by Paul Churchill | Jun 1, 2020 | Podcast
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Brian took his last drink September 18, 2019. At 213 days (at the time of recording) this is his story of living alcohol free (AF).
End of Season 1
After 276 consecutive Mondays & 5 years, Paul is stepping down from the podcast and is handing Recovery Elevator over to a new and talented voice. He recaps his next steps and an overview of what the last 5 years has brought him. With 2076 days at the time of recording, Paul is filled with gratitude for all you listeners. Because of you, he is filled with enough. We are all in this together.
Don’t forget, you can rate and review the podcast and tell Paul the change this podcast has affected in your own life.
[13:36] Paul introduces Brian.
Brian is 45 years old, married and lives in Easley, SC. He is married with two children. He was in the Army for 17 years before moving to the South. For fun Brian likes to golf, ski, snowboard, BBQ his own meats. He also does podcasting and some PA events.
[17:20] Give listeners some background on your drinking.
Brian didn’t drink until he had almost graduated High School. He drank and got drunk the very first time. He said that was a theme throughout his drinking. He drank to get drunk each time. He went through military training and service and returned home to finish college in Baltimore. He was asked to leave after 2 years due to a 0.0 GPA the previous semester.
[21:16] When did your drinking progress?
Brian said there were waves of drinking. It picked up in his 20s after leaving college. Bartending made it easy to drink a lot. In 1999 he had to call out of his job a few times due to hangover. At that time, he saw there was a problem with his drinking and got sober for about 8 months from alcohol. In 2004, he tried to quit alcohol again for about 7 months. In 2007 he got into some legal trouble but during that his now wife became pregnant with their first child. He says his daughter saved his life.
Thorough out this time, Brian says he would often be spoken at work about his behavior during events that involved alcohol. And in 2020 at an executive weekend event, he spent the entire weekend drunk. He said he was spoken to a few times throughout the weekend and that next week was his last drink with his cousin.
[30:55] Let talk about your last drink.
Brian said it was in his mind that something needed to change. He ordered a craft beer, and it didn’t taste good. He ordered a second, it didn’t taste good. At that moment he knew something was going to change.
[35:15] What was September 19, 2020 like?
Brian was familiar with the sober fellowship in his area and he began attending meetings immediately. However, this time, he felt very good about his decision to stop drinking. There was a sense of relief and peace that his suffering was over.
20 years of ups and downs and trying to get sober, culminated in this last drink in September 2019.
[40:43] In the first 60 / 90 days how did you get past some cravings?
Brian said that while he didn’t have cravings exactly, he had thoughts about drinking. Many of them situational. He’s forcing himself to remember the bad and not romanticize the good. Playing the tape forward helps to remind him of the bad. Seeing how that one romantic moment turns into a day of regret the next day. This time getting sober, Brian knew he needed to do something different and approached it in that manner. He put more effort into his getting sober.
[46:26] Do you recognize the profound leaps and bounds you have made over these past 7 months?
Brian said he has put the work into himself to try and find out who he is. Removing the masks worn and breaking down the facades of who he thought he was to find out who he truly is in this life. He tries to meditate every single day for 30 – 60 minutes a day and has been reading a lot more, both of which center him. All of this to try and put aside the ego.
[48:34] Comment on some other experiences where you have said “that’s no longer me / who I am”
Brian has seen a change in his personal relationships. In the past he was short to show his temper and is choosing to not be that person any longer. He now finds his stoicism a strength, while when he was drinking it was a weakness. While still drinking he bottled up his feelings which would then tumble out while drunk in an overexaggerated manner. And now while sober, he’s allowing himself to feel the feelings and understand more what they are telling him. Brian lets himself be sensitive and he can respond rather than react.
[52:50] Rapid Fire Round
- What’s a lightbulb moment you’ve had on this journey?
I never knew who I was until these last 7 months.
- What is a memorable moment a life without alcohol has given you?
Rekindling my relationship with my kids.
