So. The summer starts early in South Carolina, and the schedule is work, wakeboard, work, wakeboard, call in sick to work, keep wakeboarding. The summer is now over because real life says I need to pay attention to work. Staying busy sure keeps your mind off booze. I just really have not had a desire for booze in months. I am not trying to jinx myself, and I am keeping up with the program but its kind of a sweet spot right now. Anyone else hit the "sweet spot"? is it because I'm older? Is it the beast laying a trap? Anyhow, thanks AA for making this life possible.
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"You're in the right place. That's the door right there. Turn around."
^^^^ says the constant sailor lol. TG just keep doing what works. I prayed for the obsession to drink and drug to be removed, and at 6 months, it was. I've never had a serious urge since. However, I have had my share of obsessions to do other things, like restoring cars, buying and riding motorcycles, scuba diving, skiing, using the internet..... Finding a balance (and trying to maintain) to my life is an ongoing project. I find that I have to keep starting over with routines. I do find comfort in only having to do the 1st step perfectly. Just don't drink. It's kind a like what my dad (USN CDR RET RIP ANC) used to say about managing money- "just watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves".
sounds pretty "normal" to me, we take things to extremes, come back to center, take things to extremes.
Like Dean says, I also get wrapped up in "fun life", old car restoration, sculpting, as a bachelor sometimes wimmin take the front burner, but like he says, my life is the biggest "do it yourself" project I own
just don't drink
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it's not the change that's painful, it's the resistance to change that is painful
Great to hear things are going well, hope you made it throught the storm OK (at least you have internet service). I think the below section of the book explains the "sweet spot" condition pretty well, also talks about the subtle foe and resting on laurels..............
And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone - even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality - safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is our experience. That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition.
It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee - Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
I'm sorry, what were you guys saying? I was out wakeboarding.
Just kidding. Great stuff as always. The examples you all give are why this program and this forum work as we reassure each other through our different perspectives. I am glad to know that this "surge" is normal. I do recognize it but it has either never been this strong or I have never before had the werewithal to pursue it. I am glad to know that I am grouping productive neurons together as opposed to bad. I need to group them faster because my face hurts from planting it in the water.
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"You're in the right place. That's the door right there. Turn around."
sounds good, I got sober to get a life, not lose one, i have done more fun stuff and traveling in sobriety ....live, have fun, just dont forget to give back to what made it possible
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it's not the change that's painful, it's the resistance to change that is painful
It'll pass!