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I do this monthly page because of Vera. I know that she did monthly pages for a while. I would join and some months I would get through without gambling, and other months I did not manage. It did help to keep me focused though. I look back and think when I started recovery I did not think I could get through a week without gambling. I have progressed that now I am thinking about months. However, it all happens "one day at a time". I know that no matter how long we have gamble free, we all are the same distance from placing our next bet. I am proud to take so many hands of my fellow GT members and join them in committing to not gambling, just for today!!!!One day at a time my sweet lord…
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Hi Cat, sign me up for day one!! JLife is too short to be anything but happy!!
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I’m in too. Thanks for the April Fool’s reminder…I won’t let my sister get me this year! I’ll be ready for her.
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I’m in too. Happy to say my LDG is March 18. Not great, but better than I’ve been doing in the recent past. REALLY want to make it through to May.
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I would like to join too! My last gambling day was March 17.
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Cat, ***** me in. Not as determined as I was in March. But for today, April 1. I will not be a FOOL and gamble! …I know that was bad, but I couldn’t help myself. lol Wishing everyone a good, gamble-free Monday!
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***** me in Cat adaat thanks
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Originally posted by cat438
… I look back and think when I started recovery I did not think I could get through a week without gambling. I have progressed that now I am thinking about months …
One day at a time my sweet lord…
Good afternoon Cat, Vera, and all others,
April 1, another beginning of another month, another day in our ODAAT journey. Yet somehow when the 1st comes around it causes us to think more and have acquire more hope and strength. It takes days to make a week, weeks to make a month, and months to make a year, and it all starts with our desire and a determination to make it through each day into the next. Our advancement or accumulation of gambling free time is accomplished with the virtue of being patient:
"BE PATIENT! The days and weeks will pass soon enough, and as you regularly (follow the requirement of your program of recovery) attend meetings, abstain from gambling and follow the guidelines on this page, you will experience continued recovery" ~ page 17 of the GA Combo Book.
God’s speed. Stay strong. Keep active and true to yourself.LarryThanks to my Higher Power, My 3G's – God, GA, and GT, "Day Two Is Another Day Behind" and with the help from all I hope to continue to remain gambling free. -
I’m in!!! 🙂
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I absolutely loved your last post here Cat. April is a wonderful month, new flowers, the smell of rain, sunshine and warmer weather. Its a great month to stay gamble free, ***** me in. Debbie
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Saw this on facebook, liked it, and wanted to share. Could refer to any one of us, but I have to admit, it really made me think of you, Debbie and the "falling apart" of your relationship. Great to see so many things falling into place for you now. If you find any more pictures of you know who while you are unpacking, I am glad you know just the right place to put them! lol
— 04/04/2013 11:46:05: post edited by harry. -
Day 2 over.. Despite some serious temptation!! Feeling pleased with myself!!
Life is too short to be anything but happy!! -
Very pleased with myself … although this post could have been very different with a different set of circumstances. Yesterday was my bestie’s birthday. Hubby gave me $100 for my dinner and to kick in for hers. I went to spend the day and then we had a surprise gathering of friends at her fave restaurant. When all the girls were gathered, her Mom announced that she was paying for dinner for all … and no arguments please. I objected vigorously, but was told to be gracious and accept the gift. Well, that meant $100 that nobody knew I had, plus another $20 in my purse … hmmm. Add to that, hubby wasn’t expecting me home until very late … hmmm. After dinner (about 10 p.m.) I went to my bestie’s house and we yacked for another couple of hours. I felt icky because I have a cold, but that wouldn’t have stopped me before. When I left, I could easily have made a different turn and gone to the casino, but I set my steering wheel on the right path and home I went. Reached home $120 richer, but still the idea that I could stash it til the weekend swam around in my mind. This afternoon, I announced to hubby that I still had the money. He was surprised and secretly pleased (I could tell) that I had overcome temptation in this instance. So, I’m starting my third week gambling free. I really want to keep this going and I hope temptations will be few and far between. RG
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Well done running girl!!!
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wow its the 3rd of april already that was a great post to read running girl any wonder your chuffed with yourself that was a big achievement telling your hubby i know from my history that i can get away with absolutely nothing so whats the point in trying to get away with it. adaat im going to really try and be on a proper programme. Its nice to be important but its more important to be nice
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wow its the 3rd of april already that was a great post to read running girl any wonder your chuffed with yourself that was a big achievement telling your hubby i know from my history that i can get away with absolutely nothing so whats the point in trying to get away with it. adaat im going to really try and be on a proper programme. Its nice to be important but its more important to be nice
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wow its the 3rd of april already that was a great post to read running girl any wonder your chuffed with yourself that was a big achievement telling your hubby i know from my history that i can get away with absolutely nothing so whats the point in trying to get away with it. adaat im going to really try and be on a proper programme. Its nice to be important but its more important to be nice
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I think "April Fool’s Day " fell on the 2nd not the 1st, this year………..
