RE 607: Sobriety Slogans

Today we have John. He is 39 years old, lives in Vermont, and he took his last drink on July 15th, 2026. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Check out this free guide to your first seven days without alcohol. [02:43] Thoughts from Paul: Paul says that when he first quit drinking and entered the rooms of recovery, he heard so many sayings or recovery slogans and most of them made him roll his eyes. But now when he hears them, he recognizes the wisdom baked into these lines. Paul shares numerous phrases with us that many of us will recognize, but the one that got the biggest eyeroll out of him when he first got sober was "One Day at a Time". There is so much in this five-word phrase. Shortened to three words, it is The Present Moment. Shortened even further to one word, NOW. Eckhart Tolle wrote a whole book about it. If you find yourself thinking about how you're going to make it through the witching hour sober, you're not there yet. Or how you're going to be AF for the rest of your life? You're not there yet either. One day at a time means to be here in this moment. You've heard it before on this podcast, but addiction is the greatest life curriculum that one can be blessed with. You're blessed with the opportunity to fully dissect the saying one day at a time because the other side of an addiction is trying to get you to live in the present moment. [06:22] Paul introduces John: John is 39, lives in Vermont, and works in quality control and production. For fun, he enjoys golf and basketball and has rediscovered his love of reading. He says his alcohol-free journey began with Annie Grace's This Naked Mind. John first started drinking in his early teens. He and his friends drank and smoked pot on weekends throughout high school, except during sports seasons when he would tone it down. John began questioning when the last time was that he and his buddies had done anything sober. He says programming took over, and alcohol became woven into the fabric of everything. When John bought his first home in his early 20s, he adopted the habit of having a beer or two after work. He knew drinking might be a problem but never considered quitting. In his late 20s, John began dating a woman who didn't drink much. After she moved in, they began drinking together. Over time, John's drinking worsened, and hers ramped up too. His work schedule and drinking habits made it difficult to make plans, and their relationship began to suffer. About four years ago, John started reading quit lit and listening to podcasts. He realized he didn't have control over his drinking and unsuccessfully tried moderation. His girlfriend confronted him, and although he promised to do better, he began hiding his drinking. He felt weak when he realized he couldn't control it. While listening to the RE podcast, John heard stories that reminded him of himself. Hearing others' success motivated him because he realized that if they could do it, so could he. He planned to wean himself off alcohol over a few weeks, but on the fourth day, he woke up knowing he needed to stop. John used journaling to stay motivated and made a list of all he had lost while drinking. He began reading more quit lit, he joined a gym, bought a basketball, and began exercising. He is now focused on building a routine and a support network. In the past when John tried to quit, he was doing it to prove to someone else that he could do it. This time, he is in it for the long haul. He hasn't had cravings and is just looking forward to finding new things to do to occupy his time. John's parting piece of guidance: "Today's the day. Every single day that I waited, I look back and wish I would have quit a day sooner." Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down. We got to take the stairs back up. We can do this. RE Instagram Café RE Books Sobriety Tracker iTunes RE YouTube