - we keep plugging away and I am so happy you are here.

[techie]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

patrice;1381263 wrote: HaHa FF - yes I was slinking under the radar.. thank you, yes 31 days my dear!! Only the 2nd time I have made it that long AF.
I do feel better
Hope you are doing well!

Patrice

:h:l:h:l

[LillyE]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Well done Patrice - 30 Days is a great feeling isn't it?!

OMFG, Guitarista and K9, dear Lord did those updates on the SBMCAFQL+OCC story have me laughing. I'm almost afraid to keep going. Who knows WHERE we'll end up. :H:H:H:H:H

Ahem, I think it is now up to you, dear G, to create a real life update to the story to come back and share. It must involve both waxed buttocks and cornbread. Is that too much to ask?

As for me, well, I had a slip on Day 80, not a massive one, thankfully, but enough to fuck with my head a little and I've been having to put in some serious work to make sure it didn't spiral into a proper relapse. I posted a long thing about it on Monthly Abs so I won't repeat myself here. Suffice to say, complacency is a dangerous thing - as are emotional triggers. I don't feel too bad now - feel proud I've picked myself back up and tried to learn from it instead of going totally overboard and just falling right back into the bottle. I can see how easily I could have though and that is frightening and I know I'm going to have to be extra careful the next couple of weeks or so. So, I'll be trying to stay closer even though work is still totally insane at the moment.

K9, I thought of your words, about every slip taking you to the quit that stuck. I am sooo much better than I was a year ago or even three months ago. So, it's progress for sure Just gotta keep on trucking.

Have a wonderful AF weekend all.

:l

[FreeFly]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

A lighthearted TED moment on the next 30 days...

Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days | Video on TED.com

Hmmm, now what shall I do differently for the next 30 days ?

[Guitarista]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Hi folk's!

'Tis becoming a beeewdiful morning here weather wise, but to me these day's, it's a beautiful day rain, hail, or shine.

Thanks for the link FF. That's a beewdy. How are you going?

Good to see you Lilly. I agree with Niner in that as long as we reflect and try to learn about our choice to return to a drink, even in light of overwhelming evidence of the guaranteed outcome, we will move closer to a happy decision to live sober, with no mental battle.How are you going?

I'm off for a run, and out into the day. Take care everyone.

L8tr, Yo!

[FreeFly]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

Thanks for asking G, well probably bringing up the rear of this thread, no real change there then. Doing ok - reading, lurking, staying close. Thinking how happy I'd feel if I could post here one day, yay 30 days! How the hell have I not managed that in one whole year! Seriously, what is wrong with me. Everyone else seems to do it, no matter what's going on for them. ???

[Guitarista]

An older drunk back on day one. Who's with me?

FreeFly;1382001 wrote: Thanks for asking G, well probably bringing up the rear of this thread, no real change there then. Doing ok - reading, lurking, staying close. Thinking how happy I'd feel if I could post here one day, yay 30 days! How the hell have I not managed that in one whole year! Seriously, what is wrong with me. Everyone else seems to do it, no matter what's going on for them. ???

Hiya FF,

Well, it's a personal journey isn't it? I can't compare my journey with anyone else's as there are way too many variables. Environment, body chemistry, thinking, lot's of differences. I can control only one thing, and that's what goes on in my fat head. That can be a challenge, but who's boss? My addictive sneaky alkie mind, or my higher, real and truer self? I'm 60 days AF today (yay!), which is real cool, BUT, you know how long i took to put 30 days together, it's all on this thread. I got to 2 weeks countless times in the last year or so, and couldn't get past that. It was all about my thinking, and importantly, i was emotionally vulnerable at these times, and not feeling great about myself as i allowed myself to become overwhelmed at work. Finally, after plugging away and not giving up, like you, i managed to crack 30 days, then 60 later on, only to drink again. I recall i was also a little too relaxed about the whole stopping drinking thing as my thinking went to....'ah, doesn't matter, i'll have a few this weekend, then stop on monday and back on the AF horse'. This was a negative thinking cycle/habit i got myself into. Finally, i began to understand, and fathom what i was doing. I was going in bloody circles and wasting my precious weekend time, not living, moving forward/growing as a person, and NOT making music, which is why i am on this planet. For me, the answer to stop ripping myself off, and creating the life i want, is to stop drinking. No moderating, no thinking about what if? can i? should i? No. Removing booze totally from my thinking and hence my life is the road that time and time again has shown me i must be on. And i am. p.s. i don't tell myself 'forever', as this is too overwhelming for me, though it works for some folk. I just enjoy and focus on where i'm at today and the foreseeable future, not 'forever', if that helps.

Stick with it buddy. Keep reading here, and keep trying to get your head around your personal relationship with booze and where it takes you every time. If you know you cannot moderate, then there you have it. The internal mental battle can be over. That 30 day challenge clip you posted is a great idea. Give it a crack doing something you really want to do and enjoy. Before you know it you'll be on your way.

A maaaagnificent monday morning here, so i'm off into it.

Lilly, how are ya?

L8tr, Yo! :h