Here we are; it's the 4th of July weekend already! Summer is half over. Next Tuesday, you will see all the Back-to-School supplies at Target & Walmart, and Hobby Lobby will have "It's Fall Ya'LL" out, and Christmas decorations will begin to appear! YIKES!

So, we are officially halfway through the year. How do you feel? Are the resolutions from January 1st long gone? Or are you still working on them? 

This year, personal development has been a priority for me. Healthy life changes like drinking more water, getting better sleep (still a work in progress), and making better food choices. Keeping my morning routine. Not beating myself up if something doesn't go the way I want it to.  

802 days AF and still having “firsts”. I went to my first baseball game AF with my son.⚾️🏟 Mother’s Day Gift!

For non-Americans, last call for alcohol is the 7th inning and the 7th inning sponsor was Bud Zero. What a hugh culture shift! 💯

Now it is not lost on me that Budweiser wants to make $$s, but they are listening to consumer demand. 👏👏👏 Did I have one? No, but the choice was available to me.

Were people still binge drinking all around us. Yes. Did it bother me? 🤨No. Would this have been different experience 700 days ago? Yes. Because 700 days ago I was a different person with new neural pathways. Would I have been tempted back then? Maybe. 🤷‍♀️

The Battle is REAL.

Cravings are the ongoing battle of your conscious mind versus your subconscious brain. The conscious mind has a desire to lose weight, so you make a decision to say NO to the Oreos or the glass of wine; but you may notice, as soon as you decide to not have something, the “craving brain” of the subconscious mind makes you believe that all you want is the thing you said you’re not going to have. It is maddening!

Last week, I celebrated 2 years of living an alcohol-free life. GO ME! My 2nd Adversary or my Soberversary! I'm not a huge fan of the word sober, but I'm starting to be okay with it over time. I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD NOT DRINK, but I no longer drink now, and I love it. Finally, I have the life I always wanted. I'm living in the now!

Many things are happening to me, and it can be overwhelming at times! I have started a new course to become certified as a Christian Mental Health Coach, and I'm really excited about it! I'm volunteering in an Alcohol-Free Group, working my regular job, and trying to get my website and coaching business up and running while balancing family life. That sounds like a lot, and I'm okay with it all. I have been told no more unless I cut something out by my husband.

I tried for many years to moderate my drinking, and for a long time, I was able to, or did I? The problem, it’s tough to moderate an addictive substance. So over time, I slowly increased my intake, and then I started to drink to relieve stress and anxiety.  

For the longest time, I struggled with the thoughts, "Am I drinking too much? "Am I an Alcoholic?" But, the word didn't fit. I wasn't missing work, no DUI, my relationships were good, and I wasn't drinking any more than my peers.

Well, it's the week in-between Christmas and New Year's. How do you feel? Are you excited about the New Year approaching - it's a clean slate and the possibilities abound! Or are you a little blue about the festivities coming to an end? Do you have dread of the next year? Will this year be the same?