Is it possible to kick oneself in the head???
RG!
Take a "HOW" bow!
Honesty at it’s best!
Openness with hubby
Wilingness to share with the cool dudes!
Send me some of your magic potion R! The bitter aftertaste from poisoned chalice still lingers!
On a POSITIVE note, Cat.
Today is a new day!– 04/04/2013 00:12:29: post edited by vera. -
Not quite April 4 on my side of the world yet, another hour to go. Thanks V … what’s a "HOW" bow??? Wish I had a potion, I’d send it immediately … and could you imagine the money I’d make, V? You know how horribly I’ve struggled through the entire winter. Couldn’t even get a few days. The only thing that has changed is that hubby put the blocks back on the computers which means he won’t be playing any poker. We’ve both promised to stop (no promises for how long) … doesn’t matter anyway, really. He didn’t spend nearly the amount I did, but he was very concerned about the amount of time he spent playing, so here we are. I have no high hopes. When thoughts approach, I do my best to push them out of my head. Avoidance … hmmm, not so sure of that strategy. I had a thought today about my relationship with money. How sad that I’ve lost respect for it and toss it away at a moment’s notice. My 14-year old and I went shopping today for some things he wanted. He used his debit card and paid with the money he earned last summer and his Xmas cash. I marveled at how free and unaffected my boys are by the money they have in the bank. They don’t carry their cards unless they’re on a specific mission to buy something. The rest of the time, it sits there and they don’t obsess about it. It doesn’t threaten them, entice them, upset them … it’s just there. How wonderful to be able to have available cash and not think about wasting it in a casino. What freedom! RG
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Another Facebook Food for Thought! Happy Recovery Day, everyone!!
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Hi everyone, day 4 completed almost. I love the quote icando this. runninggirl I often try to think back to when my mind was free like your sons. Shopping was so much fun, instead of trying to find reduced reduced items rather than nice things!! Weekends away were booked with no worry. God what I would give for that freedom again. Vera hang in there! As in the song ” what’s won is won and whats lost is lost and gone forever” (town I loved so well). I posted last about the major temptation I had resisted, being invited by others to the casino. Today I realise that the temptation is not others but the obsessive nonsense that goes through my own head . I feel if I could only detox my head!! Maybe I will try fasting.. There must be some merit in it .. The bible suggests it a lot!!!. But like the gambling I am a little compulsive about eating.. I just eat non stop without thinking!! But I digress… Day four!! ( few hundred not gambled)..that’s gotta be good!!Life is too short to be anything but happy!!
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Ps thank you Cat for opening this thread !!Life is too short to be anything but happy!!
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Great post Cat. Thank you!
Sherrie
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Is it only day five?? Oh god this is so hard!!!Life is too short to be anything but happy!!
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It’s so wonderful to see all the posts on this April thread from so many. April is a great month so far.
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Day 6 starting. How can I keep myself safe today?
Life is too short to be anything but happy!! -
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I am having the absolute worst, GI-NORMOUS urges tonight. Bloody ****!!! P, I just missed you on chat. I was so hoping to chat to someone. Try as I might, I can’t seem to get it out of my mind. It’s so bloody stupid too. I’ve just had a lovely couple of days. Spent the day at the spa with my bestie yesterday, had the most amazing facial. I can’t even remember when last I’ve done that ….I used to be a total spa girl in my better life. Then we had dinner, went to her house for a movie marathon. It was so great. Then I went to visit my gorgeous old dad and we spent the afternoon singing his old faves like Moon River, Fly Me to the Moon and Don’t Fence Me In. It was awesome. The nurses came in to watch us and we just continued singing and clapping away. I love him to a million bits. Then I went to my big sis for dinner, she gave me some fab new books to read and I drove home. On my way, I was in such a good ****, but then the thought popped in and try as I might, it wouldn’t go. GRRRR. Hope it passes really soon. Gonna read a few posts. On Monday it will be three weeks gambling free, so I’m damned if I’m going to give in. RG
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Hi RG, That does sound like a wonderful time, indeed. I am impressed you know the words to those wonderful old songs. What a great memory with your dad. You must have a very special relationship. My dad’s favorite was Frank Sinatra’s "I’ve Gotta Be Me." I can relate to having a great day and still having urges. It just goes to show that once we are hooked, anything can be a trigger. Hold on tight!
