Good morning!  My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  I always feel better when I have a smile on my face.  A smile is the most beautiful thing, and the prettiest thing you can wear.  When I am getting dressed in the morning or getting ready to go out at night.  Looking in the mirror, the last thing I do before I leave to see how I look, is to smile.  That completes my look.  It makes me feel better about myself.  It makes me happy in general.  I just saw another quote I really liked.  "When life give you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile."  It's amazing what a smile can do.  And there is always something to smile about. No matter how bad a day you are having or whatever, there is ALWAYS something to smile about.  Keep your head up princess, and keep smiling!  :)  Havea a great day!

Good morning!  My name is Lauren, and I'm a grateful, recovering alcholic/addict.  I only have one life and have had made a lot of mistakes, but have also made a lot of good choices.  I need to quit talking about the bad things I've done. It's a small part of my life.  I am married to a great guy, with two amazing kids.  I had a great childhood.  I have 2 wonderful, supportive parents, 3 fun brothers, a bunch of friends.  It's not like I had a crappy life.  I had a rough patch, and am on the up hill again, and enjoying the blessings I have.  I am loving this life.  I only have one and going to make the best of it.  It is great!  God has given me so many things to be grateful for.  You got one life, live it well!  Have a great day!

Good morning!  My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  I was watching the news this morning saw a woman on there talking about being fat and happy.  How she used to be a size 4 and worked out 3 hours a day to keep her body like that.  One day her husband told her to stop.  She was losing time with the kids, worrying about herself.  He married her for her, not for a skinny body.  He loved her.   Wow, that hit me.  I have been so worried about my body recently.  I gained some weight since I got sober and have felt very self concious. My husband told me the same thing.  To quit worrying about my body.  He was happy with me.  He loved me for who I am, and was just proud of me for getting sober.  I really like this quote too.  There are a lot of things that I could that are worse.  I would rather be fat and happy than skinny and drunk, or a skinny liar, or a skinny thief.  I would rather be a fat and happy, good mom...a fat and happy, good friend, trustworthy, and kind, or a fat and funny aunt. That's what I want to be today.  That's all I got today.  Have a great one!

Good morning!  My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  Forgiving others is sometimes easier than forgiving yourself.   I know when I got home, people forgave me for what I had done or not done.  People knew I was sick, and was now getting better.  I knew it would take time to earn their trust back. But it was hard for me to forgive myself.  I had done a lot of hurtful things.  I wasn't there a lot of the time.  Hid in my room.  I would go to work and come home and go to bed.  I didn't feel good and had to hide my drinking.  I was so unsocial.  But I have to quit beating myself up over it.  I had to learn to forgive myself.  I had to forgive myself for the bad things I did, I was not a bad person.  Forgiving is setting the prisoner free, and that prinsoner is me. Once I forgave myself, I could heal, then and only then could I heal.  And once I let go, I could grow. That's all I got today!  Have a great one!

Good morning!  My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  I have been really thinking about apologies.  There is a difference between saying I'm sorry and apologizing.  Anyone can say they are sorry, but really meaning it, and doing something about it, and making it right, or doing the best you can to make it right is apologizing.  Admitting you are wrong is a hard thing to do.  Ego likes to get in the way.  I like to think I am always right.  Well I am, but you know. I have a hard time listening to someone and really believing them, I am right. Sometimes, I will go out of my way to Google something to prove to you that I am right.  I have a Bachelors degree. I know a lot of things.  I am smart.  So I am right. It is hard for me to accept that someone else is right and I am wrong.  But once I do accept that, I need to say I am sorry, really mean it, try to be a better listener next time. Try not to be so quick to assume I am always right.  Doing something wrong, then saying sorry, and doing it again and again and saying sorry over and over, makes sorry lose it's meaning.  When you say you are sorry, the other part of it is making it right, or not donig it again.  People make mistakes, but making the same ones over and over gets old, and that's when people lose trust.  And once you lose trust, that's a whole nother story.  That's all I got for today. Have a great one!

