#wearetheluckiest

[devildrinksvodka]

Green Sevens

Day #1439 The more I go through my life sober, the more I completely despise alcohol and the alcohol industry. The first year or two, it was so easy to be envious of people drinking around me. I’m so over that. As the years have gone by, my eyes have gotten clearer and clearer- along with my brain and everything else. Drinking sucks!! Literally! It sucks the life out of you, and I’m watching it…

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#addiction recovery sobriety ODAAT onedayatatime socialmedia depression dothingsthatmakeyouhappy soberlife #healer #intuitive #magick #reikimaster #soberliving #wearetheluckiest

[theawakenedalcoholic]

Now Is Not The Time

Now Is Not The Time

I have always had to get thoughts out of my head somehow, or else they play on repeat for what seems like weeks. My way of doing that has been typically been writing – whether I was drunk or sober. When I was drunk 6 months ago, I wrote these words: “I’m throwing everything into the flames. My heart, my mind, my body. I’m too exhausted to feel yet, I’m letting it all hurt. I’m letting it all…

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#addiction #addiction recovery #alcohol addiction #alcoholics anonymous #alcoholism #recovery #relationships #sober life #sober living #sobriety #wearetheluckiest #youarenotalone

[rituals-of-the-galactic]

#wearetheluckiest #morning inspiration #ritual #mindfulness #cheryl strayed #Laura mckowen

[soberbabydeer]

Bloody Gums, Full Heart, Can’t Lose

My husband is the type of person that when told by his dentist that he needs to floss his teeth, comes back home and flosses his teeth forevermore. 

99% of the population says "Okay, I will..." to the hygienist’s earnest request to floss and then never do it again until their next appointment. I am that person with a bloodied mouth walking into my dentist because I frantically flossed the night before. “Oh yes, I’ve been flossing every day, I swear...” But my husband? It’s a routine instantly. Never misses a day

I have a hard time with routines.

Let me rephrase that to be a bit more truthful: I struggle with doing things that are good for me.

I am one to revert to the lizard brain. I take the easy way out. I do the shortcuts. I binge and purge my life. When I was little, my bedroom would get so messy to the point it was photo-ready for Hoarder auditions. Then in a fit of desperation, I would clean it.

Again, let me rephrase that to be more truthful: My mother would clean it.  

This is how I approach my life. A pattern of bad-bad-bad-bad-coursecorrect-great-good-good-too good so let's be bad again.

Sustained goodness is hard for me.

And I struggle with consistently being responsible.

This week I missed my company's open enrollment for health insurance. I just completely forgot to deal with it, and it's a $2,000 mistake. My husband was furious. I also forgot to submit a $25 receipt for repayment at work. Just simple stuff I forget. And now it’s a good place to note that I also make splurge purchases - I don't always look at our budget. I'm known to spend a $4.16 multiple times a month on Top Chef episodes - throwing wasted money to the wind.

Why can't I just be good?! I've asked myself this many times and journaled it with shame throughout the years. Why can't I stick to the budget? Why can't I floss? Why can’t I maintain an exercise routine? Why can’t I remember to make appointments? Why can't I just DO things, as I should, when I should? Sure, I forget things but sometimes, I downright don't give a fug. That consistency of being good and following through is just so hard for me.

Except for drinking.

Today, I haven't had alcohol for 337 days.

#sober #soberlife #wearetheluckiest #sobriety #sobermovement #sobernation #recovery #soberaf #recovery blog #sobriety blog #living sober

[ramyeonupdates]

{ #sober } || source: therapyforwomen

#sobercurious #sober #sobriety #onedayatatime #recovery #boozefree #drugfree #addiction #addictionrecovery #aa #odaat #soberaf #wearetheluckiest #soberculture #boozefreelife #soberlife #soberissexy #favourites #updates #IG: join.a.groupchat

[rawanduntethered]

New tools

14 Feb 2020

For the past few days, I’ve tried things I’ve never tried before.

