Im a social media telemarketer (I sell Google adwords) It was easier when I drank to get enough "courage" to call. I think part of my recent relapse was due to starting my own company and having a little office of my own in the backyard. I figured it wont hurt I can have one and we all know where that leads... I just have to pray to my HP to guide me to call the right people and take away my nervousness without drinking. I do better at my job when Im sober and on a roll but after a few days - week without a sale I start getting down on myself and the drink looks good, not a healthy cycle.
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God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
I'm a freelance writer, mostly. I also make money as a proofreader -for both medical journals and other literary documents. It pays well, at least for now.
Well, as many of you know from prior posts of mine, I am a waitress. I work in two restaurants- one an " upscale diner" ( if their is such a thing haha.. In an affluent area.. Omelettes will run ya 15$!) , the other a higher end casual bistro/ martini bar. I've worked in this business since I was about 14ish... From 5star fine dining ( I was the only female amongst the veteran male waitstaff) to neighborhood BBQ joints. This industry is a haven and breeding ground for alcoholics. I thought it would be extremely difficult for me to stop drinking while continuing to work in it. I spent nearly every night of my late teens, 20s, and early 30s hanging out with my coworkers and others I knew in the business. Pretty standard rule is that if you work in the " service industry" in a city- you know EVERYBODY that's works in the industry in that city. Like a very dysfunctional family. Well, my days of " partying" after work were long gone- exchanged for solitary bar hopping or finding oblivion in total solitude at home. It isn't as difficult as I had imagined. Honestly, most of my industry friends-those that I had left lol- are very supportive and encouraging. They knew before I did that I wasn't your run of the mill "grab a few beers after work" drinker. I must admit, though, sometimes when a table offers me a taste of a vintage cabernet I've just served them its a bit tempting. Just one sip right? Haha nope, not for me. Not ever. I'll get that taste in my mouth and want more. That's why I never drank at work, like many others did. I knew once I got that taste , I wouldn't be able to stop.
First I'll say toward the end of my drinking I was failing miserably at the jobs I had. I was in retail flooring sales for a number of years and I have been a distributor/manufacturers Rep in the flooring industry for the past 20 yrs.
I'ts a long story, but the guy who trained me in outside sales was a couple months out of rehab (alc/coke) when I was hired. He later told me he somehow knew I was in the program from some of my responses (I was 7 yrs sober at the time). It was truly a God thing, he helped me learn that aspect of the industry and I helped him stay sober. We worked and played a lot of golf together.
I don't do a lot of cold calling anymore but I don't mind it, and if you really dislike what you are doing you need to take a look at that.
If you want to stay in sales here is what I know about it. When you turn it over to God, and get yourself out of the way, things always go better. What you sell helps people make money, otherwise the industry would not exsist. Good things happen when you make the calls and do the work. The fear is irrational, never been shot, stabbed or punched, if I get rid of the ego that can't get hurt either. Self reliance will fail you.
Take Care, Rob
-- Edited by Rob84 on Friday 17th of August 2012 11:59:28 PM
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
I work for the spiritual connection and giving it away service...I never did that when I was out there so now its easier. There is always trepidation at time. F alse E vidence A ppearing R eal. Today I can feel the full surge of FEAR without thinking of a drink to unwrap my tension. The program works when you work it and you can see it work from others you give it away to.
I work in accounting and client services, a job I got after getting sober. I can't even imagine doing this work while I was still drinking/using. Not in a million years. I often thank God for putting me right where I need to be. I am such a different person in the workplace since working the steps...more tolerant, patient, less serious, more involved with others. I truly serve others now and am not just in it for a buck. I consider my job one of the blessings of the program. :)
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I think there's an invisible principle of living...if we believe we're guided through every step of our lives, we are. Its a lovely sight, watching it work.
State certified General Contractor, scope of licensure "unlimited", but I've been primarily involved with outdoor construction (decks, docks, boardwalks, pavilions...). I couldn't do run a business, pay taxes quarterly, maintain my licesnses and insurance if I were drinking. I'd have trouble with the sales end also, keeping appointment, absorbing rejection (rare lol) or just staying motivated. I wanted to have my own business for years, while I was drinking, but knew deep down that I would screw it up.
