Stop Drinking and Start Living

Ep. #48 100 First Yeses: Give your mind the unexpected

October 21, 2020 Mary Wagstaff Season 1 Episode 48
Stop Drinking and Start Living
Ep. #48 100 First Yeses: Give your mind the unexpected
Show Notes Transcript

When was the last time you said yes for the first time? This is such a great question to ask yourself, for inspiration, for motivation, to remember your hearts desires. When we say YES to something NEW, we change the brain patterning and this is how WE change.
When you say NO to alcohol, you have two choices, sit in deprivation and shame, or say YES to something for the first time alcohol free.  When you evaluate all of the things you normally do in a year with alcohol, you can get inspired by stepping into curiosity of what can I gain from this experience that is more in line with the Woman I am becoming?
Cross of the list the things you would NEVER do unless you were drinking and add a NEW FIRST YES!
Dive into your imagination creating the image of the Woman who effortlessly shows up never needing or wanting alcohol. All from a place of self love and respect for your growth.

When you are ready to apply this work to your life with support schedule a time to find out more about my 1:1 Coaching program HERE

My Weekend First Yeses!
POWER Live on line
DAY BREAKER D.O.S.E
SACRED LOTUS YONI GEM INITION

Transform your relationship with alcohol by focusing on yourself. Discover how to fulfill your needs without alcohol's help. Understand your body's signals, leverage your emotions, and expand your desires for real, lasting pleasure.

Join "The Naturally Sober Woman" self-study course, where you'll learn everything I teach my clients in a compact, affordable, lifetime access package. 

Transform your relationship with alcohol by focusing on yourself. Discover how to fulfill your needs without alcohol's help. Understand your body's signals, leverage your emotions, and expand your desires for real, lasting pleasure.

Join "The Naturally Sober Woman" self-study course, where you'll learn everything I teach my clients in a compact, affordable, lifetime access package.

Welcome, welcome. My name is Mary Wagstaff. I am a life coach who ended a 20 year relationship with alcohol without labels, counting days, or ever making excuses. In this podcast, we will explore my revolutionary approach to quitting alcohol that breaks all the rules, amazing stories from women who are throwing a better party because of it, and how you can stop drinking and start living. The show is not a substitute for rehabilitation, medical treatment or advice. Please talk to a health professional, if you're alcohol consumption is a risk to your mental and physical health. Now. Welcome back my beautiful listeners, I am so glad that you're here for another episode. Thank you for being here. And I just wanted to check in to see how you're doing. I know that I have been experiencing a little bit of quarantine fatigue, which is why I wanted to do this episode today. So you can have some tools to really support you into the coming winter months, if you're on the northern hemisphere. As days get darker. And, you know, depending on what your social distancing looks like, you may or may not be going out into spaces, enclosed spaces with people, I know we won't really be doing much of that. So there is a positive spin to be taken on changing your relationship with alcohol so much of the time, the feelings feel doom and gloom and terrifying only because you've practiced your entire life with drinking. And so I know for me, it's really easy to come up with, you know, as the human brain having human brain, it's really easy to come up with objections for all of the reasons why it won't work, why saying yes to something new, won't work. But this is really the integration piece between your life where alcohol may be at center stage are a really big part of it. And on the other side of alcohol is showing up to say yes, not only for brand new things. But for things that you we used to do with alcohol from a brand new framework, decided on purpose beforehand. So we have this amazing brain and this body that has a connection. And we can really use our intuition and our imagination and our prefrontal cortex to decide on purpose beforehand and step into belief. This is how everything has been created. Now when our when we live into habitual patterning that our life doesn't change. And I'm sure that you or you know, people that have the same routine every day in and day out, right. And there's no judgment around that. And that is their quote unquote, comfort zone. And now we're in this time and space right now where our comfort zones have been questioned, what does that even look like and ways that we've spent our time non essential ways that we've spent our time and I can only imagine that when the environments in which we have drank also change. And then you're left with this habit. And I know that this is true for a lot of my clients, that, okay, we're not going out to happy hour, we're not having all these gatherings, we're not having concerts and festivals and picnics and, you know, networking, and even just, you know, Sunday family dinners or whatever that now, but the habit is still there. And so it's like, oh shit, am I drinking every day at home by myself at five o'clock. And so it's the perfect opportunity to rewrite how you want to spend your time. And to really just examine those things in which we did with alcohol. Why? What would they have been like, without the