When Gratitude Feels Overwhelming

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When Gratitude Feels Overwhelming

Grateful. Gratitude. Thankful. These are words we hear often in the English language, especially in November. But also in recovery. And there are good reasons for both of these phenomena. Gratitude is empowering and wonderful and it can change your outlook on life. Many argue it should be a daily practice, whether you’re in recovery or not.

Growing up I was the opposite of grateful. I felt entitled. I felt like I deserved certain things and I think this was because of the hand I’d been dealt throughout the years. Bad luck, surgeries, trauma, hardships. The least the world could do was give me what I deserved right?

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I'm Lucky To Be Alive

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I'm Lucky To Be Alive

This week Fer and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. I love this time of year because there are so many great moments that come about all in a row - my soberversary, our anniversary, and my birthday in a few more weeks. This year we went out for a romantic dinner and during our quiet time together we really reflected on how far we've come in 4 years. We got to talking about how different our relationship was at the beginning - toxic, argumentative, and plagued by drugs and alcohol, jealousy, and anger. In particular, Fer brought up one incident that still haunts both of us today. You may be familiar with the before and after photo that's on my homepage where I have a bandage over my nose. In August of 2012 after a long night of drinking, Fer and I found ourselves in a place we frequented often, an after hours nightclub in the hotel zone of Cancun.

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I Loved The Holidays For All The Wrong Reasons, Then I Got Sober

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I Loved The Holidays For All The Wrong Reasons, Then I Got Sober

Growing up, and until a little over 2 years ago, Christmas to me meant: money, gifts, free stuff, and reasons to drink. For me the holidays were about myself and greed. I looked forward to nights out at the bar with friends who were home, and cheap holiday drink specials. I used to spend weeks making my extensive Christmas list and sending it to my mom with the many things I wanted and was convinced I earned. When I didn't receive what I asked for I would get angry and feel gypped.

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10 Tips To Get You Through the Holidays Sober

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10 Tips To Get You Through the Holidays Sober

Woohoo, it's Christmas Eve Eve and the holiday season is in full swing. For those of you who are newly sober, already have some sober years under your belt, or are still on the fence about trying sobriety, this list is for you. The holidays should be a wonderful and joyous time for serenity, gratefulness, and being with your family and friends. This means you can still have a great time without getting wasted and here's how:

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The Wow Factor

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The Wow Factor

In my entry "A Year Without Alcohol" I talked about how I have been feeling all kinds of emotions since getting sober.  Some of the best ones are moments of clarified happiness.  This has been happening to me a lot lately and I'd thought I'd describe how it feels.I couldn't think of a better name for this feeling than the Wow Factor.  It's like ...zest for life combined with beauty, happiness, and gratefulness all wrapped into one.

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