My Halloween Celebration

Halloween is a special time of year for me as I notch another year of sobriety in my most treasured life accomplishments.

@StLHandyMan #congratulations ! So blessed to be here & #enjoy another day booze-free ! My path is similar. We are SOOO BLESSEC!
— organics count (@LizzySm25755296) November 1, 2014

There was a couple of reasons for giving up booze and the destruction it was causing in my life.  Some people say that a Drunk will only stop drinking when they hit rock bottom.

I don't honestly know if I reached rock bottom.  I do know that I didn't make positive life choices while under the influence of booze.

One of my rock bottoms came when a very dear lifetime friend stopped talking to me because my bad drinking decision stopped him from participating in his favorite past times of attending a Kansas City Chiefs football game.

This was a straw that broke the camels back in re to my drinking. 

I treasure my friends.  Loosing a trusted lifetime friend gave me the realization that a change was needed.

 I stopped drinking, by making the conscious decision- booze was wrecking my life and all that I treasure.

Its now been 12 years since I gave up booze.  Sobriety has worked for me and if you are contemplating leading a life free of bad influences.  I suggest to anyone to give it a shot.

Here's how I did it: I tricked my mind by performing a life experiment.  I know my mind has the instilled philosophy of never giving up.  So I worked this into an experiment in sober living.

I learned through talking with drunks, addicts, people who went sober, and attending a few AA meetings (that I honestly thought was a crock of shit): many people gave up drinking and then went back to drinking after a short time period.

To trick my mind I created an experiment: I would go without booze for 1 year, at the end of the year I would look back for positive changes and examine if my life was better. (edited after posting: My original booze free experiment was to go 3 years first- to really give my mind a chance, and is similar to how I read the Metallica Band Member went 'booze free' years ago.)

I learned during that years sobriety experiment that it was possible to live without the booze.  I didn't jeopardize any friendships or lose friends and even gained new Friend's that supported my endeavor.

Proof Positive, sobriety worked.  I then said to my mind-let's experiment for another year.  And  I  have continued this successful experiment every year and have continued to live a sober lifestyle.

I don't know why my experiment in tricking my mind has worked.  I do know that:

           I don't or allow my mind to dwell on thoughts of drinking everyday, because of my experiment, where every Halloween I look back to make the next years decision on whether to drink the coming year or not.

Its now been so long that thoughts of whether I'll drink this year are pretty much nonexistent.

Nevertheless, I reaffirm my next years 2015 experiment and weigh my prior years 2014 successful experiment.

Find what works for you when battling your inner demons and issues.  And take it from me, that no matter how big of an issue your mind may make of something- you can change.

My best to everyone.  Happy Halloween.  I'll give a sobriety update in 2015.