alcohol? And, you know, we can ask if things go back to the way they were, quote, unquote, you know, how will I show up then? And how do I want to show up for myself now, so I know for me, I'm getting a little tired of being in the same space, kind of with the people in my house. And so there's been a little bit of like agitation, not because I don't love them, but it has kind of become this habitual. You know, if you do the same thing every day in the same way, nothing changes. And I have a lot of interests. I have a lot of hobbies. I'm working on the podcast and my business. But we have been in close quarters and not getting the in a lot of influences of other people. So I decided that it was time to shake it up and say yes to some new things that weren't just around. business or family. And so I was a zoom warrior this weekend and I went to this amazing women's empowerment networking group that's here locally in Portland, Oregon. And I'll put the show note, the link in the show notes for that. It's all about community over competition and supporting each other through resources and connections. And it was so fulfilling, there was a couple speakers. And the woman who runs it is just so amazing. And she's actually a friend of mine. So I went to that I had been to them live, but I went to a virtual one for the first time. And then I also went to a live daybreaker class, which is this company that they just launched their new product, and it's the dose experience. So it's how to biohack joy through embodiment practices and ancient practices of mindfulness, movement, meditation, affirmation, and just really connecting with the sensations that are happening in the body. Because right now, we need to show up for our feelings, they are like screaming at us. And alcohol takes takes that experience away. So dose is stands for dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and E, which I can't remember. And I'll put the link in the show notes for that. So it was movement, dancing, there's a DJ, there was 1000 people 120 something countries from all over the world, family friendly, and you know, you're there live, and they always have a theme. And it was a spa theme. So people were in their robes and head wraps. And it was it's just fun, right? And it's just joyful, playful. And to be able to use that tool, because you know that I am a advocate of embodiment as a tool, but you still have to have the thought to create the feeling of curiosity to get you in that place, right to even go and sign up and show up. So but once you start to generate those feelings, and you start to disprove your beliefs, that alcohol is the only way to have fun, and that you can have fun through embodiment and being a little nervous or uncomfortable or embarrassed won't kill you and you get out of your head and you get into your body, then the momentum starts and then you want more of that thing. But if you never say yes to that, you're never giving yourself the opportunity to learn a new way. And so that's what this episode is all about. Oh, and then I did one more thing. Sabrina bidet who was my last guest on the on the show for when we talked about sacred Lotus Yoni steaming, and really showing up for your Divine Self, and really exploring who you are uniquely, through the practices of embodiment and getting to know your physical body, your emotional body, ladies listening, this is, this is the key, this is about you. You're stepping into a new phase of your life. And that's why you're here and it's okay to feel scared and it's okay to not know, but you are not alone. You're never alone. There is a sisterhood of women that are non judgmental about exploring emotions that are not competitive, women in all walks of life, all areas of life, you know, corporate women and entrepreneurs, spiritual guides and teachers. There we are in a new paradigm right now, where this unification of yourself uniquely through the power of embodiment and emotion, and then managing your mind, and in giving, exploring and harnessing your gifts, as an intuitive being is what is most needed right now in this world and for your life. So doing this work for yourself is in essence, changing the world. And this is why I want to continue to bring this content to you. And you know, I hopefully for you to share it with those who need it most. Because this is not just about changing your relationship with alcohol. This is about stepping into possibility. This life is the one that you get how do you want to live it? We're so terrified of dying, that we spend our lives living in fear by not really living by covering up our emotions. But when you step into them and you realize that they can't hurt you. The thought of that the resistance of that, you know, it loses its power and then it gets to be an experience of information. Right rather than fear or resistance, scarcity lack it gets to be Your your tool belt have superpowers. And all you have to do is start to say yes to one thing. When was the last time you said yes to something for the first time? This is such a great question to ask yourself for inspiration for motivation and to remember your heart's desire. What was that experience like when you said yes to yourself, for the first time for something new. When you say no to alcohol, you have two choices, which is to sit in deprivation and shame, or to say yes to something for the first time alcohol free. So you can be doing the exact same thing, but have a whole new experience. This perspective will support the process of