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The Official Sober Motivation and General Happy Feels Thread

ladyhlove

ladyhlove

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 9, 2017
Messages
509
I've been thinking, my fellow SL BL fam, with all the negativity in the world that seems to surround us and push us into the comforting arms of addiction time and time again, maybe a thread here could be devoted to the good things in the world and in our lives. Maybe there could just be this little space in the vastness of the interwebz that focuses on the beauty around us instead of the hopelessness and the bleakness of life that our addiction seems to help us focus so intensely. I tend to be a negative person sometimes, and I think that if I read and/or contributed to a thread like this, I could maybe change my "glass half empty" outlook some. And maybe so can a few other folks! So here it goes, the SL Official Motivation and General Happy Feels Thread!!

What helps motivate you to stay clean? Is it your children? Is it your new job? What kind of things in this world make you want to keep waking up each morning and trying to do this whole "life" thing a bit better than the day before? What kinds of things make you smile and keep pushing through all the bs?

Basically this thread is for our SL members to share positive things...whether they be something in their life, personally, or if it's just something that they saw somewhere else (like a news story or a picture) that made them feel better about life and/or the world around them. Text/stories are welcome, whether they be personal stories or even just positive and/or motivating quotes... as are pictures and videos...the only rule is it has to be something POSITIVE (and not positive towards drugs and/or addictive substances...this is sober living after all).

So, welcome to this positive little corner of the internet. Anyone wanna take bets on how long before someone comes along and ruins it? ;)
 
What a great idea for a thread. Thank you. =D I will personally moderate it, so don't worry about negativity.

Here's one of my big reasons. Who needs to be fucked up when I could be out having fun with this little guy:

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SO...I will be the first contributor (and hopefully not the only one)

This doggo right here is one of the reasons I am on the recovery path, I adopted Herschel 3 years ago, when he was 2 years old, from a rescue group and he is the perfect dog, He is extremely well behaved and has the goofiest personality...I really lucked out by finding such an awesome boy! I almost lost him by becoming a heroin addict...I couldn't afford vet bills, medication for him, shit..even food sometimes...and I had a roommate threatening to call animal control on me because I was so neglectful at times (I was...but the roommate was also a jerk and was trying to hurt me somehow...but thats another story for a less positive place than this thread). I've since tried my best to make up for the year of shitty behavior I displayed and he seems to have forgiven me. I snapped this yesterday as I left for work and saw him relaxing on the couch...it made me smile and reminded me of one of the many reasons I'm trying to get my life back in order.
hSj5GU0.jpg

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Haha, well you beat me to the first contribution...and with a dog also! :D I love it!
 
Herschel looks like Sonny, except he's probably 4 times bigger lol. Sonny is a "tweenie" dachshund, too big to be a mini, too small to be a standard. I love that your dog's name is Herschel. For me that name evokes images of a guy with a long beard sporting a payot, a white shirt, black pants and a heavy black overcoat, even in the middle of August. Before anyone gets offended, I'm allowed to crack Jewish jokes, being of that extraction =D Herschel is also Krusty the Klown's given name.
 
LOL it's the name he came with, so I can't take credit for it. He had been in foster care for a year and a half with that name (his entire life, basically) and he already knew it well and responded to it so I couldn't change it on him. I like it though, it's a good name for him. Sonny is a cutie pie. German breed dogs are my favorites! I had a Doberman with an ex (who still has her, sadly :( ) who was a blue doberman, crystal blue eyes and blue and tan instead of black and tan. Such a beautiful girl and a great dog also. I've always had good luck with the Germans
 
My dog, Dixie Chick, can cheer me up a little even on my worst days and she's definitely seen me at my worst. She's a rescued pitbull, white with large brindle patches, and she's a real sweetie. Loves everybody, but especially me. I call her a "Velcro dog" because when I'm at home she is constantly at my side. Always eager to chase a tennis ball, she's also happy to just hang out. She is the embodiment of good vibes.

Peace&Love,
jasper

Dog slobber is an antidepressant.
 
