About this episode
It is January 1st, 2018. Today represents the start of a new year. The fact that you are listening to a podcast that is all about bettering your life sets you apart from all the rest. Addicts and alcoholics need altruistic relationships in our lives with others who do not drink. Tricia, with 1 year since her last drink, shares her story SHOW NOTES [8:38] Paul Introduces Tricia. I live in Dallas Texas, I'm 36 years old, I am a Chef by trade. I like to do crafty stuff, and I like to go running. [15:03] Paul- What was it like hitting that 1-year milestone? What was that feeling? Tricia- 1-year felt better than my birthday. My soberversary felt so much more important than any birthday I had ever had. Having one year was 10 times that feeling of excitement and accomplishment. [26:43] Paul- Tell us more about that. Tricia- I can quickly compare getting sober to starting an exercise routine. Everyone wants a quick fix. That never works. There is no quick fix. You have to do the things that make you uncomfortable and are hard. You have to learn to have discipline. AA is attraction, not promotion. I can take what I want, and leave the rest. [32:32] Paul- The majority of listeners have yet to step foot into an AA meeting. What are your thoughts on AA? What light can you shed upon the 12-step process? Tricia- I have a lot of opinions on AA. It's a place where you can meet people in real life. We all have the same disease. It is neat to meet people who get you. I love that part about AA. There are 2 parts to AA: Going to meetings, and working the 12 steps. If you just go to meetings and you don't do the steps you are missing out. [36:42] Paul- Tell us a little about the retreat and what you learned from it. Tricia- I signed up early for the retreat as an incentive to stay sober. The retreat in Montana was an adult experience kind of like camp. Creating relationships with people who are just like you. Everyone was so vulnerable right away. It was magical. You had to be there to know. Rapid Fire Round What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? Start right now. There is no right time, do it now. It just gets harder the longer you wait. You can't do this alone, if you could, you would have done it by now. You might be an alcoholic if...you are always scheduling your day around your drinking. Everything has a hard stop at 4:00 or 5:00 so you gotta start drinking. You know exactly how many ice cubes are in everyone's glasses because you watched Mad Men drunk. What's on your bucket list? I am going to be a speaker at the Dallas Meet-up. I really would like to do more speaking engagements. I am looking forward to the Peru trip. Resources mentioned in this episode: Gourmaleo - Dallas based Paleo food delivery service Connect with Cafe RE - Use the promo code Opportunity to waive the set up fee. Sobriety Tracker iTunes Sobriety Traker Android Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com "We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"