Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

Alcohol -- A Way OUT
“I can’t convince you to put the drink down …
You have to want to do that.” ~ Don Young
So, maybe you have decided that you would like alcohol to play a diminished role in your
life. Maybe you have even decided you would like to remove its debilitating affects from
your life entirely … If so, the question now becomes: HOW in the world do we do so?
Lots of folks are drinking out there. Most of our world’s cultures promote it, many of our
friends encourage it, and our own ego oftentimes craves it. And yet, more and more folks
are choosing to replace the habit of drinking alcohol with Self-Affirming alternatives.
And they all seem to have a “best way” to quit, and some of their ideas might prove
helpful for you. Attending support groups, keeping a recovery diary, submitting to a
Higher Power, ignoring ridiculously high relapse rates, setting monthly drinking goals,
establishing daily/weekly drinking limits, doing the opposite of what non-recovering
addicts do or advocate doing, spending more time with those who don’t drink and less
time with those who do, meditating, doing yoga &/or Tai Chi, showing forgiveness for all
your past transgressors (resentment is a potent drinking trigger), keeping yourself busy,
cleaning your home, going for a long walk in Nature, caring for a pet, playing with your
children, cooking a healthy meal, being consciously grateful for your life (sadness is yet
another powerful trigger), purposefully altering your daily routines, volunteering in your
community (especially with the homeless, who are often also abusers of alcohol), quitting
smoking (nicotine dramatically intensifies one’s urges to drink), reading (especially
recovery literature), fulfilling your “bucket list”, turning off your television (especially
the news – depression &/or feelings of hopelessness are also powerful triggers),
exercising, praying, and helping another “addict” to quit drinking are all practices that
can indeed help you remove yourself from alcohol’s grasp.
Aaannnnnnnnd … none of them are necessary! All you need to do to be free of alcohol
is to consciously engage the following simple steps:
Step 01) Pause in the moment your desire to imbibe surfaces, and Acknowledge your
urge to drink …
Step 02) Pause for yet another instant, and Console your ego – first by thanking it (and
its addictive tendencies) for doing its best to keep you “safe” and “happy”, and then
reassuring it that you are not quitting alcohol forever; only for this one moment … This
will help it to relax a bit and allow you to engage the all important –
Step 03) Immediately go forth and Transcend your addiction by BEing KIND -- by doing
something – anything – that is designed to bring another person Peace or Joy. For at least
as long as you continue to do so, you will be completely urge-free – and therefore
completely addiction-free as well.
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