- What’s your favorite AF drink?
Seltzer water. Cranberry lime specifically. And Kombucha.
- What’s on your bucket list in this AF life?
Pilots license.
- What parting piece of guidance can you give to listeners?
Keep going. Even if you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. Every moment is a new moment to change.
You might need to ditch the booze if…
If your fraternity renames the yearly Biggest Partier award after you and disqualifies you from winning it.
Future Episodes:
Please give this new voice a chance, please listen for at least a few episodes. Please let us know your thoughts. Paul has asked this person to honor the mission of the podcast, shedding the stigma surrounding addiction. And also to honor the path this new direction takes.
Upcoming events, retreats and courses:
- Ditching the Booze – The What, the Why and the How. We will be offering this again, starting 8/4/2020 and 11/3/20. It’s free for Café RE members. Not a Café Re member? Sign up here and use the code OPPORTUNITY for waive the set-up fee.
- You can find more information about our events
The book, Alcohol is SH!T, is out. Pick up your paperback copy on Amazon here! You can get the Audible version here!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee..
Sobriety Tracker iTunes
Sobriety Tracker Android
Sober Selfies!- Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to –info@recoveryelevator.com
“Recovery Elevator – You took the elevator down, you gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this- I love you guys,”
by Paul Churchill | May 18, 2020 | Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe to the Recovery Elevator Podcast Apple Podcasts | | More
Jeff took his last drink February 8, 2020. With 65 days of sobriety (at the time of recording) this is his story of living alcohol free (AF).
On today’s episode Paul opens discussing emotions. How it’s ok to feel all of them and how they help us to grow. In order to shift stagnant energy inside all of us, we have to talk about our emotions. It’s ok to not be ok. It’s ok to vent out your emotions and break off little pieces of frustration.
Are you looking to explore deeper your decision to live alcohol free and are already a Café RE member? If so, sign up for the six week course starting May 19th entitled: Ditching the Booze – The What, the Why and the How. Not a Café Re member? Sign up here and use the code OPPORTUNITY for waive the set up fee.
Paul shares the details about his free guided meditation. To find those meditations, go here.
[12:08] Paul introduces Jeff.
Jeff is 29 years old, lives in Tampa, FL. He is a plumber. He doesn’t have a family, yet! He likes to hang out with his dog Bo and go fishing, camping and attend sporting events.
[13:58] What’s your favorite alcohol free drink?
Cherry Coke.
[15:13] Give us a background on your drinking
Jeff started drinking around the age of 15 with anything he could get his hands on. He remembers being 5 years old and having a sip of his father’s drink. He is the youngest of 3 and when he would visit his older siblings in college, their friends would slip his drinks, as young as at the age of 11. Drinking was just what you did when you got older, it was part of being an adult. Everyone seemed to enjoy drinking, so he should too. In college he joined a fraternity and it again drinking was just what everyone did, it was part of the culture of college and he went along for the ride.
However at the age of 22, Jeff realized that stopping drinking might be the better choice for him.
[19:52] What were the circumstances at 22 that made you think to stop drinking?
Jeff said it was the physical effects of alcohol on his mind and body. He always felt like he could be doing more in life and alcohol was holding him back.
[21:45] Fill in the gaps from age 22 to 29 (7 years) as you were building awareness around your drinking.
Jeff began working as a Sam Adams beer rep out of New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA. At any given time there were 15 cases of beer in his home. Part of the job was sampling beers, so loading up a cooler full of beer every day and sampling with 10 different customers wasn’t out of the norm. The idea that something Jeff felt was in his way, but also his paycheck was difficult to reconcile.
In 2015 Jeff began trying to moderate his alcohol intake. He didn’t keep much alcohol in the house, but he found when he did drink, he couldn’t stop.
[23:46] Can you talk more about when you say, “Once you start it’s hard to stop”?
Jeff described his drinking like a firework. Light the fuse, it shoots up, it’s great for 8/9 hours and then it blows up. His emotions would often get out of control. The days following his drinking were awful emotionally as well. No energy or mind power to do anything.