Good morning! My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcholic/addict.  I usually write pretty serious thoughts, but today I thought I would be fun.  When I was sober, I was crazy, but it was a crazy that was OK because I was drunk.  It was expected.  It was the usual.  It was funny.  When I got sober, I was still crazy, but had to hide it a little better.  Crazy isn't as normal when you are sober.  When you are sober, you are supposed to be more proper, more sensible.  Now I can still be fun, I am still a little crazy, but try to hide it a little better.  I can still act professional when I have to.  We are all crazy.  We are all a little weird. But only a few people get to see the real us. Only our true friends, the ones that can be just as weird as us, and we don't think any different of them.  It is interesting to see people and think of how they really are.  To look at, let's say, your teacher or your boss.  You know when they go home, they are not the same "firm or harsh" person they are at work or school.  When I was a kid, it was always weird seeing my teacher outside of school.  Seeing them in "normal" clothes, with their family, at the grocery store or at the movies.  They were supposed to live at school.  What were they donig in the real world.  It was crazy.  Well, that's all I got for today.  Have a great one!

Good afternoon!  My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  Computer problems yesterday, so no blog.  So yesterday was my birthday, my "belly-button" birthday.  This year, I was more excited to celebrate my sobriety birthday that my real birthday. I really enjoy this quote above.  When I first got sober, I was overjoyed at the opportunity to better my life.  This celebration of 1 year sober proved to me how  amazing my life can get when I do something about it.  I have a renewed energy to continue another year.  Not that I was getting to the point where I was doubting my decision, but it was great to hit a big mark.  It is only one day at a time.  I only have today.  But it felt good to get a few 24-hours in a row.  Each day I have a renewed energy for life.  I am very blessed to have been given another year on this earth.  God obviously has a reason for me here.  He could have taken me many times .  So I will do what I can and live for Him today. Have a great day!

Good morning!  My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcholic/addict.  A friend of mine posted this today, and I love it.  Life is a journey, and it is a journey to find yourself.  Find who you really are, who you want to be.  You can be whatever, whoever you want to be.  But be what you need to be.  Share what you have, what you are.  When we were little, one of the ifrst things we learned was to share.  Not to be selfish.  We need to share what we have with others.  At times we share what we have, and it is negative.  Once I got sober, I jsut wanted ot share with everyone how great life is.  Some "normal" people don't understand how I can be happy all the time.  Well, I guess I am just making up for lost time.  I wasted years of my life being miserable, and now it's time to be happy.  When I got what I got, I just wanted to give it away. It is nothing material, not money, or gifts, but love, truth, and hope. That's all i got.  Have a great day!

Good afternoon!  My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  The above quote is too true. When I was drinking, I had so many problems, and all I did was focus on them. My life revolved around them.  And since I felt there was nothing I could do about them, they sat there and grew into more problems.  Now, I see the many possibilities and opportunities in front of me, and couldn't be more happy.  I have had so many amazing opportunities this past year. A new job, publishing a book, working on another book, and just life in general.  I wonder sometimes if people think there is something wrong with me, because today, I am genuinely happy. Everyday, I wake up with a smile on my face.  I have so much to be thankful for.  I probably had a lot of opportunities before, but was too busy worrying and focusing on my problems, I didn't see them.  I was too busy looking down at my feet, feeling sorry for myself, I didn't see what was right in front of my face...a loving, caring family.  People that truly cared about me and my well-being. People believed in me.  They saw a glimpse of hope, and made me see it, and once I did, I was all in.  So today, I still have problems, but I don't waste all my energy focusing on them, and keep my eyes on all the opportunities I have.  Have a great day!

Good afternoon!  My name is Lauren and I"m a grateful, recovering alcholic/addict.  I have come to realize, my life isn't just about me.  The world does not revolve around me.  But I am here for a purpose.  Finding that was a hard thing to do.  And maybe I haven't even found it yet, but as of today I feel my purpose is to share God's love with others.  I am not here to judge.  I am here to love.  God still has me here for a reason.  I may not even know the reason. Maybe my blog will help just one person understand the hope we have in God.  Maybe me sharing at a meeting will help someone stay sober one more day.  Maybe me sharing my story will help others not go down the same path I did.  Maybe me just being nice will make someone's day.  I don't feel like I am just another person on this earth.  I am here for a reason, a purpose.  My goal is to find it, and enjoy the journey finding it. So today, I am blessed to be alive and sober one more day.  Have a great day!