I’ve meditated to strange chanting. I’ve saved affirmations as wallpaper on my phone and checked them regularly. I’ve set alarm reminders to stop and breathe every hour. I’ve journaled my gratitude. I’ve drawn. I’ve had essential oil baths. I’ve held on tight to a string of beads when I've felt as though my insides are going to snap. I’ve leaned on the amazing people in various sober Facebook groups.

But the biggest thing of all is I HAVEN’T DRUNK ANY ALCOHOL. My biggest and baddest trigger is my trip home from work. I walk 20 minutes to my car, past a bottle shop. I drive 30 minutes past 3 bottle shops. And last night I had to pick my daughter up from circus. I had 30 minutes to kill, which would normally see me sculling wine or cider the whole time.

Last night, the angst I felt was so strong I swear I could see it manifested as a dark cloud in front of me. As I walked past the bottle shop I thought “Yup. I’m having an alcohol craving.” I clutched my string of beads tightly and moved my feet. As I drove past the bottle shops I thought “I’m having a craving for alcohol.” I listed out loud the sensations in my body. I surfed the feelings.

I got to the car park to collect my daughter and cried over my steering wheel. I yelled a bit. I collected my daughter and she gave me a big, warm, tender hug. She asked me how long I hadn’t had a drink for, then said she was proud of me. I made it through another day. I’m so grateful.

#sober #soberlife #sobriety #soberliving #alcoholfree #soberaf #addiction #livingsober #recovery #sobertribe #sobersisters #quitalcohol #sobercurious #soberwarrior #sobernation #alcoholfreelifestyle #recoveryjourney #wearetheluckiest #quitlikeawoman #rawanduntethered

[prettyandprudent]

Freedom Found: Tickled to Be Teetotal

Yours truly is officially eight months teetotal. I have reveled in four different vacations; enjoyed various concerts, holidays and sporting events; and celebrated my 39th birthday, 10th wedding anniversary and 35 Friday nights 100 percent sans the sauce. Yep, no margaritas on the first day of vacay, no Veuve on the anniversary, no bloodies at brunch, no sauvignon blanc to unwind before bed. And a month from now, I will accompany my husband to his high school reunion, mocktail in hand. But please don’t feel sorry for me. I feel free.

Birds on Edisto Island, SC

I have given booze the boot and am finally to a place where I don’t feel one bit deprived or ashamed. In giving up alcohol, I have gained more benefits than I could have ever imagined. Especially more calmness.

It wasn’t easy at first. Trust me. I went through a mourning period. Like anyone after about 20 years of drinking, it was easy to tie alcohol to all sorts of situations, and hard to picture those situations without it. It was how I soaked up blissful sunny days or got through blizzard shoveling. It was how to watch football, how to unwind after a stressful day, how to cut it up on the dance floor at a wedding, how to celebrate a big birthday or accomplishment, and a loyal cooking companion.

I also worried about standing out from the pack. Take a peek at the greeting cards section of any stationery store, and try to pick out a card for a friend that doesn’t mention alcohol. “Rosé All Day” is emblazoned on everything these days. Heavy daytime drinking is beyond encouraged.

I worried about not being as fun, outgoing or relaxed. I’ve always been a shy one. What would parties be like without pre-gaming?

Ready to rule giant Jenga

I envied other people who could drink normally—take-it-or-leave-it people who didn’t scrutinize the size of the pour, who could stop at one glass or leave an unfinished glass on the table. People like my husband, who is famous in our family for his abandoned beers.

Yet thanks to a supportive family, especially my amazing hubby, various books (particularly “This Naked Mind” by Annie Grace, “The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober,” by Catherine Gray,  “The Sober Diaries” by Clare Pooley and “Mrs. D is Going Without” by Lotta Dann) as well as boss sober bloggers like Laura McKowen, Holly Whitaker and, especially, Kate Bee of The Sober School, my mind has been put at ease.

