It’s been 30 years since I sold the Harley, a couple of decades since I put away the vodka, and nearly ten years since I didn’t open that next pack of cigarettes.

And my life is better than ever.

Yes, there are still days when I’d like to retreat to the back yard, prop my feet  up on a Harley, crack open the Gray Goose, and light up a Chesterfield.

Isn’t going to happen – but there is that occasional nostalgic urge. But that’s all it is, a passing urge to be recognized and even enjoyed then let go of.
We all have those moments. Reminiscences of activities, people and places from days gone by. They bring a smile and then we move on to what’s interesting now.

The Harley? Replaced with the restoration of a Triumph TR-8, a vehicle more suited to  my over-60 reflexes but also attached to my sports car days in my 20s.

The vodka? Weight lifting and writing and an interesting life have replaced the depression, hurt, and isolation – an easy trade most days.

Cigarettes? Decent health, fewer medical worries, and enough spare cash to pamper the Triumph.

Taken all together, I am healthier, feel better emotionally, psychologically, and physically. I have a better class of friends and activities. I’m less lonely and isolated.

Not to mention that I feel pretty damn good most mornings.

Mary Ellen and I can also help you find the life-enhancing alternatives to your current life-denying choices. Yes, you can like yourself and your life a lot more than you do now.

And, no, you don’t have to affix a “Scarlett A for Alcoholic” to your forehead and permanently join a losers’ cult.

You can call and discuss the possibilities. No charge, no pressure, no scare tactics.  Just us, you, and your future.

Systems and Goals

Yes, it’s important to develop goals. You can’t even begin a trip without a destination in mind. If my dog Sophie and I want to take a road trip in the newly restored Triumph we’d better decide between Seattle, Santa Fe, St. Paul or somewhere else.

That’s the decision which will allow us to develop the system for getting there. How many days? Interstates or “blue highways”? Where are the canine friendly hotels? What to pack? Who to see? How much $$$$?

And so on.

Then comes the actual trip.

Simply because we decided on Seattle doesn’t mean we actually have to get there. Somewhere along the way we can decide to stop in San Luis Obispo and never go any further. But if we hadn’t made the decision to go we’d have missed out on the pleasures of planning and we’d have never even gotten to anywhere worth stopping.

Which is a long way of saying that if you don’t ever start on creating a life you won’t ever find a new place you’d rather be.

Why not let us play AAA and help with the options, planning, preferences, and get you headed in the right direction?

Then you can find your own new and better life to enjoy.

Links to Success:

One Client’s Extensive Program Review

Smart Women and Alcohol Abuse

The Real “Steps” to Overcoming Alcohol Abuse

Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Sent My Brother Off To Rehab;