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jonijoni1


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Starting my New Job tomorrow~~~ BALANCE?????
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Well, it is official. I start my new job tomorrow morning. smile

I was holding out for another surgery position, but will be using my EKG Techheart.gif and lab skills for an internal medicine practice with a lot of cardiac and diabetic patients. I thought I was going to be taking a dollar or two an hour pay cut vs. previous surgery assistant pay, but in fact the new boss offered me 10 cents more per hour to secure the position. I am thrilled and blessed by that. I figure the extra $4.00 a week that will give me can go into the meeting baskets, right?

I must be diligent over the next couple of weeks to keep my priorities in order. I am presently going to 5-6 meetings a week, and with just over 30 days continuous sobriety, I need to keep a 5-meeting week schedule. I will work on balancing these two big things first, and then I will have my next school class in a couple of weeks. I could start my next class now, but I will give myself a couple of weeks to ease into the piling on of more responsibilities. I did do a major cleaning and re-organizing around the house last week, and just in time. I started 30 days or so ago with meetings meetings meetings. Now I slowly add a job. Then I will add a class. See how that works? Methodical... lol wink

Along with all this has to come eating regularly and getting enough sleep.yawn I have a tendency not to eat right now until I am crazy-hungry, which has been a habit that started with the separation. But stress requires nutrition and I will strive for that.

My ex has been very supportive the past few weeks, getting about $1,500 worth of repairs, maintenance and new tires (today) on my car for me. We are still legally married for now, but I am glad he has stepped up to help me with these things without any strife. If I am driving the old car now instead of the new one, it is only right for him to see to it that I am safe on the road. He can well afford it.

I have a lot to be thankful for. Were I not blessed with sobriety over the past month, I would not have gotten this job. I would not have 2 nickels to rub together to get me through the next couple of weeks til payday. And family and ex would not have been willing to help someone who is not helping herself. It had been hard the first week or so NOT to pick up a drink, but easier with so much AA involvement, and in the long-run, sobriety has made things easier for me all the way around. I am delighted to get to a meeting tonight and share what 30-something days of solid recovery has done for me. I have peace of mind, and am excited about the future again instead of fearful of it.

All I am required to do now is to stay on track! And that means meetings and Step work no matter how tired I feel throughout the week..... I think I will bring this to the discussion meeting tonight... "Accountability"... confuse



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Reffner


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Congrats Joni! I can really relate to the whole balance thing. I struggled with it when I started working again, and was starting to feel a little "squirley". Thank God I had friends and meetings to support me and help me put perspective on things. I'm still amazed at how things work out for me today. Sometimes I still catch myself thinking I know whats best for Brian, but God seems to gently reminds me that I can't see the :big picture" and I need to trust Him more. It's great that life is working itself out for you, and that you can recognize that today. Keep us posted, and you'll stay in my prayers.

Brian

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Jerry F


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Aloha Joni2...remember where you left that "Just for Today" Pamphlet?  Good
luck and congradulations of this step.   (((hugs))) smile

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happycamper


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Good luck with the new job.

When my life gets 'crazy' with work, AA, family, outside activities and I feel myself getting overwhelmed its high time to get with my sponsor and share whats going on with me. And before that I ask for Gods guidance to direct my thinking and actions as to what He would have me do.

Balance is not always easy to do and its definately not something I practiced much while I was drinking, so its even more difficult some days for me to 'find it' in sobriety.

Prioritizing is a must with daily lists of to do's.
My work pays the bills and keeps food on the table, so its high priority. I dont beat myself up if I cant make or miss an AA meeting. However, I always do my best to make my home group meeting cuz that one is the most important.

I have to remember the HALT rule too and all the slogans that I need to apply to myself on a regular basis.

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jonijoni1


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Hi happycamper,
I hear ya about missing a meeting here and there, but the problem for me is that "missing meetings" becomes a habit WAAAAAYYY to easily, so much so that I spent the last year of "sobriety" (dry?) letting meetings trail off to about 1 or ZERO a month. That having been my # greatest offender to recovery, and preceding a couple of relapses in the past, it has to be right at the top of the list. Especially right now with a little over a month now.

I like the reminder about asking God to direct me. That is a good reminder, and why I keep coming back here... because the OBVIOUS is not always the obvious for me, as a quick forgetter.

Off to the showers and a new job!! =)

Thanks!

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StPeteDean


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Balance is good! imslow.gif



Joni, what I did, in my first year, was make a weekly calendar (sunday through saturday) and divide the day up into hours awake.  Then insert daily meetings (location/time), then work, meals, sleep, house cleaning, paying bills, exercise, car maintanence, socializing.  Once this is written it is a goal.  That doesn't mean skip meetings, which should just as important as going to work (theoretically more important).  It will take a few weeks to get a week in perfect where I got everything done, but once I got the first week, it got easier and easier.  This also set personal boundaries about what you can do spontaneously, which is where we usually get into trouble.  Plan your life and live your plan.

-- Edited by StPeteDean on Wednesday 11th of August 2010 07:51:05 AM

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Larry_H


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34 years of sobriety and I still struggle with balance.  I am glad to see that you recognized that  "missing meetings" can become a habit.  Whenever I am contemplating missing a meeting I have to ask myself is this really a valid reason and in my book not wanting to go is not a valid reason, or is it my old alcoholic thinking rationalizing a reason to miss a meeting?  Whenever I think I am too busy for a meeting I ask myself would I have been too busy to drink?

My sponsor is a good person to check my thinking with.  He sure can see through my BS.

Larry,
----------
The road to sobriety is a simple journey for confused people with a complicated disease




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louisa


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((((Joni))))
Sending you love and good wishes....
Louisa xx

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jonijoni1


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Hey all, thanks so much for the great advice!! Dean and Larry, I will cerrtainly be working on a weekly schedule. I will do that this weekend. It would be easy for me to let very important things slide. I can even let a lot of things slide and not even leave the house!! Like cleaning, etc. I just want to have something in front of me to refer to, and see what I have to prepare for each day. Thanks for the tip!

First day went terrific. My boss is more on the soft-spoken side, and yet is a "typical doctor", meaning PERFECTIONIST, and as a person who is also a patient of a few doctors, I would not have it any other way.

I am going to relax for the next 2 hours, and then get to the women's meeting tonight at 6, which is one of my home groups. I am picking up 2 ladies so far, and then I will get an early nights' sleep this evening.

Yay. :o) Thank God for a good sober day.

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StPeteDean


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Hey Joni,

check this book out "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz I listened to it on CD along with his other book, that I can't think of right now lol.

Four Agreements.

1. Be impeccable with your word

2. Don't take anything personally

3. Don't make assumptions

4. Always do your best.

I really liked it, even though some of the material I'd heard in other place (truths have a way of showing up in various places).

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319

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zzworldontheweb


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Wow, yes, congratulations. I'll keep you in my prayers. Be sure and eat and get enough rest.

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jonijoni1


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Dean!! Just finished The 4 Agreements.... took a minute out to read Breakfast of Champions and The Shack, and now I am onto 4 Agreements Companion Book...

:o) Small world

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