Chartom - you've got it; not gambling makes our lives better compared to if we were gambling. Today, we don't gamble. That's all we have to do today. Tomorrow, when it arrives, we can make a fresh promise and vow to ourselves. But that's for tomorrow.
John64 - thank you for checking in. Day 6, heading for a full week - good. We start from here; today is all that matters!
Stephen the Stoic reporting for duty Skipper Mixer. Congratulations to you on 230 days gamble free.
Massive admiration for "" Degenerate "" who is a full year away from his last bet. Total respect for the achievement, it shows great courage and resilience.
We have a good crew on board the Guru Challenger. Worthy shipmates who have departed from the Sea of Sorrows and are bound for the Ocean of Opportunities. We might encounter the odd storm but we can all weather it out.
Day 37 checking in. Thanks for the updates Mixer
Hey Mixer. Firstly, this thread is awesome and you do an amazing job with the weekly rollcalls. I am sure its helping everyone with their recovery. Thanks. Secondly, I would like removed from the rollcall, as was suggested earlier by you and others by saying "Don't count the days, make the days count!". I think its time for me to stop counting days. I have been fortunate to complete the challenge anyway. I still might make some comments now and again. Hoping everyone becomes gurus in the shortest possible time. Speak to you in Chat whenever it gets fixed.
Stephen - thank you for your update, and you're quite right, kudos and respect indeed to Degen for completing one year GF. No mean feat indeed. You're right, it's a stormy journey alright, no journey worth it's salt is ever plain sailing. But that's what it is and it's worth the trouble and (sometimes) trauma as we keep our sights on the horizon. Full steam ahead, whatever comes our way.
Boxingdaythread - thank you for checking in. I'm hoping you're enjoying the Bank Holiday, relaxing (if you can!) with your family knowing what truly matters.
Degen - Thank you for your kind words. As commented by Stephen, our collective congratulations to you for passing the one year milestone. You've been ever-present and know, from a position of bitter experience, what it's all about. I'm looking forward to chewing the cud with you (if and) when the Chatrooms return. I fully understand your reasoning regarding leaving our Rollcall; "Don't count the days, make the days count" is a powerful and inspirational maxim to live by. It's been a pleasure to have you with us and will look forward to hearing from you from time to time! We all wish you the very best, Degen.
On a general note, I am more than happy to omit the day count for any of us on the Challenge if it doesn't suit you. Or if you wish to leave, you can at any time. Whatever works for you, that's our overiding maxim. Whatever helps you to control and manage our addiction. This is what it's about. Just drop us a post!
Meantime, everyone, peace to you all whatever you're up to this Easter.
Mixer
Hi all,
Facing day 3 here and commited to keep GF and away from the deceiving lights and sounds of video slots for another beautiful 24 hours! Could I please join this challenge?
Happy Easter all
Cheers Mixer for doing a cracking job here bro
I’m on day 99 gamble free and I’m going to enjoy it immensely. Been up since 5 am with 3 month old baby spending a bit of quality time with family is good.
Tonight I’m off to a mates with s bottle of Wild Turkey and a Corona cigar to share watching the AJ fight night.
Enjoying the good times made possible by not gambling today.
Checking in , 303 GF DAYS ! yahooooooOooooOoo! Life is awesome :)) happy easter people!
Sars
Tara2 showing up for the Easter post on guru challenge. It's a sunny day. A friend is coming for lunch, actually someone who encouraged me to place a first bet for fun. He does not gamble anymore and never had a problem with it. The beauty is that I do not blame him because he had no idea that I would become so addicted at that time. I wish that I could release all blame and resentments as I did this one. I really want to be free from those weights and feel lighter. Happy Easter everyone. I have no desire to be in front of a slot machine today. A mere two weeks ago I would have seized the opportunity to go to a casino on a HOLIDAY where I am going to be away from my bf and I have a day off work. ahh. odaat tara2
Hi mixer please can you add me to the guru challenge please only on day 4 of recovery but need every bit of support going thank you Pink 2018 hoping to be a striver .