allowing, rather than resisting that desire for alcohol, that serves the habit. And this is what we talked about last week on how to really move into that place of allowing a craving and growth with grace. It will help you rewire your brain to desire feeling rather than unnatural pleasure or relief. So now, when I think about drinking, it does not feel comfortable. It does not sound like a desire, it is not desired. What is desirable for me is to choose from the present moment, right? And I'm not perfect, because I have a human brain. But every time I show up to say yes to my feelings, I'm learning something new, and I'm strengthening that muscle, I'm strengthening that habit. Because habits can be positive. And habits can be negative, right? And I use those terms loosely, not bad or good. Just do they serve you? Or doesn't it serve you? Does this thought serve me? Or doesn't it? Now emotions are not something to be solved for? Right? They are to experience they are the gateways and clues of information back to what the original thought was. So that you can think, you know, I'm this emotion doesn't feel good. What is the thought that's perpetuating this a limiting belief that of habitual thought of being less than or that you can't trust yourself. But you when you show up to uncover that. That's how you shift into back into the framework of self trust. When you realize that your choices every day, are within your control your thoughts every day are within your control. Now, they might not be habitual right now. And the decisions that you make every day might be habitual, as well. But you choose every single day. Emotions are the gateway as a woman to your power, pleasure and purpose here in this lifetime. Alcohol takes them away, and has left you floundering to the shore. And now you're like so terrified, because you just don't know where to start. And so today, I want to talk about awesome emotions and generated by better thoughts. Just the thought of what's possible. It's a thought it's a question, but what's possible, I know what my life looks like with alcohol, I want to know what it looks like without alcohol, I want to know what I'm capable of. So what if I fail? I'm going to try again. You know, I always tell my son, the little Engine That Could what it you know, I think I can i think i can i think i can, that's all it is is a thought. And we give up on ourselves, we give up on our imagination of believing in the possibility just because things have become habitual, in the same, but this moment, can change everything. So the rest of your life doesn't have to look the same. The power of the present moment is your ability to pivot into limiting beliefs or into possibility using your imagination, a belief of what's possible. And we know it's true, because we see the the unimaginable, come to life through the power of the human brain. And most people have nothing different than you do. The only difference that they have is that they failed more often. We're willing to set feel negative emotion of feeling scared of vulnerability. They had a plan. And they committed to that plan. Right? And so that's what it takes. It takes a few steps, but every human brain, yours is capable of that. And so when we come it comes to drinking, we just set thinking about all the things that we won't be doing because of alcohol. But then when you actually do this process that I'm going to offer you today, you see that it's like not that Exciting anyway, that it's literally the only thing that's going to change as you're not consuming a beverage, you not numbing your emotions, you're really not missing out on that much. And then you know, you could have some objections like, Oh, well this fine wine that I won't be able to pair with my steak. So what, who cares? Is that really worth all of the suffering, I can give you a million drinks that will taste good. And wine actually kills your taste buds. And so that whole concept is up for debate anyway. But that's a different point. But you know, what are you really missing out on you consuming a beverage that essentially changes your emotions, that lowers your inhibitions, that makes things more palatable, more tolerable, right. So that that offering of the thing that we've been sold, and that we now believe that there's joy in this bottle, there's comfort in this bottle, there's a party in this bottle, you have so much more potential and capability inside of you than that bottle ever had. You have to realize this is what the entire world has been telling you since the day you were born. You continue to serve those thoughts and those beliefs. So now they're really strong in your minds, you have a ton of objections that will prove that thought true, till its dying day just for efficiency, just for pleasure and to avoid pain. But you have a human brain, and you have the power of intuition and imagination. So you can override that. But it does take practice. It's just strengthening the muscle. So that right now, you know, when you think about not drinking, it's like, it just won't be the same, right? It's like your little baby blanket your glass that you won't have. It's like, Ah, you feel naked? It's terrifying. That's so normal? Of course it is. But you have to remember that thing that promised me all that joy in that moment, where is it to comfort me on the other day? And the next day? Like no, then you got to show up for yourself. Right? So the weddings, the festivals, the holidays, I mean, and not to mention that this, our current state is