Morning Mixer and all the Guru Challengers. Wishing everyone a great gamblefree weekend.
I recently got to 180 Days GF and up to than I counted every day as a new milestone and it really helped me to get through.11th May 2017 will always be remembered by me as the day I turned my life around by stopping gambling. I am not going to count the individual days anymore but I will always be aware of my progress and can now look at my life more positively.
Day 66 checking in 🙂
Checking in on Day 21
Checking in on lucky for some number 13
Checking in and 6 weeks done - I’m on day 42. Few urges this week to just have a gamble with a small amount I can afford to lose. I don’t want to reset my days counter and that’s really a big help / helping me to stay strong and resist.
Finances are healthier, but still counting the pounds as Christmas shopping is eating into a large proportion of my spending money. I’m a good two thirds of my shopping done now - wanting to get it all done ASAP as I hate leaving it till it gets mega busy. Shopping and thinking of gift ideas is keeping me busy when I’ve free time. I’ve also been back on eBay which also takes my mind off gambling.
Best wishes to all on here for the coming week - let’s have ourselves a Merry Christmas. Decisions to not gamble each day now, will help to ensure a better, brighter Christmas this year.
Hey Guru challengers
Hope everyone’s had a good week. Very tough here but still fighting on.
Checking in on Day 9.
HSIN x
Hello new to this but 14 days free taking each day 1 at a time so far.
Thanks
Mick
163 days GF ! checking in 🙂
** GURU CHALLENGE - 11th WEEKLY ROLLCALL! ***
It's Sunday 12th November – time for our weekly rollcall!
Here we are once again, friends. How have you been keeping? Well, I hope, and I also hope we’ve all been gambling free. We must never forget that gambling is a personal choice and that deciding not to gamble is also a personal choice. We can blame the laws of the land, the gaming companies, this and that, but that’s just lame. It’s all down to us and the actions we decide to take.
That doesn’t mean, of course, that it’s easy. It’s not, and I’ll never personally pretend it is. It takes hard work to shift this mindset of ours. There are solutions – tangible and intangible – that can help us. It depends on how much we want to succeed.
Let’s never forget that whilst this is about us, it isn’t all about us. Let’s never forget those we love and those that love us. All they want to see is us to happy; it makes them happy, too.
Thank you for your kind messages, by the way, re: my health issues: my x-rays (3) will be carried out on the 15th Nov. There’s no point me pre-judging what might happen or get maudlin – what will be will be. All I know is that gambling will make any problem worse, so why bother?
*** SLIGHT CHANGE THIS WEEK! ***
As you know, every week the number of cumulative days not gambled is displayed against your name. However, from this week, this is optional. Abstainer (Stephen) wrote an interesting post where he has decided not to count the days anymore – he has reached 180 and would rather continue to be gambling free without reference to a count. I understand and respect this approach. Therefore, Stephen will now be noted as an ELDER without a corresponding count; after all, this is about being consecutively gambling free, right? However, the count still goes on ‘in the background’, as it were, and he will still be promoted to GURU in due course. (I hope this meets with your approval, Stephen.) If anyone else would prefer not to have their cumulative gambling-free days displayed, then please let me know. My view is, and all our view should be - whatever works for us!
*** ANOTHER SLIGHT CHANGE(!) ***
For readability, I've spaced out this post a bit, a few extra lines between the headings and entries, etc. Hope you approve!
So, let’s see how we’re all doing this week. Usually, I would expect a relapse of two, as temptation (cash availability) and poor planning wins out (hey, I’ve been there, absolutely no judgement from me!). So, how’s it been…
WELCOME!
HowSoonIsNow1983 & Marson123 have joined our merry band; a warm welcome to you both. I'll comment on your respective progress from next week. I'll give you a week to settle in 🙂
ROLLCALL OF HONOUR!
Velvet7 – 33 days – ROCKING! – Congratulations, Velvet, our latest STRIVER to hit this important level. You’ve proved you care, are putting in the effort and want to make a real go at this. What is the reward? A better life. Is that guaranteed? Yes, because gambling always makes a bad problem worse, because we never win. Our collective congratulations to you, Velvet!
