Good morning! My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict. What a beautiful day to be alive and sober! Yesterday, we celebrated Christmas with my famly a little North of where I live. It was so fun. Some of my cousins I haven't seen in a year. It was so fun to all get together. I'm not going to live in the past, but I remember last Christmas, and I wasn't really "there." I wasn't concerned about anyone but myself. It was all about when I was going to get my next drink. Not that I was making up for lost time this year, but I was. I wanted to enjoy every minute of it. No one is guaranteed life tomorrow, so I want to make and remember as many good memories as I possibly can. It was so fun watching my children play with their cousins, making great memories of their own. We are all so blessed. I am so blessed to have my family. And in sobriety, I have more friends now, that I consider family. I still talk to many friends ai made when I was in treatment. We all spent every minute of every day together for weeks, some months. Some of them know more about me, like really "about me" that some of my blood family. I have an extended family now, that will always be a part of my life. And for that I am truly grateful. Have a great day!
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Good evening! My name is Lauren and I'm a recovering alcoholic/addict. The other day I had someone question me about what I write. I am not here to give advice. This is just pretty much a journal to myself of how I think I should live, what I think works for me. So if you don't like what I have to say, don't read it. Take what you want, leave what you don't. So here is the only advice I will give. "Tell the truth!" Anways, I wanted to state that I am not a therapist, or maybe not the best person to take advice from, (or maybe I should take my own advice) :) But I have learned that the people that give the best advice are usually the ones that have been through the most. So today I will just say to tell the truth, and tell the whole truth, and tell it all the time. I was sick of telling lies, not only to others, but to myself. I had more lies coming out of my mouth than truth. I was lying to cover up lies that covered up lies. Life is so much easier now, by just being honest. Honest with myself, as well as others. So have a great night!
Good afternoon! My name is Lauren and I'm a recovering alcoholic/addict. I had a friend of mine relapse, and was upset about making a mistake and going back out there. Sometimes you fall off the horse, but if you get up and try again, that is progress. If you stay down, you can't blame anyone but yourself. Don't make excuses, make progress. You have that choice to try again. Some may fall off time and time again, but if you get back up and try again, that is progress. Alfred A. Montapert said, "Don't confuse motion with progress. A rocking horse keep moving, but does not make any progress." If you want it bad enough you will stay on. There are some rocky roads out there that you will travel, but if you hold on tight, you can make it through anything. You just have to keep your head up and keep looking forward. And if you keep looking back you might fall off too. Look back only to see how far you have come. One day at a time, one step in front of the other. There are always people out there that want to help, but sometimes, we don't see that someone needs help unless their hand is held out. So call out when you need help, before you take that drink. Have someone you can call anytime, and that understands you, and always have a backup. Pick up that 100 lb. phone and reach out. That's all for today! Have a great one!
Good morning! My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict. With my story, I want to share it with others, recovering or not, that there is hope. I hope that me sharing, will help just one person. Help one person to find themselves. To love themselves again. To be open and honest with themselves. To know what is best for them and their family, and do it. I have told some people some pretty sad, dark things, but that is how I felt at the time. And from that came the "new" me. The title of my book, "From the Weeds" is based on my life. From the weeds a beautiful flower emerges. With all the crap I have made myself to go through, I have come out on top. So now, the best way to multiply my happiness is to share it with others. Amy Poehler said, "Continue to share your heart with people even if it's been broken." I love that. It doesn't matter who you are or what you have done, you are worth it. You sharing your story may help someone else. Some people are too ashamed of what they have done, or not done, to think there is any hope, or that they deserve anything better than what they have. You are important. You are special. You matter. Know that. Well, that's all I have for today! Have a great one!
Good morning! My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict. With making myself be happy, with life and with who I am, I have learned that I need to love myself. If I don't love myself, why would anyone else love me. I need to stop hating myself for everything I'm not, and start loving myself for who I am. And learning to love myself is the hardest thing I have ever done. I have always been self-conscious. I need to worry less about what people think of me. I am who I am, and I'm happy with that. I am learning to be happy with myself. This is how God made me. How can I hate God's creation? Happiness means loving yourself first, so you can share that love with someone else. Each day I want to share my love more, to those around me. Those who love me too. Here is a poem I wrote.