[25:22] Was there a rock bottom moment?
Jeff said the first rock bottom moment was in 2012. After a day of drinking, he completely lost it; throwing away his wallet, trashing the apartment he shared with a roommate, quitting his job via email with 2 hours notice.
65 days ago, after three weeks of not drinking, he had a beer and the next day got sick. He knew it was the alcohol and used those 4 days being sick as a springboard to make the change to fully living a life without alcohol.
[27:28] After those initial 4 days, how did you do it?
One day at a time. Jeff said he would call old friends, not to talk about drinking, but just to talk. He would exercise, cook and focus on doing all the things he wanted to do that alcohol was holding him back from doing. Also journaling and feeling his emotions again.
[30:34] Talk to us about how you are embracing your emotions?
Jeff said he is trying to learn what emotion he is actually feeling at a particular time. Is this happiness? Why am I feeling happy? Jeff is giving himself permission to have these feelings. He’s focusing on gratefulness.
[35:47] Where do you want to go in this AF life?
Jeff said he’s trying not to look too far ahead in life. That’s been a problem for him before. He’s focusing on being present and happy. He wants to grow and have a family and grow his business. Jeff said, “If you drink today, you are taking away tomorrow’s happiness” and he wants to be happy.
[38:08] What has it been like getting sober a little earlier in life?
Jeff said that so far, it’s been easier than expected. However, he doesn’t discount the near decade of knowing he needed to try and live an AF life. There are no distractions right now during stay at home orders. He admits this might be a bigger test once COVID-19 is over.
[43:10] What are your thoughts on relapse?
Jeff said it does mean you’re a failure, it’s all about how you handle the relapse. The past is the past and you can start over in the present.
[44:11] Rapid Fire Round
- What’s a lightbulb moment you’ve had on this journey?
December 2019, driving home after a party, Jeff drove through a construction zone. The police were called, and he was let go. Avoiding jail was a wakeup call.
- What is a memorable moment that a life without alcohol has given you?
Constantly being present and recognizing emotions.
- What’s your favorite resource in recovery?
Recovery Elevator podcast, other online stories of people overcoming addiction.
- What parting piece of guidance can you give to listeners?
Give it a try. If you can do it for 1 day, you can do it for 2.
You might need to ditch the booze if…
You are 19 years old, get kicked out of a football game, on your way home call up a family member to curse them out, break into your RA’s room and finally wake up to the police carrying you to your own room
Upcoming Events and Retreats:
You can find more information about our event here.
The book, Alcohol is SH!T, is out. Pick up your paperback copy on Amazon here! You can get the Audible version here!
This episode sponsored by:
Tiger Tail, use this link and enter the promo code: ELEVATOR15 for 15% off your order.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set up fee.
Sobriety Tracker iTunes
Sobriety Tracker Android
Sober Selfies!- Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to –info@recoveryelevator.com
“Recovery Elevator – You took the elevator down, you have to take the stairs back up. We can do this.”
by Paul Churchill | May 11, 2020 | Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe to the Recovery Elevator Podcast Apple Podcasts | | More
Carrie took her last drink April 7, 2020. With 7 days of sobriety (at the time of recording) this is her story of living alcohol free (AF).
On today’s episode Paul discusses the idea that you don’t have to quit drinking in order to quit drinking and what that means to different people and himself. When you give yourself permission to be happy in the now, the need to drink goes away. By not delaying happiness in life, an alcohol free life emerges. If you have more questions about this, please email Paul directly here.
Are you looking to explore deeper your decision to live alcohol free and are already a Café RE member? If so, sign up for the six week course starting May 19th entitled: Ditching the Booze – The What, the Why and the How. Not a Café Re member? Sign up here and use the code OPPORTUNITY for waive the set-up fee.
Paul shares the details about his free guided meditation. To find those meditations, go here.
[12:30] Paul introduces Carrie.
