Episode 438 – Expectations   Today we have something different lined up. Instead of one interviewee, we’ve got a panel of sober rockstars who have been kicking ass and taking names in this field for a while now. You’re going to love it.   Recovery Elevator welcomes our newest sponsor, Athletic Greens.   [02:33] Highlights from Paul:   We are full of expectations. Both for ourselves and other people. Top of that list is we expect happiness in a world where nothing is guaranteed. We have been conditioned throughout our life that any discomfort represents failure, and a certain product, drink or pill will end the suffering.   How do we let expectations go? It’s impossible. All you can do is become aware you are expecting something different for yourself or other people.   Another reason why expectations are dangerous is it throws gratitude right out of the window. We also expect the earth to keep providing the natural resources needed for our survival, which are never guaranteed. We definitely need to approach sunshine, fresh drinking water, clean air, and shelter from a stance of gratitude opposed to expecting them to be delivered to us because we deserve them. More on that next week.   “The days in which my gratitude exceeds my expectations are really good days” – Ray Wylie Hubbard.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:54] The interviewees introduce themselves:   Laura Cathcart Robbins, the host of “The Only One in the Room” podcast and author of the book Stash: My Life in Hiding.   Eric Zimmer, the hose of “The One You Feed” podcast and creator of a program called Spiritual Habits.   Paul Churchill, the host of “Recovery Elevator” podcast (who we all know and love).   Gill hosts the Sober Powered podcast and is also a chemistry professor in the Boston area.   Gill wants to talk about early sobriety and what the experience was like for each guest.   [14:33] Laura has almost 15 years in sobriety. She shares that her first month of sobriety was spent in rehab. She hated it and felt resentful of those that enjoyed it. She attended a lot of recovery meetings and felt sentenced and never felt like she fit in initially. Laura remembers the early days often and knows she doesn’t want to return there.   [17:18] Eric first got sober from heroin when he was 24. He stayed sober for about eight years but returned to alcohol for a few years. He has since gotten sober again and has been sober for 16 years. What Eric remembers about early recovery is that just quitting substances wasn’t enough. He was plagued by the war that went on between using and not using and he feels that after some time in recovery, the turmoil subsides.   [20:08] Paul had a moment of clarity during a wedding he was DJ’ing where he was extremely drunk and had to ask a colleague to finish. He quit drinking a few days later and planned on going to rehab. He decided to wait and try recovery with AA and spending more time in nature.   [22:48] Gill is three and half years sober. She quit because it was affecting her mental health. She was scared to share her issues with anyone initially, so she did the first few months in recovery by herself.    The guests continue to share their experiences around their early sobriety, their readiness to quit drinking and reflect on what helped them in recovery then and what continues to help them now.   Connect with Laura – The Only One in the Room Podcast   Connect with Eric – The One You Feed   Connect with Gill – Sober Powered   Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down, you got to take the stairs back up, you can do this. I love you guys.