Inside I know I am beautiful, no matter what you say. I've now learned to be happy with who I am today. I've been sad, depressed and lonely, hurt and full of hate. But now I see much clearer Maybe you can relate. Stop hiding, lying and hurting each other. We can learn to be real. Peeling back layers of deep down inside And show we really feel. So love yourself today, more than you did yesterday! Have a great one! Good morning! My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict. Being happy is a choice. It doesn't just happen. The way I was living before, I was miserable. I wasn't living. I was just waiting to die. I was miserable and making everyone around me miserable too. I needed to live, not just exist. I made the choices I did, but had no control of the consequences of those choices. I had to learn from it, and I did. But sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places. It's all a crazy circle. But like I've said before everything happens for a reason. I have learned to be happy, and enjoy life. I only live once, so I better make the best of it. God made me, not to be unhappy and live miserably, but to be happy, and feel blessed and live for Him. I have come to the conclusion that my life is the way it is, because he wants me to help others. I want to share my story and hope with others who may feel miserable too. I want to be selfless and go out of my way to help others. I want people to smile when they hear my name, not roll their eyes and shake their heads. So smile today! Have a great one!
Good morning! My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict. I have been learning that the world does not revolve around me. I am not the center of the universe. But I am here to make my footprint on this earth. I want to be able to help others, by giving myself. Like the above phrase says. I am not a therapist, but I will listen and I do genuinely care. You listened to me when I needed an ear, so one thing I can give back is my ear. Here is another saying I found. "When you talk, you are only repeating what you know. But if you listen, you may learn something new." Sometimes silence is a cry for help, so I need to be more aware of people and their feelings. Not everyone cares about my problems, But if I talk and you listen, I will do the same for you. And not just hear someone spit out words, really listen. Here is another poem I wrote.
Just Shy I used to think she was just shy, maybe nervous in front of people. Or maybe she thought she was too good for any of us. But I did wonder about her. She looked nice. She was pretty in her own way. Who am I to judge. I never asked, I didn't think it mattered. Until the day she took too many pills. I don't mean to leave on such a sad note, but just be aware of those around you. That's all for today. Have a great one! Good afternoon! My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful recovering alcoholic/addict. I have thought about how much more I have now, (not really material thing) but true relationships. I feel so much more blessed. I never understood how truly blessed I am. I have so much to give, I want to give it away. I really like the quote above. My life is more full by what I can give back. To help someone else, in a time of need. To talk to them, or just to listen. Maybe that's all they want, an ear to listen. But I feel so much more full when I am giving it away. Sobriety, in the beginning, is selfish. I had to take care of myself before I could anyone else. Now that I have found myself, it's time for me to share this wonderful gift. Acts 20:35 says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." So true. And it seems the more I give, the more I receive. So that's all I got for today! Have a great one!
Good morning! My name is Lauren and I'm a greteful recovering alcoholic/addict. I have said it before about how I missed some firsts. But I can't look back. I can only make new firsts now. Like today, I am at my first book signing! I had my first sober Thanksgiving in a long time. I am now excited to have my first Christmas in a long time too. We had the most fun summer ever. We had a bucket list of 75 things to do. It was a blast! We are making the most fun memories. Looking back now, when I was a kid, all I remember are the good times. I guess it was because I had a lot. This first year of sobriety is going to be alot of firsts. I didn't celebrate my birthday this year, I was in treatment. So in February, I will celebrate my 1st birthday sober in a LONG time. New Year's, too. So I am actually excited this year. I'm ready and blessed to have the opportunity to enjoy these firsts. That's all for today!. Have a great one!
Good morning! My name is Lauren and I'm a grateful recovering alcoholic/addict. When I was drinking and stuff, I felt very alone. I pretty much did it to myself, I was isolating myself. When I got sober, I was worried I was going to start and continue this journey alone as well. I never realized how many other people feel the same way. When we get together physically or even on the computer, we are together. I know I can do this. I see people that are living sober everyday. They are not just not drinking, they are enjoying life sober. If I ever need to talk to someone, there are so many people I can talk to. I have recently joined some closed recovering groups on facebook. There are some many people just like me. Most I have never met, but can talk to on the same level, because they have been where I have been, and are where I am now. I am not alone one this journey of recovery. If you are struggling today, know that you are not alone. You matter so much. Don't give up. The hardest thing is to ask someone for help. But that is what we are here for, to help each other. To grow and mature and be a gift to one another. And if you are physically alone, know that God is with you. He will never leave your side. Well, that's all for today. Know you care, and you matter! Have a great day!
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July 2019
Lauren YoderI'm Lauren. Get inside the head of a recovering alcoholic/ addict. |