Look Alive, Sis! 7 Days to Awaken Your Sober MindSýnishorn

Renew Your Mind

My friend, who I’ll call Dana, just got back from an annual girls’ trip. It was her first one since she made the decision to live alcohol-free, and she was the only one not drinking.

You can likely see how this excursion might be tricky, right? It’s easy to imagine that Dana’s mind might have been swirling with thoughts before this adventure . . .

“What will they think of me?”

“Will they still think I’m fun?”

“Will I be tempted?”

“What if it’s not the same without alcohol?”

It’s natural to try to imagine what is going to be different after we stop drinking.

But Dana made a conscious choice before the trip. Rather than focusing on what she might be losing, she decided to focus on what she would be gaining by being sober-minded when she was with her friends.

“I’m going to be more present with these women.”

“I’m going to be in a better position to love well and actively listen.”

“I’m going to be able to evaluate whether these are friendships I’ll continue to pursue.”

“I’m going to stay connected to my authentic self.”

Knowing that there might be some challenges, Dana had decided to exercise her new healthy boundaries by deciding, for herself, when she showed up and when she left. And she did decide to leave a bit earlier in the evening than some of the others. She even brought some of her favorite alcohol-free canned drinks to the pool at the hotel. It was a great win because her friends who were drinking didn’t care either way what beverage was in her hand. There was no judgement either way, and that felt really good. Dana’s decisions about how she thought about her girls’ trip is what made it a success for her!

Sis, you can make choices about what thoughts you allow to take up space in your mind. We all have certain thoughts in our heads that play on repeat. And when we replay the same thoughts again and again, they actually grow stronger.

“I need this.”

“I deserve this.”

“I earned this.”

Instead, set an intention and choose what you will focus on. We can “fix our eyes” on things above Col. 3:2: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”. . . . maybe that’s thinking about eternal things, becoming the best version of yourself, or reinforcing the positive intentions you have set. This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to start your day with prayer, scripture meditation, and reminding yourself of the things you know to be true. That’s just one way to retrain your brain!

You have the opportunity to choose what you think about. What you set your mind on determines how you feel about a situation.

This takes practice so begin to pay more attention to your thought life today!