Neil Strauss
I started following him after listening to his true crime podcast (@livedielapod .. great podcast). I didn’t think any of his content would be relatable for recovery or self help, I was just looking for pics to put faces to names in the podcast. But these are too good to not share.
My perspective on life has totally changed since I quit drinking. This first one he wrote is how my brain now operates. It takes practice. Lots of practice.
When I was drinking, my thoughts were coming from a place where I assumed everyone was out to get me and the world owed me something. My brain defaulted to negative thoughts. It was basically a giant pity party I created in my mind to cope with past experiences and deaths. Add untreated mental illness and self medicating on top of that. It was a recipe for disaster. And it played out like one.
Seeing the world through a new lens has been life changing. I have pure love radiating from inside me. But it takes time to block out those toxic thoughts. Our brains are comfortable doing what we’ve been doing. We have to actively try and program our brains to think differently. This takes time, but is so worth it.
Allowing myself to remain teachable has opened the door to so much knowledge and ways to better myself. We do not know everything. We can always learn from others. In fact, my 17 year old brother is the reason I ended up doing Sober Saturdays. If the old Britt heard advice from a 17 year old, I would’ve dismissed it thinking I knew better. My headspace is now is a place where I can accept help and advice from other people and learn from them. Instead of thinking I know everything, I actively choose to switch my thoughts to be more open.
I’m not perfect now. Negative self talk, comparing, assuming how others feel, and predicting future situations all still pop into my head. But instead of going the comfortable route, I now choose to flick those thoughts away and replace them with healthier thoughts. It’s weird and uncomfortable at first. I felt even more crazy than I already did trying to coach myself in my head, but the work is really paying off.
It’s kind of like sledding on fresh snow. The first time you do it, it’s REALLY HARD. You barely get down the hill, scooting yourself along the whole way down. Then the next time it’s a little easier. And eventually, your sled is staying on that smooth path. It’s the same thing in our brains.
Our neural pathways are programmed to think how we are thinking. We can change these pathways over time. And eventually, our brains will default to the healthy thoughts. Learning to accept that the first time I try thinking differently will be hard/ awkward/ uncomfortable has helped me beyond belief.
I now understand that our thoughts really do create our reality. I used to explain my life like I was trying to ride a bike without training wheels for the first time my entire teen and adult life.. wobbling out of control, anticipating the next hard fall. I would always get back up, but without the proper understanding or knowledge, I’d fall again. Finally in sobriety, I am coasting without the hard falls.
#wedorecover #sobriety #soberliving #alcoholic #selfhelp #mentalhealthawareness #addiction #addictionrecovery #addictionawareness #aa #talkaboutit #positivethinking