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RG, hope you got through your GI-NORMOUS urges somehow. One thing I liked about the AA book is that when someone was having a hard time, they could call their sponsor and meet for coffee and it would make a huge difference in their recovery. But here at GT we all live in different parts of the world so that’s not possible. After the weekends over, look back and be proud of yourself. Monday’s used to be dread to face my checking account damage (I used to lose track of how many checks I wrote and for how much), shame that I gambled the weekend away while my co-workers talked about what exciting things they did and frantic of how I was going to buy groceries and get by to next payday. So, Running Girl find pride and joy in the last 3 weeks of your life because you made it happen.
Today I will not step foot in a casino…that’s the key for me.
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I’m with you, Cat. Really focusing on staying in the day and not ******** and wishing for days to pass quickly. I’m reading Younger Next Year for Women and it REALLY puts things in context regarding time. The authors refer to the Next Third, which is how much 50 year olds have if they’re lucky. They emphasize vast amounts of physical activity if we want to live healthily and happily and free of illness. They also focus on not shutting yourself off from social contact. So, not only is gambling killing us financially, it is killing us physically and emotionally too. No thanks, I think I’ll stay the course this time. One more day of being sane. RG
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RG, everytime I spend an enjoyable day like you described, I look around and say "what now?" as if something is missing. Seems as if I still need something (gambling) to top it all off! It’s like having a delicious meal with no dessert…Where will it all end?
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Another good Monday…where I’m not hating myself for the gambling losses from the weekend. It’s so much better when the week goes forward instead of lingering regrets over the bad decisions from the weekend. Another gamble free day.
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My first day gamble free in a long while. Lets just hope it continues.
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Okay, this is a true story. Today was the open meeting for my local GA. I was kinda peeved that they arranged it for my friends pinning and didn’t wait for me. That’s the attitude I had. A real bad one. Anyway, so I woke this morning with a hymn in my head, it’s been there all day. It’s called walk in the light and the lyrics that kept on replaying were "he binds us all in unity". Honest, all day and so I decided to suck up my bad **** and go to the meeting. I was happy for my friend getting her one year, I’ve never seen a smile so big in my whole life! I saw some other people get 5, 6 and 13 years. I was happy for them also. I was asked to do a share. I did it!! I got up in front of like 60 ppl and talked about my addiction and recovery to date, so I cried a bit and I looked at the wall and not the ppl but I did it!
I believe I had what Ken calls a Higher Power moment. Sometimes it’s real hard to see the good but I reckon my HP knows how to push the right buttons in me.
Just for today, I did not gamble.
Sherrie
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Hey Sherrie thats fantastic that you shared in front of that people. Would have totally freaked me out!!! Well done… I love that you had that hymn stuck in your head too, little things like that always make my day.
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Sherrie, wish we could have all been there with you. I’m going to google that song so I can have it play in my head too. Very inspirational post! The other Sherry
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Sherrie, What a great story! Struggling with a desire to gamble this morning. Came across this on facebook. Similar to…Nothing changes if we don’t change. Still want to gamble, but I am not going to give in.
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Wishing everyone another gamble free day. We’re making the right choice ODAAT.
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Strong urges again this morning. Urgh. Asking the question why? Complacency? Impatience? Temptation? Then I thought. I can sort it out later. Right now, get on that computer and pledge that you won’t gamble today. So, just for today…I will not gamble. I hope you all make the same decision and have a gamble free day, too!
— 4/10/2013 5:21:56 PM: post edited by icandothis. -
Thanks Cat for starting this thread, I hope you are keeping well and wish you all the very best……as for me my life is like a roller coaster……alot of ups and so very many downs……now the problem with more downs than ups is that I dont finish in the same place as I started and that is never good because when the ride is finished I hate walking uphill, it is like so very many of my gambling moments I wish I could wind the clock back to where I was just before I started on my self destruct mission……but hey like I always say we cannot change what has been and gone but we can do what is right for us just for today…..just for today I will not gamble and with that I cannot ask for anything more, take care all and wish you all well, speak soon love Maverick.
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12th of april already its 833am over here and just for today hope not to gamble. have my blocks in place and trying to be a better person day by day im trying to be on a programme and to be more spirtual. i cant gamble responsively the cats in the streets know that hope everybody has a gond day
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I’m still in for ODAAT and will be checking in all weekend…weekends are tough.
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I know weekends are tough but I want you to know that all of you doing April ODATT are in my thoughts. I know you can achieve your goal. Fighting your addiction together, knowing that others are in the struggle with you and affirming their determination daily with you, seems to me to be a brilliant blazing torch with which you can re-iginite your desire to live gamble-free just for today.
Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion – you must set yourselves on fire first.
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The easier days, for me anyway, are here. Monday-Friday is a different mindset and habits. It’s nice to have the days where gambling isn’t an issue. Guess there is something good to be said about having to work.
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You are right, Neva, it is nice to have the days where gambling isn’t an issue. I really need to find a job! Still, no gambling today.
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