A Sober Life...

16 September 2022

Hi

My name is Duncan.

I am husband to my beautiful Carina and father to the amazing James, Jay and Quinn.

I have recently embarked on the extremely exciting adventure of embracing an alcohol-free life, which entails overcoming some challenges and difficulties but also receiving into my world a myriad of benefits which, hitherto, have been denied me by my own crappy lifestyle choices (# my own worst enemy)

I am at day 22, which is awesome!!! and yet still embryonic. I am a babe in a new world. I know nothing! (including how to do a blog – If you ever read this it will be a miracle and largely the result of help from my friend Amanda who is unbelievably talented).

Sober…

I find myself needing to re-learn (if I ever did know) the smallest life skills:

How do I get through a day with a clear head?

What are those feelings (really! What ARE those feelings??) and

what do I do with them?

How to pass the time?

Interacting with people! At parties and family gatherings!

How to do all the things I used to do ‘with’ the drink, ‘without’ it?

How to motivate myself?

How to reward myself?

How to be kind to myself?

… and so much more.

It’s like I have to revisit/ revamp/ upgrade/ up-cycle all the previously automatic, taken for granted and instinctual mechanics of what it is to be me, and … live a better life 

This is both exciting and daunting. I am my own blind man leading the blind LOL

But my secret weapon (not so secret!) is the internet (I hope), where I can take my place in a HUGE and GROWING community of people who have made and are making the same life choice!

My plan is to find this community. Find YOU. I’m up for sharing my stuff. Learning and passing on new knowledge. I want to be encouraged and to encourage others. I want to be involved.

So … Here I am.

This blog is primarily intended to focus on my exciting sober life and the journey implicit therein. I am not offering ‘expert’ advice. I am merely sharing my stuff.

I hope to overcome shit and embrace good things…. And share how it happened.

However, now that my brain is up and running and I have emerged from the chrysalis of the sofa and endless TV, it would not be beyond the realms of possibility if you found me commenting on the wider life too. It’s all connected. My sons cruelly call me “Speechio” sometimes, which might be a dig at me for speaking for too long about too much. You have been warned, feel free to skim-read (but try not to:))

Thank you in advance for whatever comes of this, because anything that does will be the result of a group/team effort (unless not a soul ever reads this GULP!! In which case I will have found yet another challenge to surmount – which I will, because I’m awesome – NOTE: NEVER be afraid to talk ourselves up – We deserve and need it! Yay!!)