Our GURUs
Phil72 – 642 days – ROCKING! I’m sorry to read about your sinusitis and ear infection, Phil; these things can get you down but you’re resolutely dealing with it! And also not dwelling on the past; that’s key, isn’t it. What’s done is done; so long as we learn from it, why dwell on it.
Changemylife – 380 days – ROCKING! As you rightly say, we’re no good at gambling. If we happen to win, we eventually lose it and then lose some more. So what is the point; it’s simple isn’t it! (And thank you for your kind words on this thread; really appreciated mate.)
ELDERs
Degenerate – 229 days – ROCKING! I hope life’s treating you well Degen and I’m going to take a look at a thread you read only the other day - @GamblerHelp who’s been 25 years gambling free. Certainly going to read that myself.
Abstainer – ROCKING! As mentioned, I won’t display the number of days anymore and fully respect your feelings on this matter. Thank you, as always, for your kind and uplifting posts; your thread continues to be one of my first ports of call.
ItMatters – 163 days – ROCKING! Haven’t heard from you for a couple of weeks but hope all’s well. Because, as your name eloquently self-refers, it matters.
Sars27 – 163 days – ROCKING! - As always I’m loving our diary Sars and if I were to have a meal with a dozen guests of my choosing you would be one of them – you would help light up the event no end!
RubyBaby – 107 days - ROCKING! – Haven’t heard from you for a while RubyBaby, hope you’re Ok. I’m aware there’s sometimes a ‘hangover’ after reaching a milestone – such as your ‘100 days’ last week - that can make you sometimes make you vunerable, as if you feel you’ve ‘reached’ the destination. It’s great to hit 100 and it feels good but, at the same time, it’s sometimes easy to lose a bit of focus. It’s so important to keep strong and on track. Do keep in touch Ok 🙂
STRIVERs
Mixer – 93 days – ROCKING! Health issues and possible future financial issues aside (that’s life) I remain resolute in my belief that there is no choice – living life or misery. So I continue.
Amt722 – 87 – ROCKING! Good, good Amt722 – I sense you’re not finding it easy but keeping going … this is a lifetime journey, and gotta keep climbing up that mountain. The air is getting clearer and your life getting better. Don’t fall off!
Chartom3 – 77 – ROCKING! I’m very glad you enjoyed your holiday and never forget – you have bought ‘memories’ here for you and your loved ones and that’s priceless. We care all ‘works in progress’, none of us are perfect but we can all strive to be better, because it makes us happier.
4D – 67 – ROCKING! Delighted to read your uplifting posts and sticking to this like superglue rather than trying to nail a jelly to a tree (which is the despondant stop/relapse/stop/relapse cycle). Keep it going 4D!
Athena1991 – 66 – ROCKING! Haven’t heard from you for a few days Athena which always slightly worries me (just my instinct!). Do let us know how you’re keeping Ok!
Adam808 – 47 days – ROCKING! Creeping up to the 50 day half-way house to ELDER as you say, Adam, but it all counts. Keep climbing, every day is a better day.
Xenedra – 46 days – ROCKING! - As you write in your profoundly sad, but at the same time, uplifting post, grief is the price we pay for love and saddened to hear of the recent loss of your dog. My goodness, our pets are so good to us and no wonder we love them so. What life is truly about, eh.
Geo – 43 days – ROCKING! Absolutely delighted to read your determined dedication towards a better life Geo. This is what it’s all about. Half-century next week? I should hope so.
Boxingdayfresh – 42 days – ROCKING! It makes utter sense to get Christmas shopping out of the way now, using funds that previously might have been pee’d up the wall and putting them to much better use. As you’re acutely aware, ex-gamblers like us are excellent money managers and sites like e-bay are right up our street. We can sniff a bargain can we not.
Mitch91 - 42 days - ROCKING! – Thank you for the update and you rightly point out that this can be tough – it is, but you’re ready and up for the challenge, which is for a better life for you and yours. Keep strong, my friend. It’s more than worth it!
