...on Living Sober (Chapter 1)

I'm going to do a book study on "Living Sober."  The link to the PDF file of this book is on the side bar.  You are welcome to read this book with me and comment on my posts (called on Living Sober) about the readings in the book.  I need to stay focused because I will not let my ego mind take over my soul again.

This is what I'm taking out of it....


on Chapter 1...  Using this booklet


This short book offers us ways for living alcohol-free.  Our drinking is connected to two types of habit...

thinking habits....and doing habits....

Our mind....  It works so hard at convincing us to care and worry or do so many things that mean nothing to us.  It works so hard to take over our lives...our spirit and our souls.  We must truly learn to divide the mind from the soul.  When we make a choice to get healthy....then we must stick to it.  We can't let our mind convince us otherwise just because it's so use to getting what it wants.   
We have to change our "it's 3 o'clock...I had a long day at work and need a drink " thought to "it's 3 o'clock...I had a great day at work and now I will rest my mind and body so that I don't feel like shit in the morning because I decided to drink all friggen night and hurt the people around me" thought.  Once we change the thought patterns that we use to have when we were drinking to new thought patterns that fit the new us....we begin to see change...peace....and serenity.  We let the thoughts pass because we know that the new thoughts are so much better!

Our body....we are such people of habit.  Many of us have trouble with change.  I strongly believe that drinking has been such a habit for me.  I don't even think I enjoyed it as much as I thought I did.  Oh ...don't get me wrong...  that first drink after a long day at work always brought me to that "foggy" place....the one that didn't allow me to "feel".....  but after that, I always regretted it....I slept like shit....My kids made me feel like shit....I felt exhausted....I felt lost....  
I only did major clean ups with a glass of wine.  I only cooked fancy meals with my glass of wine by my side.  I did yard work with a cold beer by my side.  I shovelled my driveway with really cold beer by my side. ...all habits!  I almost didn't believe that I could do these things without booze by my side!! But, I can....and I've been..... and it's actually been wonderful.  I almost feel like these "tasks" or "chores" are pleasant now.  I feel more organized.  I feel like I have more order in this house.  I feel amazing that I was able to break some of my old habits.  I've replaced my old habits with new, healthier ones ....drinking  a lot of ice cold water...resting... running... sleeping... meditating..... living in the moment.....

I've read and heard that it takes 21 days to break a habit or create new ones.  I'm not sure if this is true but I do know that the changes I have made in my life have become easier on me....on my mind....on my soul

We are free to chose.... We are empowered to make decisions that will bring us freedom.  

I think the greatest thing I learned in the past 45 days of sobriety is that it's okay to be quiet.  It's okay to sit on my couch and just listen to nothing....It's okay to "not" have TV or radio on... It's okay to just be still.  When I was drinking, my life was "loud"....my mind was always working....my body was suffering....I wasn't present.  Learning to feel again is the greatest gift I could have asked for.  I truly already have everything I want and need in my life.

Eckhart Tolle says in his book "The Power of Now" that true wealth is the joy of Being and the deep peace that comes with it.  If you haven't found it, you are like a beggar, looking outside for pleasure and fulfillment, validation, security and love.  Treasure is within.