It's About Getting Better . . .
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2002 |

Age 51 |
• Active Alcoholic
• 230 Pounds
• Two-Pack-a-Day Smoker
• Awful Cholesterol
• Awful Resting Heartrate
• High Blood Pressure
• Anxious, Fearful, Uptight
See
the Numbers |
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2018 |
• Alcohol Free since 2002
• 166 Pounds since 2004
• Nicotine Free since 2002
• Terrific Cholesterol
• Terrific Resting Heartrate
• Normal Blood Pressure
• Peaceful, Serene, Relaxed
See
the Numbers |

Age 64 |
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Meet Ed |
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Until August 20, 2002 Ed was an overweight active alcoholic, two-pack-a-day smoker with elevated blood pressure, a racing pulse rate, and triglycerides so high that my cholesterol levels could not be accurately calculated. Walking up the street was a challenge.
He's different now.
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More
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"I
believed deep into the very core of my being that life
without alcohol was impossible. As it turned out, it is
possible. In fact, it’s glorious." |
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"To get better, I must be absolutely honest. If I’m an addict, I
must admit it. Calling my nicotine addiction a habit makes
it way too benign." |
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"I've lost seventy pounds and kept it off. I’m going to share my experience with you, and you can do what you want with it. For me, none of this is theory." |
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"Effective
exercise is hard, but the forty-five minute struggle each
day makes the other twenty-three hours and fifteen minutes
so much better." |
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The Tools |
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"I drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, and ate brownies to change the way I felt. Without the tools, I'd either drink, smoke, and eat crap again, or I'd be miserable. These tools make it possible to find peace without drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, eating crap, and napping." |
More
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The Book |
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"I couldn't put it down!!! I started it yesterday morning and just finished it tonight. What a read, what a story, what an inspiration."

Kindle: $2.99
Paperback: $10.88
(Lowest prices allowed by publisher.)
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Here’s something I finally figured out: Wanting to quit drinking, smoking, and being fat and out of shape was no help at all.
Not a bit.
In fact, wanting to do all that probably hurt me.
During my forty-year career as a teacher and school counselor, I met with hundreds of failing students and their parents. In those meetings, the sullen students often sat and said nothing. The common response to any question or comment would be a sarcastic glance at their parents or an absolute refusal to respond at all. For nearly three decades, I told the parents their children had to have at least a tiny bit of “want to” for us to help them get better.
Several years after my last drink I realized I’d been using the wrong word during all those meetings. I know now there’s a huge difference between “want to” and “willingness,’ and willingness is the key to change.
The difference may seem subtle.
It’s not.
Preview on Amazon |
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My Reclaimed Life
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