Give peace a chance

Hi Stephen,

Glad you've enjoyed salsa earlier today. 90 days, wow, they are really adding up now! You are doing amazing x

Hi Stephen, Congratulations on reaching 90 days gamble free, you are a great example of how your life changes for the better by stopping the gambling madness.... keep up the good work

Thankyou for the posts on my 90th GF Day . Really appreciated . I was hoping for fireworks but suppose I can't have everything .

S A . Hope you enjoyed the peach ha ha wondered where I'd put it . Wishing you well in your recovery , it really is an insidious addiction . Take care .

Matt . Good advice to set myself targets and have dreams " If you don't have a dream , how you gonna have a dream come true " . I was thinking of seeing what came along and than sorting it out , but your advice sounds more interesting , more fun and far more practical .

Wai . Thankyou . I always appreciate your kind words and encouragement .

Chartom . Great to see your GF days adding up . You have a good positive attitude . Letting go is so so hard but we have to put it all behind us and move on . Being riddled with guilt doesn't really help the situation . Taking practical steps to resolve the outstanding issues is more effective .

Hi Stephen. Love your post #54. You are full of intelligent snippets and quips to reflect life's challenges.

Yes, maybe it's best to treat some desires as pipe-dreams, as perhaps fantasies should be kept just so. For otherwise we may torture ourselves with an unlikely quest to reach the Holy Grail, tripping, sliding and pulling out our hair.

Let us live within our means. And want for nothing more. For unfortunately, greed, wastefulness, extravagance and pitiful neglect are a smoke-screen to our contentment, and an enemy to our true lasting happiness.

A 93 year old man wrote a letter from his death bed. He wrote, with regret: If I could have my life again - I'd smile more often, spend more time with my family, take things less seriously and be less concerned with things not being perfect.

All the best with your continuing days GF, and hoping the future days are brighter, forgiving and kind.

Morning Stephen

91 days..soon be at that century mark,keep going and keep up the marvelous work!

Annie x

Thankyou Cha , great post giving me plenty to ponder on . Your 286 Days makes me wonder how I will feel when I get some good gamble free time behind me .

Thankyou Annie , congratulation on 36 days GF . Wonderful to see your positive, determined and in good spirits , like the saying goes "you can't keep a good woman down " . Bear in mind the advice of Wai and be kind to yourself . Working all gods hours is highly commendable but don't go making impossible demands on yourself , your too precious for that .

Wondering how much of me died when I was under the spell of compulsive gambling .

" Death is not the greatest loss in life . The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live "

Hi Stephen

Your comments are always very thoughtful, intelligent and creative. Have you ever "dreamed" of writing a book, or some poems and getting them published? Food for thought mate.

Keep strong, you are very much alive today inside and out.

Matt

'The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live' - Very thought provoking and inspiring at the same time. Is this your own words? or wisdom from elsewhere? Either way I do agree with Matt that you have a marvellous way to pen your thoughts. Expression and truth reaching out beyond the computer screen.

Yes, maybe sign up for a writing course or plunge in feet first to reel off a few juicy, edgy chapters straight to the horses mouth. The partner of my sister has a brother who has published his book exclusively through Amazon and commissioned to write 2 more. For ten years he had been writing short stories whilst defining his writing style, all the time thinking that it would come to nothing, before finally taking the bull by the horns and 'going for it'.

I'm afraid that my post #64 sadly is just a refection of my own negative thought process which I have been battling against all these years. To surrender against formidable challenges, to dwell in my safe, but empty shell. Hence the - 'Live within our means' and want for nothing more'. I know that really I should take a leap of faith in life - To be better, to achieve more, experience more, love more, and perhaps shed a few buckets of emotionally charged tears.

I've been sitting on a design idea/project for 14 years (now 80% complete). Procrastinating at every juncture with every excuse under the sun why I won't or can't complete and promote it.

Ok I am still GF after 280 odd days. But that doesn't represent a complete success - I've stopped counting anyway. Still I think about gambling often and unfortunately I believe it will remain an option until such time that I don't need it anymore.

Anyway, this isn't about me. Sorry - it's your diary and I'd just like to applaud you ( like a crazy seal) on your upcomming 100 days. Well done Stephen. :))

Thankyou Matt and Changemylife . Appreciate your kindness , I do like words and think I might go on a creative writing nightclass in september . Thanks for that idea .

Had my 6th /7th counselling session yesterday which was brilliant . Due to holidays the next session won't be for 7 weeks . The counsellor is very supportive and helping to strengthen my resolve .

Attended Gamblers Anonymous last night which was good , 3 of us were presented with a 90 day pen and applauded , I quite liked the recognition and show of solidarity amongst us .

Feeling a bit bleeuurgh at the moment . Been building up to my 90 days and now it's come an gone ! feeling a bit of an anti clmax . " Like a violin without it's strings " . To quote Anastasia " I can't find my way home " . But I know from experience these feelings can suddenly lift and I will feel better .

At GA meeting we have a 30 second period of silence to think about compulsive gamblers who are struggling with their recovery. Heartbreaking to reflect on the misery friends are enduring. The loves , lifes and relationships that are being destroyed .

Congratulations on your 90 days Abstainer!
Look at your life now! Mentally stronger. All achieved through hard work, determination and a will to make positive changes for yourself.
Continue fighting the urges, have strategies in place. You deserve some happiness.
Get on those dancing shoes and keep on dancing! No doubt it is great for your health and wellbeing.
Oh and you could put the GA pen to good use. How about using it for your first chapter!!
All good wishes
Lml x

You're truly an inspiration to us all sir . Please keep us all posted regularly as it really really helping me . Thank you and stay strong and healthy . Remember " if the bar ain't bending you're just pretending " .

SARS 🙂

Thankyou LML . Quite touched by your lovely post , I will go back to it whenever I need a lift .

Love that expression Sars " If the bar ain't bending your only pretending " . Good motivation in the gym but it can apply to anything we strive for , in particular our battle against gambling addiction . I've heard it said before we are either working on our recovery or working on a relapse . No good pussyfooting around , we have to give everything we've got to aid our recovery from this insidious addiction .

I always use insidious to describe gambling addiction ! Can't think of a more appropriate word .

Coming up to midnight when our Sharon will be 150 Days GF . A real treasure in the treasure chest that is GamCare .

Just thought, should your post #69 have said 90 day pin or 90 day pen?
I'm laughing to myself thinking I'm probably wrong assuming you got a pen?? I know how much the text has a mind of its own sometimes x

Thankyou LML . Nice little pen with ' Congratulations . One day at a time ' on the side .

Ahhh, super, so you can get some use out of it after all! x