KOT = Keep on trucking.

not "Keep Outta' Texas"?

Well, I always assumed Reb bards meant "Kind Of Ticklish" by that, but "Keep On Trucking" makes a lot more sense, so let's let it go at that for now...

Keep Onyour Toes?

Keep Off Theinternetp*rn.

nice!

...I know I was really stretching it, but I thought it was worth a try.

--Eye.

dear all, it says sur mayra vaasey tov, first, turn away from bad, and THEN, and only then, do good.what does this mean for us? it means that you can't start enjoying the benefits of what a clean life means if you're still acting out.so, in the 12 step groups, they want you to be sober BEFORE you start working the program.rabbi twerski gave me advice to turn to the Torah instead of lust. but i couldn't begin to see how Torah would replace the lust until i was clean for a time.now, after almost 3 years (with only a small number of slips), i am only BEGINNING to realize how anything can replace the tremendous physical pleasure that is lust.

dear all, i hope you are well. next friday is my 3 year anniversary with GYE.i would like to give you my observations that i've made over the last 3 years, just in case anyone's interested:
all the books about this are important - but it's not enough to read.even the group support, which is THE most important tool in this and all battles against any addiction, is not enough.when all is said, and we go home, we are by ourselves.the meetings are over, all the books have been read and re-read, and we still are by ourselves when night comes.that's when the REAL battle begins.and at that point, we have to 'white knuckle' it. yes, brute force is needed.even if you call your sponsor, you eventually hang up, and that's when you have to take the bull by the horns and ask yourself the following questions:

1 - do i want to go into that vicious cycle again? up, down , up down, etc???

2 - do i want to have that image from the screen in my head for the next 3 months or more?

3 - do i want to have that image from the screen in my head during tekias shofar??

4 - do i want to be chained to something bad??

5 - do i want to feel guilty again for doing what i know is wrong??

if you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need more work.because noone should ever answer 'yes' to any of these questions.
if you answered no to all these questions, it's time to get tough and bite the bullet.and it's not easy at all to bite a bullet.
good shabbos jack

Thanks, Jack!
well-said
(bullet-salad tastes great)

some more - i hope you all understand that i am NOT telling anyone what to do - i dont have the power to do that.i am merely talking to myself out loud and if anyone cares to listen, fine.
the habit is what's difficult to break.it's a very strong hergel.i dont have ANY desire whatsoever to smoke a cigarette, to take a drink, etc.i never became an addict in any of these things.but to some people, without one more drink they feel like they're going to die.the truth is, of course, that if they take one more drink they probably WILL die (i dont want to utter any curses on anyone).although WE wont DIE if we slip, but spiritually it's similar.
ADDICTION IS DARKNESS. FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION IS LIGHT.
ADDICTION IS UGLY. FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION IS BEAUTIFUL.
difficult to attain, yes.and in the early days of freedom it is not beautiful, only anxiety-filled. but beautiful once we attain it.

During your 38 years of addiction did you never feel like you hit rock bottom? I'm asking because I'm wondering how long people are able to hold on to their addictions without hitting rock bottom. In other words: is rock bottom inevitable or can people keep going on a tightrope till they die?

dear yossi - good question.here's the answer:
in my particular case, not speaking for anyone else, i never hit rock bottom.this means i was never caught.i used to dress in raincoats with a hood.i kept going and going, also never sinning with another human being - in other words, i DID have SOME fear - this little amount of fear that i had saved me from doing much worse.i attribute this to the traning i got at home - from my mother.she was a european woman with old-fashioned ideas.unfortunately, this was not enough for me to avoid the addiction - but it was something.

and by the way, thanks for listening to me - it means a LOT - a real lot.it is this 'friendship' that gives me the strength to keep on going.thank you r guard for providing us the opportunity!

and zemiros - thanks for the input-you dont know how much it means to me.

Wow amazing. Oh it's so sad that some people don't get the tremendous opportunity to hit rock bottom. It's so sad that people continue to choose o live on a tightrope of fraud. Oyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

yossi - are you serious? you think hitting rock bottom is a maylah? you want to be found out and ruin the reputation of you, your wife and your family for the rest of your life? you want your picture on the front page of the new york post?? i can see it now: YOSSI THE FRUM PERSON CAUGHT IN ZENUSS!
you want your kids to never get married (chas vshalom, bli ayin hara)? you'll never get an aliyah again? noone will go near your kids, you'll have to move, etc, etc, etc??

do you still think hitting rock bottom is a BRACHA??