[cat438]

I don’t know why but I always think that March is a month to celebrate Ireland. It could be that its St. Patrick’s Day in March. Anyway, we all know there is a few lovely people from Ireland on this site so it sounds fitting that we should acknowledge them here.
We are all on our recovery journey together no matter where we live. Gambling is such a horrible addiction or disease or compulsive gambling, whatever we call it, the results are the same. Our minds playing tricks on us that we are sure we are in for a big win or just this once we will go. We don’t need to think about the 31 days in March we just have to take it one day at a time!!!
Have a wonderful gamble free day everyone!!!

[vera]

Not quite March, yet in Ireland, Cat! Thirty minutes to go!
Not alone will we be celebrating St Patrick’s Day worldwide, but next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. I don’t know how many people here acknowledge Lent, but it’s also a time of making changes in our lives….”memento homo quia pulvis es….”
Third month of 2014 already…..
Time flies !

[cat438]

Vera, it is so true that worldwide everyone will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. I think that March 17 is one of the days that everyone has or wishes they had a little bit of Irish in them. I know that I am proud as my Grandpa was Irish. I believe that no matter where we live our homeland is always in our hearts. I know that for me I love Canada and it really is home for me now, but Scotland is always in my heart.
I do not plan on gambling today!!!

[lizbeth4]

I can’t believe that it is March either!!! I will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!!!! I will strife to make it a gamble free month!!!!!

[cat438]

Just for today I will not play those “machines” as I know that I am powerless over them. I know that once I put a $ in then I can’t stop as I am a compulsive gambler or an addict. It does not really matter what I call it as it is all the same in the end. The results don’t change!!!

[reds]

Dear Cat –
I was so happy to see you have posted a March page.
I always celebrate St. Patrick’s Day – it was my first smoke free day 26 years ago. After years of trying to quit I finally did it – taught me to never stop trying.
A month without gambling is a fine thing indeed, I’m looking forward to hearing from more of the community on this page.
reds

[cat438]

Just for today I will not gamble!!! I will also work on having a positive outlook/attitude today!!!

[cat438]

Well it is interesting when I think back to how there would be a special promotion going on today “St Patrick’s Day” at the Casinos. Any excuse/reason that would be used to lure you in the doors so that you could part with your hard earned money. I will not be going to gamble at those machines today. I plan to have a gamble free day!!!

[cat438]

Well about 2/3rd through March… I don’t really think about the end of March until I am there. I know that may sound crazy, but I find that the longer I go with gamble free time that the more I focus on today. I don’t think about tomorrow, next week or next month, I just think about today. It really seems to help me as before I would be worrying about the future. I really work to focus on today, but plan for the future. I do have regrets when I think of the money I wasted on gambling, but I can’t change the past so I have to accept it. I have to learned so much about myself on this journey though and how to cope with things. I also know that I will be a continual work in progress. I am rambling again, but better rambling than gambling LOL Have a wonderful gamble free day everyone!!!

[lizbeth4]

Hi Cat!!! I try to put my focus on now, today, also!!! I think it was easier for me to just get through it, one day at a time!! It took me along time to let the money I wasted go!! I dwelled on it and finally one day, I let it go and moved on. I think we all should be a work in progress. When we stop learning and growing, what is left?? You are not rambling. I get so much from your posts!! I think it is healthy to plan our futures. I have the” 10 Zen letting go” statements on my fridge. It has really helped me to not worry about things that I can’t change and has helped me let go of a lot of unnecessary stuff!!! Take care and keep up the great work!!!!!

[cat438]

I appreciate your comments as we are always learning something on this journey. We have to be open to making those changes and sometimes they don’t happen right away, but if we keep trying we may get there eventually. I looked up the 10 Zen on-line and it is very interesting and I will probably go on again and do some more reading. I find it interesting that the longer I go in recovery the more I realize that my spiritual self needs some major help. I was going to Church for a while and that made a difference, but then I get out of it again and for some reason don’t go. I don’t know why this happens. I also know that we can help our spiritual self with the mindfulness, being in the now, the Zen. I am finding it interesting that I have not yet mentioned gambling as I am focused on something else, how wonderful that feels. I also know how fast that can change, and I have to always be aware that in an instant it can all change. It is day 28 in March and I have not gambled. I continue to take it one day at a time!!! Wishing everyone a gamble free day!!!

[cat438]

It is the last day of March and I do not plan on gambling today. It is interesting that when I first started recovery I would focus on getting through a week, then a month gamble free. I really did not focus on today, as I was always wanting to be further ahead in my recovery. I was always trying to beat my longest gamble free stretch. I remember getting to 90 days and thinking I had it beat LOL I ended up back at the Casino on day 92 or thereabouts. I started on Day 1 again. I had lost faith in myself that I could stop playing those machines as they always pulled me back. I had a number of Day 1’s along the way and had to fight to stay away. It is not an easy to fight those urges, and we plan in our head the slip/gambling. We know before we go that we are going to give in and just one more time we will go. I now know there is no such thing as just one more time for me. As soon as I put a dollar in a machine, it is the same story. I don’t want that life any more, but I now realize that I have not got it beat, that just like that I could put the first dollar in and it would be as if I had never stopped. In the beginning it was somewhere that I could go by myself, and it was exciting when I won and I would forget everything as I watched the machine go round and round, waiting for the jackpot or whatever. I don’t miss the lies, the money I lost, the sneaking around… I now know that just for today I will not gamble. I don’t know where this all came from, it must be thinking it’s the end of the month. I try not to think about how long I have gamble free as I know that in an instant that time can just disappear and I can be back to Day 1. I hope and pray that everyone had some gamble free days in March. Have a great gamble free day today.

[vera]

Cat, you really are an inspiration!
Roll on April!

[Anonymous]

Great post above Cat and as Vera said you are an inspiration. Was never a one for joining in the monthly pacts, even when my recovery was very strong, because I always thought it foolhardy to be honest. One day at a time is how I believed recovery should be handled, (and still do). I’ve only got a few gamble free days behind me and have had many many day ones in last year or so. Vera’s poem last week and your post above have helped me re-affirm my belief that recovery is only achievable one day at a time but to be be fully “recovered” is something that no CG will ever be. As always thats only my opinion.

Thanks.

Geordie.

[vera]

Geordie! Wow!

Seeing you here makes it all worthwhile!
Whether it’s a day, a week or a month!

Good to have you back!

[cat438]

It is great to hear from you Geordie, and all we can do is keep taking it one day at a time!!!

[Author]

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