Today I celebrate 26 years of sobriety, of life without alcohol and a life full of amazing experiences. What I know today is that my worst day sober is exponentially better than any day using alcohol! But that is my story where for me alcohol is poison and my body and mind reacts negatively to it.
During my twenties I drank on a regular basis because I thought it made my life better, I thought that was what I was supposed to do now that I was of drinking age. The majority of my days as a daily drinker ended in a black out resulting in guilt, shame and remorse the following morning. I didn't know how to live my life without alcohol, how to create relationships and I never felt as though I fit in unless I was drinking. Once I got to Alcoholics Anonymous I found a place where I belonged and that these people were my 'tribe'. I learned how to live life on life's terms, how to live with my feelings and how to let go of the destructive feelings (like resentment, fear and guilt) that led me to a negative spiral.
That does not mean my life is perfect today or that I have learned all that I need to know. It means I am still on this glorious path of living life without alcohol, being connected to my Higher Power/Source/God and reaching out to other members of my tribe. We talk about the promises that come through the program of A.A.
"We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not forget the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and out-look upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves". from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pp 83-84
It is not the weak ones who enter the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous it is the courageous ones ready to make a difference in their lives and live a life filled with joy, freedom and happiness. I am eternally grateful for this amazing gift that has made my life rich and full and continues to give back to me on a daily basis.
If you or someone you know needs guidance and support with addictions please contact me and begin to discover a life full of fabulous gifts and experiences.
Helen
During my twenties I drank on a regular basis because I thought it made my life better, I thought that was what I was supposed to do now that I was of drinking age. The majority of my days as a daily drinker ended in a black out resulting in guilt, shame and remorse the following morning. I didn't know how to live my life without alcohol, how to create relationships and I never felt as though I fit in unless I was drinking. Once I got to Alcoholics Anonymous I found a place where I belonged and that these people were my 'tribe'. I learned how to live life on life's terms, how to live with my feelings and how to let go of the destructive feelings (like resentment, fear and guilt) that led me to a negative spiral.
That does not mean my life is perfect today or that I have learned all that I need to know. It means I am still on this glorious path of living life without alcohol, being connected to my Higher Power/Source/God and reaching out to other members of my tribe. We talk about the promises that come through the program of A.A.
"We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not forget the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and out-look upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves". from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pp 83-84
It is not the weak ones who enter the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous it is the courageous ones ready to make a difference in their lives and live a life filled with joy, freedom and happiness. I am eternally grateful for this amazing gift that has made my life rich and full and continues to give back to me on a daily basis.
If you or someone you know needs guidance and support with addictions please contact me and begin to discover a life full of fabulous gifts and experiences.
Helen