When starting down the sober path, I soon realized that I was not alone in my desire to do so before having a big rock bottom moment. I also realized that there is no shame in wanting to give up an addictive substance—no matter how highly functioning someone is, and regardless of how highly regarded alcohol is in our society.

A friend recently shared, “Choosing to drink today is choosing to steal joy from tomorrow.” That sums it up for me. I may have still gone to HIIT classes the morning after drinking way more than I had planned, and not missed any deadlines, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a bit rough. I didn’t fully realize just how rough it was until I started doing those classes—and life—well hydrated and rested.

A dreamy morning run on Edisto Island with my man

Annie Grace, bestselling author of “This Naked Mind,” recently celebrated the 100th episode of her This Naked Mind podcast. In it, she and TNM coach Scott Pinyard rattled off an impromptu Top 100 list of advice, learning and insights from their respective sober journeys. I resonate with the vast majority of their clear-headed discoveries. It’s an hour-long podcast, but if you would like to have a clear picture of happiness in sobriety, take a listen.

Like Grace and Pinyard, since giving up my wine habit, it’s not as if my life has been all sunshine and rainbows. I am still not a morning person. Our AC broke during one of the hottest weeks of the spring. I still get migraines. Traffic still stinks. Bad things still happen to people I love. But I cope in a healthier way. A major sweat session isn’t going to bring regret the next day. A cathartic cry, a mug of chamomile, a call to an old friend or some cranking up of the Sonos won’t wake me up at 2 a.m. with a dry mouth and feelings of doom.

These days, it’s not like I never get down, but when I do, I work on it. And, in general, I am much more optimistic. 

Rainbows are more vivid; the beach, more breathtaking; and I swear exercise endorphins are stronger than ever before. I have deeper conversations with people. Food has more flavor. I have more patience. My sleep is nothing short of amazing; checking out my sleep tracking results is something I look forward to every morning. I don’t complain as much; I now realize I had become so negative. If something isn’t working, I try to fix it. I’ve lost five pounds. My skin has improved. My eyes are clearer. I get so much more done. I remember TV shows after a long hiatus! I have time to read! (I’ve finished over a dozen books already this year; I used to be lucky to finish one or two.) Simple things like laundry and doing dishes don’t seem like as big of a chore. I love the freedom of always being able to drive home or to the store at any time of day; that never gets old. Need a DD? Call me.

I’m no longer in the early-sobriety pink cloud of seeing everything in technicolor, but the view is mighty fine. 

My love bugs

This is a not a post to convince everyone to quit drinking. You do you. I truly don’t judge or feel bothered by anyone else who drinks around me. These are simply the words of someone who is incredibly grateful to be on the other side of things these days, someone who is amazed and encouraged by her sober friends she met in the process, and who is proud of the work she’s done to get here. 

I don’t have to take things day by day, hoping my willpower will prevent me from giving in; alcohol doesn’t appeal to me anymore. That is HUGE; if you know me well, you know it is. Thank the Good Lord, it no longer has pull with me. I am incredibly grateful for that. And if my words can offer hope to even one person who is struggling with moderating, putting myself out here in this way is worth it. I am forever in debt to the writers I mentioned in this post.

Long live nojitos and Beck’s NA.

#sobriety #teetotal #roseallday #recovery #sobrietyrocks #Kate Bee #Laura McKowen #Holly Whitaker #Annie Grace #wearetheluckiest #thisnakedmind #theunexpectedjoy #Clare Pooley #Catherine Gray #Lotta Dann #soberliving

[sheahulse]

Posted @withregram • @therapyforwomen Shared with love!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When someone declines a drink, here’s a handy list of phrases and things to avoid saving to someone when they say they don’t drink.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You also can say *NOTHING* 💕 What if drinking culture wasn’t so dominant? What if saying you don’t drink was like saying you don’t eat meat?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For my fellow #sobercurious peeps, anything else you would add?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #sober #sobriety #onedayatatime #recovery #boozefree #drugfree #addiction #addictionrecovery #aa #odaat #soberaf #wearetheluckiest #soberculture #boozefreelife #soberlife #soberissexy . . . @sheahulse13 edit - check out my recent post of #soberactivities to do! #linkinbio https://www.instagram.com/p/CMkSGVbsTiT/?igshid=dwym2uzcaeey

