Most of my friends drink to some degree or another, do I just end the friendships now that I’ve quit drinking?
It’s going to be difficult to stay off the booze if your friends are all heavy boozers. Here are some straightforward pointers for dealing with this problem.
The Best Kind of Friends
We have to choose our friends carefully, because the people we spend our time with have a big influence on us. The people you want in your life are:
- Kind
- Decent
- Honest
- Healthy
- Fun to be around
- Inspiring
- Motivating
- Supportive
- Genuinely interested in you
- Reliable
- Trustworthy
- Positive
- Loyal
People who are truly your friends, who care about you, will respect your decision to kick the booze. They will support you one hundred percent.
The Questionable Friends
Embed from Getty ImagesYou might want to question the depth of the friendship with friends who tease you about quitting alcohol, and try to coax you back into drinking. Are they really your friends? Would somebody who really cared about you want you to be drunk? Would they let you drink and drive? I think you know the answers to those questions.
It’s not that they’re malicious, that they are intentionally wanting to jeopardize your health, your happiness, your life. It’s more likely that they’ve just given up caring about their own lives. If they don’t care about what happens to themselves, how can they care about what happens to you?
Choose Wisely
George Washington said: “It is better to be alone than in bad company.”
A Buddhist would advise: “If you cannot find a good companion to travel with, walk alone, like an elephant roaming the jungle. It is better to be alone than with those who will hinder your progress.”
While it might not be easy to completely sever the ties with the heavy boozers in your life, you should seriously consider reducing time spent with them to a minimum. And spend more time with your true friends, the ones who respect and support you. Or maybe try spending more quality time with family, or alone. Read an inspiring/entertaining book, learn a new language or skill, work out, practice yoga, meditate, there are endless healthy ways to spend your time.
To kick the booze, you must become a different person. A better, stronger, smarter person.
Give it a go, you’ll be AMAZED at what you are capable of.
KTB
Kick the Booze 