Paulll – 39 days - ROCKING! I thought your “once bitten, never cured” analogy in one of your posts this week made a great point. Once we’ve been bitten by this diseased ‘snake’ we can never be cured; the only antidote is to keep away from another bet. Which we can – we always have the choice not to. And if one of the options of our choice is 'misery' then it's no choice, is it.
Velvet7 – 33 days – ROCKING! – Welcome, once again, to our STRIVER group, some good people in here (if I may modestly say so myself 🙂 )
NEWBIES
Moorey – 21 – ROCKING! – It’s great to see you hitting 3 weeks, Moorey, and I have a genuine feeling that you’ll hit the STRIVER ranks in a week or so time. You know you’ve got to do it; I know you know what matters.
Christer1 – 13 – ROCKING! – Great to see you’ve bounced back from your recent relapse Christer – this is great to read and we’re all with you here. Keep it going Ok.
Antics – 12 – ROCKING! – Thanks for checking in and let’s see you hit Striver. We’re in for a cold spell weather-wise, Anitcs, and being skint makes it feel even colder somehow. So let’s inject a bit of sunshine and be gambling free this winter, eh. Why not?
HowDidIGetToThis – 9 – ROCKING! – Keep going HDIGTT and I reflect the words I’ve written to Antics, above. This really matters. This is about your future, short, medium and long term. You’ve visited the Gamcare site – it’s now time to follow your actions through. Which you can!
Ineffable – 7 – ROCKING! – I haven’t heard from you for a short while, Ineffable. I know you had a relapse last week but hope you’re ‘back in the saddle’; truth is, there’s no other way. Deep down, and I know you're reading this, you know this.
06/11/17 (Previously ‘Helpless‘& ‘Next Steps’) - 6 – RELAPSE I’m sorry to read of your latest relapse. But you’re trying again. Although I can’t help thinking that your strategy is flawed; not that I ever judge (who am I to talk). Wouldn’t it be great if we could get you out of this rut, Adam? Let’s give that some thought!
Slotfool - 3 – RELAPSE – You have been honest, Slotfool, and that always goes down well in my book. It’s not easy to admit a relapse. And, further, you’ve written that you’ve put in place some big changes. Let’s see you come back stronger – you have our fullest support.
RESTING
Wallyweird – RESTING – Gonna have to rest you, I’m afraid – haven’t heard from you awhile. You’re welcome to get back in touch Ok 🙂
STATS FOR NERDS: We have ‘rested’ 1 member of the Challenge; with 2 new members joining us, we currently enjoy the company of 2 GURUs, 5 ELDERs, 12 STRIVERs and 9 NEWBIEs (inc. our two Newbie Newbies) – so 28 in total.
Let’s keep strong; keep sharing and keep strong!
Mixer and Athena, your hosts for this challenge
You've missed me out again, Mixer 🙂
I'm starting to feel unwanted!.... ( He he only kidding of course 🙂 )
Well done to all those who have clocked up another 7 days.
You're permanently back Moorey - I was hoping I would have updated your stats before you noticed, but you were quick tonight 🙂
All the best to you and here's to you hitting 30 days very soon Ok !
Mixer wrote:
You're permanently back Moorey - I was hoping I would have updated your stats before you noticed, but you were quick tonight 🙂
All the best to you and here's to you hitting 30 days very soon Ok !
Luck of the draw that I was logged on at the same time you posted the roll call 🙂
Once again, a fantastically entertaining read. It goes without saying that you do a marvellous job at captaining us through this challenge.
All the best for Wednesday, my friend.
Moorey
Hey, hey, can I get in on this please? I am a newbie on my 4th day GF. This isn't my first attempt at quitting but I'm hoping to make sure that it's my last! 😀
Really enjoyed the Sunday Rollcall Mixer. You have a rare talent coupled with a sense of humour and a desire to help others. stephen
Hi mixer
Thank you for the roll call - still going well and gf here! Hope you are all good! Life is crazy busy but enjoying the raw emotions associated with a real gf life
Athena
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