just not the same. But you have to ask yourself, what won't be the same about those situations. So you're going to really think about your objections. And I like to call it the triple threat, why? You answer three why's for each objection. So you have the objection of it won't be the same? Why won't it be the same? Because we I won't be able to relax as much, why won't you be able to relax as much? Because I'll be worried about what everyone's thinking about me? Why will you be worried about what everyone's thinking about you? You know, and then you have to really see like, Oh, is that a thought that I'm creating? Or is that true? Right? I mean, it's just a thought. And so you get to choose. So if you go through the triple threat, and you get to really go through your objections, you can see these things that you just think won't be the same, it'll never be the same, again, are just surface level. It has the, you know, the illusion of intimacy, but it's not. And that's for another show. So when you say no to a moment where you would normally be drinking, you say yes to a brand new experience. And that nothing about that experience actually changes besides you consuming a beverage that shifts the way that you're thinking and feeling. And it might change how other people respond to you potentially. But if they're drinking too, then they're probably you know, people aren't thinking about us as much as we think they are, you're going to make a list of 100 things. And I know this sounds like a lot, but I really want you to stretch yourself that you will do over the course of a year, you normally do with alcohol. And this could even be you know, putting your children to sleep like you've already had a drink, right? So you're gonna think about over the course of a year, your birthdays, going camping like and see if you can get really specific to the one time of the year you see this one girlfriend, or your family that comes to visit from wherever. And, you know, maybe it's not stuff that you do every year, but 100 things over the course of a year that you would normally do with alcohol. And it could be things that you know, you do often have regret or shame about that, if you choose not to drink will never happen again. So say you have had the experience of drinking and driving. And you keep telling yourself you'll never do that again. But you continue to do that. Or, you know, maybe going on a dating app after you've had a couple of drinks and you're always disappointed with that outcome and you say I'll never do that again. But you do it when you go drink. So you can put that on there too. And then what you're going to do is look at all of these things for the first time without alcohol. So it could be, I'll never go again on a dating app, without my full discernment and meet up with someone. While I've been having a couple of drinks, or while I've been under the influence, I'll never have to drive my car again, under the influence, I'll always make the right choices about driving. And then it'll be other things like celebrating my life fully without needing a drink. So you're gonna make a list of 100 first yeses that you get to experience, now you're gonna go, you're going to look at some of these and see, because I want you to put all of them out there, you know, one of the things I used to do back in the day, that now when I think about it seems crazy is I would go to like a bar, a dive bar, regular bar, whatever, it didn't matter. And I would sit, I would go by myself and have a couple drinks, it was just the way that I got out of the house, I would even do like writing sometimes or do some work. So it was, quote, unquote, productive. But you know, and I think about that now, and I would never go spend my time, my alone time now at a bar sitting by myself, it just wouldn't happen. And so are you know, staying up late nights, having one more glass of wine and telling the same stories over and over again, when my body wanted to go to bed four hours ago, like that stuff just doesn't happen. So what you get to do is you get to cross those things off the list, the things that you would never do if you weren't drinking. And it's amazing about you know, there's so there's people in places that you would never go if you weren't drinking. And now you get to replace those with a brand new first. Yes. The Yes, that's on your bucket list. They Yes, that you signed up for you. No, and you never showed up maybe because of the effects of alcohol, because you came up with an objection because of an excuse. Alcohol takes so much time away from us that if you want to gain some more time in your life, if time is an excuse for you, and you think well, I just drink while I'm doing other things. No, no, no, it gives you so much more control over your life. Like you might think, Oh, I drink and I clean the house. Well, when you stop drinking, you also get to see that your objections are chosen, right. So all of these things on our to do list that we think we have to do. And this is something that I coach my clients through, those are unsolicited, you get to choose when and how and where you do those, if at all, no one is forcing you to do anything. So you decide on the action in the moment, I'm going to sign up for this class and take this class, and I'm not going to put the dishes away, or I need to be to work at 8am. And so I'm going to, you know, not stay up until midnight, or whatever it is. So the second part of this is that you get to plan ahead of time from the woman who no longer