*** Join The Guru Challenge! ***

Checking in day 14 🙂

Athena1991 wrote:

Hi Moorey

That was very honest post! Whilst you are back to zero, it doesnt mean you have lost focus or determination which is great! Being honest with those close to us is important, as in our journey to abstain from gabmling we certainly do not need any more temptation to gamble than we have already! I have been in the position where a friend did not know the extent of my problem, and would ask me to come to the bookies with them - which I was too easily persuaded. Now i have been honest it is one less temptation.

Carry on with your positive attitude and im sure youl build those gf days up, but just work with one day at a time - remember "stay gamble free each day because your life is better that way"!

Athena

Thanks for your understanding and support!

As compulsive gamblers we do have a tendency to lie and make things up to get what we want....

But this is truly not the case.

I panicked and thought I could get out of the situation without having to open up to him about my problems....

But it just led to a nagging thought in my head that I'd broken the rules (which technically I have!). That's why I'm so annoyed with myself. I had no urges whatsoever. I simply wanted to brush off any awkwardness and forget about it.... Only I couldn't forget about it as it didn't feel right.

So.... I'm back to Day 0. But not in anyway further damaged, financially, my spirits are still high and I'm proud that my conscience is taking this very seriously and not being blarzay(?) about it.

Hi Deano - it's great to get back in touch with you again and sincerely hope you're keeping well. And notice that you're almost a year gambling free so I "doff my hat" in your direction, sir. Thank you for your kind words and do not fear - I never let the b*****s grind me down 🙂

Moorey - may I echo Athena's fantastic comments and applaud your honesty. In keeping with the spirit of the challenge, and, indeed what it is to be gambling-free you are, quite rightly, back to Day 1 BUT stronger, wiser and I sense you are really going to bounce back from this. You are taking this challenge seriously, and, day by day, will get up to, and more than surpass, your old total.

Laurainsky - 2 weeks GF - yay! You are really showing your intent. This is what we like to see. You're doing great!

Chartom - you're building your total up and coming up to a week gambling free. Let's***t that target tomorrow, and take things, day by day, from there. Thank you for checking in; you're an important part of this challenge and because it matters to you, it matters to us.

Amt722 - we are delighted to have you aboard and looking ahead to manageable GF targets. Yes; it's always day to day but there's no harm in making planning the short/medium term and how you intend to make the best of the GF lifestyle. That's what is all about, right - a better life for us AND our loved ones too? A win-win!

Athena - I love your very catchy saying and how true it is. "Stay gamble free each day, because your life is better that way!". How true that is.

Let's keep GF today and plan a great GF day tomorrow - for once, although it's payday for so many of us, let's not throw our money away - JUST FOR ONCE we're gonna take the happy path - wasting that cash is always just pure misery!

5 days gambling free..now looking to join a gym. Positives are coming out of this.

Excellent, Raj, excellent ... you're thinking about the TIME that's wasted by gambling and putting it into good use ... good thinking, my friend.

Here's to a GF Friday, everyone.

And we'll have a rollcall in a few days ... Stand By 🙂 !

It's been a long time since I've ever been a nubie In any thing I've taken part in but here I am 43 yr old and a newbie. Sad times!!

Sidney great to have you on here! There are lots of newbies on here Taking it one day at a time and before you know it we will be pushing guru status!

Keep going and have a wonderful gf day!

Athena

Checking in. 28 days gf today 🙂 today is going to be a good day!

*** IMPORTANT ! ***

It's the 25th August today, payday for some, and a sunny Bank Holiday for others; whatever your circumstances, this may be a mini-mountain to climb as we continue our day-to-day Gambling Free (GF) journey.

Let's keep reminding ourselves we we're doing this. It's for ourselves, and likely our loved ones and friends, too.

Let's looking after that non-gambling 'angel' on our shoulder today. We'll be rewarded ten-fold with a better GF life today. And tomorrow, let's welcome back that angel who really wants us to have a better life.

And if the gambling devil suddenly pops on our shoulders, we must immediately flick him off (or tell him to flick off, if you get my drift 🙂 )

Let's keep strong, keep UNITED, and TODAY, keep Gambling Free.

As Rubybaby so rightly says in her post above - Today is going to be a Good Day !!!!

I'll second that Mixer!...

And wise words too from Ruby and Athena. Today will be a good day!

No matter what happens today, whether you're struggling or having a difficult day, a non gambling day ensures that it's a more successful day than if you were having a good day where you are gambling....

I hope that makes sense!?

Basically, a non gambling day trumps EVERYTHING else.

Day 83.

Hit new target today, two consecutive pays without gambling.

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Excellent kadiz, that's great. Showing real character, real determination.

Well done Kadiz - this is my first payday which i can report has gone well and I am completely gamble free 🙂

Hope everybody is having a good gf day and will check into chat later.

Athena

ALAN 135 wrote:

Hi rob .

I think it was pretty obvious from your first post on here that you didn't like it very much :((.

I'm nothing to do with this thread either but I am nearly 2 years gamble free so I suppose If i did join I'd be a " Guru " to which obviously I'm far from , that being said It's just a name my friend and they could easily have given the rankings as an MBE OBE or a Knighthood , would that have bothered you as much ? .

I think this thread is great as was Mixer's other thread as it does what it's intended to do , which is to bring people together to support each other in what is a bad time in peoples life and if there's a few laughs thrown inf or good measure then all the better I say ! .

When I first came here My recovery was and still is based on enjoying life and having a few laughs on here with people I've met and funnily enough l was aslo told I wasn't doing things right and of " Running with a pack" on here or having a " Pack mentality ! " well whatever it was my friend it certainly worked as I and many others who started out on that road still remain gamble free after a couple of years !.

Youve already stated that your life is awful and I think everyone on here would feel for you as weve all been there at some point but would you not be better to put al your effort into finding some peace and happiness back in your life than just being upset about this thread because of the fact you don't agree with the challenge .

People are trying to dig therselves out of a hole and find happiness by bonding together , is that so wrong my friend ?

I share Rob's unease about these types of thread. It's fine for what it is. Saying that, I'm not too sure what it is. It's obviously not just strict day counting but seeking something higher. Some kind of positivity tsunami. The idea that if we all pool our positive energy together then this will lift us up to a higher place.

I can see it's harmless, unless you're relying on this in any way to bring about any kind of genuine change. If this is a substitution for genuine change then it's counter-productive and stops being harmless. As it creates the illusion of being something significant.

I also think people have totally misunderstood Rob's point. I don't think Rob was making the point that he is in a terrible place nor that his life is awful (where did he say that?). It seems like people are dismissing his points as the ramblings of a depressed person. I don't know if doing so is being cynically dismissive (his opinion doesn't count as he's having a bad one), or just genuinely not getting it (whoosh).

If this thread isn't a house of cards it should stand scrutiny.