Gratitude

The Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia

Thank you to everyone who generously donated to Odyssey House and helped them give those affected by drug and alcohol abuse a fresh start in life.  Thank you to those who inspired me to take a year off alcohol especially John and my cousin Scotty.  Thank you to those who supported me during my year without alcohol, every message, comment, text, word of encouragement kept me going and I couldn't have done it without you.  A special thank you to those who challenged me and doubted me because you also helped propell me forward.    Thank you Chris Raine for creating a shift in the drinking culture and continuing to work hard to spread a positive message around the world.  It's not easy going against the grain and you're helping to pave the way for future generations.

I'm so grateful for my life, for my family and friends, for my struggles.  There was a time in my 20's when I was cynical and negative and now I look back and laugh because I'm often so happy these days that I annoy people with my positivity.  I used to be very anxious and stressed and now I'm sometimes so calm that people think I don't care.  I'm not saying all my problems are solved or that I don't have bad days, but I feel so strong that I know I can handle anything that comes my way and this is in part because of my year without alcohol.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ego

Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia

Many people use the word "ego" without truly understanding what it means.  Our ego can simply be described as our identity, or our "view of ourselves", but it's our attachment to that view that causes us problems.  When we feel that someone has hurt our feelings we have to ask… did they really hurt our feelings or did they hurt our pride or our ego?   Did they merely challenge our view of ourselves?  Sometimes we accuse others of egotistical behaviour, while our accusation alone is an egotistical act. 

An action or behaviour cannot necessarily be defined as egotistical (eg. simply putting up a photo of ourselves on facebook), it is the intention behind our actions that denotes whether it is egotistical or not.  It's our attachment to that photo or our relationship with it.  The more our intentions come from a loving, positive place the less our ego will control our lives.  

During my years working as an actor I struggled with and became disillusioned by the egotistical nature of the entertainment industry.  I eventually realised that although there are some people in the industry who are driven by fame, fortune and celebrity, there are actually a larger percentage who are working in the industry because they genuinely enjoy the artistic process, they have authentic stories to tell and they want to make a positive contribution to society.  Aesthetically both of these groups of people appear to be taking the same actions, but it's their intention that seperates them.   When our intention is focussed on sharing our experiences or our story with others it becomes an art form or a spiritual exercise.  It's simply communication.  It's not about "me", it's about sharing what we've learnt with others.  When we're driven by a desire to give to others through the expression of our skills and passions we enjoy the ride without being attached to the end result.  The irony is that when driven by positive intentions we often get the A grade fantasy and end result we dream of.  It's greed, ego and unhealthy competition that ultimately lead to our demise.

Whether we’re aware of it or not, most of us are attached to our “view” or label we've given to ourselves.  Whether it’s “I’m outgoing”, “I’m shy”, “I’m a hard worker”, “I’m a nice person”, “I’m a bitch”.  When we let go of restricting ourselves to labels and we accept the spectrum of qualities we have within us we allow ourselves to just “be”.  We don’t have a side to defend, we don’t have a view to protect.  We are able to judge less, love more and we have a better shot at creating the lives and relationships we truly desire.  

Less than a week left to donate to Odyssey House and help them give those affected by drug and alcohol abuse a fresh start.  If you would like to donate, you can do so via this link: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6

2013 The End and New Beginnings

Sydney, Australia

I'm nearing the end of my year without alcohol and I've had so much fun without it that I'm feeling reluctant to start drinking again.  Even big events such as New Year's Eve turned out to be better without alcohol.  In fact, it was one of my top New Year Celebrations of all time!  I was working either side of New Year, yet I was able to fly up to Sydney for the night, celebrate with an amazing group of people by the fireworks of the Harbour Bridge and finish up on the beach at 5am.  After a few hours sleep I enjoyed Bondi Beach on New Year's day and flew home to Melbourne in time for work feeling fresh as a daisy!  I don't think I would have been able to do this if I was drinking, or at least, it would have been extremely painful.  I'm not trying to brag about what a great time I had, I just want to illustrate that we don't need alcohol to enhance celebrations or our lives, in fact, sober celebrations can be more enjoyable.

Sydney Harbour Bridge New Year Fireworks 2013

The reality that has become clear over the last (almost) year is the way our energy ebbs and flows.  It rises up and passes away.  I've taken notice of how much our lives are effected by what we put into our bodies.  We are constantly changing and the chemical reaction of alcohol in our body interfere's with our natural rhythm.  I'm so happy bouncing around early on Saturday and Sunday mornings and I just don't know if I have tolerance for hangovers anymore.  I can't get back those precious weekend hours that were spent hungover (so many in my 20's!) and I don't want to lose any more.  That's how I'm feeling now.  I guess only time will tell...