desires, alcohol, that woman that you the role that you really want to step into from this place of imagination and inspiration and power. Who inspires you in your life? Who do you want to be more like you know, just the qualities you want to be more like yourself, but the qualities and the characteristics. And think about the attributes of someone that you really admire. Maybe it was an aunt or a boss, or you know, and it couldn't just be like not that whole thing but pick out some attributes of people that you love. Their ability to just be friendly and non judgmental, show up with curiosity, remembering people's parents names, you know, asking questions, being curious, giving people attention, validating their emotions, non judgment, you know, taking personal responsibility for your own emotions. So I want you to step into a place of imagination. What does this person wear? How does she take care of her self care at night. And then these hundred first yeses become possible so that when you show up to your next family holiday gathering, from this place, in full confidence with an open heart and you dive into that place of unconditional love, and curiosity, that you can be who you are without needing that buffer of alcohol without needing to check out to dip out and then You know, maybe other people don't want to haven't been experiencing in intimacy, but you can show up with a list of five questions that you're going to ask throughout the evening to people to take the quiz to take the conversations deeper, not in a awkward way, right. But just in a in a way of curiosity to start generating new emotions, maybe you show up with an activity or a game. Like, let's do this, this holiday, instead of sitting around, or, you know, whatever it is, you could bring a fun cocktail, and a cocktail that people get to put together assemble themselves. So I went to a party last Christmas, and I brought a shrub, but it had other like little garnishes in it. So you know, we could, that was actually something to talk about, and what the shrub was, and, you know, there's just so many things that you can step into to take the focus off of not drinking, and then you realize that the drinking wasn't part of it anyway. And sometimes it makes a shitty situation better. And that's something to be aware of, too. Not all situations are going to be amazing. Are all networking, dude, networking meetings have to be a blast? Well, maybe you just take a new approach to it. So and then the other thing is, how does this woman process her emotions? Does she hide from them? Does she run from them? Does she avoid them? Does she eat a pint of ice cream instead of drinking? And does she you know, not validate them to shame herself? Or does she work through that process of growing through grace, of allowing of breathe, relax, feel watch, allow. That's the work to take you deeper into that place of self trust that alcohol has taken away from you for now. It's not gone. It's just hidden. It's just kind of dusty, right? And so I want you to get inspired by these the possibility that you can do these things. And then I want you to write your list of objections, because I really want you to call yourself out what are all of the reasons why these yeses won't work, and then do the triple why. Okay, so you're going to make a list of 100, yeses, 100, things you would do over the course of the year with alcohol, that you are now going to get to do alcohol free. And don't freak out about it yet, you know, don't worry about that, you're just going to get excited about it, you get to negate some of the stuff you would never do, again, add in a bucket list item. And then you also get to take and switch some of those painful things, the things that you don't like about your drinking habit. With that statement of, you know, I'll always put my children to bed smelling like the perfume that they'll remember smelling like roses rather than wine, I'll never have, I'll always have a beautiful wine stain free smile, so put it into like, I'll never have to again, but put it into a positive context of what it will be not what it isn't. Okay, so the law of attraction states that of attraction states, that that which we focus on, we attract more of. So when you change your long term habit, you don't want to focus on not what you will be lacking, but what you will be gaining. So we put the statements and the thoughts as though they already exist. And from that positive place of like I was saying, I get to smell like I will always smell like perfume rather than home never smell like wine. So if you understand that, and so the law of attraction is just the universal law of what we think most about is what is going to come into our sphere, because of the way that it generates the same the emotion and then the actions that we take because of it. So then the results in our life are directly correlated with the thoughts in our brain. And it's very easy to see once you start looking for it. So when you want to bring and attract something into your life, you start imagining it as though it already exists. So that's why this exercise is really this positive twist. And you want to attract and start to generate that energy in your body of that woman that you might have never thought about right? I never before I went on this journey I never really thought about the woman I wanted to be in the world, the qualities and the characteristics of who she was. This is something that if you have young men and women in your life, I would highly