#sobercurious #sober #sobriety #onedayatatime #recovery #boozefree #drugfree #addiction #addictionrecovery #aa #odaat #soberaf #wearetheluckiest #soberculture #boozefreelife #soberlife #soberissexy #soberactivities #linkinbio

[bondgirlraquel]

Part of success is having real friends. 🎄Friends you are proud of, that are interesting, & just bad ass in every way. 🌆 Last night with the fire🔥food, Irish coffee,.. it was what every holiday season should have ! Thank you @mike_honch0_official 🎄💖🎁🌆🤶🏽🎅🏽☃️⛄️ #friendsarefamily #christmas #cocktails #dinnerparty #merrychristmas #wearetheluckiest #holiday #entrepreneur #letsgo #welovehank https://www.instagram.com/p/Brsp9w-HmxD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1d7jx4uehhfo7

#friendsarefamily #christmas #cocktails #dinnerparty #merrychristmas #wearetheluckiest #holiday #entrepreneur #letsgo #welovehank

[jbintuitive-blog]

What she said. . . #Repost @laura_mckowen with @repostapp ・・・ Anytime you want. . . . . #gratitude#love#inspire#inspiration#quote#sober#sobriety#sobermama#miracle#spiritjunkie#wedorecover#wearetheluckiest#lightmaker#bethelight#lovewarrior#yoga#yogaeverydamnday#spiritual#writer#author

#lovewarrior #love #author #yoga #repost #lightmaker #bethelight #sobermama #sober #sobriety #inspiration #gratitude #miracle #spiritjunkie #wedorecover #writer #quote #wearetheluckiest #inspire #yogaeverydamnday #spiritual

[seananforbes]

Posted @withrepost • @restaurantsobrietyproject We are all given different work to do in this life. While I am sometimes disappointed and discouraged by how far other people have gotten in the tune that I held myself back, I ultimately know that I was learning what I needed to learn to help those I was meant to help, myself included! .Art: @recoveringdawn . . #sobriety #sober #soberchef #soberlife #soberliving #teetotaler #wearetheluckiest #lovewarrior #soberissexy #soberaf #sobercurious #sobermovement #soberevolution #sobernation #getshitdonesober #sherecovers — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2HuKGHw

#Instagram #IFTTT

[theawakenedalcoholic]

It Works if You Work it

It Works if You Work it

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#12 steps #AA #addiction #addiction recovery #alcoholics anonymous #recovery #soberliving #sobriety #wearetheluckiest #youarenotalone

[travlinwoman]

Will squat for ultra-running vert! Happy Fri-yay! #ultrarunner #hipsobriety #wearetheluckiest #crossfit via Instagram http://bit.ly/2GhAzrw

#IFTTT #Instagram

[soberbabydeer]

The Teacher Appears

We discussed the topic of silver linings during my recovery support Zoom call last night. Collectively we decided that the connection to our little, local group was the brightest silver lining across all of our sobriety journeys. Then it hit me, how did I even find this group in the first place? I honestly have no clue. 

My decision to accept sobriety came in February 2020. That first week was pure hell. I hit the proverbial rock bottom in such a way that all I could do was lie in my dirty bed, paralyzed with despair. I could barely able to get up to eat or refill my cup of water. I remember getting whiffs of a smell that didn't even smell like me - it scared me. I felt like someone else completely. 

My supportive husband, who is my source of strength, was out of town for work that entire week. I was alone...in so many ways. Alone with my thoughts, alone with my sick body, alone with my addiction that had finally made itself known in a big way that THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM.

I was no stranger to a "moral hangover". You know what I’m talking about - that heavy, emotional dose of "oh nooo what have I doooone" the morning after a bender. I had felt that many moments over the past ten years when after, I swore things would be different after a bad drinking episode. 

