Hooked on AF Travel
Sober Edge
Do you recall what you loved to do when drinking was not part of the 'all-inclusive' package? My guest on Episode 165 of the podcast is Darci Murray, who believes wholeheartedly in "Sensory Heightened Travel". Darci has been 'hooked' on travel since childhood, having grown up with a mom who was a travel agent and learning early on to love new adventures. Darci is one of several travel agents who are newly focused on AF and sober travel, but she is doing things a little bit differently. Hooked on travel is intentional about creating experiences that allow us to be fully...
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Uncovering You: The Journey Within (Part 2)
Sober Edge
What if you had a road map to a sober life you love? What if it came in four simple steps? Does that sound easier than a lifetime of 'working on yourself'? I know that life is not simple; humans are complex. We have emotions, backgrounds, circumstances, and it would be foolish to think that we could expect everyone's sober journey to look the same. But, after 5+ years of working with hundreds and hundreds of women on their AF journey, I have discovered a few things to help you move forward. Having a framework is powerful; it allows our minds to focus in on the process and...
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Uncovering You: The Journey Within (Part 1)
Sober Edge
Today, I share two areas that I am focused on and that I help clients explore when we ask, 'what now, what next?' on this alcohol-free journey. The first place to start is to KNOW yourself. So many of us go through life without asking 'who are we?'. I love self-reflection and I love a good quiz, but trust me, finding out which Disney Princess you are is not the same as knowing yourself:) It's not that we have purposefully gone through life without looking in the mirror, but women wear a lot of hats; wife, mother, employee, caregiver. It's no surprise that we...
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Good Mood Revolution with Matt O'Neill
Sober Edge
Are you ready for a Good Mood Revolution? I know I am! I think we can all use a bit more joy and happiness in our daily lives. I sat down with Matt O'Neill, author and podcast host of The Good Mood Revolution. We had an enlightening conversation about the 8 Negative Moods and the 8 Positive Moods. Matt is an expert at breaking down big concepts into bite-sized, actionable steps. Here are some highlights from our chat: How to catch yourself doing something right The biggest myth about happiness Why you should focus on your negative thoughts Never complain again -...
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Living Alcohol-Free; 9 years of lessons
Sober Edge
My journey continues beyond learning how to become AF and yours will too. I think the most striking difference between becoming AF and living AF is the shift in focus and time. I have experienced and witnessed what is possible when alcohol is out of the way. Time feels different now that I am living alcohol-free. The time I used to spend drinking, thinking about drinking and recovering from drinking is now ‘new time’. And, with a new sense of time, I have been able to explore this next chapter of my life. When I was drinking, time passed with me numbing out and with...
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Becoming Alcohol-free; A Look Back at 9 years AF
Sober Edge
On October 18, 2015, I woke up with a slight hangover and a mountain of guilt. I had let myself down, again, but I had also let other people down. I felt like a horrible person, someone I didn't recognize. I had finally had enough - enough of letting alcohol be the most important relationship in my life. After that one decision almost 9 years ago, my life has unfolded in ways I could only have imagined. While I felt in my gut that I was meant for more, I had spent so long tamping down my dreams and ideas that I had no idea what might lie ahead. I have always been a 'personal growth...
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Kindred Spirits with Marlys Aspinwall
Sober Edge
What if you stopped drinking and followed your passion for a new AF business? That's exactly what happened to Marlys Aspinwall and her husband Chuck. In 2021, after she found herself drinking too much during COVID, Marlys decided to take a break. Her husband quickly followed her lead. Three months later, they opened a pop-up bottle shop. Marlys shares in this episode of The Sober Edge podcast that at the time, they hadn't even decided that their break from alcohol was going to be permanent. But, after experiencing the connection and the opportunity to encourage their...
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Let's Not Talk About Alcohol!
Sober Edge
Are you tired of talking about alcohol and drinking and not drinking? I get it, just as we can experience recovery fatigue, I believe we can also burn out by talking about alcohol too much. Yep, I want to invite you to NOT talk about alcohol. I have shared before my philosophy that 'behavior comes last'. A quick refresher: changing our behavior is only one part of changing our relationship with alcohol. We must also change our thoughts and beliefs about alcohol. We have to go beyond willpower and the outdated idea of not 'picking up' (as the solution)...
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You are Your True Life Partner - Intimacy Coach Aimee Ames
Sober Edge
Midlife is often a time of big transitions. Giving up alcohol can also create monumental shifts. As we move through these transitions, we sometimes leave parts of ourselves behind, and sometimes we leave others behind. My friend and fellow coach Aimee Ames has been on her own transitional journey, including going back to school to become a Functional Nutritionist, redefining her relationship with alcohol and ending a 23-year marriage. Along the way, Aimee discovered that 'you are your one true partner'. I love this saying as it reminds me of what I came to...
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What Are You Paying Attention To?
Sober Edge
There's a saying, "You become like the 5 people you spend the most time with". The wisdom behind this statement is the urgency. We recognize that we have a limited amount of time to rub shoulders with people who inspire us and challenge us to grow. And, it can prompt us to choose our friends wisely. Spend time with negative people and we might find ourselves complaining more. Spend time with positive people and we suddenly feel more energy and hopefulness. In this podcast episode, I break down the ways we can do a personal inventory and start noticing if the things we are allowing...
info_outlineAre you tired of talking about alcohol and drinking and not drinking? I get it, just as we can experience recovery fatigue, I believe we can also burn out by talking about alcohol too much.
Yep, I want to invite you to NOT talk about alcohol.
I have shared before my philosophy that 'behavior comes last'. A quick refresher: changing our behavior is only one part of changing our relationship with alcohol. We must also change our thoughts and beliefs about alcohol. We have to go beyond willpower and the outdated idea of not 'picking up' (as the solution) as they say in some recovery circles.
The reality is, with my coaching clients, we spend only a small percentage of our time talking about drinking and not drinking. What we talk about instead is the reasons behind our drinking. We focus on making alcohol small by building a bigger life, one we don't want to hide from.
In this podcast episode, I break down the steps of what to do instead and why this is the sweet spot to lasting change.