"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."
Learning to live in the in-between.
Hi everyone! Happy Sunday!
I don’t have too much to share today, so thought I’d share my intentions for the week and be on my merry way :)
No scrolling after work! I always feel blah when I spend the evening scrolling, but I’m realizing the times I’ve tried to cut back haven’t really worked because I didn’t replace it with anything (similar to when we remove alcohol). So this week, I want to actually swap it out for something that takes my focus away from my phone, i.e. building my pinboard!! I picked up a big foam board from Home Depot, some fabric, and a staple gun, and I’m going to turn it into something like this:
Expect the unexpected. The past few weeks at work have reminded me how fast things can change and how little I can actually predict! Instead of letting that stress me out, I want to lean into it and trust that things will work out the way they’re supposed to.
Journal before bed at least twice this week (keeping it realistic). I find it sooo helpful to brain dump at the end of the day.
I hope you take a moment to reflect on your intentions for this week!
— Steph
If you’re new, check out our intro to Steady Sunday here!
💻 This Week’s Meetings
You can always find our full monthly meeting calendar here!
Tuesday, 3/31 — 5:30-6:30 p.m. PT / 8:30-9:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, 4/2 — 5:30-6:30 p.m. PT / 8:30-9:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, 4/5 — 10-11 a.m. PT / 1-2 p.m. ET
Zoom meeting links are sent in our Discord chat:
✨ Meeting Notes
This week, someone shared that one of the deeper lessons sobriety has taught them is to let go of black-and-white thinking. If you’re used to this mindset, it can show up in every area of your life: how you see yourself, how you handle relationships, and the choices you make. When everything gets reduced to extremes—like your relationship being either good or bad, or you being either a good person or a bad person—it can feel very limiting. Very few things in life are purely one way or the other—there is almost always some nuance. Learning to sit in that in-between space, rather than labeling everything as a total win or a complete failure, can be incredibly freeing.
There might be days in sobriety where you’re white-knuckling it and the urge to drink feels intense. On those days, it can help to ground yourself in the bigger picture. Change doesn’t happen overnight, and when progress feels slow, it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re gaining. Reminding yourself of what you’re choosing and what you’re leaving behind can help bring that clarity and perspective you need. Consider the following examples of what you might gain or lose in sobriety versus active substance abuse:
Gained in sobriety:
Respect & trust (with yourself + the people in your life)
Peace and mental clarity
Freedom and stability
Being proud of yourself
Challenges in sobriety:
Discomfort and unfamiliar feelings
Grieving old habits or identity
Adjusting to new routines and coping tools
Gained in active substance use:
Temporary relief or escape from pain or discomfort
Familiar coping skills
Lost in active substance use:
Self-esteem and emotional stability
Healthy relationships
Physical and mental well-being
Long-term “peace” for short-term relief
📎 Resource of the Week
This week, Nadia shared this amazing piece about how screen time affects our nervous systems, and practical tips to break the cycle! Highly recommend giving it a read.
✍️ Journal Prompt
Before ever engaging with the idea of sobriety, what would you tell yourself were the good parts about drinking or using other substances? How do you see it now if you have a new perspective?
Always cheering you on,
-Steph & Annie
P.S. Have ideas for anything you’d like to see in this newsletter? Comment on this post or reply to this email!