This weekend we will be on a lake.
Woo Hoo!
Welcome Summer!
I heard an interview by the band Old Dominion about their new song titled,
“I Was On A Boat That Day”.
It’s a super fun song and I love Old Dominion’s music.
They said they were drinking when they recorded it because they wanted it to sound free and loose, like the meaning of the song.
I totally get that.
I love that too.
It gives me a jolt.
I want that kind of two beer buzz they talk about in the country songs.
This could give me a strong craving because…
I want that all summer long, but let me tell you…
…alcohol didn’t do this for me.
Maybe for one second I felt the loose, free feeling…
…but it was always followed by heart palpitations, worry, and insecurity.
I wasn’t really loose.
I was acting loose and inhibited because I had something to blame it on = alcohol.
I wasn’t free.
I was nervous.
I was caged.
Once I started drinking, I was always worried about more drinking.
How much was there and how fast could I get it in?
How drunk would I get, how fast?
How much is everyone else drinking?
Is there enough for me?
I was always trying to slow my roll.
I never got as much as I wanted.
Then suddenly, it was too much.
It is not fun to not have as much as you want.
It is not fun to try to keep yourself in check.
It is not fun to be of a conflicted mind.
It is not fun to be out of control.
It is not free to rely on a substance outside yourself to change your mood.
I dance more, laugh harder, and feel more inhibited without alcohol.
I gave alcohol far too much credit when I was drinking.
Alcohol was ruining me and my good time.
Alcohol was the ultimate buzz kill:
contributing to dependence, addiction, depression, anxiety, and physical illness.
There is nothing fun, loose, or free about the consequences of drinking too much.
As little as one drink has negative health outcomes.
It’s not fun to not feel good.
Imagine getting high on life.
Imagine getting high on being free.
Imagine aligning with spirit, living in flow, and waking up with joy.
Imagine having your senses fully awakened to experience a day on a boat.
The smell of coconut and pineapple.
The sun on your skin and the breeze in your hair.
The feeling of speed and the feeling of floating.
The sunset on the water.
Sand beneath your feet.
The energy on a lake in late afternoon.
The anticipation of early summer and all the possibilities it holds.
Good company, no responsibilities, and picnic food.
It’s the absolute best and you don’t need alcohol to enjoy any of it.
The first step to moving away from alcohol is recognizing your false beliefs about it.
Messages that alcohol is fun are everywhere.
Our society is obsessed with alcohol.
Alcohol is not fun and it is not necessary for fun.
Alcohol is the third preventable cause of death in the US.
That’s not fun.
You might be thinking that’s not you, but can you come up with examples of situations where alcohol ended in a bad time, not a good time?
Did you get in a fight, hurt yourself, black out, or do or say something you regret?
Maybe you woke up with shame or canceled plans because you were hungover.
This is not fun.
Start imagining your dream life, feeling loose and free and never relying on alcohol for it.
Imagine getting your float on and then waking up to feel amazing and doing it all again the next day.
Hey, hey, hey, I was on a boat again today!