** GURU CHALLENGE - Latest WEEKLY ROLLCALL! ***
It's Sunday, 1st April 2018
Good evening everyone and I hope you’ve had a good week. A testing week, as always – normally, a payday intervenes and the gambling devil on our shoulder is always there, trying to tempt us. Do we buckle… do we ****. That’s how determined, single-minded and bloody minded we must always be. When it comes to gambling, we have to be belligerent. It doesn’t suit us … and we, in turn, have a total disgust of it, with a passion. We must stay well clear.
We know it’s not easy, team. That’s why although we spit in gambling’s direction, we have a grudging respect for it, because we know how powerful it is. That’s why, every single day, we need to remind ourselves that we must not gamble (today) and always reflect why. I remind myself of a random big loss – always gets me to the pit of my stomach every time. I can’t remember the wins, because they are always followed by the same amount in losses, and then more. Sounds familiar? Of course it does; all of us (recovering) compulsive gamblers are exactly the same, bar none.
If you haven’t already done so, I recommend a post I wrote a little while back here. It’s the first post in the thread; a long ‘un, but describes my thoughts on the whole thing.
So, how are we navigating the good ship HMS GamblingFree through shark-infested waters? Are you …
WE WELCOME
Pink2018 and Serendipity77 – a double whammy of determination joining us this week! Welcome aboard. Let’s make this a happy co-incidence (I love that word serendipity!)
And a warm welcome back to you, Mitch91. Great to have you back with us. Likewise, Raj, thank you for checking in – good to see you’re keeping strong. Full updates for you both next week!
ROLLCALL OF HONOUR
Interestingly, this week we have a new GURU, a new ELDER and new STRIVERs! A ‘Shanghai’, as they say in darts!
Sars27 – YESSSSSSS! Delighted to see you’ve hit GURU level (300 days!) passing this most important milestone with determination, humour and self-realisation, good charactistics to have! Your journey is ongoing, but the rewards so worth it, eh. We all congratulate you!
NiceNormalFamily - Great to put on record your three-figure consecutive gambling-free days achievement. It can be done; never easy, no-one ever said it would be, but it can be done. What does this speak about you – untold. Now you really mean business. Great stuff!
Boxingdayfresh and Stephen the Stoic – Back into the 30 day+ club, STRIVING is the only way to be. it’s great to see you re-resolved and ready for living life, and living it. Do we get wiser when we try again? Yes, we do. Great to hear chaps!
Our GURUs
Phil72 – 782 days GF – ROCKING! – Hope life’s treating you well, Phil. Living a better life that the miserable alternative, that’s the reward, always one day at a time.
Sars27 – 303 – ROCKING! – Fantastic to have you join the GURU echelon, Sars. This. Is. What. It’s. All. About J
Our ELDERs
Rubybaby – 246 - ROCKING! – Eating those days up, one day at a time Ruby! Seeing these days cumulate always makes me smile 🙂
Mixer – 233 – ROCKING! My finances are improving all the time, despite spending – investing – a reasonable sum on my home; beds, tables, bathroom suite and other stuff. But I still, and will always, live on pocket money. It’s the only way. I just don’t trust myself, and therefore I have to keep my discretionary spend severely limited. It’s a price I have to pay; whether I like it or not is a moot point, I have no choice. But I know it’s the right one.
4D – 207 – ROCKING! – I haven’t heard from you for a few weeks, but congratulations for shashing through the 200-day milestone last week. You should’ve featured on the Rollcall of Honour, but rest assured I’ll get the bunting out for when you hit 300 – always one day at a time, of course!
Slotfool – 143 – ROCKING! – Interesting how the days really do start to fly once you’ve been gambling free for a while. We start to lose track, and that’s a good thing. Because it means that there are bigger gaps between us thinking about gambling. Is that a good thing? Of course!
Chartom3 (*ELDER status achieved*) – 113 – ROCKING! I keep a close eye on your progress, Chartom. We are very similar in the way we rationalize this addiction, an underlying reality. Keep going, my friend, one day at a time.
Our STRIVERS
NiceNormalFamily - 107 – ROCKING! – You hit 100 days last week, and … never forget, this is just the beginning. You’ve laid down a marker, a very meaningful marker and this is testament to how much you realise this means. Keep adding those blockers as you enter this new phase.
