Jodi Brown

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August 23, 2016 by Jodi Brown 7 Comments

Quitting Anniversary.

What’s in a quitting anniversary? 

I wasn’t intending to write about this quitting anniversary. I know that today is an “anniversary” day for me but every year I have to look at an old hand written (back up) birthday calendar that I keep and figure out how many years it’s been since I terminated two activities in my life. 

But last night I read a really well written article about women and drinking that got me thinking a bit and I felt compelled to pen something this morning.

Today’s anniversaries are not necessarily important because of the success in terminating undesired behaviors.

It is an important day because it is a reminder for me that I am capable of accomplishing great change in my life.

Empowering change.

Positive change.

Strongly desired change.

It was 14 years ago today I quit smoking.
5 years ago today that I stopped drinking alcohol.
14 years ago I quit smoking. 5 years ago I quit drinking. There's nothing I can't do. Click To Tweet

Have I become preachy about it?  Nah.  I’ve used it as an empowerment tool.

I will say that when I see someone hammered I think, “oh lawdy, I’m glad those days are  long over for me.”  There is nothing pretty about watching a drunk person.  Nothing.  Especially an older drunk person. It’s actually kind of painful to watch.  It makes me sad.

I used both drugs as a tool. 

A tool for changing the a myriad of miserable states I was in and not enjoying.

All those years I smoked I was basically just using my little cancer sticks as a deep breathing device. 

I’d get stressed out and “need to go have a cigarette.”  Granted there was a drug in that cigarette, but mostly what i was doing was taking a bunch of deep breathes.  I could have gotten the same results without a cigarette if I just went and sat in a bathroom stall for 4 minutes and did a mini deep breathing meditation.

I never realized until I stopped drinking that I’m a gal that doesn’t much like parties. 

To make them easier I drank, like most other folks. Social awkwardness, low self-esteem, whatever…we all have our bag of shit, and it’s easier to get liquored up than look inside and deal. 

When I was drinking I liked parties. 

When I drank I became the life of the party.

Then everyone wanted to hang with me. “She’s so crazy!  I love her.”   

Gah.

quitting anniversary
Yeah, MON.

I didn’t feel so much like the life of the party the next day.

Yeah, the older I got the worse I felt.  Too many days were wasted recovering from the “night before” and I tired of the constant exhaustion.  Eventually I just decided I was done.  D-O-N-E.

So here’s the rub.

I use this quitting anniversary day as a tool for me. 

A reminder that I AM POWERFUL beyond measure.

That I CAN and HAVE changed really difficult habits in the past and that I CAN and WILL change those things that continue to not render me the results I desire.

After Katrina passed and the levees broke in New Orleans, I sat in my friends living room in the Boston watching it all on TV.  At that time I had not been drinking for about 2 years.    I had a moment that I clearly remember when I said OUT LOUD,

“Cigarettes or beer, Jodi?  What’s it gonna be?”

Seriously! 

I chose beer because I knew I could quit drinking again.  Cigarettes?  They are a whole different kind of evil.  I wasn’t so sure I could release myself from the nicotine grip again, so I steered clear.

I remember that six pack I picked up.  It worked.  It changed my state dramatically.

It was another 6 years of consumption before would step away from alcohol…again.

All of it, part of MY journey.

One I’m glad I’ve taken.   

I have zero regrets.

I am not lying  when I tell you that where I am today, is better than any place I have been previously. 

I perceived my party life as fun and in many ways it was.  It did, however, slow down the life journey that I really wanted to take. 

Substantially slowed it down. 

What it did do was force me to have experiences and look at things I might not have otherwise taken the time to contemplate.  So for that, I’m thankful.

I look back on these years with gratitude. 

Grateful that they taught me the lessons I was clearly not ready to see on my own.

Grateful that they are over.

Filed Under: Blog, Empower YOU Tagged With: alcohol cessation, change your life, empower you, empowerment, gratitude, jodibrownceo, quit drinking, quit smoking, quitting anniversaries, quitting anniversary, self-empowerment, smoking cessation

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How to Freeze Avocados

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