She is 42 years old, lives in Centralia, MO. She is a single mom of 2 boys. She sells cars for a living. Carries likes to read, spend time at baseballs games, spend time with her kids, to bike and be outdoors. She is looking forward to rediscovering new way to spend her time.
[16:29] Give us a background on your drinking
Carrie took her first drink at the age of 13 and was in treatment for alcohol twice before she was 18 years old. From the age of 18 to 27, she gathered 9 years of sobriety. After that time, she wanted to reach out and connect with other young people and thought she could pick up and drink without consequence. In 2015 after her son was born, was when she noticed her drinking was becoming unmanageable. She said her drinking got “way worse”, to the point of drinking in the mornings.
[23:43] Talk to us about the last two years of your drinking.
Carrie said she has always tried to moderate her drinking, but it was never possible. In March of 2020 her boss called her into his office and asked if she had a problem with alcohol, which she replied “no.” However a week later she walked back into his office and said she does have a problem and she wants help. While she did lose her job, she freed herself of the secret.
[27:38] Is something different this time around?
Carrie stated that yes, this time feels different. After getting through the withdrawals and praying that she wouldn’t die, she realized that this time around was the worst withdrawal she had experienced. She decided this was the last time she would ever go through this. Using those physical symptoms to propel herself forward.
[32:54] What are you struggling with most right now?
Carries says that seclusion is the hardest. She only interacts with her children and isn’t able to spend time with friends and family. She misses her church and the ability to worship with other people in the same room. She finds video meet ups helpful, but just not the same thing.
[35:25] What are some concepts/mantras you are putting in place to help you continue past these 7 days?
Carrie says that she keeps telling herself she is stronger than alcohol and she wants to be free from alcohol. Repeating that to herself over and over.
[41:07] What’s on your bucket list for this AF life?
She is looking forward to interacting with her children again. She is also looking forward to traveling again.
[43:17] Do you think you’ll be sober in 30 days?
Carrie: “Yes I do.”
[46:28] What advice would you give to your younger self?
Carrie doesn’t think that her younger self would have listened to any advice. Carrie of today would simply say “It’s going to be a rough road, but it will be ok in the end.”
[48:01] Rapid Fire Round
- What’s a lightbulb moment you’ve had on this journey?
When she lost her job due to alcohol, that she needs to quit drinking.
- What is a memorable moment that a life without alcohol has given you?
Easter with her kids. She was able to hide eggs and baskets again.
- What’s your favorite alcohol-free drink?
Water.
- What’s your favorite resource in recovery?
Recovery Elevator podcast, AA meetings, reading about addiction.
- What parting piece of guidance can you give to listeners?
You are stronger than alcohol and if you surrender to the addiction to alcohol, you can get past this.
You might need to ditch the booze if…
Your 18 year old comes into the closet you are hiding in and takes the bottle of vodka and dumps is down the drain.
Paul shares a poem written by a listener:
“12 Steps to Addiction”
A long time ago, I met a friend.
Oh, it was a god send.
Together,
Streams of blood turn into a rushing river,
Shaking loose an ancient rigidity.
Like a hot fired fever.
Cracking a cast of insecurity.
Oh paint my vision in saturated tones,
Warm my blood, loosen my bones.
Tell me stories that aren’t true,
The biggest lie you told,
Is that the only truth is you.
I’m tightly steered
by your white knuckled grip.
“I will make it better” it whispers in sips.
I buy another round of your intention.
To cure a mental infection,
Septic fears of imperfection,
Impermanence,
Loneliness,
And rejection.
Im being taught to say goodbye,
To friends I used to see.
These people surrounding you, you say,
“They are not like you, and not like me.
They are empty vessels floating by.”
I agree,
Because I no longer float,
My mind runs until it can fly.
I keep running running running,
But now I can’t catch up, and I can’t escape.
I’m talking, I’m laughing,
Sounds from my mind unheard,
Like a cold air’s breath, they dissipate.
I am alone.
