In my previous post, I stated that mirrors and scales do not lie. Have you ever just stood in front of a mirror and looked not only at your exterior but also deep into your being? I have quite recently. I asked myself questions. Am I happy with my life? Is there anything I could be doing better? What changes do I need to make to level up? When you get curious about yourself, honesty follows. You can accept your truths, or you can make excuses. Excuses are simply lies that you tell yourself.
One of my truths is that I have been indulging in wine thirty too often for too long. Society makes wine seem glamorous, expected, and normal. Just today, I saw a billboard advertising wine that said, "UNWINED." There are many clever sayings. Corks are for quitters. Wine not. You get the idea. There is nothing wrong with a glass of wine. There is something wrong with a bottle night after night. I should be clear; I am not an alcoholic. I do not drink and drive, I have the self-awareness to know that having wine in the evening became my habit. My bad habit. Therefore, I have had my own personal intervention. I have placed myself in a voluntary time out from my nightly glass of wine that had turned into a bottle.
First and foremost, I made this choice because writers need to feel, and wine was making me numb and passionless. The tormented writer that indulges in alcohol is a stereotype that I had embraced. I was bringing on my own torment as I was literally drowning my own muse that I have affectionately named Marilyn. I was longing for Marilyn to reappear, yet her presence seemed to elude me. Marilyn brings me much more joy than wine. There is no greater high for me than creating and being in the zone.
I am not here to publicly declare that I will never enjoy a glass of wine again. I am saying that I do not need it. I can celebrate my existence at the gym each morning at 4:30 am after a peaceful slumber that I thought I needed wine to entice. The truth is I sleep better without it.
As I evaluate my habits and systems in an effort to elevate my life, this is one that stood out to me as one that needed to be addressed. I would have a glass of wine while I was making dinner, then refill my glass before joining my husband in our media room. It was not something that I necessarily wanted but rather something that had become routine. As I am sure you have heard, the secret to your future lies in your daily routine. My new daily routine is going to bed early enough to be at the gym by 4:30 am. I listen to my audible selections and prepare my mind and body for whatever the day might throw at me. I am much better equipped to deal with life's uncertainties this way - no wine required.
We are either creating or destroying - creating and nurturing the body, mind, and spirit that we want or destroying the one that we have. When we look in the mirror and don't like what is looking back at us, we need to create better by design.
So, for now, I have traded my wine thirty for gym thirty. Thank you Jocko Willink,David Goggins, James Clear, Liz Gilbert, and Julia Cameron. You are my five. Also, a very special thank you to Fairfield Bain for being my gym buddy. You are my ONE!
Until Next Time.
C
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