The time has come in my life to leave the past behind, to be the person I truly am, to live a healthy alcohol-free life.

I have learned through out my life that beating myself up over past mistakes does me no good. It only drags me down even more. I’ve always knew my drinking caused me pain in all areas of my life. My relationships have suffered, my career, my health and just about every other part of my life has been affected by my alcohol use. Yet through all the ups and downs I refuse to give up. I have used this as a motivator to rewrite my story.

What can I say I’m a slow learner. It takes what it takes and believe me it has been some ride. I’m sure a lot of you reading this know exactly what I’m saying. I believe no one will change until they make the decision to change. You know the saying “if nothing changes, than nothing changes”, or something like that.

I guess I’ve had enough! I feel different about things in my life. I read somewhere “don’t react, respond”, well I have been doing just that. In the past I would react by freaking out, getting angry, blaming everyone else to get to what I really wanted. Which was to drink, any excuse would do. It was much easier to blame that on everyone else instead of myself. It worked for so many years. The big problem was I wasn’t growing and my problems were still there the next day with the added guilt of getting black out drunk. As well as the consequences of poor decision making while drunk. I don’t make great decisions while in a black out, if you know what I’m saying!

So I’m back! My current mantra is WHO SAYS I CAN’T! I’m not running from my feelings. I have so many recovery tools in my tool box. I’ve always had these tools. I should have a PhD in recovery. I really never understood people who claim to have the one and only way to get and stay sober (alcohol-free). Sorry but that’s not how it works. It just drives me away from the message and program they are pushing.

I believe the old school recovery methods never worked for everyone. People need to design a program of recovery that works for themselves. Just like working out at the gym, or cycling, or eating it has to work for you. I believe a holistic approach is the way to go. A few of the tools in my tool box are Recovery 2.0 www.r20.com, Hip Sobriety www.hipsobriety.com, Soberful Program www.veronicavalli.com, and This Naked Mind www.thisnakedmind.com. I also read tons of books from people living alcohol free lives, work out and try to eat healthy with a Ben & Jerrys thrown in there for good luck.

So anyone who is having a hard time with alcohol give yourself a break. The time will come when you will say that’s it I’ve had enough. It’s time to write a new life story I’m done beating myself up with alcohol. Believe me that time will come, it happened for me so it sure can happen for you.