You implanted these thoughts,
Rewired my synaptic circuits,
Into a million tiny knots.
I need you to keep making this true.
And when I wake up at four,
I need more.
I ignore the conscious mind,
breathing notes of despair,
In my ear and around my neck.
I’m unaware of the gun to my head,
And all the ways I’ve been mislead.
While I drink your poison,
It is me that you usurp.
I joyfully bask in your calm, dimming light,
Until I’m met with a darkness.
Thoughts reduced to a dizzying fog,
Words falling into meaningless,
Forgetful monologue.
Oh, I want more of this story you sold.
But you no longer talk.
Your skeleton sits with me in silence,
As I desperately chew on your bones.
Your eyes are barren stones.
I will use them to build a memorial,
To every drop of poison I tasted.
All the valuable time I wasted.
A long time ago, I met a friend.
It was a godsend.
I was introduced to my vulnerability,
Reduced to an insanity,
Succumbed to this power,
Quietly, stealing my vitality.
A godsend,
Who will make me climb a mountain,
To find my own cure.
A challenge I didn’t expect to endure,
To ensure that I don’t lose breath,
Running towards my destruction,
Towards a construct, an embodiment,
Of everyone else’s description,
Of who I should have been.
Ultimately I’ve become lonely.
Constructed a fraudulent personality,
Succumbed to a common abnormality,
I carry this world uninspired.
This void you left,
Is making me so,
Goddamn,
Tired.
-Mia
Upcoming Events and Retreats:
You can find more information about all our events here.
The book, Alcohol is SH!T, is out. Pick up your paperback copy on Amazon here! You can get the Audible version here!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
For 15% off your Tiger Tail order go to https://www.amazon.com/tigertaildog and use the promo code ELEVATOR15 at checkout.
In today’s episode Paul introduces listeners to a new company called Monument, an online treatment platform for those looking to change their relationship with alcohol.
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee.
Sobriety Tracker iTunes
Sobriety Tracker Android
Sober Selfies!- Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to –info@recoveryelevator.com
“Recovery Elevator – Go Big, Because Eventually We All Go Home.”
by Paul Churchill | Apr 20, 2020 | Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe to the Recovery Elevator Podcast Apple Podcasts | | More
Tom took his last drink February 16, 2019. This is his story.
On today’s episode Paul shares stories from listeners, and Café RE members, sharing their experiences during this Covid-19 pandemic. We’d love to hear how you are doing through this as well. Email your story to info@recoveryelevator.com.
Paul also reminds us to cut ourselves a break, practice self-love and compassion. He asks that you love yourself, regardless of where you are on this journey. For some free guided meditations, go here.
[18:55] Paul introduces Tom.
Tom is 64 years old and lives along the shore of Lake Erie, near Cleveland, OH. He is married and has 2 adult children, a son and a daughter. For work Tom is a graphic artist, and for fun Tom loves to cook, which led him to vegetable gardening, which is also a loved pastime of his. Tom is also a big history buff.
[26:55] Give us a background on your drinking.
Tom started drinking in high school and found it helped him overcome his shyness. He continued to drink regularly for about 18 years. He didn’t drink every day, was more of a binge drinker. Drinking made outgoing and he liked it.
In 1991 Tom got a DUI while driving home from a wedding. Up until that point Tom had never thought about quitting drinking. After getting the DUI he just stopped. He stopped for about 14 years.
[28:25] What happened after 14 years?
Tom said after 14 years he just started easing back into it, drinking occasionally. That continued from about 2005 to 2017. In 2017 Tom realized that his drinking was causing more anxiety than it was solving, and he became sober-curious.
[34:00] Was there a time during those 5 months of day 1s that you just wanted to give up?
Tom said it was more a frustration because it was ridiculously consistent and he couldn’t seem to break the habit. In February of 2019 Tom got the flu and missed a couple days of work, during which he drank, while trying to hide it. Tom’s wife called him out on it and on February 17, 2019, Tom joined Café RE and hasn’t had a drink since.