If you would like to support this cause you can recommend this page below or donate via this link: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6

Dress-up's

Sober silliness

My year without alcohol seems like a game of dress up's compared to what some people go through with alcohol and drugs.  Most of us are lucky enough to be born to healthy parents who's biggest mistake might be smothering us with too much love, while for some, alcohol and drug abuse is part of their childhood.  When we consider how many of us can become dependent on alcohol purely from a social perspective, struggling to have just a couple of months of abstinence, we can only begin to understand how difficult it must be for those who have serious alcohol and drug problems to abstain completely.  My hat goes off to the residents of Odyssey House who are brave enough to admit they need help, face their problems head on and work so hard to create new lives for themselves regardless of traumatic upbringings or experiences.  

More alcohol free fun!

I visited Odyssey House myself and saw first hand the amazing work they are doing to help those with serious alcohol and drug dependency re-build their lives, self-esteem and health.   There are less than 2 months left to donate to Odyssey House and help them give those affected by drug and alcohol abuse a fresh start.  If you would like to donate, you can do so via this link: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6

Alternatively, you can show support by doing your own alcohol abstinence for 3, 6 months or a year!  Sign up to Hello Sunday Morning today and join the community that is working toward changing our drinking culture hellosundaymorning.org - Hello Sunday Morning

Righteous dude!

Port Melbourne, Australia

When surveyed, the majority of people say that they believe themselves to have higher moral values than other people.  If we all think we are better than each other no wonder there's a lot of intolerance in society.  When we think our way is the only way and everyone else is wrong we create an arrogance, ignorance and sometimes a superiority complex (which if you scratch beneath the surface is really coming from insecurity).

When we let go of ego, and rather than pushing our righteous opinions and views onto each other, we think “what can I learn from this person?” we create more tolerance and acceptance of others and we grow.  I’m not saying we should devalue our own opinions, throw caution to the wind and take on everyone else’s values.  I’m saying that when we stay grounded and connected to our own values, but respect and listen to other people’s views we become happier, more intelligent and loving.   Basically we become better people.

If you would like to support this cause you can recommend this page below or donate at this link: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6

Non-Alcoholic High

Looking for a fun night, but don't want the pain of a hangover the next day?  The last 10 months have trained me up in the art of The Non-Alcoholic High (and no, I haven't taken recreational drugs).  The most extreme highs have been the natural ones that have come from meditation, running and yoga, but if that's not your thing, here are some other ideas:

Sleep deprivation, hard work & sugar = non-alcoholic high

* Sleep deprivation - Lack of sleep is an easy road to delirium.  I'm sure anyone who has stayed up late studying, working or watching TV on DVD knows too well that sleep deprivation can lead to uncontrollable laughter, absent mindedness and other side effects similar to those of alcoholic intoxication.  CAUTION: Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while in this state.

* The Sugar High - Soft drinks, lollies, cakes or chocolate can be a good substitute for alcohol at a party and can help keep your energy high on the dance floor.  This really only works if you have these foods on rare occassions.  If you have processed sugar every day your body builds up an immunity to it and it can cause long term damage.

* Cheesy dreams - Why have all the fun in our waking hours?  Why not fulfill our A grade fantasies while we sleep?  Studies have shown that eating cheese right before bed can induce some delightfully lucid dreams.  After eating the cheese it's best to prepare yourself for sleep by writing down and imagining how you want to feel in your dreams.  Certain cheeses can trigger specific dream genres (http://www.dairyreporter.com/R-D/Cheese-unlocks-your-wildest-dreams-says-study) and I can confirm from experience that Cheddar = celebrity dreams!  Not joking!  If we master fulfilling our fantasies while we sleep we are more likely to turn our dreams into reality.

* Tea Time - It might sound lame, but I've got my kicks from some serious tea drinking sessions!  My favourites are Green tea and Ginger tea.  Ginger is actually a natural stimulant, so when you chop up ginger root, put it in boiling water and munch on the remaining ginger in the bottom of the cup, it not only gives your immune system a boost, but it also gives you a spring in your step!

I'm not sure whether it was the sleep deprivation, a long day of filming or sugar that were responsible for the picture above, but things got sideways that night and neither of us had a drop of alcohol.  As I'm nearing the end of my year without alcohol I have to say, I've had so much fun without it, I'm not in any rush to "get back on it!"

If you would like to support this cause you can recommend this page below or donate at this link: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6