A Year Without Gambling

Today marks my one year of not gambling!  It is a goal that I couldn't even imagine accomplishing a year ago today.  With the help of you very dear people.....with a few simple tools.....it can be done.  What is important in making this possible? CHECKING IN here every day.  I don't post everyday, but I check in here at least once a day!      I need my recovery family here to do this! ACCEPTING that I am a cg.  Accepting I can never go back to gambling without the addiction     grabbing hold of me again.  There is no casual gambling for me. Taking this ONE DAY AT A TIME.  Before I quit gambling, I didn't really understand the        meaning of these five simple and powerful words.  To me, this has meant that on certain     days, I only committed myself not to gamble for that one day.  Thinking of never gambling     again was too overwhelming......but I could manage not to gamble just one day...and that     day is TODAY. JUST FOR TODAY....is part of that concept.  I can't be perfect at everything I aspire to for     every day in my life....but I can commit myself to doing my best....just for today. REACHING OUT when I'm struggling....and being helped by my fellow cg's.....I have to      realize that I have to actively reach out to others when I need help. MAKING/WORKING A PLAN OF RECOVERY....looking at what this addiction has done to my life...and     setting goals.....monitoring progress....helps me keep it real with myself.  I don't want to go back into that state of denial where I don't look at the damage to my life, and allow it     to go further and further. FORGIVENESS.... of myself....and others....helps release the negative energy and lets me     send that energy toward the positive.  If I sit around beating myself up....or spend excessive      time feeling like a victim....there is all that energy lost I could have spent getting something     done about the negative things....and feeling happy about the positive things....especially     about the wonderful people in my life.  REALITY CHECKS....OK, this tells me where I really am....with myself, with my relationships,     with my finances, my job.  I have to acknowledge the negative......but not get stuck there. BALANCE.....I have to work on balance in my life....I need recreation and rest as well as     work.  I need to experience sorrow, I need to experience joy.  Life will contain a portion of      each.....but I can try to look at things in a way that will minimize the negative....and that     will maximize the positive.....it all has to do with my... ATTITUDE HELPING OTHERS to the best of my ability.  This is a two-way street.  To keep the gifts  I have been given...I have to give them back.....  WOW, I thought I didn't have much to write about today...LOL.... With a lot of work....and a lot of help from my friends.....my goal is to celebrate another year of recovery this time next year. All of you are in my heart....and you just don't know what your help, companionship, and love have meant to me.... xoxoxoxo     Dianne