[39:00] What was it like when you reached out for additional accountability?
Tom said he thought, why should he do this alone, so after listening to the Recovery Elevator podcast he joined Café RE. He started getting posting videos and connecting with other members. The connections led to in-person meetups which are one of the biggest parts of Tom’s sobriety and life.
[47:47] What can you say to people out there that are struggling and can’t make it past day 1?
Tom says that when you are getting started you have to change everything that you are doing. He also suggests going for a walk until the cravings go away.
[55:22] What excuse did you used to tell yourself as to why you couldn’t quit drinking?
Tom said it was more of the excuse, why should he, rather than why he couldn’t.
[56:20] Rapid Fire Round
- What’s a lightbulb moment you’ve had on this journey?
That drinking wasn’t a solution for anxiety, it was more of a cause for anxiety.
- What is a memorable moment that a life without alcohol has given you?
Meetups, absolutely meetups.
- What’s your favorite alcohol-free drink?
Virgin Canadian Whiskey and Diet Coke.
- What is on your bucket list in a life without alcohol?
Meeting more people from Café RE.
- What parting piece of guidance can you give to listeners?
Really connect, connect, connect on a personal level.
You might need to ditch the booze if…
You order a cello while drinking and you don’t play a musical instrument.
Upcoming Events and Retreats.
Recovery Elevator LIVE: Dancing with the Mind – in Colorado – June 11-14th, 2020
You can find more information about our event here.
The book, Alcohol is Sh!t, is out. Pick up your paperback copy on Amazon here! You can get the Audible version here!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY for your first month free
Sobriety Tracker iTunes
Sobriety Tracker Android
Sober Selfies! – Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com
“Recovery Elevator – You took the elevator down, you have to take the stairs back up. You can do this.”
by Paul Churchill | Apr 13, 2020 | Blog, Helpful Tips, Resources
Those in recovery have a head start. We’ve already begun the inner transformation that so many are just starting. This is a fun concept everyone that I get super excited about. It’s a deep one. I think you’ll understand why and I want you to come with me. I think you’re ready. I know you’re ready.
But first… Here is a long list of countries, capitals, and cities that have shut down the sale of alcohol, and don’t recognize them as essential businesses during the COVID. I hope you’re comfortable, this is a LONG list, I mean, get ready to be here for a while.
Cheers to South Africa (closed until April 16th), Nuuk, the capital Greenland, and the town of Aisne France (they cited an increase in domestic violence in homes which led to this decision).
The “long list” part was a joke. My goodness. If that’s not a wakeup call, I don’t know what it… And this is a precursor to where this post is going.
Essential Businesses
I first want to cover why liquor stores are considered essential businesses… I know many of you have sent me emails wondering the same… And here’s why.
The Mayor of Denver Colorado reversed his call of closing all liquor stores on March 23rd just two hours after announcing that liquor stores would close during the quarantine. I read a long article in the Denver Post the other day on why the quick reversal. It cited keeping jobs intact, preventing more unemployment claims, which all make sense. However, the most accurate response came at the end, which said, “the last thing we need right now is a bunch of people taking up hospital beds with for alcohol withdrawals.”
And there you have it. It’s that simple. Our society has found ourselves in such a pickle, that for many, pharmacies and liquor stores are contemporaneous or interchangeable. This has to change. It is changing.
Where have I heard that before?
The other day I was on the phone with our contact at the hotel in Denver for our upcoming event this June. I asked her how she was doing during the pandemic, and she said, “well, I’m taking it one day at a time.” “I bet you are,” I said… Now where I have heard that before? The big book of Atlas Shrugged? The Chronicles of Narnia?
Then a couple of days later, I dropped my bike off for a tune, which for sanity purposes is deemed an essential business in Colorado, and I asked the guy how he is doing. He said, well, it’s one bike at a time, and we’re all taking it day by day. I respond with, “You don’t say…”
Where have I heard these before? These are classic twelve-step program analogies that we’ve been using for decades. Fifteen years shy of a century, in fact. I’m like, “is everyone working a twelve-step program these days?” Not everyone, but more now than ever. Including those who don’t struggle with alcohol and aren’t aware they are even working the program.