But yet...nothing stuck.

And yet...the message kept coming back to me.

And yet....during that first week, I somehow found the book Quit Like a Woman. I have zero memory of ordering it online, despite being sober. I don't know if I Googled "recovery books" or if I saw something on Instagram or if I heard about the book from a friend. It just ✨magically✨ arrived at my door two days later. That book alone lifted my shame.

And yet...I sent a Google search for therapists into the ether during my moment of desperation and found the perfect match during that nightmarish first week. She got me out of bed and moving.

And yet...I  aimlessly explored the internet for support groups after a frightening first visit to AA. I somehow found the #WeAreTheLuckiest group. I wasn't familiar with the author's book or her famous recovery podcast. Nothing. I just stumbled in. Again, no memory of how this happened. The local chapter of that group has given me some of the closest friendships during this time that I ever could've imagined. That community has kept me here.

The book. The therapist. The group. These three things found me during that pivotal first week. 

I don't know why these three things found me when they did instead of the countless times before when I fell down. But they did. I imagine it was the cosmic shift that happened when I honestly accepted that I had a problem that I could no longer manage on my own. 

As soon as I surrendered to the truth, the teachers appeared. 

Looking back on it, I see how the universe played some tricks because these teachers appeared with little effort on my end. I don't remember how the teachers appeared, they just did. And that's the pure wonder of it all. 

I'm in no position to offer advice since I'm so new in my recovery. Instead, I'll offer a prayer to you - some soft, loving words that I extend through my computer screen right now to you, in whatever state of searching you may be in. 

May your teachers appear when you are ready.

May they be exactly what you need, when you need them.

May your heart be open to receive their guidance, in whatever magical form that guidance appears. 

May you be nurtured by mysterious forces.

May your teachers appear.

#sober #soberjourney #sobriety #wearetheluckiest #quit like a woman #recovery #alcohlism #alcoholfree #soberlife #keepgoing #addition

[instapicsil2]

Up early for a run with the moon. Great start to the day. 🌔🌓🌒🌘🌖🌕 #fullmoon #fullmoonlibra #run #runningmom #marathontraining #chicagomarathon #wearetheluckiest #odaat http://ift.tt/2o5nofE

#Insta New 2 #Insta All

[rawanduntethered]

I’m half-way through day 8 and quite honestly, feel like crap. I’m miserable, I can barely get out of bed I’m so lethargic, I constantly feel like I’m going to cry, I feel fat and ugly and apologetic for my very existence, and I have the social skills of an underground naked mole rat (seriously, google those things - they’re terrifying!).

I took myself out for lunch today, thinking it might perk me up. Sitting at the window of this Japanese restaurant ordering salmon and tuna sushi, I suddenly thought “Some sake would be nice. I could just pretend I’m still at day 8 and nobody would need to know. It would make me feel happier.” I got as close as selecting the bottle on the iPad at my table, my finger hovering over the “Order Now” button.

Then I thought about it properly. Sure, I’d feel great for an hour, maybe two max. But then I’d feel guilty, I’d end up buying wine or cider on the way home, then I’d be lying to my family’s faces when they asked me how my day of not drinking went.

You know what the worst part would have been though? I would know. I KNOW alcohol doesn’t make me feel good about myself, my weight, my life, my self-esteem. The only way to feel happy – genuinely happy – is to ride this and go through whatever the hell I’m going through, then come out the other side. I may feel like everything really sucks a fat one right now, but those thoughts won’t last forever.

Man, it’s tough today though. I just want to shut the world out and sleep my way into tomorrow.

What do you guys do when you feel like that? Just deal with it, or do you have some coping mechanisms to perk yourselves up?

#sober #sobriety #soberlife #sobercurious #recovery #recoveryjourney #alcoholfree #quitalcohol #wearetheluckiest #quitlikeawoman #rawanduntethered