Feeling Joyful

Today is Friday, December 13, 2013.  I have 10 days being sober!  I can't believe the transformation I have experienced in just 10 days.  This time there have been only 1 or 2 times when I've had the urge to drink, which were triggered by anxiety type of situations, but I easily overcame them.  I have stopped drinking in the past, but just to take a break for one reason or another, and it was much more difficult for me.  I am feeling very excited about my future now.  2-3 months ago, I did not want to live.  I was not suicidal, but was choosing death over life as far as how I was living, numbing myself with alcohol.  I was not living life, I was just existing. My depression was getting worse, and my alcohol abuse did not help matters.  I know that getting back on my anti-depressant was the first step I took to where I am now.  When I was contemplating whether I was just going to try and cut down on my drinking this time (only drink on the weekends) or quitting altogether, I realized I needed to quit completely.  I am the kind of alcoholic that has an obsession in the mind and can't control how much I drink.  I can't put into words right now how good I feel about this decision.  I guess it is empowerment, freedom.
I came across the below quote at the end of 2009, (don't know who wrote it) when I had stopped drinking for 3 months.  I love this quote.  I read it often these days-one of my mantras.
"Change is in the air, change on earth, change in the way we need to live:  more cooperative, more helpful, more connected, and kinder to each other.  If we want the world to be a better, safer place, we must hold on to that vision.  As a matter of fact, to get anything we want in this world, we must stay connected to our power source, to a force greater than each individual self, to the Infinite, to God.  Actually, we are always connected.  But sometimes, as with a cell phone, it's a bad connection.  How do we know how good our connection is?  We need only ask ourselves, "Am I joyful?" the more joyful, happier we are, the better our connection is at that moment."
 Today is also my 50th birthday.  I was actually born on Friday the 13th, so I think it's cool that my 50th bday falls on a Friday this year.  I don't work on Fridays, so I am going to go ride my horse, and tonight I'm just having a get together with a small amount of friends, then going out for a nice dinner.  I won't miss the nice wine that I would of had with the dinner in the past.  I won't miss it because it would of come with having 1 or 2 cocktails or beers during the day, 2 cocktails before going out to dinner, and 1 or 2 more cocktails as nightcaps when I got home.  And I won't miss feeling like crap when I wake up tomorrow morning and wasting my day off by watching TV all day and starting the drinking cycle once again. 
I am feeling very joyful these days.  I am also feeling very appreciative of the support I have received by the people on this site/in the group.  Also very appreciative of my wonderful husband.