recommend doing with them and making sure that they know, they get to decide on the character of who they want to be in the world and that their uniqueness as it is, as it expands in the world, they get to choose how they show up, the world isn't in control of teaching them how to be, they get to teach the world how to treat them, by the way, we show up. Now we know that there are systems in place that are not equal represented representations for all people everywhere. However, the individual still gets to decide how they want to show up in the world. And it just does change the vibration. And the more of us that feel empowered through that, then that power over model starts to fade away. And this is how we change the world. Because when we know and trust, that we don't need to manipulate and control other people to have the life that we want and the power that we want as power from the inside, then everyone gets to be the fullest expression of who they are, without it being a threat, a personal threat to you, to get you actually to show up to do this activity, you also need to generate some thoughts. So one might be you know, I really want to see what's possible on the other side of alcohol, I really am tired of thinking about drinking and I'm ready for a new way. So you have to generate that, that motivation to get to show up to do this. Because the more we put stuff on paper and in front of our minds, we bring the subconscious to the conscious, the habit starts to lose power right away, just when we stop judging it when we could admit to ourselves that, you know, I don't need to be rock bottom or a hot mess, to change my to want to change my relationship with alcohol. Alcohol can be affecting you if you're just having one drink a day. And that stigma is what I do have a mission of changing, I don't want to change the alcohol industry, I want to change the stigma of people being afraid to admit to themselves that yeah, this habit that once was like fine just isn't anymore. And there's nothing wrong with that. You don't need to prove to yourself that you can't, you don't need to drink for 30 days, or you can drink whenever you want to still say like the effects of alcohol make me feel like shit, who cares? Of course they do. That's what it does. Like, I just I know a lot of people that have this righteousness about admitting to themselves, but that's not doing anyone any favors. If you have a drink every day, at five o'clock your body and your brain will expect that if you have a drink, every Friday at happy hour, your body and your brain will expect that whatever you do habitually, your body and your brain will expect it. So if you show up to say yes to something new, without alcohol with curiosity, your body and your brain will start to expect that to so here are some other thoughts to think to get you to show up to do this, this assignment, the self inquiry, I want to make the most out of what this life has to offer. And so you get to see, okay, what is possible for me, I want to contribute to the world in a way that creates more peace. I believe in the power of love. My life is amazing. It doesn't even need to be altered the thoughts that I use a lot. Why do I want to alter my amazing, beautiful life? Sure, there's some normal stressors, but I can handle that. I have water, I have love. I have a beautiful home, I have healthy family, I'm healthy. Humans have made up all of the roles of culture and society I am a human to so I can make up the rules for myself. I want to know who I am fully and completely. I know what the situation looks like with alcohol. Maybe there's something more without it. I can't hurt myself feeling a new emotion. I get to choose my life on purpose. I am not done growing and learning and becoming more of me every day. I will stay compassionate to myself when I get scared. And trust no one is watching. There is a huge world and want to explore. So here's a couple things for my first yeses that I have yet to do that I'm excited about. I want to produce my first song so I want to have, you know, use a computer program to make all of the beats and my voice and maybe some instruments. I actually did produce my outro and my intro so judgment aside, I didn't do that. But I want to sing with a band. I'm going To play more harmonium from memory, I'm going to take ukulele lessons because I know how I've played the ukulele for a long time. But I've never taken a real lesson. And my biggest biggest dream ever, that I am going to do is create a rites of passage ceremony for my one on one clients to come to do an intimate weekend with me where we do live coaching and some embodiment work. And then I literally walk them through an elemental threshold, to meet themselves for the first time on the other side of their relationship with alcohol, and to really offer them and walk them into the new phase of life of the woman that they have decided on purpose. They want to be in this world. And so you can start that process for yourself right now. I know trust and love how amazing you are. And just showing up to listen to this episode is the inkling to your highest self that yes, you are ready to start to see what's possible on the other side of alcohol. So make your list of 100 first yeses, and then dive into exploring maybe for the first time Who is that woman that you really want to be in this world? And how does she show up? Look at all of your objections and disprove them with the triple why's and I will talk to you next week. Have an amazing, amazing day.