So here is where we have a head start. We got started early with connecting the heart and soul internally, regardless of external circumstances. On building inner peace without a foreign substance such as pinot grigio, IPA’s, cigarettes, or donuts… Ahh. I’m not ready to give up donuts yet, but I think you get it.
In our own personal jail
Millions of people feel like they are locked up in their houses right now, in jail, inside their own homes with their families. I FaceTimed with my brother and his family yesterday, and they are STRUGGLING. His wife is pregnant, they are both working from home, and my 3-year-old nephew is no longer at daycare during working hours. My brother said he’s going crazy without his routine, the gym, working from home, and boredom.
Okay, here is where I encourage you to go deep with me. Are you ready? At my talk in February 2019 at our LIVE event in Nashville, I said that alcohol is an invitation to wake up. To recognize that real, long term happiness can never be tied with the external physical world. This could be a life partner, a pet, a spouse, a job, a house, or your ride on John Deere Greene lawnmower. Side note, the country artist Joe Diffie, who wrote the song John Deere Greene, recently passed away due to the Corona Virus. Guys, this shit is real.
We, who grapple with addiction, choose to receive this invitation early. As we are the primary wave, who have decided to do the inner work first and show the way for the rest of humanity. COVID 19, is the invitation for another wave to follow. Now, I may have just said some words that furrowed a brow or two. That was that we “choose” to receive this invitation, and we “decided” to do this inner work first. As in it was voluntary.
That’s a whole bundle of spirituality that I want you to think about for the rest of the day… to start sitting with. We had a webinar a couple of weeks ago titled “Spirituality and Addiction,” and this was the point that spiritual teacher Elaine Huang made. She said, “those who have the courage to go within and build inner stability without alcohol are paving the way, are leaving a footprint in consciousness for the rest humanity who are soon to follow.”
Now, this next part isn’t food for thought, but a concept that I believe in with all my heart. I’ve said this in previous episodes, in my book, at past retreats, and it’s more applicable now than ever.
Due to the stigma surrounding alcoholism and addiction in general, we often mentally shame ourselves to the back of the sociological cue. Telling ourselves that we have morally failed, that we messed up in life, and this couldn’t be further from the truth.
We are the teachers
In fact, we are the ones who said, “Okay, I guess I’ll quit drinking, do a bunch of internal work, find stability and then I’ll show my neighbor, cousin and brother Rod who don’t have drinking problems, how to build a sturdy internal foundation of joy that doesn’t care if the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl or not.
Do you follow? These are expansive ideas that I hope you sit with, and lord knows many of us have found ourselves with more time to sit…
Okay, one more point about how we have a head start. If you’ve been around the recovery block, you’ve heard that gratitude is key to departing from an addiction. It’s INCREDIBLY important, and here’s a cool way that science shows how. It also hints at how we need inner change as opposed to vaccines to address COVID.
Like any other virus, (COVID-19) has a low vibration with a closed electromagnetic circuit structure, with a resonance frequency of approximately 5.5 Hz-14.5 Hz. In the highest ranges, it is not active and, starting with the ranges of 25.5 Hz and above, the virus dies…
These are low vibrations. For reference, fear has a vibration from 0.2 Hz to 2.2 Hz. Resentment, 0.6 Hz to 3.3Hz. These emotions or frequencies don’t feel good to experience, and I bet it doesn’t feel good to have the coronavirus.
Again, the virus dies above 25.5 Hz. A genuine thank you, or gratitude has a frequency of 45hz. Compassion for another 150Hz. And unconditional, universal, sacrificial love is at 205 Hz. When we practice gratitude and compassion, COVID, can’t survive in that environment. A micro at the cellular level that is being applied to the macro.
-Paul Churchill
