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Today we have Alysse. She is 51 years old, lives in Seattle, WA and she took her last drink on April 30th, 2006.
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[02:58] Thoughts from Paul:
The topic for today’s podcast is Think Happy Thoughts. This links well with the most prolific teaching we covered last week, which is The Golden Rule.
The human brain is the most powerful manifestation machine on planet earth. What you put out there is what you get back. Removing alcohol from your life is a HUGE step forward, but then it all comes down to the mental state you choose.
Author Jay Shetty has a book called Think like a Monk. He has a line about your thoughts that he wants you to ask if the thought is a seed or a weed. If it’s a weed, let it go. If it’s a seed, keep building on it. Add water, healthy soil and all of that.
The MOST IMPORTANT part of thinking happy thoughts is AWARENESS. You have to first become aware of your thoughts.
Paul shares that he uses journaling often. He writes about things he is looking forward to and tries to be aware of his thoughts throughout the day. We often think the answer to our problems needs to be complicated and located outside of ourselves. It’s within and it starts upstairs.
[08:01] Paul introduces Alysse:
Alysse just turned 51 and recently celebrated 20 years of sobriety. She lives in Seattle, WA, is single, and has one son. She is considering going into business for herself and enjoys content creation and arts and crafts.
Alysse grew up in a small town, attended a Christian school until her teens, and says she lived a sheltered life. She first drank during her sophomore year of high school and says she drank alcoholically from the beginning.
Alysse briefly attended college before dropping out and working for the airlines. At 20, she became pregnant and hoped motherhood would improve her life. She abstained from drinking for most of her pregnancy, but afterward returned to substance use, which quickly became heavier.
Alysse describes her 20s as a cycle of moving in and out of her parents’ house, changing jobs and friend groups, and using alcohol and drugs.
At 30, Alysse moved to Seattle and began selling newspaper advertising, viewing the move as a fresh start. Instead, her substance use changed. Once more social, she now spent much of her time alone.
Around this time, Alysse began carpooling with a sober coworker who offered support. Though hesitant, she eventually attended her first AA meeting. She also began therapy but was never completely honest about her drinking. After an intake at a rehab facility, inpatient treatment was recommended, but she chose to return for outpatient care once her son could stay with her parents for the summer.
At that first AA meeting, Alysse heard stories she identified with and realized she was not alone. She began to accept that she might be an alcoholic. On the drive home, her “check engine” light came on, which she took as a sign that this was her last chance—her “burning bush” moment.
Alysse and her coworker began attending meetings during lunch, and she entered outpatient treatment. She did all the right things externally, but years later realized she needed deeper internal work. Depression had become consuming, and she had become a workaholic. She began addressing her depression, committed more deeply to the 12 Steps, and focused on being of service.
In 2020, Alysse launched The Sober Curator, creating a space to keep people in long-term sobriety entertained, inspired, and motivated to keep going. There is a newsletter that is emailed each week updating what they have recently shared on the site.
Recovery Elevator
You took the elevator down.
You’ve got to take the stairs back up.
We can do this.
