On the day you may wake up and realize you have been feeling very sick for so long

that you can’t remember what it was like to feel healthy, peaceful and happy, you may suddenly realize that it may be alcohol has made you so very sick, and you can’t remember why you started to drink so much of it.

On the same day that you face the TRUTH about the sad path you have been on you can begin to take the steps that will heal you and bring you happiness.

Try the following steps towards giving up alcohol for your health and happiness. You will gain such strength in your own will power it will amaze you! Truth + will power will put together the foundation for your happiness. You can use it to gain your own total health. It will take some time. But as with everything you learn, it will get easier and easier to live without alcohol.

If you can truthfully and honestly say:

MY GOAL IS TO LIVE WITHOUT ALCOHOL

Step 1 Give up the friends (at least for awhile) who thrust alcohol at you when you’ve already told them you don’t want it. When you’re sure you can resist their ways them, maybe you’ll want to hang around with them again, maybe not!

Step 2 For awhile, give up the places you used to go that encouraged you to drink. Where the host/hostess carry around the free alcohol and refill your glass as soon as it is empty. If that place is a celebration party for friends or family you make the choice - Can I take being shunned for awhile for not drinking alcohol with those friends and family? Maybe it won’t be fun, but if all your family and friends are going to get all down on you just for not drinking - give them up for awhile too. Be honest with them. Tell them why you can't be around them for awhile - My Goal IS To Live Without Alcohol! They may laugh now, but later they will appreciate you for this very thing. Later, and it may not take long, when alcohol has become a complete bummer for you and the thought of it makes you want to puke, you can hang out with some or all of them again, and they will know, you are invulnerable.

Step 3 For while, focus on your own health. Don’t worry about helping others for awhile just re-program yourself to find positive feedback and input wherever you are and wherever you go.

To program yourself for positive input meditate like this:

• Pick a time and a quiet place when and where you know you won’t be interrupted for a couple hours.
• Sit calmly and just look inwardly at your thoughts whatever they are - repeat to yourself:
• “I am calm, abiding.”
• Relax every part of your body starting at your toes and moving up to the top of your head
• Breath deeply and let all your tensions go
• Remember a time when you were very happy as a child
• Remember everything about that time and place
• Remember the sights, sounds, smells, people, colors, light - everything

Take as long as you want to completely absorb the positive energy that comes from that happy memory

Keep breathing and smiling

If this starts to feel negative or a negative memory intrudes - stop that negative thought and

Start picturing that happy, childhood memory again.

Do this positive focusing meditation at first for an hour or more. Over a couple weeks, you will find it easier and easier to go quickly to that happy memory. You can use that happy memory to replace the negative thoughts about yourself, or others, that have in the past drawn you back to self-medicating with alcohol.

It will help you to positive thoughts inside yourself to get you through many stressful times. This exercise made it much easier for me to resist alcohol. I continue to use this positive way to reinforce my original impulse to quit alcohol.

STEP 4 Maintain your resolve. REMEMBER TO REMIND YOURSELF OF YOUR GOAL whenever you feel the urge to give up.

YOUR GOAL IS TO LIVE WITHOUT ALCOHOL

and to have that kind of calm, relaxed, secure happy mind that you had as a child before you ever tried to take away pain with alcohol. THIS CALM, ABIDING, PEACEFUL MIND will bring you health.

Then, to keep that calm spirit inside yourself that will give you strength and health and happiness:

Step 5 You can also learn about and use the herbal remedies that will help you to self-medicate in a positive, healthy way. Do this responsibly. I am not talking about using psycho-tropic herbs like marijuana or any of the hallucinogens that will make your mind peaceful at first, but do not last or build health in your body. I am talking about the other leaves and roots and flowers that really help you heal. The Way of the Herbs by Michael Tierra is a great book to help you learn about these healing methods.

Step 6 Give yourself a lot of TLC, starting with the ABC’s of nutrition, sleep, exercise and those positive thoughts for yourself. Find time each day to be alone to be aware of how well you are doing, and to strengthen your resolve.

Step 7 Join a group of others, AA, or a church group, or a health plan's substance abuse group, BUT ONLY IF YOU TRULY WANT TO, who are also giving up alcohol. Listen, share, relate. If their stories and ways don’t help you, seek, and you will find, others who are. Sometimes the group can be too stressful, keep your freedom to be yourself, whatever you do.

Step 8 Being truthful - with yourself and others. Truth will help you be responsible for yourself. Truth is an excellent healer, even when it is at times painful. A calm, abiding mind will help you find the truth.

These steps are derived from several ways towards health that I have found in my own quest for personal health, peace, and happiness. They may also help you in many other ways in your life. Pass them on to others when you are ready to truthfully believe in them. Remember, the goal is the thing!

You do not have to consider it a fight against anything, but instead a path to health and happiness. It may take some work, sometimes, and I wish you the love that makes all things easy along your way toward your goals.

Peace.