I work installing directv for the last year and a half. I would not be able to drink like I drink and function on this job having to be in peoples homes and communicate with them the way I have to. Before that I was a union electrician till it all fell apart. Anything goes in that venue. I work all commission now and sometimes the fear of not making ends meet attacks me but I have tools for that. Sometimes, not too often I get overwhelmed with the whole circus of life and I get thirty, but not long enough for it to look like a good idea. I hate to say it but maybe you just haven't suffered enough yet. I don't know. Hope you make it this time though steve.
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Since it cost a lot to win, and even more to loose, you and me gotta spend some time just wondering what to choose.
I'm a construction manager on one of the commuter railroads in the northeast. It's definately better since I started out as a 10th grade dropout. I got my GED, then put myself through college.
-- Edited by Db1105 on Saturday 18th of August 2012 08:39:41 AM
A job for cash is good stuff, but it's not the real stuff.
Some of us will need to earn a living and God will bring us that. It might even be driving auto parts for a while. No matter what we believe we should be doing depending on our capabilities.
Education, career, romance etc - those are the traps sometimes, the things that can pull me away from my Main Job.
I am a music teacher and Mom. Honestly, in some ways it's harder. Maybe I wasn't cut out for it, or maybe I'm burnt out and need to find the zest that I've lost. Maybe I'm just really busy focusing on my recovery, and don't know how to juggle it all very well yet, or maybe, my disease is talking to me right now. I think it might be that last thing. Any job is easier when you're not on work release from jail. So I guess actually... it's easier. Also... it's hard to perform well at any job when you're in a coffin ;P
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Thanks for everything. Peace and Love on your journey.
Been talking about this in other threads. Yes. I am a counselor. There is the saying "Faith without works is dead." I kind of feel like prior to AA, I was just doing works with no faith and it was only draining. Work comes from a healthier place now. I can give more freely because I have more to give. The benefit is obvious in terms of not being a hypocrite (which I did feel like before) and also being able to help substance abusing clients too.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Couldn't hold a job more than a few months or once almost a year and half, over the course of 30 years of drinking/using. Breathing was work. Protecting my supply was work. Not getting busted was work. Not killing anyone while driving was work. Staying alive was work. After sobriety, it was easier to show up for what I did/do for work---but harder in many ways, to learn how to act around others, not bail, and handle the crap one often must put up with when tied to an employer and a steady paycheck. I consider it a major life success that since getting sober I have managed to work 10 years straight for one employer and 10 years straight for another, and I get to RETIRE soon with modest pensions from both!!!!!
I've worked for the same telecoms company for over 33 years. there was a massive drinking culture in this company and I hid a lot of my drinking in extended periods of working away from home. I hung onto my job by the skin of my teeth. it took me a long time to progress through the company, roughly 3 times longer than anyone else.
Since I stopped drinking (it'll be 6 years in October), I've worked better and smarter, actually spending less hours at work but doing much more. I used to be a customer relationship manager, but after a few years of sobriety I found that I really disliked the manipulation of others to get what the company wanted. About 18 months ago, i was asked to take on a small project, which in time lead to a bigger, short term project, which led to another project, to set up a contact ventre for a specialist part of the business. I found I really liked project work and applied for a full time project manager role and was successful, beating off established project managers.
So on this project I am PM the installation of £250k worht of safety equipment on radio towers. The next project, which I start on wednesday, is the ongoing maintenance and repainting of the tower estate, around 250 towers nationwide, with a budget of around £1m just for the re paint and clean - the maintenance budget hasn't been set yet.
in around 2 hours time, I'll be quality auditing the first safety installation on a 50m tower jjust 10 miles from me. This involves climbing the tower and venturing out onto the open steel.
So is it better not drinking, well they wouldn't let me near open steel climbing when I was drinking, because there's a good chance I'd have an accident. I've lost nearly 70lbs in weight to pass the medical for climbing and dammit all, life is good.
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Alot of my life is easier without being drunk. School/work/vacations/hanging out with friends (I'll take anxiety over vomiting in someones car or kitchen table any day)
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sober: showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice
