Thanks for this Dee, I read through it a couple times.
So many people have emotional knee jerk reactions (emphasis on the jerk) to some topics.
I personally feel like the tiny ant, moving around while the giants have their temper tantrums.
It took some years to learn how to continually choose to refocus on what my heart and logic combined choose, but once I grasped that is what works best for me, Iām more content.
Hey pal...I really got a lot out of what you wrote. I'm with you on everything you said so eloquently. So happy for you to be in such a meaningful life, sober...So glad we are friends! Miss you and would love to see you again and meet your Ann..xo
You know, Dee, I've been thinking about the same kind of things. For a long time, actually. Moreso recently. Been writing about some of it, too, as you're doing.
The thing is, none of us know the whole of it. And that's the confounding part. We're not "God."
We see what we see. Experience what we experience. And make what meaning we can.
The Universe must have laughed long and hard when it picked my sobriety date -- in little less than a week I'll be coming up on 50 years of sobriety, and most of me just wants to hide under the blanket until then just to make sure I don't screw it up at the very last minute.
Another (hopefully wiser?) part is humbly proud to be still standing -- after all these years. And just quietly allow Life to unfold as it will -- trusting my Higher Power and my practice to carry me through the way it has for all these years so far -- and the day after that and the next.
But seriously? With the world around me in the shape it's in? Lord have mercy! (And I mean that sincerely.)
Best I can do is wish the blessings of mercy on us all. And I do mean ALL.
Thanks for writing. And thanks for staying the course.
Thank Nancy. Congrats on the half-decade. My bride celebrates 42 years in a month. Continued peace to youš You can come out from under the blankies now āŗļø
I wonder, if your age and life experience in business are as much an aspect of your ability to calmly ascertain a situation and diffuse the emotion while pragmatically adopting a problem solving approach. Knowing you, the sobriety certainly helped you to be able to consistently apply the traits you were always good at most the time and became much better at with age. You could do this all the time without the impulsiveness that came with alcohol and/or drugs.
Still, as you stated, that is a personal reality. If you were to imbibe a couple glasses of wine, with the mental control and peace of mind that you have in daily practice, would the substance change your mental "sobriety". I imbibe more than I should. Recently, I have a few specific interpersonal situations that in the past I would have reacted quite differently. My objectivity and pragmatic thoughts have really allowed me to deal with the individuals calmly and effectively.
While I drink and have most of my adult life, my abilities today related to emotional or difficult interpersonal situations seem to be a result of age and experience. Also likely due to the thousands of hours under the reality of entrepreneurism.
Sobriety is a goal we should all have in my opinion. Complete sobriety is something I have obviously never experienced and maybe because I've been lucky in that regard. I wonder.
In terms of Trump, as a conservative I've thought a lot about the situation he has put like minded folks in. As you quoted, watch the actions, not the posts or statements. Truly, I never really liked him much as a person, although he has made me laugh quite a bit more this past year. Also, as you wrote, there are very few politicians (except John Kennedy) who are much better people. I like what my doppelganger Dennis Quaid said, "He's an asshole, but he's my asshole".
Then the last few weeks happened and I can't support his words lately. I will say openly, "Mr. Trump, I really dislike your recent statements on Truth Social, like the one you made on Easter. That is simply not acceptable." For goodness sake, will someone please edit his posts for him?
That is the dichotomy for many pragmatic, center right Americans. For the first time since Reagan and maybe even more so, we finally have truly effective actions to cut back the size of government, attack waste and fraud while limiting the leftist power base in Washington and the media. There are massive gains that will hold in place and have overcome the harms of Obama and Biden administrations. The policies in blue cities are now stark examples of Democrat economic and civic failures. While nationally and in many red states, there are real, conservative, limited government wins that are not insignificant.
Besides, as a pragmatist and someone who studies both sides consistently, the alternative is simply not there with Democrats. There is no Clinton like figure and even Obama is looking kind of moderate (although truth is he is the cause of many problems in that party no one will admit). That party is screwed or I should say we as a country are screwed with that party and we will be for at least a decade or longer. Hell in Colorado the democrats have us a billion dollars short on our general fund and have undershot a program for Illegal aliens by 600% that is costing taxpayers $128,00,000 this year alone.
On the choice to defang Iran. Trump and Israel took an opportunity that was a layup to remove the entire power structure, as other past presidents did, like Obama in Libya. Unlike Obama, so far his team and our military has stayed the course. Boy do I love the arm chair quarterbacks on the right and left. It's easy to say we shouldn't have done this now that its completed or to bemoan gas prices (which were very low due to Trump policy). All despite the fact that a terrorist regime is now very ineffective.
Is Iran still a threat? Of course, but a far less effective threat. They may blow up some buildings or be responsible for some terror acts for sure. Hopefully the world will get involved and stay diligent with the Israeli's and the US to curb their ability to resupply their missiles, navy or airpower. Hopefully, mankind will say that public execution of its own citizens, like the wrestler last month or the seven kids this past week, is the work of an evil regime. Hopefully, sober minded people in our world will be allowed to focus on this terrible regime and it's citizens will rise up.
Thanks for weighing in Mike. Good to hear your take on it. Certainly my experiences in the crucible of entrepreneurship lended a great deal to my decision making and allergy to drama. Being sober only sharpens the point and ensures that I have far less opportunity to apologize š¤·š»āāļø
I love Quaidās quote: he speaks for a lot of folks.
Hell yeah Dee. Awesome example of introspection to determine what to give a deep fuck about and what to become indifferent towards, including your first thoughts or unproductive urges. Respect šš»
Thanks for this Dee, I read through it a couple times.
So many people have emotional knee jerk reactions (emphasis on the jerk) to some topics.
I personally feel like the tiny ant, moving around while the giants have their temper tantrums.
