If you’re like me, you feel as though you can’t turn your brain off at times, as if there are hamsters on a wheel in your head. Or perhaps it’s an urge to have or do something you probably shouldn’t have. Or maybe you find yourself angry and ready to pull your hair out because you’re so stressed! What should you do when you find yourself experiencing this power struggle? STOP! Say the word stop...
Secrets. We all have at least one in our life. Some may be as innocent as stealing a pack of gum in 6th grade while others may be more serious such as an addiction, an eating disorder, an affair, or something else. The one that I kept mostly quiet, and unassuming, was my relationship with alcohol. As a nightly drinker, the story I told myself was that I was sophisticated and well cultured. It sounded...
If you asked me ten years ago about my knowledge of wine, I could easily rattle off the different varietals and regions worldwide. I prided myself for knowing more than the average person and gave myself the distinguished title of “Wine Snob”. And… so I was. I elegantly disguised my wine habit as my wine hobby. I wasn’t just a social drinker. I was a wine connoisseur. I was a big California red know-it-all, and...
I have a confession to make. There are occasions when I become “unglued”. I turn into a crazy person who cries and yells simultaneously. It’s not pretty. And God bless my husband. He sits back and allows me to have my fit, not saying a word. He lets me have my temper tantrum, and when it’s over, he hugs me and tells me it will be okay. Sometimes my initial response is to escape from...
Why does time seem to melt away the negative memories, yet accentuate the perception of the good memories? So, what happens when you only remember the good? Think back to a time where you may have laughed, been silly, or maybe a little crazy. You had a great time at the moment, but the aftermath or duration was horrendous. You paid it for it dearly with a massive hangover, a fight with a loved one, or...
Have you ever told yourself a convoluted story that was so intricately woven with thoughts only to find out none of it was true? It’s easy to do when our brains have an average of 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. This can create havoc in our minds, and we end up manifesting our destiny without knowing the implications. So what is the secret on how to stop your mind from racing? This is important as...
Maybe you’ve recently heard the term, gray area drinking, and wondered if it’s okay to be in the gray? Anytime we put the words, “okay” and “alcohol” together, I raise an eyebrow. If you’re asking what the heck is gray area drinking, you can read more here at, What is Gray Area Drinking. If you’re someone that enjoys bourbon on the rocks or a glass of red Napa Valley Cabernet from time to time, this...
So you’re ready to take that first step and move out of the gray area, where you’ve been stuck for years, but how? What should you do first? The question isn’t how or what, but why? Why do you want to do this? The base of a solid foundation needs to start with why. You must have a strong enough reason to want to move forward. It can’t be a wishy-washy “why”, it has to...
When I first contemplated ending my drinking career in August 2016, I gasped at the timing. “Maybe I should wait”, I thought. After all, my BIG birthday was just around the corner in January. We had plans to go to a Caribbean island with two other couples to an all-inclusive resort where alcohol would be free-flowing. My mind started swirling as I went into panic mode. The anxiety was unbearable. How would I survive this? ...
You’re standing at the crossroads and know a decision must happen, but you’re frozen. “Why is this so hard?”, you wonder. Vulnerability, embarrassment, and shame are the reasons that prevent you from reaching out for help. That, plus a little denial mixed in. Maybe you aren’t ready to admit that you even need support. After all, you’re a professional and need to “look the part”, and conduct yourself as such. It’s too risky to let...
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