Godoicul – 100 – ROCKING! – Absolutely delighted for you mate. There are no flies on you, you tell it straight and play it straight. Attributes that will really, and are, helping you.
Adam123 - 99 – ROCKING! – I’m really looking forward to tomorrow… come on Adam, you can reach, and pass through this important milestone. It matters.
Ineffable – 92 – ROCKING! – You are quite rightly reflecting on your close call last weekend; it only takes one moment of weakness that can easily arrive from left-field; this, I believe, has re-resolved you. Keep adding to your blocking strategy.
Christer1 – 59 &nda sh; ROCKING! – Quietly but determinedly racking up the days one day at a time. A sound approach, Christer… keep going, my friend.
Lulubobs – 47 – ROCKING – Loving your lively posts and commitment to the forums, because this will help you in your personal journey. And this is lifetime journey, of course. I hope you’re having a great Easter – peace of mind during a long bank holiday is priceless. That’s one key benefit of being gambling free.
2018 – 39 – ROCKING – You’ve gone quiet lately and that worries me a little; do let us know how you’re getting on. If you have relapsed, do get in touch if you would like to; we’re never expecting perfection in our group – that doesn’t exist, anyway – we just want you to live a better life. We know there may be stumbles. But coming back better and wiser – that’s the point.
Boxingdayfresh – 32 – ROCKING – Great to see that you are keeping gambling free, Boxingdayfresh. You’re keeping lively on the forums, too, which underlines your positive position. All good BDF!
Stephen the Stoic - 32 - ROCKING – Yes. Building up a good total once more, with limited access to your finances provide to be a proven factor. And you’re living life, too, which is the whole point! We live better, more vibrant lives because we’re not P***ing money up the wall!
NEW & re-RESOLVED MEMBERS
Tara2 – 18 – ROCKING - Delighted to see, Tara, you hitting 18 days gambling free. The acid test is one month gambling free, because you’ll have spendable income within this timeframe. Day by day, let’s see what you’re made of!
John64 – 9 – ROCKING – Great to see you’re lively and supportive of others on the forums. That’s a good karma and will help your own personal resolve. Let’s see what you’re made of. One day at a time, let’s set a target of 30 days. Remember, we have no control over this addiction so seriously consider handing over full financial control, if you think this will make a massive difference to your personal situation.
RESTED
No-one rested this month. (Yey!)
STATS FOR NERDS: We have two new members and two returnees. One of our members has decided to leave our group. That means we currently have 2 GURUs, 5 ELDERs, 9 STRIVERs and 2 NEW/RE-RESOLVEDs; a net total of 21.
*** JOKES OF THE WEEK! ***
Here are a few more (slightly dated) funnies for you…!
How do find Will Smith when he's lost in the snow? You look for the fresh prints …
A guy sacked from the dodgems is taking his employers to court. He's claiming funfair dismissal.
I went on a trip to a postcard factory last week. It was OK. Nothing to write home about.
Did you hear about the constipated mathematician? He worked it out with a pencil.
Jonathan Ross only goes to rugby matches to play pranks on people. He loves Twickenham…!
Keep strong and keep smiling everyone!
Mixer
Thank you Mixer for another enjoyable read with the weekly rollcall, always nice to get a mention and good to have no one rested this week .... wishing everyone a good week ahead.
Thanks Mixer. Congratulations to those reaching milestones this week. Well done!! 🙂
Horray ive made it, 100 days, went out for a drink or two or ten more like on Saturday. It was a celebration of a friends birthday 37 with this age comes enlightenment and maturity. Ive definately become more mature over the past few years and enjoy the sensible things in life. I have my moments where I think what if and think the grass is greener over there, but my parents put me back inmy place and I eventualty start to see that the grass on my garden of life is pretty good, its been like a gjungle its not been cut for a while, its seen plenty of rain and it is now very healthy. Maybe I should give it a cut every now and then but we will see. Adam 123 reporting, 100 days and counting next step 150.
​
Delighted to hear you get the ton-up, Adam, and your attitude and approach as you reach Day 101 and beyond. Good stuff mate.
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