My Alcohol Experiment: Day 17
Day 17 of The Alcohol Experiment: rethinking boredom.So, I can’t remember the last time I was bored. With two small kids, two dogs, a busy husband, and three volunteer gigs, “never a dull moment” rings true in this house. But one thing I appreciate about The Alcohol Experiment is how Annie Grace takes a concept and flips it on its head. Stress is not meant to defeat you; it’s meant to make you stronger. And, in this lesson, boredom is not a void; it is limitless creative space! We all have an imagination. Getting to a point where you feel bored is not an end point - it’s a starting point and an opportunity to do something great.No pressure though, right?I walk my puppy almost every morning. Those walks used to be a way for me to wake up and shake off my hangover. Without alcohol in my life, I start each day feeling awake (more or less… have I mentioned I have two young kids?) and clear-headed, so these walks have become more of a brainstorm for me. Come to think of it, these walks are the closest I get to being “bored” - light bulb! This is making so much sense! Ok, so when I don’t have a hangover to walk off, my brain uses this time to think creatively. It feels indulgent and luxurious, to think creatively. And I deserve to be able to do it.My daughter is in kindergarten and my son will be starting kindergarten in a year and a half. Once my kids are both in school full-time, a new era of my life will begin. I have always thought I would go back to work, but I don’t have a clear path ahead of me. I don’t have a job lined up. I don’t really know what I want to do. But Fall 2019 is now on the horizon. There is light at the end of the SAHM tunnel.And here’s where I give myself a great big mental hug - a moment of profound gratitude to myself for choosing to do Dry January and The Alcohol Experiment NOW instead of later. Or never. What a gift I am giving myself. Because even if it’s only when I’m walking my dog that my brain can tap into that space of “boredom,” I am so grateful for it. And I have had some fun ideas! I decided to start this blog while out walking my dog. I have other ideas for things I want to write, things I want to do. And to have that time to indulge these thoughts, to explore them, is becoming more and more important to me.I used to blame motherhood for my stifled creativity. Now I realize that it was booze all along. I feel so relieved and grateful for the resilience of my creative side, and I am excited to see where I go from here.[The Alcohol Experiment is a free, interactive 30-day program designed by Annie Grace, author of This Naked Mind. For more information: www.alcoholexperiment.com.]