My New Diary

Day 42.  Just for today, and only for today, I will not gamble.  Tomorrow I will revisit this commitment.

Day 43 and, just for one day, today, I will not gamble.

Day 44.  Keeping it nice and simple.  Just for today, I am NOT going to gamble.

Posted by: RochG

Day 44.  Keeping it nice and simple.  Just for today, I am NOT going to gamble.

Congratulations RochG. You have a very positive attitude and it is wonderful to see you making good progress.

Many thanks for posting on my diary. It is heartwarming to see you giving support and encouragement to gamcare friends.

I much admire your good advice to keep things nice and simple

Than mountain looking obstacles are nothing more than a dimple

Blocks, hope, honesty and courage will stand us in good light

Than we can rest quite peacefully when fast asleep at night

Aum ?

It’s going well roch! Cracking !

Thank you Stephen, Debsy for passing by with your kind, encouraging support!

So much so that I've decided that today just for today, I will not gamble. 

Day 45. I choose not to gamble.

Day 46.  Just for today, no gamble for me.

A very fine performance and another notch for Roch

Who is a star performer and surely one to watch

See him fight off demons and shout for liberty

Blessed with pride and honour 

Brave and gamble free

Wishing you a weekend of contentment.

Aum ?

Day 47 and heralded by a wonderful poem from Stephen.  Thank you, I really love 'em!

And a likewise wish contentment for you ... in spades.  As a small gesture I have chosen not to gamble for today, just today.  I know that the invitation will extend to you Stephen, I know you will likewise forego this malevolent beast, just for today.

I was mooching the Gamcare forums, as I'm prone to do, and came across this useful checklist to have a gambling free life.  I'm going to see how many of these I can tick off (a few won't apply, of course). Please feel free to join me 🙂

(Everything below is copied from a marvellous post from Jack-G ....)

Here is a list I made for myself and for anyone else interested. What from the list below (it can be added to) are you prepared to do to help yourself stop gambling?

Self exclude my self from gambling venues

Close my betting accounts

Restrict my internet access

Restrict my access to money

Hand over control of all my money to a partner/friend

Cancel my credit cards

Write down a list of all the problems gambling has caused me

Book into Rehab

See a Counselor

Go to a G.A. Meeting

See a Physiatrist/Shrink/Therapist

Attend a problem gambling workshop

Start a personal diary

Start an online line diary

Tell my partner

Tell my parents

Tell a friend

Tell someone online

Reassess my financial position with the help of a financial advisor

Keep a record of how much I lose

Study the mathematics of gambling types/machines so I understand why I can't win

Ask a friend to phone me everyday to make sure I have not gambled

Phone a friend everyday and tell them I have not gambled.

Email a friend everyday and tell them I have not gambled

Every time I gamble I will mention it in my online diary

Every time I gamble I will tell a friend.

Every time I gamble I will write in my personal diary

Pray for help

Walk past a casino, have a good look at it, and say to my self, "I'm not going in there they are not getting any more of my money"

When lying in bed before I go to sleep if I think about gambling it will be about not gambling

Replace thoughts of gambling with thoughts of not gambling

If someone asks me if I would like to come to the casino or betting shop with them, tell them, "I no longer gamble or I'm trying to stop"

Become an antigambling crusader.

Join in or watch online chat discussions

Know exactly what I am going to do with my pay before I receive it. i.e. Pay bills, buy food, give my self a treat. I'm going to put my money to good use before I have the chance of even thinking of gambling it away.

Plan what I am going to do tomorrow, today.

Here's another wonderful post, written by Sabine (who has sadly passed away). 

I LOVE this:

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry: two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. We cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow with its possible adversities, its blunders, its large promise or poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendour or behind a mask of clouds - but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.

This leaves only; one day - TODAY. Any person can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and i add the burdens of these two awful eternities - yesterday and tomorrow - that we break down. It is not the experience of today that drives people mad - it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring. Let us, therefore, LIVE BUT ONE DAY AT A TIME.

Day 48.  My No.1 promise, just for today. I will not gamble.

Thankyou for visiting my diary Roch. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Enjoyed reading the recent posts on your diary. I do like the idea of making lists to remind us of our aims and aspirations. It has also given me the opportunity to identify changes I would like to make and has prompted me to look at my strengths and weaknesses. Some things might look really difficult but when approached from a different angle they seem more achievable.

I do have reservations regarding "Not worrying about tomorrow." It brought back sad memories of me sitting in front of machines in the betting shops and opting to gamble away every last penny and justifying it in my mind because I could worry about tomorrow when it came.

However, I do appreciate the wisdom of tackling addiction "one day at a time." Anyway it has certainly given me good food for thought.

You are nearing the half century and your excellent attitude is heartwarming to see.

Wishing you a good Sunday and a contentment over the coming week.

Aum ?

Say 49. Just for today, today only, I have decided not to gamble.

Thank you for a very thoughtful post Stephen; and I take your point about tomorrow and how, in the midst of gambling, it is most certainly foreboding with pent up worry.

We are in recovery now. Another wise saying hovers into view.

"If we take care of today, tomorrow will take care of itself."

So... With a natural trepidation, as always, let's dare to look forward to tomorrow ?

We are taking care of today. If we do our best, what will happen will be for the best.

Here's to a fantastic Mobday, Stephen!

Posted by: RochG

Say 49. Just for today, today only, I have decided not to gamble.

Thank you for a very thoughtful post Stephen; and I take your point about tomorrow and how, in the midst of gambling, it is most certainly foreboding with pent up worry.

We are in recovery now. Another wise saying hovers into view.

"If we take care of today, tomorrow will take care of itself."

So... With a natural trepidation, as always, let's dare to look forward to tomorrow ?

We are taking care of today. If we do our best, what will happen will be for the best.

Here's to a fantastic Mobday, Stephen!

Excellent post Roch.

"If we take care of today, tomorrow will take care of itself."

That simple sentence is very inspiring and I will use it as a mantra whenever feeling pressured.

Wishing you a mega magnificent March and a wondrously wuvverly week.

Aum ?

Thank you Aum (Stephen) for your inspiration!  There is nothing more motivational than someone popping by their diary,