Sober Snacks #15

Bite size tips & stories to help you not drink today. For the sober and sober curious looking for digestible, on-the-go sober-positive content. These are the stories and lifestyle tips of people who don’t drink. Enjoy :)

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When asked “what can I get you to drink?”, you say:

“I’d love a Pellegrino or other sparkling/mineral waters.”

What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

1. How Not to Die by Gene Stone and Michael Greger

2. The Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley

3. The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein

Within your sobriety, what is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made? (Could be an investment of money, time, energy, etc.)

I finally made an investment in myself! When I was drinking there was so much self-sabotage; I wasn’t living up to my potential as a mother, wife, friend, or coworker.

Choosing to break up with alcohol has been life-changing for me. My life is much easier without booze.

I have always been drawn to personal development, but it’s so much different now. It’s been so fun actually living and feeling the transformation that has taken place in my life.

My life look pretty darn good when I was drinking. But internally it was constant chaos, stress, anxiety, and sadness. I’m grateful my outside and inside didn’t look the same, at the same time people couldn’t understand why I felt so alone. It’s hard to articulate that outwardly I looked so together, but inwardly I was so broken.

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love and only discovered after you got into sobriety?

Oh my gosh! My daily gratitude practice has been LIFE-CHANGING!

I always thought I appreciated life before, but through such a simple practice (that most people refuse to embrace) I see the world through beautiful rose-colored glasses.

I have retrained my brain to see the beauty all around me, even on the rainiest of days. I had no idea there were so many different shades of blues and greens in nature. I cannot get enough of seeing all the beautiful colors in the sky from sun up to sundown.

I also discovered that I LOVE how calm and peaceful feel. It is far from boring. Finding peace in life is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. ❤️

Which area has changed the most, and for the better, in sobriety: health, wealth, relationships, or spirituality?

Such a loaded question. All of those areas have so drastically increased. It’s hard to pick just one, but I’ll go with Spirituality.

I was raised in a traditional protestant environment, but when I broke up with that environment, I reconnected with God and The Universe in such a beautiful and impactful way.

I chat with God/The Universe when I’m driving down the road, feeding all of my beautiful birds in my yard, or when I’m out hiking.

I find God and The Universe all around me and it’s an amazing gift to myself that I am able to find God in nature, a connection with a stranger. I love experiencing the little everyday miracles that happen in my life each and every day.

When someone asks you, “why don’t you drink,” what do you say?

Honestly, you want to know why I don’t drink? I was exhausted from picking a fight with my husband over NOTHING or saying something snarky to my sons that I couldn’t take back”.

My ex-husband struggled with addiction for many years. He, unfortunately, passed away 2 years ago. Had I still been drinking when he died, God only knows what unkind thing I might have said to my boys about his death. For that reason alone, I am forever grateful I broke up with booze.

I also have the fortunate benefit of not being a blackout drinker, so I am VERY aware of the venom that could come out of my mouth, which was typically directed at my family. I was always charming and kind to others. Why would I want to continue to do something that negatively impacted the four people I love more than anyone in the world?