Had First Anniversary of no alcohol at all on 14 June 2014 :)

As I was coming up to my first anniversary I thought "I feel great!"

"I am getting some things done in my life! I am getting an ever increasing feeling of moving forward! I am really feeling great! I think I can safely drink now."

I shared this idea at a SMART meeting and a member said,
"Let me get this straight. You have NOT used your Poison of Choice for 12 months and you are feeling sensational!
So much so, that you reckon you can now go back and use your Poison of Choice - the very thing that stopped you feeling sensational and consistently acting in your own best interests?"

I said, "Well I did think that, until NOW!!"

I started active recovery on 10 Dec 2012 in the AA rooms. I started with 30 meetings in 30 days - sometimes did 2 meetings a day.

I then went onto "90 in 90 days" - did quite a few more than that.

I picked up a drink 8 times in that first 6 months - 7 separate days and once for three days.
I drank at 134 days sober.

On 27 May 2013 I found SMART and my life took a decided turn for the better.

I also read "Rational Recovery" and was acquainted with the idea my 'Addictive Voice' is a paraplegic - without convincing me to donate my arms and legs to its cause, it is powerless.

From JvB at a SMART meeting, I heard, "early recovery is freedom from, later recovery is freedom to."

I am now an online Facilitator and a F2F Facilitator for SMART.

I will end my secretary roll for an AA meeting on the 26 July and will only attend the Sunday morning meeting of AA which I love, on the spiritual concept, funnily enough for me.

I do not have a Higher Power in the AA sense of the concept. I believe in love and I believe in Positive Thought as Higher Powers - but they are not sentient, in themselves, and will only work when I do.

Perhaps I'll come to some understanding that promotes improved tranquillity, through meditation - the thing is I am sober and living a life of my construction. A 'work in progress' that is far more constructive and consistent.

I started the journey in AA and I still dearly love some of the people in it. I continue the journey in SMART and dearly love, and am often inspired, by the people in it.

There are many paths to enlightenment. There are many paths to sobriety. What got me here, will not necessarily get me there.

"We stand alone, together."

Sobriety, recovery, reinvention, is an art. The right path for me to a life I want is only able to be walked by me - with the guidance of those who really care for me as a person, and who have sometimes walked a path before me.

I wish you a stout heart in your journey, and acceptance of self.

"Rather than Ask for Victory, Ask for the Persistence to step forward once again.

For when you take even a faltering step forward in a struggle, you bring honour to yourself.

Even more, you bring the message of hope and honour to us all."