thompson wrote on 17 Jul 2024 20:10:

That's a kiss from above!

But not always are we zoche to be saved by the bell... Connection, F2F and TBOTG are all great techniques and beH you'll knock it out of the field!

KOT!

chaimoigen wrote on 18 Jul 2024 01:52:

Thank you, Lord Oigen, for gracing my lowly thread with your grizzled presence.

As the French philosopher said, "Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

Wow, your hand is warm. How do you manage feeling so alive?

All joking aside, I've got nothing.

With many thanks to the Almighty for helping me stay sober another week and giving me an easier last day and a half, I close the tab for this work week (literally and figuratively).

Shabbat Shalom, friends, strangers, and those in between.

Mornin'.

Let's see, Friday was nice, Shabbos was superb, Sunday was as Sunday does.

Now it's Monday, the beginning of my GYE week (I don't have access Sunday).

Let's commit to a clean week, who's with me?
P.S. I don't know if I'm with me, I'm waiting to see who else shows up.

thompson wrote on 22 Jul 2024 13:44:

As your fellow partner in crime, Thomson (without a "P"), you can always count on me.

LET'S GIVE IT A SHOT!

yiftach wrote on 22 Jul 2024 14:00:

Did someone mention bourbon?
I'll definitely join when bourbon is involved...

proudyungerman wrote on 22 Jul 2024 14:09:

To be precise its Woodford ,with a 'p'.   

thompson wrote on 18 Jul 2024 14:52:

Checking back in. Tis hopefully gonna be a good week, grizzled or not.
I’m not sure I understand what you mean when you say you got nothing. It’s a pleasure to hold your hand (in a wholly platonic way, of course). 

Last night I felt some urges that I thankfully haven’t felt in a while and I realized that (SURPRISE!) it may just happen to coincide “coincidentally” with the fact that I have been absent from these hallowed forums as of late. Weathered the storm, BH, but coming back for the bourbon and company. 

Blantons, Michters, or bust, anyhows. I haven’t been enjoying Woodford as of late. 

Wine is my drug of choice, actually, letztins.

Question: How does on rate the intensity of a setback?
Is it based on how good it felt? How bad I felt afterwards? How soon thereafter I did it again? A combination of the above?

In any case, let's pick up where we left off.

I don't know how to rate setbacks, and sorry to hear that... but this last line is all that counts now! 

HHM once shared a powerful analogy with me. He said, picture yourself ascending a towering mountain. As you ascend, you find yourself hundreds of feet above ground, but then you slip and fall into a deep ditch. Do you lose all the progress you've made? No, you simply need to climb out of the ditch. The fact that you've successfully climbed so far up the mountain remains unchanged despite the temporary setback.

Power up!

yiftach wrote on 23 Jul 2024 15:02:

"To be precise, that's my opinion, and I agree"

Besides agreeing with the above from Yiftach, I think that you’ve raised a few important points in your post. 

Change happens gradually. 

If you repeat a certain behaviour but the way you experienced it is different; if you enjoyed it less, and if you find that you have have an easier time getting up on your feet- that’s genuine growth and change. it’s precious. 

This awareness doesn’t mitigate the responsibility for a setback, but ought to be encouraging and empowering nevertheless. 

It comes with a free tank of truckers high-octane 18 wheeler jet fuel. 

Keep going!! 

חיים

First time post here, couldn't help but get in on the action especially considering the fact that by 'mere coincidence'(do you believe in coincidence?? I certainly don't), my name happens to be INITTowIN!!!!!! 
Love the joie de vivre on this thread!!
(Bowler) Hats off to you my dear Thompson. Keep it comin' 

Failure.
What a scary word.

Unlike kryptonite, which Superman can choose to avoid, failure is an integral part of life. It's like a heel to Achilles. It's always there. It has to.
The problem is that I don't know how to deal with it. As long as things go well, I'm in. Once there's a dark chapter, I write the rest of the story in that shade. The rationale is that if I stay like this, I won't fail my previous endeavor but simply shift strategies.
I came here two years ago full of ambition and zest, got over 100 days clean, and failed.
I got back up, and after two weeks, I failed again.Instead of coming here and admitting my failure, the rationalizations kicked in.
I started climbing many times, announcing my new expeditions only once I had enough days and hubris, and failed every time.
Then I decided this whole shpiel was not worth its bandwidth and gained infamy for my darkness and cynicism. I even changed my username to match this persona. I did not fail at that one and enjoyed it, but I felt empty inside.
I deleted my account. To hell with you and yours.

One day, I got this fantastic idea: Now that the old me is dead, I can open a new account with a new character and have a fresh start. Nobody needs to be the wiser. Awesome. Fantabulous.
I started again, this time with fervor and passion.
It lasted for about three weeks, then I failed. I haven't been active since.
Why?
Because it's the same old me writing these words, new username and profile picture notwithstanding.
I'm the same loser who's afraid of losing.

So, I failed.
Maybe if I write those words enough times, they'll lose their potency.

Question: Who thinks he has what it takes to respond with "You didn't fail! Every clean day is saved in Shomayim!" or "Don't call yourself a loser!" etc.?