Abstain and maintain.Stepping forward never back.

Hi mate

Well done on 10 weeks and a great achievement. Like the target of 90 days and hope your little blue book has helped you through this. If you read some of the 'just for todays' and try a few it really can improve your self esteem and give you a feel good factor.

Hopefully I'll be going meeting next week. If you could ask at the meeting if anyone is coming from Portsmouth Harbour next week I'd love a lift, get to the hard about 735 and it would save me a few bob in a taxi. Let me know on that one fella and i'll see you next week. Cheers and keep up the good work

Keith

just to echo everyone on here Dunc in wishing you all the best with your continuing achievement....this forum is fantastic isn't it for getting us all out of our respective ruts.

Keep on keeping on and making those healthy chocolate choices....

Have been away a few days so out of the loop with diaries....I have a lot of reading to do here and it seems life and our higher powers are guiding us all to living our lives rather than just exsisting .....

Wuffs and thoughts...

Rach and Dotty xxx

Day72.

Morning diary. I got to enjoy another perfect day yesterday. We all five of us had a "free day" so walked circa 7ish miles and took in a load of charity shops(searching for books of which eldest found an old graham greene) took a picnic in the park, strolled peacefully just enjoying each others company. Last night we enjoyed a late supper and each others company further. I lay in bed late thinking wow today I passed no fewer than 30 bookies and with honesty I can say I did not even give one a glance,if I had I am sure I would have seen many "shadows" of my former self.

GA tonight. Today NO BET

enough said.

duncs stepping forward never back.

Thank you for the poem. Gave me food for thought.

I think the day will come, although it may take a while when you do not even register that a bookies is there.

Bit like opticians , only look for one when you need it,

as you will never need a bookies again they will disappear into the back ground. Probably only notice them if you become a postie.

Hope you day was as uplifting as yesterday.

Dusty

Hello Dunc......just a quick drive by...your posts always inspirational and it sounds like you are really at a good stage right now....

I like it when you say never stepping back as its a great visual and always makes me smile as we all go marching forward....

Taste sensation of the year coming up this weekend but alas this is a choc free house...all shelves empty and not a creme egg in sight...not even a GB one.

Just for info...at my recent works bash in London Mr.GB himself won the award of outstanding contribution to our industry and was at our doo....Mr.Craig Samms.....I have just about forgiven him for selling to Cadbury for 20 mil in 2005.......

keep on keeping on...

Rach and Doo x

day 72. GA meeting done, another dose of medicine taken and one new member tonight, i hope sincerly for him he returns and can find the gamble free path. Just got in in time to catch the concert from the albert hall on bbc 1 with the wife. Fantastic end to another gamble free day. Let the choc fest begin! Gamble free we earnt it! Duncs compulsive gambler 72 days no bet.

Morning Duncs

I love Adele and find her such an inspiration. I an sure she has helped me in my recovery , but that another story for another day .

I was rather hoping that you used loyalty card when purchasing enough eggs to fill one of those American sized fridges. As I suspect you made need to use the pionts to get yourself a new set of scales when Easter is over .lol

Joking aside, have a great weekend, me I'm working such is life , will stil find time to scoff down more than my fair share of choc,

Take care,

Dusty

DAY73. No BET. Rolling on from last night i feel saddened by the news one of my fellowship has returned to gambling and hope he will find it in himself to seek recovery, help again soon. He is very young in his early twenties and i could see so much of myself in him and hoped that he would continue to arrest his addiction and lead a full and happy life, gamble free but i have learnt it is about our personal choice, i choose today to ensure i have my barriers in place as many obsticles as i can so if i was looking to have a punt i would have a hard job doing it. Today i choose to say NO BET. and i have the knowledge to know that my reflection will tomorrow be better for it. Duncs stepping forward never back.

DMac,

I read a comment you had left on another diary regarding how enjoyable it is to watch a football match without the score affecting your mood etc. I agree with this 100 percent. The vast majority of my pals cannot watch a match anymore without having a bet on the outcome. They say it is boring if they haven't got money on it. Don't you think it is amazing that it has come to this. There are gambling adverts before, during and after the match. Like you said, I am happy to watch the game as a neutral and not care about the outcome.

Well done on your continued progress.

Tomso.

Hi Dunc and Happy Easter to you too..Thanks for popping in.....

Was thinking about your young man there at the meeting and although he has had a slip he still has the knowledge now of where to come to get help.

Used to happen a lot in AA and it does feel sad as we all want so much for people to keep strong and its great to see how people blossom in early recovery and beccome the true characcters they really are.

I love in recovery the slogan...."the door swings both ways."...as people know they can come back with no judgement when they are ready.

Its difficult to gather some awareness in recovery and then fall asleep again..I used to say ..you cant unlearn how to ride a bike ..lol

The seeds are already planted...its just our job to trust that they grow in a person and they will see the sunlight and keep coming back.

Have a fantastic Easter ..fridge bulging ..chilled and frozen truck in the drive as back up...lol

All good thoughts to you and yours and keep stepping forward always..

Rach and Doo xx

ps ..think Adele is part of many peoples journeys...

Thanks for the post it's much appreciated , I fully agree with u bout choices we ultimately decide what we do in our lives but I think it takes time till we realise , fantastic on the 73 days soon be 100

Stay strong

Castle2

day74.

Today I am inspired by something I read on hollies diary posted by Smiler who has always had fantastic advise and wise words to give.I thank you for that I had a day of kind of angry thoughts yesterday and after thrashing it out I concluded that I sometimes want it done yesterday!! always a quick fix and through my abstaining from gambling I am learning, re-training myself to take things easy to plan things more,it will come patience!! It will be another great gift given to me through my quest to live my life in my skin,to look in that mirror and smile at what I see.I today again will arm myself further by saying NO BET and keep learning that my world is the place for me.

duncs compulsive gambler 74days NO BET.

Thanks for your post.

Stay strong and keep looking in that mirror-I'm sure you'll start to like what you see!!!

Are you regaining your wife's trust?

It is difficult because of the hurt we cause isn't it?

Have a good day 74

gazza

Hi Duncs

Many thanks for the praise but it is only words that have been passed to me in recovery and I am passing it on. I like to read as much as I can about recovery and addiction and some of it I agree with and some is not for me. Just by writing stuf down it gives people food for thought and creates dialogue. There is no right or wrong way to do this but most important above all is enjoy your recovery; come to terms with who you are and move on with full acceptance.

Take care

"74days NO BET"

You could have not finished your last post in a better way!

Keep it up!

NT