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What do you like / love about being sober?

I was thinking on this this morning and thought it might be a great topic.

I found this while I was reading things online:

Quote:

12 Reasons Why I Love Being Sober

I discovered recently that my sober life is so much more interesting than my life of drinking. The following are a few funny, but simple reasons why I love being sober:
http://asocietyofsobriety.files.word...ness.jpg?w=551
1. If you go to a meeting every night, you get to spend time with your friends and hear the craziest stories. I’ve never heard better stories than the ones told in a recovery meeting. You also get free bagels occasionally:)
2. I always try to stay away from events where there is drinking, but when I am forced to be around other people that are active alcoholics, I get a sober view of the night’s events. My first thought is “I hope they get help.” My second thought is “I hope they don’t do what I think they’re going to do!” Never a dull moment.
3. When I was drinking, I would always hear someone say “You can sleep when you’re dead!”. Now, I sleep because I’m tired, not because I’m hungover from the 24 hour party that just occurred the night before. I am no longer forced to pull an all nighter with 20 other people wondering if I’m going to remember what happened the next day.
4. I never have to worry about drinking and driving. I’ll never have to call a cab because I drank too much ice tea.
5. I am always in control of what I say and do. I never have to worry about regretting something I said because I lost control of my verbal filter.
6. My relationships with people are not superficial. I have deeper, more meaningful relationships with friends and family.
7. I save a ton of money. No more ordering expensive bottles of wine with dinner or buying ridiculously expensive mixed drinks. Instead, I’ll save that money for a rainy day or a nice vacation.
8. I deal with problems with clarity instead of drowning them in a bottle of vodka, a bottle of wine or a twelve pack of Corona.
9. I do not have to wonder why there is a person laying in my front yard from the party the night before.
10. I no longer have to deal with obnoxious drunk people and better yet, I am no longer the obnoxious drunk person!
11. I don’t miss work because of hangovers.
12. Last but not least, I have peace. Something that I have never found at the bottom of a bottle.
Life is a beautiful thing when lived with clarity, understanding and a sober perspective.
http://asocietyofsobriety.wordpress....e-being-sober/

Some of mine are the freedom of not living my life around drinking. Having God in my life, knowing Him and enjoying His presence and peace in my life. He is my Higher Power not alcohol. Being able to enjoy time with family and friends and remembering what happened.

Those are just a few I share to get us started. I hope others will join in. It doesn't matter how much sober / clean time you have, just join in.

One of things I love about being clean and sober is that i can think more clearly. My perspective on life is better. The glass is no longer "half empty", its "half full". I am more positive.

I no longer have to live a double life.
I no longer have to hide from God in shame.
My mind is clearer and I trust my decisions more.
I can trust God for guidance.
My relationships are better and deeper.
When I forget something or say something stupid, it is just my human frailty and not a stupid drunk.
I like myself better.
I don't stink.
I don't have big, black circles under my eyes.
I don't have to worry about my supply running out.
The obsession is gone.
God is good!

Thanks for this, I love it and your shares.

I no longer have to wear masks or role play.
I can be myself, the way my God would have me be in today, instead of living through others and people pleasing.
I have a closer walk with my God, since I began a spiritual journey.
I learned to love, even like myself.
Many things are one day at a time, like patience, tolerance, forgiveness, acceptance, etc. With my God, I found it is often a daily thing.
I no longer have to act out in my disease. I no longer have hissy fits and other behaviours that were prevalent when I was using.
I am not my disease. I am a Child of God.
Love the connection of going with the flow and being in the moment.
Gratitude for the little things, things I wasn`t aware of when I was using. They were catastrophes, and moles became mountains.
Grateful for you and the people my God put in my life to show me the way. Before I wouldn`t have noticed, would have ignored anyone who tried to change me, my beliefs, and thought they were so grandiose to think they knew better than me. :5:

So many more, but these are what came to mind.

I understand that alcohol, sold to us by the world as a good thing, is really poison. I don't have to drink poison anymore and starve my brain for oxygen to "feel good."

I can stand discomfort, knowing my God is with me, and that it will pass.

Love and that no matter what happens in my life, I don't have to pick up my drug of choice or any substitute. Grateful in today that I have the vision in today to know when I am using in today, no matter what the substance is. It all leads to the same soul sickness, so the 12 Steps are applicable to all areas of my life.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...bI7HAkoDgjdoGg

What do you like / love about being sober?

Quite a long list so just to name a few...

Freedom...
Freedom to be a child of God
Freedom to love and be loved
Freedom of choice
Freedom to be myself
Freedom from drama
Freedom to set healthy boundaries

For today, I am enjoying my celebration of Christmas, "As I understand Christmas". I enjoyed a Christmas Eve meeting, and then my wife and I attended a very beautiful Mass in the afternoon.

We had to get there early to get a seat, and had the pleasure of listening to the music ministry serenade us with Christmas songs as we waited for the Mass to begin. It was a very peaceful hour, and I just sat there and took it all in.

I can ignore how society has tried to change the focus of Christmas to an insane gift giving frenzy, shop here, buy this, only 3 more shopping days left etc...If every kiss begins with "K", then keep your kiss.

I am totally charmed when I hold our new grandson.

I love to read this website, and apply what it teaches me to how I live life.

I read this a few years ago and these rewards are what I love about being sober!

Ann C. wrote this a number of years before the 1985 Internation Convention in Montreal, Canada

where she set it to tape at the Old timers Meeting.

She wrote it to show the contrast that can take place in any of our lives if we will try to follow the AA principles.

The 12 Rewards of the 12 Step Program

1) We can all have Hope, instead of desperation;

2) Faith, instead of despair;

3) Courage, instead of fear;

4) Peace of Mind, instead of confusion;

5) Self-respect, instead of self-contempt;

6) Self-confidence, instead of helplessness;

7) The respect of others, instead of their pity and contempt;

8) A clean conscience, instead of a sense of guilt;

9) Real friendships, instead of loneliness;

10) A clean pattern of life, instead of a purposeless existence;

11) The love and understanding of our families, instead of their doubts and fears;

12) The freedom of a happy life, instead of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession.

Gratitude will continue the miracle of your sobriety, I found that out.

as written by Ann C. of Niles, Ohio - sober April 1, 1948

Awesome! Thank you Don for sharing it. Hope you will continue to come and share your recovery with us.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i...-GABmDdCoetG4Q