Wouldn’t it be nice if you could wear a rubber band around your wrist and snap it every time you felt like drinking? That’s the way we think about making changes in our life, isn’t it? We think in terms of a stick. We think in terms of a threat of pain. In my mind, the problem with the idea of having an elastic that you snap every time you have a craving or you think about drinking, is that it waits for the thought of drinking to come up before you implement the strategy. And what I would suggest, instead, is something a bit more preventative, which would be reaching out, finding sober supports, listening to a podcast, listening to an audio. So that the cravings don’t come up as often. So you don’t have to pull back from it. If you surround yourself with the right kind of supports and tools, and you use them often enough, and you use them before you need them, then you create a new path in your head. You’re less likely to go down the wrong path. You’re less likely to have to snap the elastic.

new STAY painting

And once you’re out of the booze elevator, you learn to rest and be present. Stay here. Stay focussed. Stay in the present. Stay sober. Stay true to you. www.artsober.com