I'm glad we all have rescues. I would never buy a dog. I'm pretty contemptuous of the idea when there are so many available dogs that already need good homes. Sonny's owner died of cancer and the owner's family surrendered him to (of all places) a boxer rescue in Jacksonville, which in turn surrendered him to a dachshund rescue based in Bradenton. Petunia's owner also died and she went to a local, non-breed specific rescue. She had also been adopted twice and returned, poor thing. I miss her but at least I know she's taken care of and treated well by my ex, even though I'm still bugged about how that whole shitshow went down. My first rescue wiener came from Orange County. She was on death row when I got her. Poor thing had probably been abused in a puppy mill then discarded when she wasn't useful. The fact that she was a minimum of 10YO and never been spayed, and she had mammary tumors was kind of a giveaway. She had a lot of quirks I later read that were typical of dogs that were kept confined, and she would bite when strangers got too friendly or invaded her space, so I had to be careful with her around others, poor thing. Sonny is also like my shadow, too. He follows me everywhere around the house, except when his guard dog duties demand that he charge out the doggie door and let me know that there's someone or something outside the patio. LHL, wow, a blue and tan Doberman. She must be beautiful, almost like a classic Weimaraner color, I imagine. If it ever cools down, I'll hang out at sidewalk cafes with Sonny since attractive young ladies tend to not be able to resist stroking a wiener ;)
 
Great thread ladyh and cute dogs ladyh and aihfl . I also have dachshunds ( 2 long haired ) . They stay right with me every where I go when I carry them to work on the farm.
----- i have many motives to keep me from wandering to opiates or other drugs. Myself is my number 1 reason. Before I got on methadone I went to rehab twice and did it to please everyone else. This time I'm doing it for myself . I was stable on methadone so my family wasn't concerned with me being on it . Quitting had been on my mind for a few years and when my dr was going to have to quit writing my script because of Tn's new opiate law I knew it was time to try to see if I could quit. So this time it's all about me . If I slip in the future and use ,then I will pull my self up and do it again.
 
The number one reason I'm in treatment is definitely myself, as well. :) Recovery just can't be truly successful unless that's who/what you're doing it for.

Love the doggo stories, yall, let's see some more pics! you can post on imggur (google it) if you're looking for a place to host pics. I understand some of yall don't want to put your dog pics out in case ppl you know (and who know your dog) might be lurking...
 
zaowCbN.jpg


my baby, think you can see how happy she makes me. i'm so relieved not to lose her while i go into treatment, i've had her 9 years and am hoping for another 9.
 
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Thanks for such a personal pic, chinup! You're a lovely lady with such a cute baby?

I think there should be a rehab that allows you to bring your pets (if one doesn't exist already....which I feel like doesn't but I could be wrong)
 
Other things that give me general happy feels:

the aroma of coffee
singing birds
thunderstorms (although my dog would disagree)
full moons and crescent moons
trees, moss, ferns, and wildflowers
chocolate
mountains
streams
laughter


Peace&Love,
jasper

Love is not enough, but it sure helps. -- Sheldon Kopp
 
MdL5Byb.jpg


LMAO this was taken this morning right after I woke Herschel up. He's started sleeping like this (and like the previous picture) every night now on the couch....on his back, mouth open, snoring like an old man. He sleeps hard too...I startle him by shouting his name to wake him up each morning.
 
Here's another thing that makes me smile and another motivation for getting clean. My boyfriend. While this recovery process is for me, first and foremost, losing my relationship with this man was what was my personal rock bottom...I couldn't stand to lose such an important personal relationship and knew many more important relationships would be lost soon as well soon if I didn't get my shit together...and personal relationships are one of the most important things to me. That's what life's about, after all, right? Not money or objects but experiences and relationships with others in those experiences that make life worth living. This relationship, in particular, was, hands down, the best romantic relationship I had ever been in and I lost it due to my drug use. Fortunately, this man loves me and believes in me and has been in the shadows giving me support despite our relationship ending. However, as I've progressed in this recovery, he has decided I'm worth fighting for and we recently got back together officially. We still have a lot to work on but we are happy right now, and thats all that matters.

I don't usually like posting such personal pictures of myself, but I figure fuck it pretty much everyone I know knows I'm in recovery and those who don't probably wouldn't be on here anyways. so...
YMDKzCZ.jpg


Me and the boo thang 14 stories up above Midtown, Atlanta having a couple of pregame drinks before Dragon Con (this was taken this past labor day weekend). Doesn't he have just a fucking sweet beard? lol
 
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My major motivations:


  • Active addiction was pure misery.
  • Dope and booze stopped working for me.
  • It was either recovery or suicide. I can always kill myself if recovery doesn't work out.
  • Life can be beautiful.
  • Oddly enough, sobriety is a high in itself. (admittedly my tolerance is low)
  • I have a little money in my pocket.
  • I never woke up in the morning wishing I'd gotten drunk/wasted the night before.


Peace&Love,
jasper

"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four people is suffering from a mental illness. Look at your 3 best friends. If they're OK, then it's you." ― Rita Mae Brown
 
You're spot on with so many of those things, mainly that active addiction was pure misery and I definitely have also NEVER woken up in the morning wishing i had gotten high the night before. FO SHO
 
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