*** Join The Guru Challenge! ***

Thank you Mixer for another great weekly rollcall.

Congratulations Adam on 100 days GF.

Good roll call take me of striver list please im on day 3 sorry again

Chartom - thank you for your update and kind comments 🙂

Slot Fool - thank you, and going great guns yourself!

Stephen - thank you; as you know I enjoy your forum thread immensely; in my eyes, the real 'heart' of the forums!

Christer - I'm sorry you've had a blip but straight back into gambling-free mode Ok! It happens, you've been honest with yourself, and follow Challengers - our full respect for that. I hiope the loss was minimal but more importantly, you've blocked the route to however it happened and you're stronger as a result. We're with you all the way, Christer. Keep it going mate.

Hey guys can I give the guru challenge again ?

​totally forgot reaching 100 makes me an elder, horray I'm liking that I can pass on my elder knowledge to people in need. God knows ive learnt a lot on the way ive been reluctant to give up on my gambling vices thru the years firstly on line poker, then casino poker, then bookies, then pub poker and slot machines in pubs. They all took their toll on me and my finances, slowly taking my hard earned money each month whilst I spent money on nothing of value and mostly toldd myself I was doing well whilst I set up a spreadsheet totalling my spends on such activities. Each month I would get better spending less. 2016 I spent 8000 on my as I liked to call it social life , then 2017 I spent 4000 with 1600 being gambling, and this year so far I've spent 500 on social activities including now the gym and have spent zero on my gambling. The last straw was definitely saying goodbye to all poker games and once id done that I came out of the gambling habbit. Pub gambling is the only outlet available to me now and I am fairly sure I will not gamble in a pub anymore. It was the people I was around that made it seem appealing. Now putting money in a slot machine seems futile and I don't want to be a mug anymore. I have started to earn less each month this year and if I hadn't stopped when I did I would be in a shocking position now.thanks to mixer and everyone for sticking with me it took two almost three years to get all blocks in place and to be ready for recovery. And I can honestly say I'm soo much better off than last year.

Checking in on day 117 gamble free......still think of gambling at times but blocks are in place and doing there job.

Adam - a joy to read your update, my friend and fantastic to note that you have now passed the ELDER milestone.

Sometimes, with this insidious addiction, we need to realise something that sticks. With you - and me, too, actually - it’s about not being a mug punter. If I see a slot now, wherever it may be, I see a sign above whoever’s playing it, either ‘Trickster’ (they know how to empty it) or ‘Mug Punter’.

You have decided never to be a mug punter again. All the slots are going to do is hoover up your cash and pass it to the socially inept tricksters. That’s such a great reason to stop. And the same principle applies to FOBTs, they are controlled and manipulated too. And as for online, do you trust it? Of course not. It sucks you in, big wins at first, lots of ‘bonuses’ you can never cash in because of prohibitive play-throughs. Nah. No thanks. I don’t like being a mug. And nor do you.

Congratulations, Adam; as we know, one day at a time as always, but you’re doing great, mate.

Over a week GF and never felt better or more determined to go on. Just came back from a short trip abroad and it feels so good to suddenly become aware of all things are truly important, to spend time with the people you care for and to enjoy what life has to offer without feeling you are the slave of a soulless, money -grabbing online game...Hope you are having a great week one and all!

HowDidIGetToThis - welcome back 🙂

Chartom - great to see your progress. Excellent.

Serendipity - you’re exactly right; sometimes, short breaks like this focus the mind, help us realise what matters, which are our loved ones, and, if we have kids, them too. Our children are our legacy. It’s a tough, tough world and they don’t need our selfishness today to hinder them tomorrow. As father to a profoundly autistic little boy, I recognise this more than ever.

This is it, Senendipity. The life we want to live is in our hands.

4D checking 211 days and counting 🙂 Enjoying life these days so much more, busy with creative pursuits rather than destructive gambling!!

Hi mixer , checking in on day 9 , taking it a day at a time Pink

Checking in on day 14 have a great weekend everyone

Thank you for checking in 4D, Pink and John 🙂

I've just seen this on a market stall in St Helier, Jersey:

The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No-one to lean on, rely on or blame. The gift is yours. It is an amazing journey, and you alone are responsible for the quality of it.

Mixer

Hi. I'm not feeling the greatest. Not quite a month gf. I know what a month feels like. But what does it feel like now, when I watch my mind, extinguish future planning and fantasy that lurks in the subconcious. I can not lie to myself this time. Can I just let this gambling go odaat. Can I make that year and then some? I want to nurture other areas of life. I want to do this differently this time. As one month , 3 months and 6 months show up... can I still stay with the odaat and be in the moment with my choice? For today , I am gf and watching my mind. I'm revealing what comes to my mind and not allowing future fantasty to build. I don't feel that great. This is going to take a while. I've been sick and I think it's lasting longer because of all the stress of gambling relapse and losses. Looking at what I have in the moment, blessings. Even if I don't feel great , life is still a blessing. Just to be alive. tara2

Checking in day 6. Finally some gd news. The online new multi self exclusion service is meant to be up and running next month which is gonna help me