It took some years to learn how to continually choose to refocus on what my heart and logic combined choose, but once I grasped that is what works best for me, Iām more content.
Yes we are the ants š
I keep going back to my foundational Serenity Prayer. Nothing I can cnange except myself š¤·š»āāļø
Thanks for giving it a read. Sorry about the politics but it felt like good ground to use.
Hey pal...I really got a lot out of what you wrote. I'm with you on everything you said so eloquently. So happy for you to be in such a meaningful life, sober...So glad we are friends! Miss you and would love to see you again and meet your Ann..xo
Thanks so much Martha! Miss you too. ā¤ļø
You know, Dee, I've been thinking about the same kind of things. For a long time, actually. Moreso recently. Been writing about some of it, too, as you're doing.
The thing is, none of us know the whole of it. And that's the confounding part. We're not "God."
We see what we see. Experience what we experience. And make what meaning we can.
The Universe must have laughed long and hard when it picked my sobriety date -- in little less than a week I'll be coming up on 50 years of sobriety, and most of me just wants to hide under the blanket until then just to make sure I don't screw it up at the very last minute.
Another (hopefully wiser?) part is humbly proud to be still standing -- after all these years. And just quietly allow Life to unfold as it will -- trusting my Higher Power and my practice to carry me through the way it has for all these years so far -- and the day after that and the next.
But seriously? With the world around me in the shape it's in? Lord have mercy! (And I mean that sincerely.)
Best I can do is wish the blessings of mercy on us all. And I do mean ALL.
Thanks for writing. And thanks for staying the course.
Thank Nancy. Congrats on the half-decade. My bride celebrates 42 years in a month. Continued peace to youš You can come out from under the blankies now āŗļø
I wonder, if your age and life experience in business are as much an aspect of your ability to calmly ascertain a situation and diffuse the emotion while pragmatically adopting a problem solving approach. Knowing you, the sobriety certainly helped you to be able to consistently apply the traits you were always good at most the time and became much better at with age. You could do this all the time without the impulsiveness that came with alcohol and/or drugs.
Still, as you stated, that is a personal reality. If you were to imbibe a couple glasses of wine, with the mental control and peace of mind that you have in daily practice, would the substance change your mental "sobriety". I imbibe more than I should. Recently, I have a few specific interpersonal situations that in the past I would have reacted quite differently. My objectivity and pragmatic thoughts have really allowed me to deal with the individuals calmly and effectively.
While I drink and have most of my adult life, my abilities today related to emotional or difficult interpersonal situations seem to be a result of age and experience. Also likely due to the thousands of hours under the reality of entrepreneurism.
Sobriety is a goal we should all have in my opinion. Complete sobriety is something I have obviously never experienced and maybe because I've been lucky in that regard. I wonder.
In terms of Trump, as a conservative I've thought a lot about the situation he has put like minded folks in. As you quoted, watch the actions, not the posts or statements. Truly, I never really liked him much as a person, although he has made me laugh quite a bit more this past year. Also, as you wrote, there are very few politicians (except John Kennedy) who are much better people. I like what my doppelganger Dennis Quaid said, "He's an asshole, but he's my asshole".
Then the last few weeks happened and I can't support his words lately. I will say openly, "Mr. Trump, I really dislike your recent statements on Truth Social, like the one you made on Easter. That is simply not acceptable." For goodness sake, will someone please edit his posts for him?
That is the dichotomy for many pragmatic, center right Americans. For the first time since Reagan and maybe even more so, we finally have truly effective actions to cut back the size of government, attack waste and fraud while limiting the leftist power base in Washington and the media. There are massive gains that will hold in place and have overcome the harms of Obama and Biden administrations. The policies in blue cities are now stark examples of Democrat economic and civic failures. While nationally and in many red states, there are real, conservative, limited government wins that are not insignificant.
Besides, as a pragmatist and someone who studies both sides consistently, the alternative is simply not there with Democrats. There is no Clinton like figure and even Obama is looking kind of moderate (although truth is he is the cause of many problems in that party no one will admit). That party is screwed or I should say we as a country are screwed with that party and we will be for at least a decade or longer. Hell in Colorado the democrats have us a billion dollars short on our general fund and have undershot a program for Illegal aliens by 600% that is costing taxpayers $128,00,000 this year alone.
On the choice to defang Iran. Trump and Israel took an opportunity that was a layup to remove the entire power structure, as other past presidents did, like Obama in Libya. Unlike Obama, so far his team and our military has stayed the course. Boy do I love the arm chair quarterbacks on the right and left. It's easy to say we shouldn't have done this now that its completed or to bemoan gas prices (which were very low due to Trump policy). All despite the fact that a terrorist regime is now very ineffective.
Is Iran still a threat? Of course, but a far less effective threat. They may blow up some buildings or be responsible for some terror acts for sure. Hopefully the world will get involved and stay diligent with the Israeli's and the US to curb their ability to resupply their missiles, navy or airpower. Hopefully, mankind will say that public execution of its own citizens, like the wrestler last month or the seven kids this past week, is the work of an evil regime. Hopefully, sober minded people in our world will be allowed to focus on this terrible regime and it's citizens will rise up.
Enjoy the sobriety brother. Love you.
Thanks for weighing in Mike. Good to hear your take on it. Certainly my experiences in the crucible of entrepreneurship lended a great deal to my decision making and allergy to drama. Being sober only sharpens the point and ensures that I have far less opportunity to apologize š¤·š»āāļø
I love Quaidās quote: he speaks for a lot of folks.
Love ya back.
Hell yeah Dee. Awesome example of introspection to determine what to give a deep fuck about and what to become indifferent towards, including your first thoughts or unproductive urges. Respect šš»
Thanks Kyle. Appreciate you taking a look.